sonible has released smart:deess, a new plugin designed for de-essing and plosive removal in vocal recordings. The key feature of smart:deess is its use of artificial intelligence (AI) for detection and spectral processing, aiming to shape individual phonemes instead of simply attenuating them.
smart:deess addresses sibilance and plosives simultaneously, positioning itself as a tool for common challenges in vocal recordings. The AI-powered processing allows the plugin to adapt to the unique characteristics of each vocal recording upon loading, eliminating the need for manual adjustments. Additionally, smart:deess provides customization options for users to adjust shaping strength and character.
The AI technology in smart:deess identifies specific phonemes—S, Z, Sh, Ch, T, P—in real time, determining the start and end points of each sibilance without requiring users to set a threshold. The plugin processes the entire sibilant, offering a more balanced sound compared to traditional de-essers that focus on the loudest peak.
In contrast to conventional de-essers, smart:deess incorporates spectral processing to refine harsh sounds. Color controls are provided for users to tune the sibilant character, allowing for a soft, balanced, or sharp tone. The plugin aims to address dull and lisping sibilants through its spectral processing capabilities.
Alexander Wankhammer, co-founder and CMO of sonible, emphasized the company's commitment to delivering a reliable and precise tool with smart:deess:
With smart:deess, we pulled out all the stops – our neural network technology and our unique spectral processing – to create a de-esser that is so much more than a standard tool. In some respects we went back to the roots of the initial function of a de-esser, however, smart:deess delivers more of everything – more reliability, more precision, more customizing and, most importantly, more natural results.
Key Features of smart:deess
- AI-powered de-esser for natural-sounding results.
- Simultaneous de-essing and plosive reduction.
- Real-time phoneme detection for identifying sibilants and plosives.
- Spectral processing to shape harsh sounds.
- Processes the entire sibilant without manual threshold setting.
- Handles different phonemes with distinct processing.
- Option for automatic "re-ess" to improve dull and lisping phonemes.
- Customization options for shaping strength and character.
smart:deess is available at an introductory price of €89 until December 1, 2023, with personalized upgrade pricing for existing sonible customers. For more information, visit sonible's official website.