
If you’d like to give this versatile VST a try for yourself, it’s available as a Mac, Windows, and Linux AU and VST. The only situation in which you wouldn’t re-record is if the performance itself is impeccable. You can step on the “s” sounds to your heart’s content.īut one word of caution – which should go for all de-esser plugins – if your original recording has issues, such as peaking, distortion, noise, and other unwanted artifacts, consider re-recording. So, if there’s any question as to whether it works, check out the video.

To be fair, that functionality could come in handy in certain situations. It can even make the vocalist sound as though they have a lisp. If you ride the effect too hard, you almost completely cut out “s” sounds, which can be extreme. Its claim to fame is basically that it will tame the “s” sounds in your vocal tracks while preserving an authentic, clear sound. Your main controls are intensity, max de-ess, and frequency.

Honestly, it just looks like a box with some sliders (which is kind of what it is). Creator Chris (last name unknown) himself calls this VST a high-performance “secret weapon.” Kicking off this list is Airwindows’ DeEss, which some consider one of the best free options available, but for some reason is a bit of a hidden gem.
