Top 6 Noise Reduction Plugins 2023 (And 3 Best Free Tools)

If you are looking for a tools to reduce that noise, we should be able to help!

Noise reduction targets noise happening when the preferred audio is playing. Whether you are looking for reducing noise of your guitar, vocals or environment, you will find all sorts of the best paid plugins available as well as free tools at the bottom.

In a nutshell, here are the paid tools (All of them comes with trial version):

1. Waves Clarity Vx Pro 

2. Klevgrand Brusfri 

3. Acon Digital Extract: Dialogue 

4. Waves WNS Noise Suppression

5. Crumplepop Audio Denoise AI 

6. iZotope RX 10 Advanced

What Is Noise Reduction In Sound?

Noise reduction is a process used in audio to eliminate or attenuate unwanted noises. Working with recorded audio and analog gear will usually mean dealing with background noise, resonances, room tones, etc. That’s why these tools come in very handy to get cleaner tracks and compensate for noisy instruments or untreated rooms.

But now let’s dive into the actual list:

Top 6 Noise Reduction Plugins 2023

1. Waves Clarity Vx Pro (Latest Technology) 

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Award-winning Clarity Vx Pro is here for you to eliminate the noise of your voice/dialogue with a simple central knob in real time.

The multi-band processing, Waves’ deep learning technology, and ease of use make this plugin a very good and effective tool for audio engineers. It is worth mentioning that this software is designed specifically for voice de-noising. The algorithms, usability, and results are optimized for that use. Waves also come with a lighter version of this plugin – Waves Clarity Vx.

As you can see, the main feature is the real-time processing that isn’t common in these plugins. Most of them need to process the audio to show the final result or show a real-time preview at a reduced quality. This time you’ll get instant feedback on the final noise-reduced audio.

Clarity Vx Pro clears the audio using an advanced deep learning algorithm that delivers promising results. The main central knob, which activates the suppression, allows you to dial the amount of reduction you want. Besides noise removal, this control shares another interesting feature, the ambiance preserving option.

This function will remove the voice and keep the background noise at a good level. It will be very effective in cases such as crowd cheering, where you don’t want a predominant voice present.

This suppression is achieved by the aforementioned deep learning technology, which introduces different functionalities. This plugin version comes with three Neural Networks that focus on different aspects of noise reduction.

The Advanced Controls differentiates this plugin from its younger sibling, the Clarity Vx. The top added functionalities include a Reflections knob that restores a certain amount of the natural voice reflections without adding extra reverb. The Analysis button will process the audio as mono or stereo, achieving better results with the latter. The stereo processing adds a heavier load on the CPU than the Single mode, so bear that in mind.

We’ll mention the other features, but I encourage you to test the plugin and find out how they work:

• The sensitivity button lets you choose between Normal and High modes.
• Process amount, a slider that changes the amount of general processing.
• Ambiance Gate, Thresh, attack, and release. A bit self-explanatory, but test them and see how they behave.

As a final tip, try not to go extreme with the main suppression knob since it’ll make the voice sound very artificial as soon as you go overboard. Use it with confidence but carefully, and keep in mind that you don’t need a perfectly clean voice track most of the time. The little noise left will likely blend in and be unnoticeable once it’s mixed with instruments, background music, or other sounds.

Key Features:

• • Neural networks
    A neural network is a learning machine capable of storing information with the help of dedicated algorithms in order to make decisions quickly. In this particular case, Clarity Vx Pro uses neural networks to analyze each aspect of your waveform, providing instant corrections to your vocal track. It can automatically detect noises and other unwanted variations in your waveform and correct them on the go.
  • Main control knob
    It will be imperative to set the adequate range in which ambiance will be separated from the voice. For example, if you need to remove said ambiance from your speech, the value you set on this knob will be the threshold that the processing mix will work on.
  • Dedicated faders
    There are some “Band Process” faders assigned to each particular frequency band. They are important controls that determine how much of your signal is being affected by the neural network, according to each frequency band. The intention is to reduce any processing per band, not add more. Be aware that the more it’s being used, the more CPU power will be required.
  • Analysis mode
    If your vocal track requires some special stereo treatment, this option might be useful to you. The “Analysis Mode” is introduced after you decide whether you want your tracks in a single or double-channel distribution. The single mode sums up both left and right channels before analysis, and the double mode separates them very clearly – either by different ambiance or the voice quality itself.
  • Neural network selector
    If introducing a neural network sounds too good to be true, Waves decided to go even further: you can choose between three distinct neural networks that differ in values, parameters such as bias and ratios, and statistics.

