Preventing hissing when using compression...
- Thread starter Jhae
- Start date
Massive Master
www.massivemastering.com
You need a de-esser. What are you using (for a recording medium)? Maybe there's a plug you can use...
Otherwise, a sidechained compressor (which is what a de-esser plugin is, generally). You mult the vocal track through a graphic EQ, pull everything down except for the sibilance (generally, you'll have a hump in the graph from about 4-8K or so). Plug the output of the graphic into the sidechain input on the compressor (and the regular vocal track through the regular in/out).
The sibilance will then trigger the compressor - You'll need to adjust your settings to get it to compress only the sibilance. You're attack and release will need to be fairly quick.
Otherwise, a sidechained compressor (which is what a de-esser plugin is, generally). You mult the vocal track through a graphic EQ, pull everything down except for the sibilance (generally, you'll have a hump in the graph from about 4-8K or so). Plug the output of the graphic into the sidechain input on the compressor (and the regular vocal track through the regular in/out).
The sibilance will then trigger the compressor - You'll need to adjust your settings to get it to compress only the sibilance. You're attack and release will need to be fairly quick.
mrface2112
Well-known member
Massive's given you prolly the "best" way of treating that using EQ. some compressors (usually called vocal channels) have EQ and de-essers onboard so you don't have to deal with a sidechain. YMMV.
you can also "fight" this with mic placement--don't sing directly INTO the mic, but angle it slightly and sing into it (off axis). sometimes a pop filter will help with this, but usually not.
others will tell you that your singer needs better vocal technique and to learn to not emphasize the SSSSSSSS so much.
any/all of the above are valid ways of dealing with this issue.....and it's one of the biggest issues I have to deal with when recording singers who don't have training or good mic technique.
cheers,
wade
you can also "fight" this with mic placement--don't sing directly INTO the mic, but angle it slightly and sing into it (off axis). sometimes a pop filter will help with this, but usually not.
others will tell you that your singer needs better vocal technique and to learn to not emphasize the SSSSSSSS so much.
any/all of the above are valid ways of dealing with this issue.....and it's one of the biggest issues I have to deal with when recording singers who don't have training or good mic technique.
cheers,
wade
ecktronic
Mixing and Mastering.
Get a singer with a lisp! no, only kiding. You also get de- t-ers aswell im sure. This stops the t sound as you would expect. Using a pop shield might help with the ts a bit but not sure if it does much with the ss. Its funny when you use too much of a deesser as your voice automatically lisps when going through it! try it itf good.
Imnotagainstpeoplewithlispsbytheway.com
Imnotagainstpeoplewithlispsbytheway.com
masteringhouse
www.masteringhouse.com
There are some good suggestions for dealing with this in the May issue of Mix magazine, see article on DAWs and Hybrid mixing.
David Rideau suggests using volume automation by finding the offending part, and creating a slight dip in the volume.
If your DAW supports it, a technique that I've been using for a long time in Pro Tools is to insert a compressor into the track with a side chain from say bus 2 and send a pre-fader aux send from the same track to bus 1. Then create an aux track in PT with an input from bus1. Insert an EQ into the aux track with everything filtered out from below 6 0r 8K (so that only the essy part is in coming out of the aux). Feed the output of the aux track to bus 2 so that it is controlling the compressor in the original track.
You can also use automation with this technique if you want to get really surgical.
David Rideau suggests using volume automation by finding the offending part, and creating a slight dip in the volume.
If your DAW supports it, a technique that I've been using for a long time in Pro Tools is to insert a compressor into the track with a side chain from say bus 2 and send a pre-fader aux send from the same track to bus 1. Then create an aux track in PT with an input from bus1. Insert an EQ into the aux track with everything filtered out from below 6 0r 8K (so that only the essy part is in coming out of the aux). Feed the output of the aux track to bus 2 so that it is controlling the compressor in the original track.
You can also use automation with this technique if you want to get really surgical.
TexRoadkill
Audio Bum
Sibilance can usually be corrected in the room before you track. If your room doesn't have any high end absorption that can make it worse. Sometimes backing off the mic or putting at more of an angle can help. Cheap mics can also make sibilance worse.