Waves DeEsser

Waves DeEsser - Precision De-Esser | Precisely Eliminate Sibilance, Restore Silky Smooth Sound

In modern recording engineering, clarity is paramount. Whether it's for vocals, voice-overs, audiobooks, or podcasts, boosting high frequencies to enhance clarity and presence has become standard practice. However, this often comes with an annoying side effect—harsh "ess" and "shh" sibilance. The Waves DeEsser was created to solve this tricky problem. Inspired by highly-regarded classic studio hardware, it is designed for precise de-essing and high-frequency limiting, gently and effectively taming those overly prominent sibilant sounds, making your tracks sound both clear and pleasant.

The applications of Waves DeEsser extend far beyond vocal processing. It is a powerful sibilance treatment tool and a versatile solution for various high-frequency issues. It can soften the overly sharp digital edge of electric guitar amp simulators (Amp Sim), tame overly loud cymbals in drum loops, and even add a touch of sweetness and warmth to digital synthesizer tones. This plugin offers an intuitive workflow and flexible processing modes. Whether you need broad high-frequency limiting or surgical precision on specific frequencies, Waves DeEsser will become an indispensable tool in your mixing toolkit, effortlessly achieving a professional, smooth sound.

Key Features & Applications

Classic Vintage Inspiration, A Modern Studio Essential
The core algorithm of Waves DeEsser is heavily inspired by classic analog gear used for precision de-essing and high-frequency limiting. It doesn't just filter; it musically reshapes high-frequency dynamics, perfectly taming the common "ess" and "shh" sounds in vocals, voice-overs, audiobooks, and podcasts, ensuring the audio remains natural and pleasant while enhancing clarity.

Beyond Vocals: A Savior for Instrument Tracks
Don't limit the DeEsser's capabilities to just vocals. It performs exceptionally well on instrument tracks too. You can use it to reduce the harshness of electric guitar amp sims, effectively tame overly loud or sharp cymbals in drum loops, or add warmth and sweetness to a cold-sounding digital synthesizer.

Dual Detection Modes for Pinpoint Accuracy
Two modes are available to handle different situations. Choose the High-Pass sidechain mode to suppress unpleasant sibilance across the widest frequency range, while the Band-Pass mode allows you to surgically pinpoint and process only the problematic specific frequencies, avoiding impact on other frequency bands.

Minimalist Operation, Fast & Efficient
The DeEsser features a Hard-Knee Compressor design, making its workflow extremely straightforward. After selecting the frequency you want to suppress, simply adjust the Threshold knob to set the desired amount of reduction. The Attenuation meter provides real-time visual feedback, clearly showing the intensity of the processing for quick and precise adjustments.

Two Processing Modes for Both Power and Fidelity
Choose your processing mode based on your needs. Split mode applies de-essing only to the high-frequency portion, achieving maximum sibilance reduction while fully preserving the unaffected low-frequency content. The Wideband mode offers a more gentle and natural processing effect by removing the crossover from the processing path, making it ideal for pure vocal tracks where the highest audio fidelity is required.

Tech Specs

• Plugin Type: Dynamics, De-Esser
• Channel Modes: Mono, Stereo
• Sample Rate Support: Up to 192 kHz
• Latency: Extremely low latency, meeting Waves professional standards
• Supported Formats: VST, VST3, Audio Units (AU), AAX Native
• Activation: Online activation and management via Waves Central
• System Requirements (Mac): macOS Catalina 10.15, Big Sur 11, Monterey 12, Ventura 13, Sonoma 14 (Intel / Apple Silicon)
• System Requirements (Windows): Windows 10 64-bit (22H2), Windows 11 (22H2)