To reduce sibilance or Ess sounds we use De-Essing plugins. However, there are other techniques to reduce sibilance at the time of recording. One of them is the pencil method which is very effective when we use it in the right way.
You can read my article Vocal Recording Techniques Secrets Revealed where I explained the pencil method.
But, in this article, I have come up with the best free vocal de-esser plugins that you can use in your mix.
Here I have 4 of the very effective De-Esser plugins which are also free to use.
1. Tonmann De-Esser
The Tonmann De-Esser is a plugin that helps to reduce sibilance in vocals. It is easy to use, with only a few controls, and it is perfect for beginners just entering the world of vocal mixing.
Features
- Get rid of sibilance that often pops out after adding high-end EQ boosts or heavy compression
- Easy to use, with only a few controls
- Perfect for beginners just entering the world of vocal mixing
2. Sleepy-Time DSP Lisp
Sleepy-Time DSP Lisp is a great de-esser plugin for vocals. It features a sensitivity knob and a filter knob to help reduce harsh, unwanted sibilance.
There’s also a smoothing feature to help make the process of getting rid of harsh sounds easier than ever before.
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And finally, Lisp offers stereo and mid/side modes to help you get the most accurate results possible.
Features
- Reduces harsh, unwanted sibilance
- Easy to use – just specify the amount of signal you want to reduce
- Measures the pitch and amplitude of input signal in real-time
- Smooths out the de-essing process
3. Digital Fish Phones SPITFISH
Digital Fish Phones SPITFISH is a great de-esser for reducing harsh “ss” sounds from your vocals.
It has an intuitive interface with only a few controls, making it easy to use for beginner mix engineers.
The “Listen” feature makes it easy to pinpoint sibilance so you always know what you are affecting.
This plugin is only available for Windows, though the developers have said they plan to release a Mac OS version in the future.
Features
- Filter out harsh, unwanted “ss” sounds that would poke out of your mix otherwise
- Easily reduce sibilance with the “Listen” feature
- Intuitive interface with only a few controls
- Windows-only for now, but developers are planning to release a Mac OS version in the future
4. Techivation T-De-Esser
The Techivation T-De-Esser plugin is a simple but effective tool for reducing the sibilance in your vocals.
It’s easy to use – just select the frequency range you want to target and set the sharpness and intensity to suit your needs.
You can then add the amount of effect you want to apply.
If you’re looking for a straightforward and easy-to-use de-esser plugin, the Techivation T-De-Esser is a good option.
Features
- Reducing sibilance in your vocals with a de-esser plugin
- Easy-to-use interface
- Targets a specific frequency range
- Adjust sharpness and intensity
- Adds the amount of effect you want
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