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For SaleFabfilter , Softube , Eventide , Slate Digital , Xils
I have several plugins that I would like to sellWhile I was in ghost production I got a small collection of plugins, but now I don’t need them since I’m changing my professionPaypal and transfer fees included.Please pm me if you have any questionsCheers.Fabfilter Pro-DS $90Fabfilter...- Thread
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For SaleFabFilter Pro-C 2 100$
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For SaleArturia CMI V $59
It's time for the yearly spring cleaning!Payments done through PayPal.Arturia CMI V (€149) $59SOLD:Presonus Studio One 5.2 ProValhalla RoomFabfilter Custom BundleSoundiron Rust 2Soundiron The Drinking PianoSeventh Heaven Standardu-he ReproSoundiron DripSeventh Heaven Pro- Thread
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25% off all FabFilter - including Bundles
FABFILTER'S BLACK FRIDAY SALE IS NOW ON!SAVE 25% OFF THEIR AWARD-WINNING PLUG-INS AND INSTRUMENTS!Popular products include...Saturn 2 offers a range of different high-quality distortion models, inspired by the vintage sound of tubes, tape, transformers and guitar amps. In addition, you get...- Thread
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Sidechain duck by compressor or EQ? (Fabfilter)
Hi Sound-Masters!Not so deep in sound things. I am using Fabfilter and wonder if I want for exampleDrums [sidechain]-> Textures ... to make space for the beat.I could use- Fabfilter MB to compress the texture- Fabfilter Q3 to duck frequency of the textureBut what is a wise way? Or does...- Thread
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Limiter plugin - worth the investment?
I currently use the stock limiter plugin in Studio One 5. It has a nice, clear, easy to use, straight to the point interface, nothing fancy really.Now I have several plugins I bought and use for reverbs, delays, compressors, gate, etc. but I'm wondering, how much would getting a limiter plugin...- Thread
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Plugins for mixing and mastering
Hello!I am looking for some plugins for mixing and mastering. I got Ozone 9 and Neutron 3 elements for free a few weeks ago and I checked that I can get Tonal Balance Bundle (Ozone 9, Neutron 3, Nectar 3 and Tonal Balance 2 All advanced) with crossgrade for 185$. (Reg Price 700$)I am trying...- Thread
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CSB New Mixing test
Hi all,I dont really like the out of the box sound from CSB but i love the library very much.I finally took proper time to make the sound Ilike. Mainly wider imaging, EQ and reverb.Any advice or feedback would be very welcome.- Thread
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Pro-Q 3 worth the hype?
Hey folks - FabFilter sale, can't say I've seen many of those recently - would it be daft to pass on what seems to be (generally speaking) the go to ITB EQ in most composer setups these days, or am I just adding to the EQ noise in my already overly cluttered selection (Looking at you Waves).I...- Thread
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O8N2 vs FabFilter
Hi everyone,I'm very tempted by the sale on O8N2 right now, but I own most of the essential plugs from FabFilter (Pro-Q3, Pro-C2,Pro-MB, and Pro-R). This seems to cover a lot of the same ground that Izotope covers. I should add that most of the work I do is orchestral and hybrid.What would...- Thread
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50% off VSL Symphonic Cube + deals from Musiclab, Softube, FabFilter, SONiVOX, PSP, Akai, & more
50% off Vienna Symphonic Library Symphonic Cube Standard, Full, and Upgrade. An unprecedented sale, this is the lowest price there has ever been for Symphonic Cube:https://www.jrrshop.com/vienna-symphonic-library?dir=desc&order=special_from_date50% off Mastering The Mix Animate Ignite, now...- Thread
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Up to 50% off Sugar Bytes, Acon Digital, Image Line, Overloud, Reveal Sound, Musiclab, and FabFilter
30% off Sugar Bytes Obscurium generative synth, now $69 instead of $99:https://www.jrrshop.com/sugar-bytes-obscurium50% off Acon Digital DeVerberate 2 reverb reduction plugin, now $49 instead of $99:https://www.jrrshop.com/acon-digital-deverberate50% off Image Line Toxic Biohazard FM...- Thread
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WTB: Fabfilter Pro Q2 and Pro R
