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@limebar @musicproduction i use one built into a tc helicon vocal pedal. i generally prefer hardware to software.

I rarely use a de-esser on vocals. Rather I actually manage the types of noises they reduce manually on the waveform. It’s easy to recognise things like ‘sss’ and ‘fff’ by their noise look and then they can be dropped by as much as 4db using a trim function.

Sure, it can be slow and it means sectioning but it’s just a better option for me as a de-esser can treat some of the noise well and make others sound like a lisp. They’re a. bit all or nothing.

If I do apply a de-essing it’s the Cubase stock one and it’s always a gentle application and always after the first compression.

Dead Duck effects Suite is free and has a pretty easy-to-use de-esser, imo. I don’t use them that often, but this one is pretty easy and has a visualization to show how much it is affecting the sound. It also has a “listen” option so you can hear what is being cut off in isolation. Like most things, “less is more”.

https://www.kvraudio.com/product/free-effects-by-dead-duck-software