    Neural Network	Voice Focus
    Broad 1	Isolates primary and secondary voices from the ambiance, preserving the main voices.
    Broad 1 HF	Similar to the previous option, but with an extended high-frequency focus.
    Broad 2	Isolates primary voice from secondary voices and ambiance, focusing on the main speaker or singer only.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for macOS 10.14.6, 10.15.7,11.6.2, and 12.3 (64-bit only) and Windows 10 or higher (64-bit only). It runs in VST, VST3, AAX, and AU plugin formats. It’s compatible with M1 MACs only on Rosetta.

For more information on system requirements and authorization instructions, check out the Clarity Vx Pro User Manual.

Summary:

Vocal processing is not an easy task, and removing noises or unwanted elements from a recorded track can be very difficult to achieve. Fortunately, you have plugins like Waves Clarity Vx Pro, which makes heavy use of neural networks and algorithms to get the job done.

You can isolate the noises, enhance the voice’s qualities, and even separate multiple voices with this technology.

We recommend giving it a try if you are looking for more advanced cleaning methods and having your sound crystal clear.

Related Reading:

20 Best Waves Plugins For Mixing, Mastering & Producing 2023

2. Klevgrand Brusfri 1.2.1 (Easiest To Use)

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

A very efficient, easy, and powerful noise reduction plugin with a modern interface.

Brusfri allows you to clean up your tracks with an intelligent algorithm that identifies unwanted noise and suppresses it. Plugin comes packed with an intuitive and straightforward interface to make things easier and smoother.

To use this tool, you must play a portion of your track where the unwanted noise is isolated; after that, the plugin will suppress the noise and that’s all! However, Brusfri will also provide you control over the attack, release, threshold, gain, mix, among other parameters.

Key Features:

• No phase altering
  Most noise reduction plugins suppress the noise by altering the phase. Even though that method can be helpful, altering those parameters can cause phase cancelation, and mono speakers will not reproduce your songs accurately. However, Brusfri does not change the phase; instead, it attenuates noise by subtracting frequencies.  That being said, this plugin is a great alternative to avoid phase issues.
• Intuitive interface
  The interface is clean and easy to understand. It comes with an envelope graph instead of individual knobs and sliders for attack, release, and threshold to provide visual feedback about the plugin’s behavior. Also, the knobs on the right module are very accurate and manageable.
• Ease to use
  Most times, all you’ll have to do is press the learn button to suppress the noise. However, if you don’t get the desired results, don’t hesitate to use the knobs. They’re self-explanatory and easy to use.

Compatibility:

This plugin requires macOS 10.12 or higher, 64 bits or Windows 7 with SP1 or higher, 64 bits only in AU, VST, or AAX.

Summary:

If you’re looking for an easy and modern plugin, this is the right option for you. Usually, the algorithm will do the job for you. However, there’s also room for customization and tweaking the parameters to get your track as clean as you want.

3. Acon Digital Extract: Dialogue (Easiest To Use 2)

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Automatic solution for noise reduction, few parameters & significant results.

Dialogue is a fully automatic noise reduction plugin designed exclusively for voice. It features an algorithm that works in real-time to suppress background noise. This plugin is ideal for podcasts, interviews, and even singers.

Key Features:

• Algorithm
  Algorithm was trained with voice samples to distinguish the frequencies, timber, and behavior of these sources and separate them from wind, traffic hum, or other types of background noise. Even though it reduces the noise automatically, you can adjust the sensitivity with the slider located on the left side of the interface.
• Eq bands
  Use three customizable eq filters to increase or reduce noise reduction applied to the predefined frequency spots. If you want a noise reducer to work smoother, It is essential to control the noise reduction per band. That being said, you can adjust and bypass the eq filters to manipulate the amount of attenuation.
• GUI
  You will find a sensitivity slider to adjust the threshold and a max attenuation knob that works as a ratio on the left side. Also, you have a spectrum analyzer to monitor your signal (gray) and the signal after the reduction (orange).  Finally, additional functions like solo noise and eq filters will be located on the right side.

Compatibility:

This plugin requires Windows 7 or higher, 32/64 bits, and macOS 10.12 or higher, 64 bits. It comes in VST, VST3, or AAX format.

