Slate Digital Eiosis e2deesser de-esser plug-in: features and spec-based rating

Slate Digital’s Eiosis e2deesser is a de-esser built around two knobs that automatically finds the sibilance frequency and lowers it. It has a spectrum display of the detected sibilance and many presets, from vocals to drum overheads.

A de-esser reduces only the harsh sounds that stand out on “S” and similar sounds in singing (sibilance).

In this article we compare e2deesser with 12 de-esser plug-ins and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.

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Summary

Among the 12 de-esser plug-ins, e2deesser is rank A. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and A is second from the top. Averaging the scores for each criterion (out of 5, with the one criterion that matters most for the purpose counted double) gives 3.8.

Strengths

• Natural reduction (4 points): it reduces only the harsh sounds naturally, without changing the voice quality.
• Speed (4 points): automatic settings or few knobs let you start right away.

Who it suits: people who want to reduce sibilance quickly with few knobs.

Main features of e2deesser

Automatic detection with two knobs

The e2deesser can be operated with almost just two knobs. It automatically finds the sibilance frequency that is the problem and lowers it in the mix. The manufacturer explains that you can get natural de-essing in a few seconds without agonizing over it.

A real-time display to check the sibilance by eye

The upper half of the screen shows the spectrum of the detected sibilance, and the lower half shows how it is processing. You can check at a glance where and by how much it is being lowered.

Presets for more than vocals

The manufacturer explains that sibilance processing is useful not only for vocals but also for percussion. For that reason it includes presets for many uses, from vocals to drum overheads. The content of this article was confirmed on the product page of the retailer, Plugin Boutique.

Where it is useful

• Reducing the “S” sounds of a vocal without spending time on settings
• Reducing the harsh highs of drum overheads
• Checking the harsh frequencies while watching the spectrum display

Rating by criterion

Natural reduction: 4 / 5

We check whether it has a mechanism that reduces only the harsh “S” sounds that hurt the ears, without changing the voice quality.

It automatically detects the sibilance frequency that is the problem and lowers that part. You can see the detected sibilance and how it is processing in a real-time spectrum display.

Speed: 4 / 5

We check whether it has features that get you to a good setting quickly (automatic settings, a single knob and so on).

It can be operated mainly with two knobs, and the sibilance frequency is detected automatically. The manufacturer explains that natural de-essing can be done in a few seconds.

Breadth of uses: 3 / 5

We check whether it also handles problems other than sibilance (plosives, harsh ringing) and can be used while recording.

Besides vocals, there are presets for percussion, drum overheads and so on. We could not confirm M/S or sidechain listening.

How we score (De-esser plug-ins)

Criterion	Basis	5 pt	4 pt	3 pt	2 pt	1 pt
Natural reduction	A mechanism that reduces only the sibilance (harsh "S" sounds) without changing the voice quality	AI identifies each consonant one by one and shapes it by spectrum, not only by volume	A mechanism that acts only on the problem band (split band, dynamic EQ, resonance suppression, AI learning and so on)	A general method that sets a band and lowers the overall volume	—	—
Speed	How quickly you can reach a good setting	AI sets everything automatically just by loading it	It follows changes in the voice's level automatically, or almost everything takes a few operations	A vocal mode makes it easy to set	Standard controls	—
Breadth of uses	Plosives, harsh resonances, stereo and use while recording	Works on harsh resonances in general, and supports M/S processing and operation with no delay	Two or more of M/S, sidechain listening, low latency and use on other material	One use besides sibilance, such as plosives	Sibilance only	—

Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: naturally reducing the sibilance of a vocal. Scores follow the conditions in the table above, and the rank is based on an average in which "Natural reduction" counts double. The basis is official manufacturer information. Sound quality and CPU load are not measured, so they are not scored; reviews from trade magazines are introduced in the articles for reference. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent. The "OBS (streaming)" column in the table shows whether the official page lists the VST2 format that the streaming software OBS Studio can use (○). OBS does not support the VST3 format. It is not part of the score.

e2deesser system requirements and getting started

Operating system	Windows 10 and 11 / Mac (macOS 13 or later)
Plug-in formats	Windows: VST2, VST3, AAX / Mac: AU, VST2, AAX (as listed by the retailer)
Other	A free iLok account is required
OBS (streaming)	Works as it is (VST2 is listed)

Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on October 17, 2026.

Compared with other de-esser plug-ins

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Read next

• Pro-DS: features and rating (rank A)
• pure:deess: features and rating (rank A)
• smart:deess: features and rating (rank S)
• Soothe3: features and rating (rank S)