Fixing hard s'sounds on vocal track

SanAndreasNorwa

New member
Hello.
I have recorded a vocal track using a steinberg interface with a fairly good condenser mic in cubase 7.
However, after adding eq and compression and finding the desired sound there is a lot of almost whisteling sounds building up from 9khz and up. It cuts hard through the entire track and is way to hard and unconfortable to the eat. I've tried to use a de esser to fix it but it only makes the real S'sounds sound like a lisp. Probably bacause the natural S'es is frequencied around 5-7khz. I read a lot about using a multiband compressor and adding it with one, maybe two band on the problem frequncies, with similiar settings as the main compressor. On may main compressor from waves i have the attack set to about 30ms. And the ratio between 1.5 and 2.0. But this don't seen to fix the problem. Do anyone have any suggestions on hos to fix this either with some different multiband compression settings or any other plug ins?
 
Automation with a combination of very tight cuts in EQ and filtered compressiin at the same frequency with fast attack and release. You might need to change the frequency amount of cut and compressor settings on different parts of he song and only turn those FX/plugins on briefly. Tedious, careful editing.

Or retake with a different mic!
 
after adding eq and compression...

Maybe you are overdoing it?

Too much compression can make s sounds hard and unpleasant. And you seem to have whistle tones even. That's harmonic interference.

Try reducing frequencies in the eq, in stead of boosting. That usually works a lot better.
 
after adding eq and compression and finding the desired sound there is a lot of almost whisteling sounds building up from 9khz and up.

Maybe you are overdoing it?

Too much compression can make s sounds hard and unpleasant. And you seem to have whistle tones even. That's harmonic interference.

Try reducing frequencies in the eq, in stead of boosting. That usually works a lot better.

How does it sound raw? I'd suspect cyrano has it. If the raw version doesn't have that problem, something in your chain is exacerbating it.
 
after adding eq and compression

^^^There's your problem right there. Start without any EQ or compression. Does the track still have the whistling S's around 9kHz? If so, fix them first...I'd start with a frequency-agile de-esser or a multiband compressor (essentially the same thing), or see if some combination of automated level & notch filtering addresses it. Once the S's have been tamed then go back and start adding the desired EQ and compression ...unless you notice that negatively impacting the S's again, in which case you've gone too far.

Edit: Looks like someone already suggested this. Great minds... :)
 
Usually I have the amount and type of eq and compression on a vocal track because that's what I want on it. If that makes the S sounds stick out I edit them with all the processing in place to get the desired end result.
 
Manually lower each offending S sound using Clip Gain or its equivalent in your DAW.

+1. This is, by far, the most effective way. Might take a little while working through the entire song, but the pay-off is worth it. It's also the best way to even out the level on the track as a whole, phrase-by-phrase, word-by-word, sometimes even syllable-by-syllable. It also gives your compressors, de-essors, and EQs better, even signals to work with. Again, tedious, but worth the time spent if you want a more polished, professional sounding vocal.
 
All the answers are above. Go back to your raw tracks. If the problem is there, you've got a tracking issue. If not, then you created the problem in processing. Mishandling compression would be the prime suspect.
 
If I am alowed to give some advice for the future recordings?

Get a decent channel strip like an SPL with a de-esser and use that in your recording chain. So you kill the 'esses' before recording. Then it will be easier to process afterwards.
In my recording chain I got it as followed: mic>mic preamp>console input>insert chain: gate, compressor, de-esser>console channel>group>recording interface.

And for now: in the new Cubase Pro 9.5 you can set the range for the 's' frequencies. So you have more control over the processing.

Good luck!
 
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