Summary:

Acon digital extract Dialogue is the best option if you are looking for an easy plugin with few parameters and an intelligent algorithm that will do most of your work. You won’t have much room for adjusting parameters. However, it suppresses the noise very well, and the algorithm used is transparent and efficient.

Related Reading:

Top 6 Plugins For Voice-Over & Dialogue Cleaning

4. Waves WNS Noise Suppression (Multiband Tool)

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Multiband noise suppression with intelligent assistance.

WNS noise suppressor is a zero-latency noise reduction plugin that can suppress noise in dialogues, podcasts, interviews, and most spoken recordings. It features six adjustable bands to attenuate the unwanted noise depending on the frequency. Additionally, the display provides lots of information for accurate monitoring.

Finally, this plugin features a “Suggest” mode that will analyze youe audio and automatically adjust the settings to give you a starting point.

Key Features:

• EQ bands
  You get six independent bands to apply noise reduction dynamically. The values can be modified to shape the noise reduction as desired. Also, you can use the high and low cut this plugin provides to eliminate unwanted hiss or rumble.
• Suggest feature
  The suggest feature was a technology introduced by Waves to analyze your audio and adjust the parameters according to a perceived noise. This functionality is beneficial because the multiple eq bands plus the smoothness and threshold sliders might confuse some users and make this plugin hard to use. That being said, the suggest button will give you excellent solutions most of the time.
• Zero-latency display
  WNS comes with a very accurate zero-latency display that represents every modification and change in real-time. It consists of a frequency spectrum for the input signal, a white line for the suppression, a blue line for the fader’s gain, and a yellow one for the suggest features.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10, 64 bits, and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, 64 bits. It comes in AAX, Audiosuit, AU, VST, and VST3 format.

Summary:

This plugin is ideal for dialogues and post-production. If you want a musical or less aggressive noise suppressor, this is not the right option for you. Nonetheless, video editors will love this plugin, because it reduces the noise with minor modifications to the voices.

Lastly, If you like this plugin, you should check out the Waves NS-1 for tracking and mixing.

5. Crumplepop Audio Denoise AI (Not Compatible with All DAWs)

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Very few controls, a simple interface, and great results make Audio Denoise AI stand out.

Big companies such as CNN, MTV, DreamWorks, and FOX have used products from Crumplepop, which is always a good sign.

It’s compatible with many audio and video editing apps, so you won’t have any trouble removing noise from your tracks. Using Artificial Intelligence, the noise analysis is executed with more precision to obtain better results.

The process is quite simple, the added multi-band section is very handy, and it works seamlessly with several applications.

Audio Denoise AI works very well, removing sounds like 60Hz hum (or 50Hz, depending on where you live), hiss, and several types of noises. The best results will be obtained when the background audio is somewhat constant, meaning that it doesn’t change in time.

Simply applying it to the track will decrease the noise level. Be aware that it might also change the output level of the desired audio, so you might need to correct it. Luckily, you can fix it right inside this plugin and tweak the amount of noise removal for three frequency bands if you need to.

Cranking the Strength knob up could make your track sound artificial and robotic. I recommend setting it at 50% and checking if you need to increase it to begin the process.

Audio Denoise AI was designed for voice processing, so if you’re working with podcasts or video editing, you can get them quickly fixed by dragging this plugin onto the desired audio track.

And since it allows real-time processing, you can modify the settings while you’re listening to achieve the best result for your clips. When you’ve found what works best for it, you can save it as a preset and apply it to similar tracks.

As a general tip, try to identify the frequency range of the noise you’re trying to remove. You can turn down the processing knobs corresponding to the ranges that don’t contain unwanted sound. This trick will prevent the main audio from getting modified in any way in the frequencies that don’t contain any noise.

Compatibility:

Audio Denoise AI is available exclusively on MAC and is fully compatible with M1 chips. For more information about compatibility, please check here.

Summary:

The drawback of this plugin is that it’s not available for Windows, so you won’t have the chance to try it out if you own a PC. Anyway, if you are looking for a plugin for podcast & video editing purposes, this tool is the way to go.

Related Reading:

Top 12 Audio Plugins For Podcasting (Paid & Free)

6. iZotope RX 10 Advanced (Noise Reduction Toolkit For Wide Use)

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

The RX 10 Advanced is a collection of plugins for audio editing, correction, restoration, and enhancement. 

