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Description
Experience the next evolution in de-essing technology with the McDSP DE555, a versatile and intuitive plugin tailored for musicians and audio engineers who demand precision in their sound. Unlike traditional de-essers, the DE555 employs intelligent signal analysis to automatically adjust to any signal level, eliminating the need for manual threshold settings. This ensures that your audio remains crisp and clear without the harshness of sibilance.
With its continuously adjustable ratio and release controls, the DE555 gives you full command over the de-essing process. Whether you're working in a studio or performing live, the plugin's high-frequency (HF) only mode allows you to attenuate those pesky "sss" sounds without compromising the integrity of the original dialogue or vocal line. Its advanced key filter options, including high-pass and band-pass filtering, combined with a unique focus control, allow you to hone in on unwanted frequencies with unparalleled accuracy.
The DE555 also features real-time displays, providing visual feedback on de-essing amounts and key filter responses, streamlining your setup process. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the world of audio production, the McDSP DE555 offers a blend of power and simplicity that makes it an indispensable tool in your audio toolkit.
Key Features:
- Intelligent signal analysis for automatic level adjustment
- Continuously adjustable ratio and release controls
- High-frequency only mode for targeted de-essing
- High-pass and band-pass filter options
- Unique focus control for precise frequency targeting
- Real-time display for de-essing amounts and filter response monitoring
FAQs
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What makes the McDSP DE555 de-esser unique compared to other de-esser plugins?
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The McDSP DE555 features advanced de-essing technology with unique key filter focus and de-essing controls, allowing precise management of sibilance. It also includes real-time metering and a key filter response plot for enhanced visual feedback during adjustments.
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Is the McDSP DE555 suitable for both mono and stereo tracks?
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Yes, the McDSP DE555 is available in both mono and stereo versions, making it versatile for a wide range of audio processing tasks in different mixing scenarios.
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How does the high frequency (HF) only option in the McDSP DE555 work?
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The high frequency (HF) only option allows users to target and reduce sibilance specifically in the high-frequency range, ensuring that the rest of the audio signal remains unaffected, which can be particularly useful for vocal processing.
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Can the McDSP DE555 be used with Apple Silicon Macs?
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Yes, all McDSP v7 plug-ins, including the DE555, are optimized for Apple Silicon and the latest Intel processors, ensuring compatibility and efficient performance on modern Mac systems.
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What are the benefits of the McDSP DE555's double precision processing?
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Double precision processing in the McDSP DE555 enhances audio quality by providing more accurate calculations, which can lead to cleaner and more precise de-essing results, particularly in complex audio projects.
Videos
ProToolerBlog
REVIEW: McDSP DE555, NF575, Futzbox
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about McDSP DE555.
Features and functionality
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Users note that the McDSP DE555 offers great de-essing without the need for extensive manual adjustments, providing a seamless experience for quick projects.
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The DE555 offers a balance of transparency and effectiveness, making it suitable for dialogue that requires light touch-ups without heavy processing.
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Comparisons
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The McDSP DE555 is often compared favorably to FabFilter Pro-DS, with some users preferring DE555 for more natural results in certain vocal applications.
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Some users have transitioned from McDSP DE555 to FabFilter Pro-DS due to the latter's ability to handle more aggressive de-essing without noticeable artifacts.
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Use cases and applications
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Owners find the DE555 particularly effective for spoken word content, appreciating its ability to maintain clarity while reducing sibilance.
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The DE555 is appreciated in workflows where preservation of natural dialogue timbre is essential, often integrated with other tools for consistent timbre in inconsistent recordings.
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User experience
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Users appreciate the intuitive interface of the DE555, making it accessible for both new and experienced producers looking for straightforward de-essing solutions.
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It's noted that the DE555 can be part of a chain that includes corrective EQ and multi-band expanders, effectively managing dialogue without heavy reliance on denoising tools.
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Critic Reviews
Based on 0 Reviews and 0 Ratings
Artist usage
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Used on "Apeshit", as stated by producer Stuart White in this September 2018 Sound on Sound interview. An image of the settings can be found here.