If anyone is looking to sell these two plugins hit me up. I’m interested in buying.- Thread
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Question about Fabfilter Sales
i missed the holidays sales for the fabfilter bundle, does anyone know if these bundles go on sale often and when the next one might be?Thanks!- Thread
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Black Friday/Cyber Monday Top Plugins for your Sample Libraries
Hey guys,As you know we all need quality eq, reverb, compressors, limiters, etc for our sample libraries.Here's a video on the Top manufacturers I use for plug ins that are currently on sale.Mixing engineers are not usually concerned about sample libraries, but audio plugins are an...- Thread
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50% off Presonus, Image Line, FabFilter, Sugar Bytes, FXpansion, Tone Empire, Beatskillz, & Slate
50% off Presonus Studio One Professional, Artist, and Upgrades, as well as Notion, Progressions, and Bundles:https://www.jrrshop.com/presonus?dir=desc&order=special_from_date50% off all Image Line plugins:https://www.jrrshop.com/image-line?dir=desc&order=special_from_dateUp to 50% off all...- Thread
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Up to 75% off Antares, McDSP, iZotope, Overloud, Ohm Force, Re-compose, D16, FabFilter, & Elektron
63% off Antares AVOX 4 11 plugin vocal bundle, including Harmony Engine, Mic Mod EFX, and Duo, now $149 instead of $399. Ends 9/21:https://www.jrrshop.com/antares-avox75% off McDSP AE600 Active EQ and 6050 Ultimate Channel Strip, now $49 each instead of $199. Ends 9/18...- Thread
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Up to 90% off Propellerhead, iZotope, XLN Audio, Ableton, FabFilter, IL, Waves, Acon, and Beatskillz
Propellerhead Reason 10 Upgrade on sale for $99:https://www.jrrshop.com/propellerhead-reason-upgrade88% off iZotope RX 6 Elements, now $29 instead of $129. Ends Monday:https://www.jrrshop.com/izotope-rx-elements50% off all XLN Audio Addictive Drums, Addictive Keys, Addictive Trigger...- Thread
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Up to 60% off Gospel Musicians, iZotope, AAS, FabFilter, Audionamix, and Positive Grid
60% off all Gospel Musicians electric pianos and synths:https://www.jrrshop.com/gospel-musicians?dir=asc&order=nameUp to 60% off the new iZotope VocalSynth 2 and Creative Suite, with upgrades starting at $49:https://www.jrrshop.com/izotope?dir=desc&order=special_from_date50% off AAS Solids...- Thread
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Up to 75% off McDSP, Best Service, Kilohearts, FabFilter, & Image Line
75% off McDSP AE600 Active EQ, now $49 instead of $199:https://www.jrrshop.com/mcdsp?dir=desc&order=special_from_date25% off Best Service Eduardo Tarilonte Celtic Era Crossgrade introductory sale, now $199 instead of $259...- Thread
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Time+Space Black Friday Event - all deals now live!
We've just added the final deals to our Black Friday event - there are now hundreds of products with up to 80% off from over 40 brands.Don't forget we also have our website chat facility is currently live if you have any product questions!Here's a summary of deals added today...68% off...- Thread
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SOLD: Eventide Blackhole Reverb
Offloading some plug-ins. I'll cover the license transfer fee for Blackhole, price include that.Eventide Blackhole - SOLDFabfilter Pro-R - SOLD2Caudio B2 - SOLD- Thread
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Fabfilter updates plugins for Sierra compatibility issues and 25% off sale until Jan 1
Just saw the news that Fabfilter updated their plugins for OSX Sierra compatibility with a sale of 25% until January 1. Good news for anyone having issues with their plug ins in Sierra or looking to buy .- Thread
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Article Content
Ozone 9 Dynamics from iZotope (multiband). Pro-L 2 from Fabfilter. Ozone 9 Dynamics and Vintage Limiter from iZotope. Brainworx bxlimiter from Plugin Alliance. Oxford Limiter v3 from Sonnox. Expenders/Gates (Most channel strips also contain an expander/gate – see list above) Pro-G from Fabfilter. Pro-DS from Fabfilter. Fabfilter TotalBundle VST-AU-AAX WIN-MAC TORRENT Sep 27, 2017. NI Reaktor 6-1-1 VSTi-AAX WINDOWS x86 x64 Oct. IZotope RX 6 Advanced VSTs-AAX x86 x64 TORRENT Oct 12.