The RX Voice De-noise is a smart denoiser that, in its adaptive mode, automatically detects voice/speech signals and sets a threshold for reducing the noise from it, with variable noise floor. It’s a great plugin for editing podcasts, interviews, vlog audio, location recordings, and more.

Spectral De-noise is a noise removal plugin for removing hiss sounds, background noise, ground loops, fans, winds, and other sounds from electronic equipment used in your recording system. It also has an adaptive mode for automatic noise reduction, or you can set the threshold and reduction the amount yourself.

Guitars, whether acoustic or electric, catch squeaks, picking sounds, and buzz or hum sounds from pickups and amps. There are also room sounds that may induce wrong intonation or bad-sounding harmonics on the instrument. The Guitar De-noise is the perfect tool for cleaning your guitar recordings and reducing or eliminating all artifacts and noise.

The repair Assistant detects issues with the audio signals and helps you remove them. It has algorithms for cleaning the Voice, percussions, musical/melodic instruments, and sound effects. For each module/algorithm, the controls are different. For example, Voice has controls like De-ess for clearing sibilance, De-click for cleaning pops and clicks, De-clip for cleaning clipping/distortion, and so on.

Similarly, the Percussion algorithm has De-harsh, tine, De-reverb, and De-clip parameters, for all-rounded de-noising of percussion recordings and samples. In addition, the plugin is smart enough to listen to the audio profile and give suggestions based on that by using the Learn switch/button.

The RX De-click looks for amplitude irregularities to find any clicks, pops, impulses, etc., within the audio caused by digital errors or performance. The plugin operates in single-band, multiband (periodic clicks/random clicks), and low latency algorithms, with sensitivity and frequency skew parameters.

De-crackle is created to remove any continuous set of clicks or noise in an audio signal, with parameters like Quality (low, medium, and high), Strength, and Amplitude skew. The plugin is easy to use, with a click of a few buttons and can help you free your audio of any crackle noise/sounds.

The RX De-ess removes any sibilance within the audio, especially the vocals. Sibilance usually lies in the high-mid and high frequencies. However, you can select the exact frequency by selecting the cutoff frequency and the threshold after which the sibilance starts occurring.

You can also set the algorithm to Classic or Spectral, such as the Spectral de-esser works like multi-band compressors with dozens of bands acting to compress the sibilant frequencies. On the other hand, the classic De-esser works like any traditional de-esser.

The RX De-plosive removes any plosive sounds captured in the vocal recording. Unfortunately, only so many plugins are designed to work on that especially. However, it’s quite easy to use, with few parameters/sliders.

While recording vocals, you may capture clicks and lip smacks in the audio. The RX module has a plugin for getting rid of those sounds, called the Mouth De-click, and has only three parameters and an easy workflow to work with it.

We live in great times where we have the technology to fix clipping issues. Clipping occurs in digital or analog recording/conversion whenever the audio exceeds 0 dB in amplitude. It’s great, especially for live recordings or location sounds you cannot fix.

The RX De-reverb is great for bedroom producers who record at home and wants to get rid of the room ambiance that gets recorded. It’s also great for other recordings where you want to eliminate the room sound from the vocals/instruments. The plugin takes a reverb profile and gives you a multi-band mix slider window for balancing the lows, low-mids, high-mids, and mids.

The De-hum is created to remove hum sounds captured from the ground or any circuitry/digital issues. You can make the plugin capture the tonal profile of the sound by making it “Learn” the audio, after which you can use frequencies that you want to remove, along with the Q-values of the bands and their harmonics.

By RX Connect, you can access the offline processing and visual interface. It sends clip(s) to the standalone application for editing and repair, after which you get Access to all the modules in one place.

The RX Breadth Control is a smart plugin for detecting and removing breath sounds from dialogues or vocal performances. It saves you time and effort manually looking for breadth and cleaning them. It does that in a very clicks, with only two parameters: Gain and Sensitivity, by which you can control the sound.

Izotope has greatly improved in providing the ideal tools for noise reduction with the RX10 Advanced bundle. In addition, audio post-processing and enhancement have never been so easy, smooth, and efficient. With re-synthesizing and recovering missing frequencies to generating and displaying speech transcriptions, the bundle is a great buy!

