PD Cleaner vs Vinyl Restoration Suite

PD Cleaner is a free Windows app for reducing clicks, crackle, hiss, and hum in old recordings, particularly public-domain recordings made before 1926. Drop in a file and it analyzes its era, noise, and clicks; a Clean dial lets you adjust the cleaning. Its voicings cover cylinders, acoustic 78s, and early electric recordings, alongside an uncoloured transfer option. A live before-and-after spectrum analyzer can show a curve, waterfall, or both, and users can solo noise being removed. The app works as a VST3 insert in a DAW or as a standalone program. Folder-based batch processing with one preset is limited to the standalone version. Built-in formats are WAV, FLAC, AIFF, Ogg, MP3, and Opus; a free optional add-on provides AAC and more. It supports 24-bit archival exports and says it does not overwrite the original file. The maker describes it as offline software. The Windows release is open source under AGPLv3, and its build may show an unknown publisher warning when first run.

Vinyl Restoration Suite is a free audio restoration plugin and standalone application for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It detects and repairs clicks and pops using crossfade and spline interpolation, and reduces noise with real-time FFT processing that can capture a noise profile. Its AI denoiser is based on RNNoise and supports DirectML and NPU acceleration. A 10-band graphic equalizer covers 31 Hz to 16 kHz, while separate filters address subsonic rumble from 5–150 Hz and AC power line hum from 40–80 Hz. The app can record audio and split tracks automatically at silence. Real-time waveform and spectral views help monitor audio, and Difference Mode plays the noise and clicks being removed. Use it as a VST3 plugin in a DAW or independently as a standalone app. Pre-built binaries are listed for all three desktop systems; the macOS DMG is described as universal for Intel and ARM. It is available under the MIT license at free.