Following on from the introduction of Aurora and Plasma, iZotope have announced the launch of the latest addition to their popular Catalyst series. Named Velvet, the new arrival offers a fresh take on de-essers by splitting the input signal into separate Sibilance and Tonal channels and allowing users to de-ess, de-click and reshape only the parts of their vocal that require treatment.
The company say that unlike traditional de-essers that can often dull the overall character of a vocal, Velvet’s dedicated Sibilance and tonal channels allow for transparent and targeted processing of any problematic parts, all while preserving the natural warmth and clarity of the original vocals. The GUI is divided into two separate lanes, with the upper lane providing a set of controls for tackling sibilance, and the lower lane dedicated to shaping the sound of the wanted vocal. A7nbsp;single De-Click fader to the right of the plug-in then offers a simple and intuitive way to reduce unwanted mouth sounds.
Key Features
- Intelligent De-Essing: Dynamically reduce harsh sibilance only where it's needed, leaving the tonal quality untouched.
- Sibilance Learn: Velvet automatically identifies sibilant frequencies and sets up intelligent EQ nodes for immediate and effective de-essing.
- Dynamic Tone Shaping: The Lift and Tame controls adaptively shape vocals toward a variety of high-quality target profiles, without affecting sibilance.
- Intuitive De-Click: Transparently eliminate distracting mouth sounds, pops and clicks with a simple fader adjustment.
- Channel Soloing: Precisely adjust settings for both the sibilance and tonal channels, ensuring focused and accurate processing. Or use the Delta button to hear exactly what’s being processed.
- Pro Presets: Get started quickly with 50 professionally designed presets.
Compatibility
Velvet is supported on PCs running Windows 10 and higher, and Macs running macOS 13.6.9 or later. VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available.
Pricing & Availability
Velvet is available now, priced at $49£49. A limited-time crossgrade from any paid iZotope product is available for $39£39 until 21 May 2025. Prices include VAT.
