@audio/denoise

Overview

@audio/denoise is a web tool for cleaning recordings and listening to or saving the result. It suits people who want to address a defined audio problem without sending recordings off-device. Its focused repairs are more compelling than its fit for speech buried under heavy noise.

Key features

Thirteen open-source restoration methods and a classifier give users two ways into a repair: automatic mode measures the recording, chooses a specialized method and shows its plan, while manual selection lets users pick methods such as dehum, declick, declip or gate. The automatic recommendation can help narrow the starting point, but it is not a substitute for choosing deliberately: it does not select dereverb, which must be enabled manually.

The target list covers steady background noise, mains hum, clicks, pops, vinyl crackle, clipping, wind rumble, plosives, sibilance, room reverb and noise between phrases. That breadth makes it useful for several common recording defects, including music repair. The approach is classical signal processing, not AI noise removal; for speech competing with heavy noise, machine-learning models can do better.

For music, hum, clicks, crackle and clipping are particularly direct use cases. Broadband denoising calls for restraint: compare the processed result with the original rather than assuming stronger reduction is better.

Processing runs in the browser, and audio does not leave the device. That is a meaningful choice for recordings users do not want to upload, while keeping the tool’s scope to local browser use. Developers can also install the package with npm; its documented input and output are mono Float32Array audio, a narrower integration path than a general-purpose file-processing interface.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing, with no account required. It includes noise reduction, click and crackle removal, hum removal, declip repair and spectral repair. The absence of batch processing matters for anyone cleaning a large library: this is better suited to individual repair work than a bulk workflow. No paid plan is described.

Platforms

The user-facing tool runs on the web. Browser processing avoids uploading audio, but the documented developer package is specifically for mono Float32Array audio in and out.

Who it's for

Choose @audio/denoise for browser-based cleanup of hum, clicks, crackle, clipping or other targeted defects, especially when keeping audio on-device matters. It is also a reasonable starting point for users comfortable comparing an automatic recommendation with manual method selection. Look elsewhere if the priority is batch processing or speech restoration under heavy noise.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Browser processing keeps recordings on the device, with no account or upload required.
• Pros: Thirteen specialized methods cover both common noise problems and music defects such as clicks, crackle and clipping.
• Pros: Automatic recommendations and manual method choice support both guided and targeted repairs.
• Cons: Automatic mode skips dereverb, so room-reverb treatment requires a manual choice.
• Cons: There is no batch processing, limiting its usefulness for large collections.
• Cons: Heavy speech-over-noise is a weak spot compared with machine-learning approaches.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, browse Audio Restoration Software; for transcription-focused tools, see Music Transcription Software.

VinylRest is another free option, with Linux, macOS and web platforms. PD Cleaner is a free, open-source Windows 64-bit option with no account or trial. Neiro is free and spans Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web and Windows platforms. Cathar is a free Linux and macOS alternative. CEDAR Cambridge is a paid modular hardware and software system for macOS and Windows, with configuration-dependent options and custom pricing. Vinyl Restoration Suite is a free option for Windows, macOS and Linux. Wave Corrector offers a no-charge Professional Edition for personal use on Linux and Windows. Algorithmix Sound Laundry is a paid Windows alternative.

Verdict

@audio/denoise is a strong fit for people who want free, local browser cleanup for specific recording defects, especially hum, clicks, crackle or clipping. Its on-device processing and choice of specialized methods are the main reasons to choose it. For heavy speech noise or bulk cleanup, look elsewhere.