The first four aux tracks feature SoundToys effects, namely Little Microshift, two EchoBoy delays, and a delay from the Little PrimalTap. Next are a Hall Reverb aux and a Church Reverb aux, both using Waves’ RVerb, an EMT plate from Audio Ease’s Altiverb, four aux tracks with the Waves H-Delay and various other plug-ins on them as well, and four more reverb auxes with the Avid Revibe II, two Avid D-Verbs and another RVerb.
White: “I use the Little Microshift in pretty much every mix, with the left-right micro pitch-shift effect that’s similar to the classic effect in the Eventide H3000 shift where you pitch one side down six cents and one side up six cents to create width. It’s a good way to get your vocals wider without them being out of phase. It thickens up vocals, and is kind of like a doubler. I do quite a lot of filtering on some of the EchoBoy delays, for example with the Waves REQ, and I am adding colour with the SoundToys Devil-Loc, which is great if you want to colour the delay so it is separate from the main vocal, and compress it with the UAD LA3A and mix that in to taste.”
(...) Beyoncé’s lead vocal tracks consist of three aux tracks, four ‘dirty’ and eight ‘clean’ audio tracks. The audio tracks only have the EQ3 on the inserts and a few of them have a send to the Church Reverb. All White’s processing is done on the three aux tracks. “All lead vocals are sent to the ‘B Aux’ track and the ‘B Parra Aux’ tracks. On the former I have the McDSP DS [sic] 555 de-esser. I use the Waves de-esser the most, but in this particular track, because I wanted to compress her voice really hard, I felt that the 555 would work the best. I am rolling off until 6144Hz into what it is detecting; it’s like a side-chain filter. The FabFilter Pro-DS is doing a little more gentle look-ahead de-essing.
“After that there’s some pretty heavy EQ from the EQ3, with a high-pass at 142Hz, a 9dB cut at 244Hz and a 2dB cut at 3kHz. My cut at 244Hz is because she is singing in this husky, low voice, so there’s not a lot of energy in that. I get the energy from the RComp compression, and the EQs, including from the SSL E-Channel, are there to make her sit in the track, rather than making it sound filtered. I love the RComp, mainly because it doesn’t sound like compression to me. The SSL E-Channel adds a bit more compression, and the [Crane Song] Phoenix II Tape Emulation is really cool because while it doesn’t actually sound like tape, it smoothes out transients in a signal just like much analogue equipment does. It enables me to get a fatter vocal sound that again makes the vocal sit in the mix. The final EQ3 has a notch at 3.2kHz to take out some harshness. I also have sends to the Verb aux track, which are the D-Verb and [Waves] H-Reverb, and the Delay 1-4 aux, with the EchoBoy.
The other aux track, ‘B Parra Aux’, is a parallel compression track, with the RCompressor and the CLA 76, which I mixed in low. Both these aux tracks then go to the ‘LD ALL Aux’, on which I’m doing some more surgery with the McDSP AE400 [dynamic EQ], which allows you to set a threshold, just like on a compressor. It’s like turning a volume knob down on a frequency the moment it gets out of control. Finally, there’s the Waves C4, for some control, to keep the vocal even. This track has a lot of energy, so this is an example of using compression for energy, mood and attitude. I also worked a long time to get the compression on Bey’s breaths to pump on the beat. I wanted her breaths to be another percussive element in the track, and getting the attack and release on the compressor right was key to getting that feel and pumping effect.”
Five of the 22 Beyoncé ad lib, backing and harmony vocals below her lead vocals also go to the above-mentioned aux tracks, while the rest have their own signal chains. These audio tracks are sent to several aux tracks, often with tons of plug-ins, and all aux vocal tracks in the end get sent to the ‘Voc All’ group aux right at the top of the session, which has an RCompressor, with ratio at 10:1. There are more group aux tracks, like ‘TrackAux’, ‘FX Voc Aux’, ‘FX’ and ‘Music Aux’, which all get sent to the ‘All Aux’. This in turn gets sent to the ‘no limiter’ mix print track, and finally there’s a Stereo Master track.
Genre Usage
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Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use McDSP DE555, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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