CEDAR ScreenVox

The pioneers of pristine sound have released a plug‑in de‑noiser priced within reach of mere mortals — and with near‑zero latency, you can even use it live on air!

CEDAR are a pioneering digital audio technology company based just outside Cambridge, UK whose origins lie in a 1980s research collaboration between Cambridge University and the British Library National Sound Archive. They were the first commercial company to give the world spectral editing on a computer, and they invented digital dialogue noise suppression. Recent years have seen a flurry of new spectral editing and machine‑learning‑based noise‑suppression and dialogue isolation tools from a range of developers, but arguably all of them stand on the shoulders of CEDAR — who haven’t been resting on their laurels.

They’ve continued to develop their de‑noise, restoration and dialogue‑isolation tools, which remain among the most effective available. Their range does include machine‑learning tools such as VoiceEx, but they also use methods that allow operation at far lower latency than is possible with ‘AI’. CEDAR also have a strong focus on tools that are quick and easy to use, and that’s highly valued by professional users; CEDAR’s tech has seen use on thousands of TV series and Hollywood movies.

The down side? Well, CEDAR have hitherto priced their tools with those professional markets in mind. But, recognising a growing demand for their tools in different markets (eg. theatre, live sound, live corporate events and houses of worship, not to mention podcasting, content‑creation and streaming), CEDAR recently released two plug‑ins, ScreenVox and StageVox, and have priced them more accessibly. The former is under review here.

Basics

ScreenVox is an insert plug‑in for DAW and NLE hosts running on Mac (macOS 10.3 onwards) or Windows (10 64‑bit and newer), and it supports the AU, VST3 and AAX Native plug‑in formats. It’s authorised by iLok (Cloud‑based or USB dongle). The installer for my M1 Mac review system was a reasonably modest 237.1MB download, and there’s a 14‑day free demo if you’d like to try before you buy.

ScreenVox does not use machine learning, but rather an adaptive algorithmic approach, and this decision has enabled CEDAR to deliver what is the lowest‑latency de‑noiser I’ve encountered. Hold on to that thought because it’s hugely significant, but first let’s consider ScreenVox’s functionality and efficacy.

Once installed, you can insert ScreenVox on a track (or clip, if your DAW supports that), just as you would any insert plug‑in. In keeping with CEDAR’s design philosophy, the GUI is sleek and simple, with just three main adjustable parameters, plus bypass and reset buttons. Accordingly, basic operation is simple too, and tallies with the...