Air Shelf

Name: Air Shelf
Author: Bertom Audio

by Bertom Audio · EQ · High-frequency dynamic shelf EQ

Not rated yet

Air Shelf is a dynamic EQ for the very top end, with a gentle first-order shelf centred at 20 kHz.

A Tame control works as a dynamic EQ and transient shaper for high-frequency spikes; it is free or pay-what-you-want.

Best for: Vocals, Mix Bus, Mastering, Acoustic Instruments, Drums. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: dynamic, corrective, free, bright, enhancement, low latency, gentle, vocals, airy, clean, full mix, zero-latency, acoustic guitar, bus processing, drums, harsh, mastering, mix bus, mixing, room mics.

What it does

Air Shelf is a free two-knob dynamic EQ for the very top of the spectrum, above about 10 kHz. The idea is to add air and control harsh high-frequency spikes in one quick step, with no other settings to manage.

Boost: a gentle first-order high shelf centred at 20 kHz, decramped up to 21 kHz so the curve keeps its shape near the top of the audio band instead of bunching up.
Tame: a cross between a very fast dynamic EQ and a transient shaper that pulls down only the sharp high-frequency spikes.
Level-independent: Tame does not depend on the input level, so it behaves the same on quiet and loud material and needs no threshold.
Boost and Tame together: lift the air band while Tame keeps the added brightness from turning spiky or harsh.
Zero latency: it adds no latency.

The current version is 1.2.9. It is pay-what-you-want, including free, sold through Lemon Squeezy; the developer asks users to consider paying.

Source: Bertom Audio product page

When to use it

Air Shelf is the quick pick for adding top-end air without the harshness that a plain shelf boost brings, and it costs nothing. Compared with Pro-Q 4 or TDR Nova it does one job with two knobs, where those need a dynamic band set up by hand but can work anywhere in the spectrum. Unlike the Pultec Passive EQ Collection or PuigTec EQs, it adds no analog colour and has no low-end controls; it simply brightens cleanly. Next to bloom it is narrower in scope, working only on the highest frequencies rather than rebalancing the whole tone.

Best for: adding air to vocals, acoustic guitars, overheads and mix or master buses, and making dull tracks sound clearer.
Genres: any.
Look elsewhere if: you need full-band dynamic EQ (TDR Nova is free and broader), analog tube colour on the top end (Pultec Passive EQ Collection), or a fix for badly damaged high frequencies.
Tip: use it as a subtle, transparent enhancement rather than an obvious effect, and raise Tame if the boost starts to make sibilance or cymbals sharper.

What producers say

Users treat it as a clean, transparent air-band tool that does its small job very well.

KVR users rate it 5 out of 5 from 1 review (version 1.2.7, 2025); the reviewer called it the cleanest air-band booster they had tried and "a dehaze filter for audio".
KVR comments one user (2025) said it clears muddiness and brightens nearly any track without sounding artificial, but may not rescue badly damaged high frequencies, where Tame might help.

KVR user reviews

Where to buy

Bertom Audio: Free

Tutorials and reviews

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