CEDAR Audio have launched CEDAR icons, a new collection of VST3, AU and AAX DAW plug-ins that bring together some of their most successful audio restoration processors. Available through the company’s new online store, the series aims to bring their renowned products to a new generation, and looks set to attract a much wider customer base thanks to significantly reduced pricing.
At launch, CEDAR icons includes eight processors, with more releases set to follow throughout 2025. The initial offerings fall into two categories: the Live Sound series, a selection of near-zero-latency processors aimed at live sound and broadcast applications; and the Production series, which are dedicated to post-production tasks. Admirably, the company say that they’ve never been comfortable with charging for software upgrades and, as such, are offering existing customers free upgrades from any relevant CEDAR Studio processors to their new icons equivalent.
Live Sound Series
The products that fall into the Live Sound category all deliver latency figures below 1ms, and so are suitable for live applications. Included are:
- CEDAR StageVox: A new addition to the range designed specifically for singers. Based on CEDAR’s Quantum technology, the plug-in is described as the vocal equivalent of the company’s dialogue noise suppressors, and is capable of tackling excessive reverb as well as unwanted noise.
- CEDAR ScreenVox: Specialising in spoken word, CEDAR ScreenVox promises to help clean up dialogue while keeping latency low enough to avoid introducing lip-sync issues. The plug-in is incredibly simple to use, and can be put to work on everything from live sound and broadcast to post-production for podcasts, YouTube videos, dramas, documentaries, and just about anything else!
- CEDAR DNS One: The latest version of CEDAR’s renowned Dialogue Noise Suppressor, a powerful tool that has become the go-to choice for post-production engineers worldwide.
Production Series
The processors in the Production series all have a latency of over 1ms, and so are best suited to mixing and post-production work. Here’s what’s currently included:
CEDAR Adaptive Limiter 2 dynamics processor.CEDAR Adaptive Limiter 2: A dynamics processor that employs a unique algorithm called CEDAR Spectral Limiting. In contrast to conventional limiters, the plug-in calculates a continually varying EQ profile that accurately constrains a signal’s amplitude, delivering transparent, precise and highly musical limiting. Users are provided with controls over how quickly the profile varies in time, and the amount by which it can vary from frequency to frequency.- CEDAR VoicEX 2: An updated version of the recently released voice extractor plug-in that promises to set a new standard for real-time noise reduction and reverb removal. Despite featuring just two controls — Voice and Noise level dials — the processor is said to be capable of delivering outstanding results.
- CEDAR Declip: As its name suggests, CEDAR Declip has been designed to rescue clipped recordings, removing distortion and improving the clarity of both music and vocals.
- CEDAR Declick: Building on the success of the algorithm that helped to secure CEDAR’s position as one of the top names in restoration, CEDAR Declick features just one control, offering an intuitive way to tackle rogue clicks and ticks.
- CEDAR Decrackle: Another single-knob plug-in that splits incoming audio into two signals: one containing primarily crackle, and a second containing the wanted audio. A level control defines how much of the crackle is removed before the signals are combined at the plug-in’s output.
CEDAR Studio 9 & Forensic
The new series also features some individual processors from CEDAR Studio 9, including Retouch, pictured above.
In addition to the new icons range, CEDAR Audio have also taken five of the processors from their powerful CEDAR Studio 9 suite — Retouch, Auto Dehiss, Debuzz, Manual Declick and Dethump — and will be offering them as individual products at attractive new prices. Finally, the CEDAR Forensic Enhance filter bank provides novices and experts alike with a comprehensive tool designed to improve the intelligibility of particularly noise recordings.
Backwards Compatibility
As some of the new releases build upon CEDAR’s existing tools, the company have ensured that the plug-ins are compatible with the processors that they supersede. So, for example, users who have a complex session that uses multiple channels of DNS One, won’t be required to set up the session again. Simply downloading and installing the icons DNS One and launching the session in question will mean that everything will load as before and function correctly.
Pricing & Availability
All of the new CEDAR plug-ins are available now, with pricing as follows:
icons
- StageVox: $325£249
- ScreenVox: $325£249
- DNS One: $325£249
- Adaptive Limiter: $259£199
- Declick: $65£49
- Declip: $259£199
- Decrackle: $65£49
- VoicEX 2: $325£249
CEDAR Studio 9
- Auto Dehiss: $129£99
- Debuzz: $259£199
- Dethump: $65£49
- Manual Declick: $65£49
- Retouch: $389£299
Forensic
- Forensic Enhance: $325£249
Prices exclude VAT.