Key Features:

• Wide Use
  The RX 10 Advanced is the most sophisticated noise reduction and audio cleaning toolkit on the market. You can use it for efficient audio cleaning, restoration, and editing. All the tools in the plugin pack serve different purposes, and you get specialized tools for hums, clicks, pops, reverb, etc.
• Ease of use
  All the plugins in the RX 10 are intuitive and quite easy to use. The plugins have a uniform interface with common controls, so if you can use one, you can use others. You may require a bit of manual diving to understand the parameters in some specialized plugins, but the language and labeling used by Izotope are simple and easy to understand.
• Advanced Features
  The plugin has advanced tools like Spectral Recovery to recreate the missing frequencies (lows and highs) in less ideal recordings, like phone recordings/voice notes. In addition, there’s a Master assistant tool, tone, dynamics, and width-matching technology. Similarly, the bundle has some ground-breaking audio tech tools.
• Text Navigation
  It can listen to speech audio and turn/transcribe it into text, so it can be used to select and edit recordings, making your workflow easier, especially as a podcast or film dialogue editor.
•  Artificial Intelligence technology
  The repair assistant uses AI to detect problems and suggest fixes that you can make and sculpt the audio to your sensibilities. That makes your workflow easier and deploys the more clerical parts of the job to the AI.

Compatibility:

The bundle is available in the following plugin formats: AU, AAX, AAX Audiosuite, VST3, and AU ARA, and requires a minimum of macOS Catalina (10.15.7) or Windows 10 operating systems.

Summary:

The bundle needs a tool for preparing transients specifically. However, the repair assistant has a percussion algorithm that could fix any percussive deficiencies, but a dedicated transient cleaning plugin would have been great. Other than that, the bundle is all an audio engineer, and editor could ask for. It’s the gold standard for audio enhancement and noise reduction plugins in 2023.

Related Reading:

6 Best Audio Restoration Plugins & Software 

The 4 Best Free Noise Reduction Plugins 2023

1. ToneLib Noise Reducer

More Info & Download

Key Features:

• Spectral analysis
  It uses spectral analysis to identify and remove specific types of noise, such as hiss, hum, or static. In addition, you can automatically match the equalization of the noise-reduced audio to the original audio, which helps to maintain the overall tonal balance of the recording.
• Easy workflow
  The plugin can process multiple audio files simultaneously, which can be useful when working with many recordings. In addition, it has a user-friendly interface that allows for easy control over the noise reduction settings, does real-time processing, and allows saving and recall settings, which can be useful when working with similar types of audio recordings.
• Easy gate
  The Easy Gate feature in ToneLib Noise Reducer is a single-knob noise reduction tool that removes background noise from audio recordings. It automatically detects and removes unwanted noise, such as hiss, hum, or static, while preserving the original audio as much as possible.
  Lastly, it has two modes: Hard and soft, such that Hard mode causes aggressive noise reduction, and Soft mode causes subtle cleaning.
• Auto and manual modes
  ToneLib Noise Reducer offers both Auto and Manual modes for noise reduction. In the auto mode, the plugin uses advanced algorithms to automatically analyze the audio and remove the noise without requiring any user input. The manual mode allows you to identify specific noise using the Spectral Analysis feature.
• Visual feedback
  The frequency spectrum display is a powerful tool in the plugin that allows for more precise noise reduction by visually identifying and targeting specific types of noise and monitoring the changes made to the audio by the noise reduction process.

Compatibility:

Summary:

The plugin has various features, including Spectral Analysis, EQ Matching, Adaptive Mode, and Real-time Processing, that make it a powerful tool for noise reduction. Additionally, the plugin has a user-friendly interface and can be used in various DAWs and video editing software.

2. Bertom Audio Denoiser 2

More Info & Download

Free multiband solution with low CPU requirements.

Bertom denoiser is a plugin designed for music, podcasts, and post-production.  This plugin comes with five independent EQ bands and low and high-cut filters. To use this plugin, you must adjust the threshold and the individual bands that can work either linked or independently.

Even though you don’t have a monitor or display screen on this plugin, you have dynamic green bars on every eq band to represent the amount of noise reduction that is being applied.

Key Features:

• Low CPU
  This plugin consumes a very low CPU, making it very efficient and handy if you need to suppress noise in multiple tracks in a single session. However, using those few resources makes sacrifices some visual assets like a spectrum analyzer or meters.
• Dynamic treatment
  With this plugin, you will get five independent eq bands to treat each frequency range differently. You can adjust the values depending on the amount of noise reduction you want per band. Additionally, if you’re going to reduce the noise equally on the whole track, you might want to link the bands to make them work together.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for windows 7 or higher, 64 bits, and MacOS 10.9 or higher, bits. It comes in VST and AU format.

