OffFizzer

Controls

FIZZ OFF

The main control. Finds narrow, harsh resonances that stand out in the treble and turns them down as they come and go. Turn it up to make OffFizzer react to smaller resonances and reduce them more. Range: 0–100 %. Default: 0 %.

SOFTEN

Uses the midrange as a reference to gently tame an overly bright top end. It makes broad adjustments to the overall treble balance. Range: 0–100 %. Default: 0 %.

TILT

Shifts the frequency focus of FIZZ OFF and SOFTEN. Turn it toward LOW to focus on the lower treble, or toward HIGH to focus on the top end. Range: −10 to +10. Default: 0.

DELTA

Plays only what OffFizzer is taking away. Use it to check whether you are removing fizz or too much of the guitar's tone. Turn DELTA off again to hear the processed guitar.

BYPASS

The lamp in the top-left corner is the bypass control. Lit means OffFizzer is active; unlit means it is bypassed. A short crossfade keeps switching click-free. Your DAW's own bypass button controls the same function.

FIZZ REDUCTION

The curve shows how much OffFizzer is taking away at each frequency from 2 kHz to 20 kHz, updating as the track plays.

Click the number under a knob to enter an exact value, or double-click a knob to reset it to its default.

Setting it up

For a miked amp, insert OffFizzer on the recorded guitar track. For an amp simulator, place OffFizzer after it in the plugin chain.

Start with FIZZ OFF and SOFTEN at 0 % and DELTA off. At these settings, OffFizzer passes the audio through unchanged, apart from its latency.

1. Play the track and turn up FIZZ OFF until the fizz is under control.
2. Turn DELTA on and listen to what is being removed. If you hear too much of the guitar's tone, back off FIZZ OFF. Turn DELTA off again.
3. If the overall top end still feels too bright, bring in SOFTEN.
4. If the harshness sits in the lower treble, around the presence region, turn TILT toward LOW. If it sits at the very top, turn it toward HIGH.

Check with DELTA again after adjusting SOFTEN or TILT.

Set OffFizzer for each guitar track, using your ears to find the right balance.

How OffFizzer behaves

OffFizzer uses two processing stages in series.

FIZZ OFF analyzes the treble as the track plays and reduces narrow resonances that stand out from the frequencies around them. It works from 2.5 kHz up to about 12.5 kHz.

SOFTEN compares six treble bands from 2.5 kHz to 20 kHz with the midrange, from 0.5 kHz to 2.5 kHz. It gently reduces bands whose level relative to the midrange exceeds the balance it is tuned for in a high-gain guitar.

Both stages compare parts of the sound with each other rather than relying on absolute levels, so no input-level calibration is needed.

OffFizzer responds to the audio currently playing and keeps no long-term memory. The same passage is processed consistently wherever it appears in the song, and a mixdown sounds like playback.

OffFizzer adds 10.7 ms of latency at 48 kHz (11.6 ms at 44.1 kHz) and reports it to your DAW for automatic delay compensation. It is designed for mixing recorded guitars, rather than live playing or monitoring while recording. Bypass keeps the same latency, so switching OffFizzer on and off does not change the track's timing.

OffFizzer works in mono and stereo. In stereo, both channels are analyzed together and receive the same processing, keeping the stereo image stable. OffFizzer also works well on a stereo guitar bus, especially when the double-tracked guitars share the same amp and mic setup. Use separate instances if you want to adjust each guitar independently.

Features

• Free plugin for taming harsh treble fizz in distorted guitar.
• Built for guitar tracks, whether you mic an amp or use an amp sim.
• Three controls: FIZZ OFF, SOFTEN, and TILT, plus DELTA to hear what is being removed.
• FIZZ REDUCTION display spanning 2 kHz to 20 kHz.
• No tonal change until you turn up FIZZ OFF or SOFTEN.
• Mono and stereo operation, with linked processing in stereo.
• 10.7 ms latency at 48 kHz, reported to your DAW for delay compensation.
• Crossfaded bypass that keeps the same latency and is linked to your DAW's bypass button.

Installing

VST3 (Windows)

Copy OffFizzer.vst3 to:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\

VST3 (Linux)

Copy OffFizzer.vst3 to:

~/.vst3/

macOS

Run:

OffFizzer-<version>.pkg

The installer includes both VST3 and Audio Unit. Click Customize during installation if you only want one of the formats.

Your DAW may need to rescan its plugins or restart before OffFizzer appears. The VST3 version is categorized as Fx / Guitar. Cubase lists it under Guitar.