This includes a wide-band and split-band mode as well as modes optimized for ‘single vocal’ sources or ‘all-round’ sources such as cymbals or full mixes. Well, for a change, the ProDS main page displays everything on offer. Some of you might be accustomed to the ‘hidden’ advanced features of Fab-Filter plugins. On account of its transparent sound, versatility, and ease of use, it has my vote for the top de-esser on the market. Pro-DS continues this trend of pro-grade performance with a user-friendly interface. What Are The Best De-Esser Plugins?įabFilter’s plugins have rightfully gained a solid reputation for highly functional plugins. Therefore, we need a workflow-friendly solution to tame sibilance if we want to sweeten the upper frequencies. We love to dip our tracks in the sweet, sweet nectar of additive EQ and compression in the high frequencies. We are now in the modern era of music production. Many have even transcended their conventional role to redefine how mixing engineers handle sibilance. You see, in the past decade, de-essing VST plugins have come a long way. While some of them are stellar, they still pale in comparison to specialized third-party options. After twiddling with the stock de-essers of some of the major DAWs, I still wasn’t satisfied with the results. Also, check out our full guide to de-essers, with tips, tricks and examples in action!Ī pop filter will help with plosives, but sibilance is easier to tame with plugins.Īttention attenuators! Are you looking to swap, upgrade, or invest in your first de-esser? Well, you’ve come to the right place at the right time.Here are the 7 best de-esser plugins you can find!.Learn the difference between wide-band, split-band, and dynamic EQ based de-essing.What are de-essers? How do they tame harsh sibilant sounds?.This keeps the compressor/limiter from unnecessarily limiting the overall signal dynamics.Disclosure: We may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. When recording a voice, the DeEsser’s position in the signal chain is usually located after the microphone pre-amp and before a compressor/limiter. Positioning the DeEsser in the Signal Chain If Live mode is activated, there is no latency, which is better for live processing. Look-ahead produces more accurate processing, but adds a specific amount of latency as a trade-off. If this button is activated, the look-ahead feature of the effect is deactivated. MonitorĪllows you to monitor the filtered signal. Internal side-chaining can be useful for tailoring how the gate operates. You can now shape the input signal according to the filter parameters. SideĪctivates the internal side-chain filter. If the Side-Chain button is activated, this sets the resonance or width of the filter. Only in this case, the cent offsets are taken into account. Make sure that you enter a space between the note and the cent offset. When you enter a note value, you can also enter a cent offset. For example, a note value of A3 sets the frequency to 440 Hz.
If you enter a note value, the frequency is automatically displayed in Hz accordingly. You can set the frequency either in Hz or as a note value. If the Side-Chain button is activated, this sets the frequency of the filter. To reduce the sibilants in such a file, set the threshold manually. The Auto option does not work for low-level signals (< -30 db peak level). AutoĪutomatically and continually sets an optimum threshold setting independent of the input signal. Sets the time after which the de-essing effect returns to zero when the signal drops below the threshold. If the Auto option is deactivated, you can use this control to set a threshold for the incoming signal level above which the plug-in starts to reduce the sibilants. Dynamics ReductionĬontrols the intensity of the de-essing effect. This help you to adjust the frequency band, threshold, and reduction parameters, so that only sharp s-sounds are removed, for example. Plays back what DeEsser removed from the signal. This helps you to find the appropriate position and width of that band.