Summary:

Denoiser 2 is a great plugin for beginners and users that are looking for an easy solution. The fact it doesn’t come with a monitoring display isn’t fully negative; this plugin will force you to use your ears to make your decisions rather than your eyes, which is what we all must do when mixing.

3. Bitsonic Sound Recovery

More Info & Download

Noise filtering and Audio restoration in one plugin.

Sound Recovery is a plugin designed for repairing ineligible soundtracks and make them decent to understand. This can be helpful in cases where equalizing isn’t good enough.

Key Features:

• Denoiser
  This function eliminates unwanted noise from low-mid and mid-high frequencies. It can be very helpful to fix recording issues, boxiness, or unintelligibility.
• Recovery and Enhancer
  These two knobs are the main parameters for audio restoring. Recovery will send the audio to an overdrive module to generate harmonics and make the audio more pleasing. On the other hand, Enhancer will work on the mid frequencies to create harmonics.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows XP or higher, 32/64 bits, and macOS 12.10 or higher 64 bits in VST AAX and standalone format.

Summary:

If your main choice is restoring the intelligibility of recorded audio, this plug-in is a must-have. It works great for the audio restaurateurs and forensic field. Even though this plugin is very flexible and versatile, we advise you not to use it on music vocals because it can be a little harsh with suppression.

4. Cockos ReaFIR

More Info & Download

Equalizer, compressor, and noise suppressor all in one.

ReaFIR is a Reaper’s native plugin that works as an equalizer, compressor, and noise reducer. Using it is very simple, you must create a noise profile by playing a portion of your audio where the noise is isolated; after that, you must click on “automatically create noise profile” and adjust the intensity of the reduction. 

It consumes a small amount of CPU and does not require much expertise.

Key Features:

• Versatility
  It can be used as a compressor equalizer or noise suppressor. However, the last option is where it shines the most. We advise you to look at other options Reaper offers with dedicated equalizers and compressors to accomplish these tasks better. Nonetheless, this is a great option for noise reduction if you want to use your DAW stock plugins.
• Automation
  One of the reasons we find this plugin incredible is the automation feature. After you tell the plugin to build a noise profile, it will create it right away and start suppressing the noise. All you must do is adjust the threshold to preserve the original audio’s harmonics and frequencies.

Compatibility:

To use this plugin, you must own the DAW Reaper. That being said,  Reaper is available for Windows XP or above, 64 bits Linux x86, and macOS 10.5 or above, 64 bits.

Summary:

This native plugin is ideal for quick noise suppression with low CPU consumption and fast results. However, this may not be the best option if you want to remove specific noises or you want more control over your noise reduction. Most DAW’s stock plugins can accomplish the same functionalities as most third-party VSTs.

We advise you to explore and try out your favorite DAW native plugins, you may find great alternatives with great compatibility and low CPU usage.

Bonus Plugins

1. Klevgrand Esspresso (De-Esser / Noise Reduction)

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Klevgrand Esspresso is a de-esser plugin that reduces unwanted resonances and frequencies in unique way.

It uses a specialized algorithm to analyze the input signal and create a clear filter that targets specific resonances, resulting in a cleaner and more transparent sound. It is a versatile de-esser plugin suitable for audio recording enthusiasts of all levels.

Unlike other de-essers requiring extensive experience to handle high-frequency noises in the mix, Esspresso offers a unique detection and suppression frequency range. That allows you to compress one frequency while listening to another, producing a professional de-essing effect. With a fast and accurate frequency response view, you can easily remove unwanted S-sounds that would otherwise affect the overall mix.

