How to Remove Plosives in Premiere Pro (4 Methods That Actually Work)

Plosives are a common issue that can ruin clean audio in editing. You may hear a dull thump or low pop on words with P or B. But when you've got Premiere Pro on your side, things get pretty simple. It includes tools that can reduce or remove this problem. You can fix it without going back to the record again.

This guide explains four working methods in a clear order. Each method moves from quick fixes to more detailed control. You can pick the one that fits your audio situation best.

What Are Plosives and Why Do They Damage Your Audio?

Plosives are bursts of air pressure created when a speaker pronounces stop consonants — primarily P, B, and sometimes T sounds — too close to an unprotected microphone. That air hits the capsule and registers as a heavy low-frequency spike, which plays back as a muffled thump or distorting pop in your audio.

Plosives are not the same as hiss (high-frequency noise) or sibilance (harsh S sounds). They live in the 50–150 Hz range, which is why standard noise reduction or a DeEsser will not touch them. Identifying whether you have a plosive, not a general room rumble, is the first step in choosing the correct fix.

Method 1 — Parametric Equalizer (Best for Precise Control)

Among built-in effects, the Parametric Equalizer offers very precise control. It helps you target the exact frequency where the plosive occurs. The rest of the voice stays clean and mostly unchanged.

1. Select the affected audio clip in the timeline.

2. Open the Effects panel (Window > Effects), search for “Parametric Equalizer,” and drag it onto the clip.

3. In the Effect Controls panel, click Edit to open the EQ.

4. Enable Band 1 and set its mode to Low Shelf (or activate the HP/High-Pass toggle if available).

5. Set the frequency to 80–120 Hz for male voices or 100–150 Hz for female voices, where plosive energy is most concentrated.

6. Apply a narrow Q value (around 2–4) to focus the cut, then reduce gain by 6–12 dB depending on severity.

7. Solo the clip and play back the affected section. Adjust frequency and gain until the pop is attenuated without the voice sounding thin or hollow.

Pro Tip: For isolated plosives on one or two words, use keyframing on the EQ gain parameter. Set the gain reduction to activate only across the frames containing the pop, then return to 0 dB. This keeps your overall EQ clean and avoids thinning out the rest of the dialogue track.

Method 2 — Essential Sound Panel (Fastest Native Option)

The Essential Sound Panel is Premiere’s simplified audio repair interface. Its Reduce Rumble control is specifically designed to attenuate low-frequency transients, which makes it a direct match for plosive removal with no manual EQ work required.

1. Open the Essential Sound panel (Window > Essential Sound).

2. Select your audio clip in the timeline.

3. Click Dialogue to tag the clip type. The Repair tab will become available.

4. Navigate to the Repair tab and locate the Reduce Rumble slider.

5. Slowly drag the slider to the right, previewing in real time. Start around 20–30 and increase incrementally. Also, if you have an older version of Premiere Pro, you will be limited to 0-10 values.

6. If the voice clarity drops as you raise the slider, enable Enhance Speech underneath to compensate for lost presence.

When to use this method: Reduce Rumble works well for mild-to-moderate plosives that occur consistently throughout a clip. It is the fastest path and requires no frequency knowledge. But if you have a single hard, severely distorted plosive, the slider may either under-correct it or over-process the surrounding audio. In that case, escalate to Method 1 or Method 4.

Method 3 — High-Pass Filter (Quickest Fix for Mild Cases)

The High-Pass filter is the bluntest instrument in this toolkit. It cuts everything below a set frequency rather than targeting a specific band, which makes it fast but imprecise.

1. In the Effects panel, navigate to Audio Effects > Filter and EQ > High-Pass.

2. Drag the effect onto your audio clip.

3. In Effect Controls, set the Cutoff frequency to 80–100 Hz.

4. Adjust the Blend parameter to control how aggressively the rolloff is applied.

When this works well: The High-Pass filter is ideal when you have consistent low-end rumble combined with mild plosives across the entire clip — for example, audio recorded near HVAC noise or outdoor wind. The single cutoff addresses both problems simultaneously.

