The best free de-esser will help you to get rid of the unwanted sibilance and tame instruments as a nice bonus.
So in this article, we’ll show you the best options available on the market.
Our Suggestion…
DeEss is one of the best de-essers you can get out there, free or otherwise. And if you are not happy with the absence of GUI, it’s open source, so you can make your own.
Top 10 Best Free De-esser VST Plugins
- Airwindows DeEss
- Lisp Sleepy Time DSP
- Tonman DeEsser
- Tokyo Dawn Labs TDR Nova
- Digital Fish Phones Spitfish
- Techivation T-De-Esser
- Antress Modern De-Esser
- Dead Duck Software Free Effects
- Viper ITB VeeDees
- Analog Obsession LOADES
Best Free De-esser VST Plugins Reviews
Airwindows DeEss
Pros
- Minimalistic
- Transparent
- Powerful
Cons
- No conventional GUI
Airwindows DeEss, like other Airwindows plugins, was born from the very brilliant mind of one man who possesses top-shelf audio engineering knowledge and isn’t afraid of innovation.
Best features and specs
DeEss has a straightforward GUI with only a few controls, with the help of which you can reach crispy vocals that lack annoying sibilance.
User impressions
Users say that the DeEss is mind-blowingly easy to operate and this plugin has a truly unique way of detecting sibilance.
What we think
DeEss is one of absolutely the best de-essers, paid or otherwise. And if you are not happy with the absence of GUI, it’s open source, so you can make your own.
Bottomline
The Airwindows DeEss is a great choice for someone who is looking for a very minimalistic and lightweight de-esser that doesn’t require much space and computing resources.
Lisp Sleepy Time DSP
Pros
- Ultra-transparent
- Classic
- Easy-to-use
Cons
- None that we know of
Sleepy Time DSP offers a set of very powerful utility plugins completely free of charge. And even though the company ceased to operate long ago, those plugins are still more than formidable.
Best features and specs
Lisp Sleepy Time DSP has a really straightforward GUI and plenty of exclusive controls that help to tame unwanted frequencies with ease in no time.
User impressions
Users like Lisp because it’s really good, versatile, effectively gets rid of any sibilant sounds, and gives clean sound in the end.
What we think
Lisp is a powerful de-esser with very deep and thorough controls that are hard not to enjoy.
Bottomline
Lisp Sleepy Time DSP is a great choice for someone who is looking for a very versatile and controllable de-esser with a sleek GUI.
Tonman DeEsser
Pros
- Stylish
- Easy-to-use
- Powerful
Cons
- No 64-bit applications support
The Tonman DeEsser is a very simple yet surprisingly powerful plugin with a lot of controls and a stylish design.
Best features and specs
Tonman DeEsser helps with taming modern pop vocals that have undergone heavy compression. This plugin works in stereo and mono modes and has 2 reduction modes.
User impressions
Users say that Tonman DeEsser works like a charm and easily gets rid of nasty sibilance and unwanted noises in high-end without damaging the vocals.
What we think
Tonman DeEsser makes us wonder if the creator plans to introduce more tools of the same quality.
Bottomline
The Tonman DeEsser is a great choice for someone who is looking for a very simple and versatile de-esser with a lot of control.
Tokyo Dawn Labs TDR Nova
Pros
- Highly-functional
- Modern
- Versatile
Cons
- Not exactly a de-esser
Tokyo Dawn Labs offers you some of the best free plugins on the market and TDR Nova is a perfect example.
Best features and specs
The Tokyo Dawn Labs TDR Nova offers you a parallel dynamic EQ and a few types of compression.
User impressions
Users like TDR Nova because it does its job really well and looks really stylish.
What we think
We believe that the Tokyo Dawn Labs TDR Nova is absolutely the best free dynamic EQ there is. But to use it for de-essing in a conventional way, you’d have to do some thorough tweaking.
Bottomline
Tokyo Dawn Labs TDR Nova is a great choice for someone who is looking for a very powerful dynamic EQ that is also capable of de-essing.
Digital Fish Phones Spitfish
Pros
- Minimalistic
- Powerful
- Natural-sounding
Cons
- No iOS version
Digital Fish Phones Spitfish is a very simple and intuitive tool aimed mainly at vocals.