Key Features:

• Great algorithm
  You can isolate and remove resonant frequencies without affecting the overall tonality of the signal. The plugin’s interface includes a spectrum analyzer that displays the frequency spectrum of the input signal, allowing you to see the resonances and frequencies being targeted.
• Easy control
  Esspresso also includes a variety of other controls, such as attack and release times, gain reduction, and mix control, that allow you to fine-tune the effect to your liking. The plugin can be used on various audio sources, including vocals, drums, guitars, etc.
• Intuitional GUI
  The plugin’s interface is designed to be simple and intuitive, with a clear and easy-to-use layout. It also includes a variety of preset sounds, which can be used as starting points for creating new sounds or as inspiration for new ideas.
• Visual reduction RMS
  Visual reduction RMS is a feature included in the Klevgrand Esspresso plugin, and it refers to the graphical representation of the amount of gain reduction applied to the audio signal. RMS stands for mean root square, a mathematical formula used to measure the average power of a signal.
• Detector sensitivity gain 
  In Esspresso, the detector sensitivity gain control can fine-tune the plugin’s input signal analysis. A higher detector sensitivity gain setting will result in a more precise signal analysis, while a lower setting will result in a more relaxed and forgiving analysis.

Compatibility:

Esspresso is available in VST, AU, and AAX formats and is compatible with the most popular digital audio workstations (DAWs). It is also lightweight and CPU-efficient, making it a great choice for laptops and other lower-powered systems.

Summary:

2. McDSP NR800 Noise Reduction Processor Native v7

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

NR800 by McDSP is a real-time noise-reduction plugin for audio enhancement, editing, and live sound reinforcement. 

The company claims that the plugin doesn’t add artifacts to the audio while doing the noise reduction, as it operates with different band filters, which can be set to slopes up to 36 dB/octave. The plugin provides several noise reduction modes, from mild to extreme, to scale the noise from 100% to 0%.

Key Features:

• Zero latency algorithms
  The 8-band plugin doesn’t give any latency issues and is highly precise with noise profiling. However, when used correctly, it doesn’t remove unnecessary sounds or filter away any high-end or high mids clarity from them.
• Focused noise reduction
  The mechanism used by the plugin is accurate and does a good job in noise reduction, with High Pass and Low Pass pre-filtering. The snap gain and snap threshold help with efficient and faster setup time.

Compatibility:

The plugin is available in AAX (DSP and Native), VST3, and AU plugin formats and requires a minimum of macOS 10.13 and Windows 7 operating systems.

Summary:

The NR800 has a classic mixer-style interface with sliders for each band, with mute and solo buttons. It allows you to customize noise reduction with bias modes, noise reduction range, and response controls. With the faders, you can adjust the noise reduction amount and detection threshold.

3. UAD C-Suite C-Vox

More Info & Price 

UAD plugin to clean up your vocals when tracking or while mixing.

This Apollo exclusive plugin combines noise suppression technology created by Cedar with real-time UAD processing. This plugin was designed to clean room and reverberation from vocal tracks recorded in poorly treated rooms.

C-VOX is very easy to use. You have sliders to adjust attenuation and ambience reduction and shift between the noise and room mode. This Plugin can be used when tracking because it features a zero-latency technology that eliminates the delay.

Key Features:

• Zero-latency
  The zero-latency technology works for both tracking and real-time monitoring. One fantastic feature this plugin has is recording and printing the audio with the plugin inserted. That way, you won’t have to use it on the mix because the audio is already noise-free. The algorithm used was specifically designed for vocals, but it also works for other instruments.
• Two modes
  You can choose between two options that will determine how the plugin behaves. Room mode will be ideal for reducing resonances and room tone, whereas noise will identify background sounds or interference and eliminate it.
• Adaptative processing
  UAD partnered up with Cedar to create a transparent and intelligent algorithm trained with vocal samples to identify the characteristics of the voice and separate them from other kinds of noises. This plugin is very transparent and tries to leave the phase and equalization as clean as possible in real-time.

Compatibility:

You need a Universal Audio interface to use this plugin. It comes in AU, VST, and AAX formats.

Summary:

C-vox is a very powerful and modern plugin designed by UAD for cleaner vocals. This plugin is the right option if you own a Universal Audio interface and want to record your tracks with zero noise without compromising the quality. Transparency and sophistication are two of this plugin’s main assets.

4. Sonnox Oxford DeNoiser (Noise Reducer with Spectrum Analyzer)

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Surgical noise reduction, everything you need, and even more in terms of noise suppression.

Denoiser is a plugin designed by the well-known developer Sonnox. This is a very versatile and complete noise reduction plugin with five noise reduction modules plus a spectrum analyzer for monitoring what the plugin is doing.

We recommend using this plugin to remove specific types of noise or if you look for versatility and different attenuation possibilities. In this plugin, you will have to adjust everything manually, all parameters can be modified, and the individual modules can be bypassed to A/B without turning the plugin off.