When it falls short: If your issue is one sharp, isolated pop with no broadband low-frequency buildup elsewhere, the High-Pass filter will cut desirable low-end frequencies from the whole clip while only partially addressing the plosive. Use Method 1 with keyframing instead.

Method 4 — Adobe Audition Round-Trip (Best Results for Severe Plosives)

When a plosive is hard enough to cause visible waveform clipping or distortion that Premiere’s native tools cannot isolate without damaging the surrounding audio, the Adobe Audition round-trip is the professional standard. Audition’s Spectral Frequency Display lets you see and select the plosive as a visual artifact and remove it without touching the rest of the clip.

1. In Premiere Pro, right-click the affected audio clip in the timeline and select Edit Clip in Adobe Audition.

2. Audition opens the clip automatically. Switch to the Spectral Frequency Display (Shift+D or View > Show Spectral Frequency Display).

3. Locate the plosive — it will appear as a bright low-frequency burst at the bottom of the spectral view, usually below 150 Hz.

4. Use the Lasso Selection Tool or Rectangular Marquee Tool to draw a selection around just the plosive artifact.

5. Go to Effects > Noise Reduction / Restoration > Healing Brush (or use Auto Heal with the selection active) to interpolate clean audio over the artifact.

6. Press Ctrl+S / Cmd+S to save. The repaired audio updates in your Premiere Pro timeline automatically.

Note: This method requires an active Adobe Audition license, which is included in most Adobe Creative Cloud plans. If you do not have Audition, Method 1 with keyframing is the next best option for severe cases.

Comparison — Which Method Should You Use?

Use this table to match your situation to the right method before you start.

How to Prevent Plosives Before They Reach Post-Production?

Fixing plosives in post costs time. Preventing them at the source costs almost nothing.

• Position the microphone off-axis and angle it slightly to the side or above the speaker’s mouth rather than pointing directly at it.

• Use a pop filter or foam windscreen between the speaker and the mic capsule to physically diffuse air pressure bursts.

• Watch your gain staging. High recording levels make plosive peaks stronger and harder to fix.

For interview and documentary setups where controlling mic placement is difficult, the Hollyland LARK MAX 2 is worth considering. Its AI Noise Cancellation actively suppresses low-frequency interference at the capture stage, and 32-bit Float Internal Recording preserves dynamic headroom so that even if a plosive gets through, it is far less destructive and significantly more recoverable in post.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Premiere Pro have a dedicated plosive removal tool?

No dedicated single-click plosive tool exists in Premiere Pro. The closest native options are the Parametric Equalizer (for precise frequency-targeted cuts) and the Essential Sound Panel’s Reduce Rumble slider (for fast broad correction). For surgical removal of severe plosives, Adobe Audition — accessible via round-trip — offers the most targeted and reliable repair.

Can I use a DeEsser to remove plosives in Premiere Pro?

No. DeEssers target high-frequency sibilance in the 4–10 kHz range, which is the opposite end of the spectrum from plosives. Applying a DeEsser to a plosive will have no meaningful effect. For plosives, use a High-Pass filter, a Parametric EQ low-shelf cut, or the Essential Sound Panel’s Reduce Rumble control.

Will removing plosives affect overall voice quality?

It can, if you apply broad filters globally. A High-Pass or aggressive low-shelf cut across an entire clip will remove low-end warmth from the voice. To avoid this, use keyframing on the Parametric EQ to limit the reduction to just the affected frames, or use Audition’s spectral selection tools to isolate only the artifact itself before applying any processing.

Conclusion

Most editors can start with the Reduce Rumble slider in Essential Sound. It needs no technical skill and fixes mild plosives very fast. For more control, move to Parametric EQ with keyframes. Use Audition for heavy plosives that need deeper repair work. Start simple and move up only when needed. This keeps your audio clean at every stage.