Opinions on de-essers in signal chain

Blue Jinn

Blue Jinn

Rider of the ARPocalypse
Was reading a thread at gearspace (fka gearslutz) and opinions varied but one poster insisted first always. But, the manual for the Orban 536A says this:


In general, the 536A should be the last processor in the chain before the recording device. Equalization and compression/limiting should be applied before de-essing. This way, the 536A "knows" the amount of added sibilance induced by the other processing, and can predictably control it to the level desired by the operator. If a compressor or equalizer is located after the 536A, then the controlled sibilance levels at the 536A 's output could be disturbed by the additional processing.

Curious what people have to say.
 
I can imagine situations that would benefit from either configuration. If you have a singer (or speaker) who isn't staying on the mic and you're compressing (or editing) to fix that, you'll probably want the de-esser after that processing. If you're using a compressor to control someone just getting loud, their sibilance probably isn't varying much, so you'll probably want the de-esser before it.
 
It's like most other things in audio, it depends. In general, the things you do to vocals the most would tend to make sibilance worse, so putting the de-esser last would make sense.

However, some sibilance is caused by the lack of throw or volume of the vocal. With the vowel sounds being quiet, the consonant sounds are too loud in comparison. It would make sense in that case to knock back the sibilance before eq and compression.
 
Nothing to add since @bouldersoundguy and @Farview nailed what you can do - if you can't decide put the DE-Esser before and create mix and listen to it - then do the opposite and listen to the mix - you should do this a day apart since listening can quite convoluted over a long day.
 
With RX and automation, I find myself using de-essers less and less. I wouldn't go back to hardware for anything. YMMV.
 
markmann said:
I only de-ess when absolutely necessary and when I do it's after compression and EQ. Just how it works best IME.
Click to expand...
I'll do it before a compressor or eq. In most cases, a compressor is limiting dynamic range, and many deessers rely on peaks to work correctly. Like anything else YMMV. I'll do de-ess, comp, eq but like I said, automation and RX are used more by me these days.
 
The dess on my Ted Fletcher-JoeMeeks channel strips have it post , last in chain...but its a touchy thing. Seems easier to change mics or drink some guiness stout.
The Symetrix 528E has it in front of chain so go figure? and I dont have that 528 anymore but it was a good one. ..used to see them used $80, for a $700 piece!! now its $280...

with plugins I guess you could have them all over the chain. Dont compressors make some spitting sss's too when overdriven...so maybe Ted has it right, when used behind compressor?
 
CoolCat said:
The dess on my Ted Fletcher-JoeMeeks channel strips have it post , last in chain...but its a touchy thing. Seems easier to change mics or drink some guiness stout.
The Symetrix 528E has it in front of chain so go figure? and I dont have that 528 anymore but it was a good one. ..used to see them used $80, for a $700 piece!! now its $280...

with plugins I guess you could have them all over the chain. Dont compressors make some spitting sss's too when overdriven...so maybe Ted has it right, when used behind compressor?
Click to expand...

The big issue with putting it last is that changing anything before it will (most likely) result in it needing to be tweaked. I would guess the Orban manual is for a broadcast unit, with would more than likely be set for a host.
 
I laughed the other day when a bunch of Christhmasth Sthongs all had heavy Lispth vocalsth....and I thought the radio station must have a dess'r set wrong.

Either that or they had the Lisspth version of all the hitssssth's....

anyway merry chrissth-musth...
 
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