Plugins / Veil
Ghostnote Audio
Veil — Free De-Esser
A free de-esser for vocals. Press LEARN, play 10 to 30 seconds of the vocal, and VEIL sets its four knobs for that voice. It cuts each ess at its own frequencies and never touches the body of the voice below about 1.6 kHz. The full plugin, nothing locked.
Keyless. Install it on every computer you own, and it stays yours. Instant download, no account needed.
The download appears right here, and a copy goes to your inbox. We send occasional studio notes too, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
VEIL 1.5 is yours. Pick your build.
macOS If macOS says it cannot verify the installer: on macOS 15 and later, close the message, open System Settings, Privacy & Security, and click Open Anyway. On macOS 14 and earlier, right-click the installer, choose Open, then Open again.
Windows SmartScreen may show a blue box: choose More info, then Run anyway. Then rescan plugins in your DAW. In FL Studio: Options, Manage plugins, Find more plugins.
Manual (PDF) · A copy of these links is on its way to your inbox.
While that downloads
VEIL was built in rap sessions, for rap vocals. If that is your world too, here is the rest of the chain and the shirts we design for the people behind the record.
Wear the studio
Audio engineer tees $34.99, hoodies $49.99. Designed by the same people who write the plugins.
Shop the tees
- Install trouble? Email support@ghostnotesupply.com and we will make sure you get it working.
Listed on KVR Audio Featured on rekkerd.org
New in 1.5 · October 19, 2026
VEIL 1.5 is out. Every download from today includes:
- LEARN. Press it, play 10 to 30 seconds of the vocal, and VEIL sets SENSE, CROSSOVER, RANGE and RELEASE for that voice. UNDO puts them back.
- A new SENSE. It sets how quiet an ess can be and still get caught, and every step of the knob does about the same amount. The default is now 80.
- A cut that follows the ess. VEIL turns each ess down at its own frequencies, so the “s” keeps its brightness. A dark “sh”, “ch” or “j” is cut where it sits, under the CROSSOVER.
- Cleaner vowels. The vowels between esses are no longer dulled, and “t”, “k” and “p” are left alone.
- Fixes for phrases that start after digital silence, clips with a fade-in, and very low bright basses or growls.
Already have VEIL? Enter your email above again to get 1.5 and install it over the old version. Old sessions keep their knob positions; if one sounds less de-essed, raise SENSE to about 90.
Under the hood
How VEIL removes sibilance
LEARN sets it up
Press LEARN and play the vocal. VEIL listens for 10 to 30 seconds, then sets SENSE, CROSSOVER, RANGE and RELEASE for that voice. Not happy? UNDO.
Only the ess moves
VEIL cuts each ess at its own frequencies, only where it sticks out over the vowels. An “s” is cut above the CROSSOVER, a dark “sh” where it sits. Below about 1.6 kHz the voice is never cut.
It listens for change
VEIL reacts when a sound jumps out of what the voice was just doing. Steady hiss does not, so it is left alone. It runs 3 ms ahead, so the cut is moving before the “ts” lands.
Hear what it takes
Switch LISTEN to Removed and you hear only what VEIL takes out. You want esses, not words. If you hear words, turn SENSE down.
Where it sits
The chain
Pairs with the rest of the line: The Rap Vocal Chain · $49 The Full Suite · $89
Specifications
The numbers
- Formats
- VST3 (macOS, Windows) · Audio Unit (macOS)
- Systems
- macOS 11+ (Apple Silicon + Intel, universal) · Windows 10+ 64-bit
- Design
- Per-frequency cut, change detection, program-dependent release
- Setup
- LEARN: 10 to 30 s of vocal sets all four knobs; one-click UNDO
- Latency
- 3 ms lookahead (144 samples at 48 kHz), reported to host
- Window
- 560 x 340
- Price
- Free. The full plugin, every feature.
- Download
- 15 MB macOS · 4 MB Windows · installer + manual + install notes
- License
- Keyless. Install on every computer you own; it stays yours.
Manual + quick start
Signal flow, every control, recipes, and the measured numbers behind every claim.
From download to first sound
- Enter your email above. The download links appear straight away, and a copy lands in your inbox.
- Run the installer for your system. macOS asks once about the unsigned installer: right-click it, choose Open, then confirm (or choose Open Anyway under System Settings, Privacy & Security). On Windows, if SmartScreen appears, choose More info, then Run anyway.
- Rescan plugins in your DAW. In FL Studio: Options, Manage plugins, Find more plugins.
- Put VEIL on the vocal, press LEARN and play the verse. Adjust by ear.
Questions
Straight answers
Is VEIL free?
Yes. The full plugin with every feature, no trial, no time limit and no subscription. Enter your email and the download appears on the page.
What does the LEARN button do?
Press LEARN and play 10 to 30 seconds of the vocal. VEIL listens, sets SENSE, CROSSOVER, RANGE and RELEASE for that voice, and stops. From there they are normal knobs, and UNDO puts them back. It does not keep adjusting while the song plays.
How is VEIL different from Soothe?
They do different jobs. VEIL is a de-esser: it turns down s, sh, ch and ts sounds, and only when it hears one. Soothe reduces resonances across the whole spectrum. For esses, use a de-esser; for harshness spread across the spectrum, a resonance suppressor.
Will VEIL dull or lisp my vocal?
It is built not to: the body of the voice below about 1.6 kHz is never cut, and in 1.5 the vowels between esses are left alone. Too much SENSE or RANGE can still make a vocal lisp, so check with LISTEN set to Removed. You should hear esses, never words. If you hear words, turn SENSE or RANGE down.
I updated from 1.2 and my session sounds less de-essed.
SENSE works differently in 1.5. Sessions keep their knob positions, so raise SENSE to about 90 to get the old strength back. The new default is 80.
Does VEIL work in FL Studio?
Yes. VEIL installs as a VST3 on Windows and macOS and as an Audio Unit on macOS, so it loads in FL Studio, Ableton, Logic, Studio One, Cubase, REAPER and any other VST3 or AU host.
How do I install it?
Run the installer and rescan plugins in your DAW. On macOS the installer is not notarized by Apple yet, so approve it once under Privacy and Security, or right-click the installer and choose Open. The bundled notes show the exact steps for your macOS version.
Do I need a license key, an iLok, or an account?
None of them. The plugin is keyless. Download it, install it on every computer you own, and it works. There is nothing to activate and nothing to log into.