EQ, clip gain or a de-esser for a harsh vocal?
3 ways to deal with a harsh S, and when each one is the right one.
Tools for this guide
This guide uses Shusssh (paid, with a 30-day trial) and Band Practice (free).
Try Shusssh free for 30 days →
Get Band Practice with the free plug-ins ($0, no card) and follow along →
Bright all the time, or only on the S
A bright microphone can make a whole vocal hard to listen to. One sharp consonant needs only an edit. Listen to the vowels and the consonants in the mix before you cut anything.
Band Practice is a free EQ. It changes the tone of the whole phrase and does not react to the S. For one loud consonant, clip gain on that syllable is quicker.
What a de-esser does
A de-esser turns the harsh sound down only when it happens, so the vowels keep their tone. Shusssh follows the voice and turns down mainly the harsh band on each S and T.
Set it on the worst phrase, then check the words around it. If the consonants go dull or a lisp creeps in, bring Amount back down.
- Mark the words that sting.
- Make the smallest change that fixes them.
- Check the whole phrase.
Where it goes in the chain
Compression and a bright EQ both bring the S up. Try the de-esser before and after them and keep the order that sounds natural.
Check the delay and reverb returns too. A tamed dry vocal can still hiss in a bright reverb.
Hear the tools in this guide
Loop one phrase, change one control at a time and compare at the same level.
Shusssh. Takes the sting out of S and T without touching the words.
Shusssh: Demo 1
Before and after processing.
After selected.
Side by side
Every licence is perpetual and covers up to 3 computers. 14 days to change your mind, even after download.
- ShussshCategory: De-EsserPrice: $19.99Introductory priceRegular price $39.99 from 2 December.Takes the sting out of S and T without touching the words.
- Band PracticeCategory: EqualisationPrice: FreeA 24-band EQ for tracks, groups and the mix bus.
Each one installs as VST3 on Windows and as VST3 and Audio Unit on a Mac.
Further reading
Questions, answered
Can an EQ fix sibilance?
It can dull it, along with everything else in that range for the whole phrase. It does not react to the S.
How does Shusssh decide what to turn down?
It builds a baseline from the voice and acts when an S or T rises above it. It turns down mainly the harsh band, with guards that keep it off the vowels.