NoiseWorks Audio Launches Free PloseAssist Plug-In

NoiseWorks Audio, the developer behind VoiceAssist and DynAssist, has released PloseAssist, a free audio plug-in designed to automatically detect and reduce plosives in voice recordings without affecting the rest of the audio.

Plosives are low-frequency bursts commonly caused by consonant sounds such as “p” and 'b', often resulting from close microphone placement, poor mic technique or the absence of a pop filter. Traditional solutions include high-pass filtering, which can thin out the overall voice, or manually editing individual bursts.

PloseAssist takes a targeted approach, identifying plosives and reducing low-frequency content only during the affected moments. When no plosive is detected, the audio signal remains unchanged.

The plug-in is designed for straightforward operation, requiring users to insert it on a voice track and start playback. NoiseWorks Audio says its default settings are suitable for most recordings, without the need for threshold adjustments.

Targeted processing and real-time monitoring
PloseAssist focuses its processing on frequencies below approximately 250Hz when a plosive occurs, helping preserve the natural character of the voice between bursts.

The plug-in features two main controls. Amount adjusts the level of plosive reduction, with a range from 0 to 150%, allowing users to retain some of the original sound for delicate vocals or apply stronger correction to close-miked recordings.

The Sub control increases reduction below 100Hz, with settings ranging from 1.00x to 3.00x. This is intended for recordings with particularly strong low-frequency bursts, including rap vocals, close-miked speech and voices recorded in boomy rooms.

Users can choose between two operating modes. Low Latency is designed for recording and monitoring, introducing 17.5 milliseconds of delay. Balance mode introduces 137.5 milliseconds of delay and is intended for editing and mixing, where processing accuracy takes priority over immediate response.

Both modes report their latency to the digital audio workstation (DAW), allowing automatic delay compensation.

The plug-in provides visual feedback through red dips on its display to indicate where low-frequency reduction has been applied, alongside a gain-reduction meter.

A Delta function allows engineers to listen to the audio removed by the processing. This helps users verify that the plug-in is targeting unwanted plosive energy rather than removing desirable elements of the voice.

Amount, Sub, Delta and Bypass can all be automated within the DAW, giving users additional control over processing throughout a recording.

PloseAssist is designed for individual voice tracks across a range of applications, including speech, dialogue, podcasts, voice-over, singing and rap. It supports mono, stereo and multichannel audio formats up to 7.1.

Additional features include presets, undo and redo functionality, and a resizable interface that can be enlarged to twice its original size.

With its automated detection and frequency-specific processing, PloseAssist offers audio engineers, podcasters and content creators an alternative to manual plosive editing and broad high-pass filtering, while aiming to preserve the original tone and clarity of voice recordings.