Question 1

Is ReaFIR as good as iZotope RX for noise removal?

Accepted Answer

ReaFIR and iZotope RX use similar conceptual approaches (spectral subtraction from a learned noise profile) but iZotope RX's implementation is significantly more sophisticated in several ways: RX's AI-trained models adapt to non-stationary noise and speech-specific characteristics that ReaFIR's simpler FFT-based approach misses. RX offers Dialogue De-noise (which works without needing a clean noise sample), Spectral Repair for artifact removal, and better transparency at aggressive settings. ReaFIR is excellent for consistent, stationary noise (HVAC, room tone, preamp hiss) and handles these cases well at zero cost. For challenging recordings with variable noise, dialogue in reverberant rooms, or situations requiring higher transparency, iZotope RX produces better results.

Question 2

What's the difference between a noise gate and a noise reduction plugin?

Accepted Answer

Noise gates (ReaGate, Logic Noise Gate, Waves C1 Gate) work by volume — they silence the entire signal when it drops below a threshold. This works only during silence: when no one is speaking, the gate closes and cuts the noise floor. When someone speaks, the gate opens and passes everything through, including background noise. Noise reduction plugins (ReaFIR, Bertom Denoiser, iZotope RX Denoise) work spectrally — they analyze which frequencies contain noise vs signal and reduce only the noise frequencies, even during speech. For professional recordings, use both: noise reduction to reduce the baseline noise floor during speech, and noise gate to silence residual noise between words and phrases.

Question 3

Do free noise reduction plugins work with Audacity?

Accepted Answer

Audacity has its own built-in Noise Reduction effect (Effect > Noise Reduction) which works on the same noise profile principle as ReaFIR — select a noise-only section, 'Get Noise Profile,' then apply to the full clip. This built-in tool is effective for most voice recording scenarios. For using external VST plugins in Audacity: Audacity 3.x added real-time VST3 plugin support. ReaFIR, Bertom Denoiser, and Blue Lab Audio Denoiser can be added to Audacity via Effect > Add/Remove Plug-ins. The Audacity built-in tool is usually the fastest path for one-off noise removal; external VST plugins are more useful for consistent batch processing workflows.

Best Free Noise Reduction Plugins for DAW Users

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Frequently Asked Questions