Key Features:

• Five Modules
  Input will allow you to monitor the incoming signal with the meter and adjust the trim.
  De-hisser will reduce harsh high frequencies and hiss noise. This function is beneficial if you used cheap microphones for recording or if you have noisy analog equipment. Also, it features a cutoff knob to highpass the unwanted frequencies.
  Detect will act as a threshold or sensitivity slider. You can control the minimum volume at which the plugin will start suppressing the noise and how harsh the plugin will behave. Finally, you can add analog post equalization with the color and air knobs.
  Remove will act as a ratio module. The amount of reduction can be fixed here as well as the makeup gain and a high cut to remove high frequencies.
  Output the last module allows you to monitor the output signal, listen to the noise that is being removed, add harmonic distortion with the warmth knob and adjust the output signal with the trim option.
• Spectrum analyzer
  This plugin comes with a well-built spectrum analyzer that illustrates how the signal is affected and the equalization curve after the noise reduction.  Every parameter you adjust will have some visual representation on the spectrum analyzer, making this plugin very easy to monitor and understand.
• Warmth control
  Sometimes, using noise reduction plugins can modify the equalization and character of the input signal. However, to counteract this issue, Denoiser comes with a warmth knob to add harmonic distortion and compensate for noise reduction.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for macOS 10.7 or higher, 64bits, and Windows XP or higher, 32/64 bits. It comes in AAX, AU, VST, RTAS format.

Summary:

Sonnox Denoiser is a versatile plugin that can do everything from surgical noise removal to overall cleaning of the tracks. Mastering this plugin can take a while because it offers so many functionalities and options.

We recommend this plugin for experienced users because you must know how to use an equalizer, filter, compressor, and noise gate. If you want a more straightforward plugin, check the following on our list.

5. BOOM Library Debird

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The DEBIRD plugin is a straightforward but powerful tool that is used to remove bird sounds from the background. It employs “Deep Learning” to do all the cleaning work.

You can develop other activities while DEBIRD does all the extracts effortlessly. This plugin will analyze your audio and clean it fully automatically. The downside is that you don’t have control over the amount of noise reduction. However, if you just need some quick adjustments, this is the right option for you.

Key Features:

• Efficiency
  This plugin will allow you to clean up your audio with a single click. You must load the audio file and it will automatically do all the job for you. Making your workflow more straightforward and faster.
•  Advanced Machine Learning
  The Algorithm guarantees the most precise removal noise without audible loss of the desired sound frequencies. This plugin will preserve the audio quality and remove what it identifies as noise.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for windows 7 or higher 32/64 bits and macOS 10.11 or higher 64 bits. It comes in VST, VST3, and AAX format.

Summary:

DEBIRD is a time saver. It turns hours of work into seconds. Regarding fast processing, no matter how fast you remove sounds with other background noise trackers, DEBIRD is faster. You can now plan recording sessions without thinking about invasive methods to do so.

Lastly, DEBIRD ‘s Machine Learning capabilities help the tool to improve over time. Works excellent for editors.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can state that these picks largely satisfy all of your post-production audio demands when you launch a podcast channel. However, we strongly advise considering the need for an audio treatment of the room where you record the sound when you start a podcast since this option gives a lot higher quality when mixing the recorded vocal tracks.

However, we advise you to look at the plugins the DAW provides. Sometimes having everything on hand and functioning well is advantageous and can save time. We may state that most DAWs have plugins in their libraries that can do these plugins’ functions perfectly. That’s why I listed a few uses that the Reaper DAW’s standard plugins may be used for. These standard plugins are simple, practical, and accurate in adjusting your vocal recording.

We had all-in-one alternatives like the Waves Greg Wells VoiceCentric and Waves Clarity Vx, where the magic occurred with the turn of a single knob. It is impressive that a plugin can determine what settings to make when you apply it using such a strong engine. I might also include Waves DeBreath, a tool I also use for music production and which performs superbly. I can say that it works well with the Shure Sm7b and eliminates any unnecessary noise.

I have also included various EQ plugins since applying an equalization correction to your recordings during the initial phase is crucial. TDR VOS SlickEQ and the well-known Pro-Q 3, which is a transparent and extremely user-friendly plugin, are both available. Real Time Leveler plugin Waves Vocal Rider compresses and levels your audio recordings. Because it only has one knob, beginners will find it to be incredibly simple to use.

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