Best features and specs
Digital Fish Phones Spitfish works equally great on the stereo and mono tracks. The GUI has only the necessary settings and it works on 3 frequency ranges.
User impressions
Users say that Digital Fish Phones Spitfish is really easy to use, though it does its job the best when used in home studios. Also, it doesn’t sound that good.
What we think
Digital Fish Phones Spitfish is good enough for a free tool, but the sound is something to get used to.
Bottomline
Digital Fish Phones Spitfish is a great choice for someone who is looking for a simple de-esser that is tuned for vocals specifically.
Techivation T-De-Esser
Pros
- Minimalistic and sleek
- Pure and natural-sounding
- Versatile
Cons
- Less features than in Pro version
The Techivation T-De-Esser is a natural-sounding and very capable tool with a great design.
Best features and specs
T-De-Esser has a very straightforward and stylish GUI that has only the necessary controls. This de-esser gives you transparent sound, helps you with saving poorly recorded vocals, and tames tracks with lots of high-end.
User impressions
Users are quite impressed with T-De-Esser because it’s really easy to use, it has only a few precise controls that you need to effectively tame sibilance.
What we think
Although T-De-Esser is free, it’s worth also checking out the paid version.
Bottomline
The Techivation T-De-Esser is a great choice for someone who is looking for a capable de-esser with a great design.
Antress Modern De-Esser
Pros
- Easy-to-use
- Vintage-looking
- Powerful
Cons
- 32-bit only
The Antress Modern De-Esser is a legendary tool that’s been here since the dawn of digital audio engineering.
Best features and specs
Modern De-Esser has a really stylish rack-style GUI that has essential knobs to control the de-esser. This plugin does its job quickly and efficiently.
User impressions
Users like Modern De-Esser because it allows them to control a wide frequency range and always delivers awesome results.
What we think
The Antress Modern De-Esser most definitely should be in your collection along with other Antress tools.
Bottomline
The Antress Modern De-Esser is a great choice for someone who is looking for a classic and reliable de-esser.
Dead Duck Software Free Effects
Pros
- Futuristic
- Versatile
- Easily tweakable
Cons
- Windows only
Dead Duck Software Free Effects offers you 26 different VST effects with great quality and versatility.
Best features and specs
Dead Duck Software Free Effects offers a lot of useful effects, including de-esser that has a futuristic and clean GUI. It has only important controls that easily get you the result you want.
User impressions
Users agree that Free Effects is a very good option because there’re lots of plugins that feature straightforward GUI, sound good, and are light on CPU.
What we think
Free Effects is a great replacement for your stock plugins for free.
Bottomline
The Dead Duck Software Free Effects is a great choice for someone who is looking for a bundle of free plugins that also feature a de-esser.
Viper ITB VeeDees
Pros
- Intuitive
- Vintage
- Transparent
Cons
- 32-bit only
Viper ITB VeeDees is a de-esser with an interesting design and adjustable stack and release.
Best features and specs
Viper ITB VeeDees offers an honest simplicity in helping you to get rid of annoying sibilance in the vocals.
User impressions
Users agree VeeDees is a good de-esser that helps the vocals to be well-positioned in the mix. Some users add that it’s possible to use it to tame other instruments as well.
What we think
VeeDees is simple enough and fairly versatile to give it a go.
Bottomline
Viper ITB VeeDees is a great choice for someone who is looking for a sleek and simple de-esser with impressive versatility.
Analog Obsession LOADES
Pros
- Classic vintage look
- Warm-sounding
- Smooth
Cons
- None
Analog Obsession is one of the best independent plugin manufacturers in the world and LOADES is proof of that.
Best features and specs
Analog Obsession LOADES offers you smooth riddance of the annoying sibilance in vocals that is done with amazing ease.
User impressions
Users like LOADES because this mighty de-esser gives incredibly smooth and transparent sound and it goes really easy on the CPU.
What we think
Analog Obsession LOADES, along with their other plugins, is simply a must-have.
Bottomline
The Analog Obsession LOADES is a great choice for someone who is looking for a nice-looking de-esser with a vintage feel.
