Lindell Audio 902 De-Esser

Great de-essing doesn’t have to be complicated
The original dBx 902 de-esser was an instant classic when it was released in the 1980s. With an ingenious design and extremely simple workflow, it quickly became a mainstay in major studios all over the world, finding its way onto countless hit records. Today, Lindell Audio brings this design to the DAW, adding new features that make it even better than the original.

Automatic de-essing that instantly adapts to any instrument
Don’t let its looks deceive you: the minimalist 2-knob workflow of the Lindell 902 de-esser is made possible by some very sophisticated engineering under the hood. One of the most remarkable things about the 902 is that it doesn’t have a threshold control. But this is a feature, not a bug. The 902 compares the level of the high frequency you select to the rest of the signal, allowing for equally smooth de-essing whether your signal is whisper quiet or screaming loud.

Reduce harshness on any source without second guessing
The lack of complex controls on the 902 makes it easier to use—and harder to mess up—than most other de-essers. No fixed threshold means you no longer have to compromise by over-processing loud sections or under-processing quiet ones. But all this wouldn’t mean much if it didn’t sound any good. Fortunately, the 902 is also one of the best sounding de-essers ever made, suitable not only for voice, but also for controlling excess brightness on cymbals, guitars, or any other instrument with potentially harsh transients.

Now with new features only possible in the digital domain
The Lindell 902 takes a bona fide studio classic and updates it with extra features for the 21st century including a graphical layout showing exactly what the de-esser is doing in real time, a “mix” knob, an “air” control to bring back brightness after de-essing, and a “listen” feature to hear exactly what the de-esser is doing.

• Faithful emulation of a classic de-esser heard on countless hit records.
• Incredibly simple workflow: Just set the target frequency and desired amount of gain reduction.
• No fixed threshold control means the de-esser automatically adapts to the level of your signal, for equally smooth de-essing in loud and quiet passages.
• Mix knob to blend processed and unprocessed signal together.
• Listen function to audition the de-esser sidechain and gain reduction independently.
• Air control to apply a smooth high frequency boost to regain lost high frequency content.

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  Rafael "Anthem" Brown

  Producer, Mixing Engineer & Sound Designer (Kanye West, Nas, Big Sean)

  Lindell Audio 902 is thick and smooth. Very useful to dial in to what you want to hear!

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  Jesse Ray Ernster

  Grammy-winning Mixing Engineer (Doja Cat, UMI, Burna Boy)

  I have found my new favorite de-esser. This resembles the brilliant volume attenuation that the classic units are known for (and of course it rocks on overhead cymbals too!)

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  Paul "Willie Green" Womack

  Wiz Khalifa, Donnie McClurkin, The Roots

  Sometimes the best solution to an issue is the simple one that just sounds right. The Lindell 902 gets the job accurately, easily, and most importantly - it sounds great! The straightforward… Read More

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  Eryck Bry

  Music Producer, Mixing Engineer, Composer

  Simple, effective and incredibly authentic, the Lindell 902 De-esser is a must have in your mixing arsenal!

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  Mat Mainhard

  Mix Engineer & Producer (Georgia Ku, Jack Price, National Geographic)

  This feels like using the original hardware, but with very welcomed added features. It sounds great. The flexibility and ease to use just makes it a go-to for me. I’m officially retiring my… Read More

• Best desser

  ★★★★★

  by MiamiDude

  March 11, 2024
  This is hands down the best deesser. Takes the harshness out of vocals, hats, cymbals. Use on individual channels or a mix. Natural sounding. Great interface too. Top!

• The GOAT.

  ★★★★★

  by Joost

  September 8, 2023
  This is a De-Esser just works EVERY SINGLE TIME. I don't know why but it does. 10dB reduction, can barely hear it. The air band is actually useful (probably the only plugin that is not a… Read More

• Easy Fav - Please Update

  ★★★★★

  by OverUsesReverb

  May 25, 2023
  Legendary de-esser used on countless records you know and love throughout the years. They share the slightly dirty / noisy character that comes alongside most dbx gear. They're theyre not… Read More

• Nice one

  ★★★★★

  by Chest

  March 28, 2023
  Recommend to use it on single vocal tracks. It can greatly reduce harsh sibilant sounds. The option to hear what you are actually reducing is greatly appreciated.

• King of deessers

  ★★★★★

  by Bangu BW

  January 15, 2023
  This deesser has the perfect sound I have been looking for. Open,smooth and clean with no artifacts. I love it

Supported Plugin Formats
AAX Native, AU, VST2, VST3

Supported Operating Systems
macOS 14 down to macOS 11
Windows 11 down to Windows 10

Mac
Intel or Apple Silicon architecture

PC
x64-compatible CPU

System Requirements
Display resolution: 1440 × 900px or 1280 × 960px or higher
Memory: 2 GB RAM