Deesser reccomendations

[WhiskeyJack]

Looking for deesser suggestions that isnt the spitfish of the fish fillets fame.

Thanks.

[Greg_L]

Looking for deesser suggestions that isnt the spitfish of the fish fillets fame.

Thanks.

A de-esser is just a multiband compressor. If you have a MBC, you don't really need a "de-esser".

Having said that, no, I don't know of any.

[WhiskeyJack]

Slick. Ok ill have to muck around with that i guess. Thanks.

[rayc]

[mention]WhiskeyJack[/mention]
Spitfish is soso, Tonman De-esser is sos so Lisp is noso.
I've done a fair bit of research and there are two options that work best. One is an automatic that is set up using an EQ & Compressor and is fully adjustable - BUT you still have to isolate the frequency that is the problem for each voice and the other is manual process that is done as a volume automation PREFADER.
No shock that the manual works best.
Which DAW do you use?
Here're some links that will help you...
S1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEcMkFzoBoA

https://forums.presonus.com/viewtopic.php?t=6853

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UkOnnpgV68

Reaper
THIS 1st one is excellent...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvjWe7OIJ3I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci096z4DL6A

BUT the next ONE (the one below this comment) is IT. The 1st 9 minutes is how to set up a De-esser in Reaper and after 9.22 is the manual way which works best in my experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGPJ1Uiyqz0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_lobtPRiAk

VSTs

https://blog.wavosaur.com/de-essing-cle ... t-plugins/

https://www.tonmann.com/2015/07/18/free ... st-plugin/

http://www.best-free-vst.com/plugins/ef ... ser-01.php

Here's an article to help a little...
https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... studio-one

PLUS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgHEJUNEMxs

[Tadpui]

I've used the Waves DeEsser quite a bit. It's at least got a variable frequency and it comes with both mono and stereo versions so you can use it on a vocal track, or on a stereo vocal bus. The only other deesser I have to compare it to is the hardware versions on my dbx 286 strips. It seems to at least be on par with those, if that counts for anything.

Currently on sale for $40, but I don't think it's quite worth that. But apparently there's a 50% off coupon active now (use code HALF at checkout) so I could agree that it's a $20 plugin.

https://www.waves.com/plugins/deesser#a ... nd-cymbals

[rayc]

...variable frequency and it comes with both mono and stereo versions so you can use it on a vocal track, or on a stereo vocal bus.

Good point.
Spitfish does stereo & is variable. Tonnman does those as well plus has finer controls like Q etc. Lisp doesn't say stereo but it seems to do it and has some variable control.
I find all of them a little difficult to fine tune -
Spit doesn't have freq labelling to allow accurate control without ears.
Tonnman can do the job but seems to be a bit of a broad stroke that dulls the sound.
Lisp - I couldn't get to work.
The combo EQ & Compressor in Reaper allows LOTS of fine tuning.
I have no luck with Waves plugs - they crash Reaper every time I use them.

[vomitHatSteve]

I've messed with de-essing in ReaEQ a little, but was never impressed enough with the difference to keep pursuing it.

[WhiskeyJack]

@WhiskeyJack
Spitfish is soso, Tonman De-esser is sos so Lisp is noso.
I've done a fair bit of research and there are two options that work best. One is an automatic that is set up using an EQ & Compressor and is fully adjustable - BUT you still have to isolate the frequency that is the problem for each voice and the other is manual process that is done as a volume automation PREFADER.
No shock that the manual works best.
Which DAW do you use?
Here're some links that will help you...
S1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEcMkFzoBoA

https://forums.presonus.com/viewtopic.php?t=6853

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UkOnnpgV68

Reaper
THIS 1st one is excellent...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvjWe7OIJ3I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci096z4DL6A

BUT the next ONE (the one below this comment) is IT. The 1st 9 minutes is how to set up a De-esser in Reaper and after 9.22 is the manual way which works best in my experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGPJ1Uiyqz0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_lobtPRiAk

VSTs

https://blog.wavosaur.com/de-essing-cle ... t-plugins/

https://www.tonmann.com/2015/07/18/free ... st-plugin/

http://www.best-free-vst.com/plugins/ef ... ser-01.php

Here's an article to help a little...
https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... studio-one

PLUS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgHEJUNEMxs

Ray you are the man. I will go over this stuff in any downtime i get at work today. I had no idea what a deesser actually is or does or how it works so this is all very helpful. It makes 100% sense it is a multiband comp. I'll check your red IT suggestions first.

