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Max Sungmin Kim

CLEAR and AIR

CLEAR is an AI audio plug-in (VST) that removes background noise from voice recordings in real time. I led its product design (alongside its companion plugin, AIR) and CLEAR became a go-to tool for creators, broadcasters, and musicians who need clean voice fast.

Year
2023 - Present
Role
Product Designer
@Supertone AI

CLEAR — Real-time AI Noise Removal (VST).

A one-click AI plugin that cleans up voice recordings in real time — built for everyday creators and pros alike, right inside their DAW.

Who it's for

Creators, broadcasters, and musicians recording voice in everyday or professional settings — anyone who needs usable audio without a sound engineer.

CLEAR plugin interface

Problem Statements

Voice recorded in real-world settings is full of noise and reverb, which makes it hard to use in content. Existing cleanup tools were either too technical for everyday creators or too shallow for pros.

Mission

Design a lightweight, intuitive UX so both professionals and everyday creators can clean their audio with ease — inside the tools they already use.

AIR plugin interface

Solution

  • One-click experience — simplified controls instead of a wall of parameters; great results with no tuning required.
  • Visual waveform feedback — see the effect immediately, so users trust it at a glance.
  • Consistent cross-platform UI — one coherent interface that behaves the same across DAWs.

The VST Design challenge

Unlike a standalone app, a plugin lives inside someone else's host — the DAW. That meant designing for tight, fixed space, different host environments, and an audience of audio people who decide whether to trust a tool within seconds.

Impact

  • CLEAR became a go-to cleanup tool for creators, broadcasters, and musicians.
  • Shipped with a three-person team and grew into a commercially successful, revenue-generating product for Supertone.

Reflection

I've designed across web, mobile, wearables, even physical products — but I always carried one unfulfilled dream: designing a VST plugin. That's the reason I joined Supertone. With a team of just three, we moved fast, launched, and built something people actually pay for. These plugins are my babies.