Thread: Sibilance

You might want to try the De-esser before your compression. Then again, you may want to try a high frequency limiter. You may want to combine a high frequency limiter after a De-esser. You may want to utilize a De-esser before your high frequency limiter.

I don't care where you've read about moving the microphone around. You may also want to not use condenser/capacitor microphones on certain vocalists where a ribbon microphone may be more appropriate. Condenser microphones are not made for every vocalist. For a lot of female vocalists, I can't stand them on condenser/capacitor microphones. That's where I'll usually utilize a ribbon microphone. Sometimes I'll put them on a dynamic microphone. And it may also have something to do with the type of condenser microphone you've utilized. If you've already cut the vocalist, you may be forced to deal with this and other numerous ways. Some De-esser presets no variability. Others do. And if you over utilize a De-esser, folks can start sounding like they have a speech impediment.

We've all had to deal with this
Mx. Remy Ann David

Thanks Remy Ann David, I appreciate your response. I will try using a high frequency limiter, unfortunately microphone selection is minimal.

Ta,
Liam

Mic technique also comes into play. The old timers use to "flash" their plosives (run their hand in front of their mouth as they sang P's, T's , K's, etc.. and move their head slightly out of alignment with the mic as they sang S's.

The benefit of home recording is "free studio time" try everything, but I would look at inexpensive technical fixes BEFORE trying to fix it with plug ins that solve some problems but create lots of other ones.

Phil

Phil is indicating microphone technique. But if this is a track that has already been recorded you'll have to screw around with both De-esser & High frequency limiter. And you will do this in your software. This is commonly utilized in FM radio where the De-esser is part of the microphone processor and the high frequency limiter is in the last stage audio processor just before the transmitter. You can do this in software where you would use a De-esser plug-in first followed by a high frequency limiter plug-in. What we call daisychaining or one into the other. That should solve most of the issue. And then you'll also be able to add whatever equalization you want to create just the sonic signature you want the vocalist to have without the fear of splattering sibilance like Bugs Bunny used to sound like.

DA... what's up Doc?
Mx. Remy Ann David

All the above and I will add, I have a small gap that has caused me grief over the years so I have practiced to sing without pushing my sss's. Could this be a problem for you, no mic in the world will help more than technique.
But there are also tricks and certain mics that can help reduce which is noted above. I've read placing a pencil in the middle of a mic to defuse the upper mids can help and also closing the gap on front teeth with wax or an engineered dental plate will help. Some people have large gaps that push air right through the middle which is like a whistle. Some have a small space that are just enough to drive us crazy and some people just have terrible speech technique and this is where the de-esser comes in or a comp with a sidechain.

I'll second that ribbon mic suggestion. I'm a male singer but my SSSssss were hissy and spitty. A ribbon mic smoothed that right out.

But also, practice makes perfect, too!

I have had similar problems myself as an announcer. I have worked hard to modify my speech patterns in order to reduce my own sibilance. And so when I want to go in the opposite extreme direction, in order to emulate a more gay oriented speech pattern, I'll over accentuate my "ess" annunciation and then I can sound totally gay when I want to. Not something I'd do very much however. But it's good in the standup comedy routines when you want to over emulate that. I also enjoy trying to emulate other American regional accents from New England to the deep South, to French, German & British style accents, including even Middle Eastern. I've got the British, Australian, New Zealand and even South African imitation accents down fairly well. I actually even fooled a female British Londoner recently by telling my story about my interview with Sir George Martin. When at the end of my story, she asked me what part of London I was from? LMAO, I had to tell her I was just a redneck from Virginia, USA. She seemed to be highly insulted by that but I sure got the French guys and the French-Canadian guys all laughing over that one, whom I was telling this story to. I didn't know she was standing behind me listening to be tell this story how I turned Sir George Martin down of his offer to be a maintenance engineer at his AIR Studios in Montserrat the Caribbean. So I'm probably really dumber than doggie Doo Doo? But we all make our mistakes when we are still young.

I also like doing cartoon voices.
Mx. Remy Ann David

Man, we love ribbons. I've got to try my Royers on Vocals for real. I did try the SF24 when I first got it and was blown away on how real and smooth it was. John from Royer told me he's heard that used with a well know opera singer that just loves it.