[Armistice]

Try, as best you can, not to ess in the first place. Vocal technique can go a long way to minimising the issue.

I tend to manually use volume reduction for esses and plosives - deep V cuts on plosives and shallower "pan" cuts on esses.

I do this because I never found a de-esser that worked well enough without having an impact on the rest of the signal.

[WhiskeyJack]

Try, as best you can, not to ess in the first place.

take your common sense and gtfo.

[Armistice]

Try, as best you can, not to ess in the first place.

take your common sense and gtfo.

I say this because, as someone often aiming for more "close to the mic" softly sung vocals, I was a chronic esser and popper. The closer you get, the worse it gets.

I'm not sure what others do, but I actually rehearse the singing a fair bit in front of the microphone and try to turn my head at little just at the esses and plosives, so you're singing to the side of the mic just at the instant. Helps a lot, but you have to rehearse that way. Then I just do manual volume reductions.

[WhiskeyJack]

take your common sense and gtfo.

I say this because, as someone often aiming for more "close to the mic" softly sung vocals, I was a chronic esser and popper. The closer you get, the worse it gets.

I'm not sure what others do, but I actually rehearse the singing a fair bit in front of the microphone and try to turn my head at little just at the esses and plosives, so you're singing to the side of the mic just at the instant. Helps a lot, but you have to rehearse that way. Then I just do manual volume reductions.

No that's fair really. As with anything there is a fair amount of personal responsibility with individual technique that needs to be factored in that i sort of keep in mind. My vocals sort of range anywhere from throaty whisper to full on in your face "check out my tonsils" kind of thing. So i have grown used to "exploring the space'. it has cut down on a lot of things that used to pop up and stuff but i find the esses i can't really escape. I also have a natural inflection with exaggerated esses. not quite a lisp but kind of a something similar. not sure what you call it. i am sure you may have heard it in some people speak.

[rayc]

[BBvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_xT9RWz_Y8&t=580s[/BBvideo]Oh, [mention]WhiskeyJack[/mention] . there's an excellent de-esser in that bundle of VST I sent a link regarding.
It works on an entirely different premise and you'd need to watch the related video to set it.
I tried it last week and it's pretty good.

[Minerman]

Try, as best you can, not to ess in the first place. Vocal technique can go a long way to minimising the issue.

I tend to manually use volume reduction for esses and plosives - deep V cuts on plosives and shallower "pan" cuts on esses.

I do this because I never found a de-esser that worked well enough without having an impact on the rest of the signal.

This is the best answer for a de-esser, in my humble opinion anyway...Get it as good as you can on the way in (just like your guitar tones dude), then some simple editing should take care of most things for ya...

A diy/home made pop filter can help too...

Editing your tracks can go a long way, split 'em where the word/syllable starts, mess around with the fade & you should be good to go...I've tried all kinds of de-essers over the years, but with my awesomely shitty vocals, I could never find one that worked from the start to finish of a song...In one spot, it'd be ok, but in another, it'd clamp down too much, & so on...

I usually split/delete all the silent parts of my vocals anyway (I actually do this to all my tracks), so adjusting the fade(s) is gonna happen anyway...

Of course, this is only my humble, hillbilly opinion & it works for me, but as usual YMMV...

[WhiskeyJack]

Thanks dudes. All this is very much appreciated. I am going to try some of these out. turns out my vocal track in this instances isn't so bad for the essing so it will be a good one to experiment with.

[Minerman]

Thanks dudes. All this is very much appreciated. I am going to try some of these out. turns out my vocal track in this instances isn't so bad for the essing so it will be a good one to experiment with.

Seriously Shan, if you edit your tracks, you probably won't even need a de-esser...

A pop filter can help too, it's pretty easy to diy one & only costs a few bucks to make one...

[rayc]

Pop filter, vertical pencil, singing passed the mic, backing off wen a plosive or ess is being sung...all effective to varying degrees.