Members gsHarmony Posted August 9, 2005 Members Share Posted August 9, 2005 I have always had bad problems with sibilance when recording vocals. I have tried many things to try and fix the problem: -vocal techique (turning away from mic on problematic sounds)-eq-different rooms-different mics-different mic positions Unfortuntately, I haven't had much luck with anything and have had to resort to either using a de-esser, or manually automating reductions in level for harsh sounds. It seems like many people are kind of against using a de-esser. Is this actually true, or are de-essers commonly used? Also, does anyone have any other suggestions on what might work to reduce sibilance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C JoGo Posted August 9, 2005 Members Share Posted August 9, 2005 We use the de-esser in the TC M300 ^^^ also ..Make sure you position your mic just above your nose and sing slightly upwards... A good pop filter/wind screen is a must~~~ Oops this application was for trying to create "airy " backgrounds ... "ahhs ", oohs etc. > without sibliances s s s ::: I was working on two threads:mad: Follow Where 02190 advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members where02190 Posted August 9, 2005 Members Share Posted August 9, 2005 Try placing the mic below, rather than above the singer, aiming it toward their chin rather than theior forehead. This accomplishes a couple things. First off, it prevents the singer from wanting to tilt their head back and sing up, a horrible position to sing in. Tilitng the head up restricts the esaophagus, which robs the singr of power. By positioning in what is referred to as the Elvis pose, shoulders relaxed, head slightly hunched forward, the esophagus is relaxed and fully open, allowing maximum airflow, no restrictions. Second, it yields a fuller sound, allowing the chest cavity to resonate better. Third, it captures less sibillance, thus reducing or eliminating the need to de-ess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Spencer Crewe Posted August 9, 2005 Members Share Posted August 9, 2005 In the cases where I have had to use a de-esser, it usually means that the damage was done going to tape. By the time it gets to me, I have to deal with it. I find that the simple Waves De-esser works just fine in those instances. Cheers!Spencer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chris Groegler Posted August 9, 2005 Members Share Posted August 9, 2005 I don't normally work with singing voice but I do work a lot with dialoge voice-overs. I'm with Spencer and use the Waves De-Esser. I'll fine tune it to work with the voice and pretty much always am pleased with the results. Thanks for the tip on placement Where. I'll have to try that out on my next session. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PhantomDan13 Posted August 9, 2005 Members Share Posted August 9, 2005 Make sure you don't do any de-essing wheen your tired. I was mixing a track the other week last thing at night, and I managed to De-Ess the vocalist to the point he had a severe lisp. Nothing a cup of coffee acouldn't fix the next morning, but worth bearing in mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 I use one when I need it, which quite frankly, isn't that often. IMO, if you get the mic placement right, and use the right mic for that particular singer, you can eliminate the need for a de-esser later in many / most cases. And when the occasional sssss gets through that, I will frequently go to a fader move first, before resorting to a de-esser. When I DO need to use a de-esser, I'll usually go to the Waves or stock Digidesign plug ins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wooden Posted August 9, 2005 Members Share Posted August 9, 2005 Great advice where, and for the rest of you guys, how do you position the mic and singer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seaneldon Posted August 9, 2005 Members Share Posted August 9, 2005 i position my vocal mic and singer the same way that where suggested, and for the same reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted August 9, 2005 Moderators Share Posted August 9, 2005 When I've ended up with sibilance, I would always go to the Waves or Digi, but I'll tell ya, that Spitfish form DigitalFishPhones is better. I love it. Sometimes I'm going for a real hyper-real, high end (a la Wilson Phillips , remember them?), in which case a de-esser is the way for me. Otherwise, mic technique and placement are the way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 The DigitalFishPhones stuff rawks hard! And it's free, so you really can't beat the price. http://www.digitalfishphones.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 Originally posted by wooden Great advice where, and for the rest of you guys, how do you position the mic and singer? It varies, depending on the singer and the sound I'm after. I sometimes stick the mic as far back as 18" - 24", and sometimes I have it right up close. Sometimes I'll place it fairly close to on axis with the singer's mouth, and sometimes I'll place it high or low - again, depending on the sound of the singer / mic and track. When I do have it placed high, there's usually a good reason for it... certainly NOT to try to get the vocalist to face "upwards"... I'll normally instruct them to sing into the pop filter and ignore the mic itself, and I'll plae the filter at the proper position to get the posture I want from the singer. IOW, the "filter" is the mic as far as the singer is concerned. Of course, you need a singer who can follow directions and ignore the mic position, and you don't always want that mic up high... but IMO, there are times when that gives you the tone you're after, so why not use it and just address the other (posture) issues seperately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gsHarmony Posted August 9, 2005 Author Members Share Posted August 9, 2005 In what situations do you place the mic high or low? Of course, I could just try this for myself, but you can save me hours of time. Or, do you just try everything with each singer to see what sounds best? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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