Plugins / Veil
Ghostnote Audio
Veil — Free De-Esser
The de-esser that stays invisible — and it is completely free, the full plugin with every feature. Split-band design that only ever touches the ess, level-independent detection, and a listen mode that plays only what it removes.
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 is yours. Pick your build.
macOS The 1.0 installer is not signed with an Apple certificate yet, so macOS warns you the first time. Right-click the installer, choose Open, then confirm. If it is still blocked, open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, and choose Open Anyway.
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
Under the hood
How VEIL removes sibilance
Split-band by design
VEIL only ever touches the sibilant band. The body of the voice physically cannot be dulled, because the gain never reaches it.
Level-independent detection
Sibilance is measured relative to the voice itself, so one SENSE setting works for whispers and shouts alike. No re-tweaking per take.
Ahead of the ess
Three milliseconds of lookahead put the gain in place before the ts hits the output. Onsets get caught, not chased.
The honesty check
The Removed listen mode plays only what VEIL takes away. You should hear esses, not words. If you hear words, back off. That is the whole philosophy.
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
- Split-band, ratio detection, program-dependent release
- 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; the included notes walk you through Open Anyway.
- Rescan plugins in your DAW. In FL Studio: Options, Manage plugins, Find more plugins.
- Load a preset. Make it yours.
Questions
Straight answers
Is VEIL really free?
Yes. It is the full plugin with every feature unlocked, not a trial or a lite version, and there is no subscription or time limit.
How is VEIL different from a stock de-esser or Soothe?
VEIL is split-band, so it only ever turns down the sibilant band and physically cannot dull the body of the voice. It is a dedicated de-esser, though, not a broadband resonance suppressor like Soothe; if you need to tame resonances across the whole spectrum, that is a different tool. For esses, VEIL stays invisible.
Will VEIL dull or lisp my vocal?
It should not. Because the gain change never reaches the body of the voice, the tone stays intact. Use the Removed listen mode to check; you should hear esses, not words. If you hear words, back the SENSE off.
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.