If you record vocals, then you most likely would have noticed when you say words that start with 'P' or 'B' (also known as plosives) into a microphone, it creates a burst of air into the microphone, like a "popping" or "boomy" effect.
If you want to get a feel of what this sounds like, try holding your hand close to your lips and say the word "plosive", "bright" and "music". You'll feel the air hit your hand more on the 'P' and 'B' sounds, this is what goes into a microphone (which is super annoying), and can generally be mitigated by using a pop filter and a mic foam cover.
However, there are cases where you get some nasty pops sneak through, or in cases where you downloaded them online, this is where a plugin like ERA 4 Plosive remover comes in.
What Is ERA 4 Plosive Remover?
ERA 4 Plosive Remover is a simple and easy-to-use one-knob plosive remover that automatically detects and removes plosive sounds in an audio signal.
The good thing about ERA 4 plug-ins, in general, is that they work similarly, so, if you have tried ERA 4 Noise Remover or De-Clipper, then this should be a breeze. If you haven't tried any of their product, it is super easy to get started.
Starting With...
The Processor and Processing Mode
The processor is the big round knob at the center of the plugin and is the main control 'boss' of the plosive remover. You can dial in the amount of processing you want depending on how you want the plosive sounds suppressed.
Under the processing knob is two toggle button to fine-tune the processing applied by the plug-in, the two processing modes are Normal and Extreme.
Go with the Normal mode if you have few plosives, and choose the extreme mode if you have too many plosives.
Processing Indicator and Output Gain
On the right top of the Plug-in window is a processing indicator that flashes when the plosive removal process happens.
If you notice the level of the output signal is lower than the original signal, use the output gain as a makeup gain, this way, you can adjust the level of the output signal.
Real-time Processing Display, and a Diff Button
The real-time processing display shows where the plosives exist in orange color, the more processing you apply on the signal, the more plosives will be detected.
On the right side is a DIFF button to listen to what Plosive Remover is removing during processing, this is one of my favorite features of this plug-in, and listening to the difference between the input and the output signals can give you an idea of what's going on and how much of processing you should apply.
A/B switch
You can use the A/B switch to compare two settings, and it doesn't stop there, you can adjust the controls such as Processing, Gain, and the Mode of removing Plosives independently for the A and the B setting, which is super awesome.
One last thing I would love to point out is that if you are recording the sounds yourself, record the best sound possible. if you are recording too many plosives, please do not expect a miracle, I can't stress this enough!
►Key Features:
- Single knob operation
- Simple and streamlined user interface
- Automatic plosive sound reduction
- Precision-grade audio repair functionality
- Uncompromised sound quality
- Minimal CPU usage
- Resizable UI
►System Requirements:
- macOS 10.10 or higher // Windows 7 or higher
- Hard Disk Space: 250MB (minimum) for Windows and 660MB for macOS
- Screen Resolution: 800x600 (minimum)
- Sample Rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz
- RAM: 2GB (minimum)
- VST, AU, AAX Native (64-bit)