The human voice is a wonderfully complex instrument. A typical sentence — whether its spoken or sung, is actually composed of several sonic components, some generated in the lungs and chest cavity, others a result of the resonance of the larynx (which we also refer to as our “voice box”), and even more that occur higher up in the anatomy (think tongue, lips, etc.)
When recording the human voice, it’s essential to be mindful of how each of these components is working together. Some microphones do a better job of capturing and reproducing the rich, full, low frequencies of a voice, others are airy, silky, and articulate.
Context is everything, of course, and whereas one of my favorite microphones, the AKG C414 XLII works like a dream on certain singers, I’ve found it to be overly “bright” on other performers. When I say bright, I’m referring to how the microphone reproduces high frequencies, specifically, “esses”.
Esses can be generated by a human voice when the tongue is placed on the upper palate, directly behind the top teeth. When air is generated and passes through, the resulting sound consists of mostly high frequencies. Different voices have different tendencies, and combining a vocalist who generates an abundance of high frequencies with a microphone that was designed with an emphasis on capturing these same frequencies can result in a displeasing sound.
Ideally, the recording engineer will get it right at the source, but in some cases, the mix engineer simply has to make do with what they’ve been provided — moreover, with modern music production and mixing aesthetics tending to call for liberal usage of compression, saturation, and additive EQ (especially in the high frequencies), sibilance can quickly become a problem.
There isn’t a singular solution to this issue, but a “de-esser” is one of the most common tools used to tame harshness in vocals. Traditionally, a de-esser works as a compressor that has been fed an EQ boost via a sidechain, making it more responsive to the frequency range at which the EQ boost has been applied. Once the de-esser detects that the amplitude has surpassed a set threshold, attenuation occurs.
Beneath is a breakdown of some of the terminology you’ll typically find on a de-esser and a roundup of my favorite plugins used for de-essing. I want to be careful to clarify that not all of these are designed specifically for the task of de-essing, but plugins have come such a long way in a short time, and several of these handle sibilance brilliantly.
Fabfilter Ds Vs Izotope Rx8
De-Esser Controls and Terminology
Threshold
Much like the threshold control on a compressor, this determines the point at which the processing takes place. Once the amplitude of the signal “crosses” the threshold, de-essing will occur.
Range
This determines how much de-essing will take place once the amplitude crosses the threshold. Lower values may sound more subtle and natural but might not do the job entirely. Higher values can create undesired artifacts and sometimes leave the vocalist sounding “lispy”
Lookahead
This feature allows the de-esser to predict incoming sibilance by “looking ahead” a certain amount of milliseconds. For rapid-fire vocal performances, this might be a useful feature to handle sibilance. I’ve found lookahead to be helpful when mixing several Hip-Hop projects.
Wide vs. Split-band
Wide-band is great for general de-essing tasks and is a great starting point. It will attenuate all areas of the frequency spectrum evenly. Split-band will attenuate a smaller range of the frequency spectrum, generally the high frequencies where sibilance occurs. I suggest experimenting with both when mixing, and discovering which works best for the specific performance.
Some de-essers feature a function that allows you to hear only what the processor is doing, which can be helpful for determining if the de-esser is working at the correct area of the frequency spectrum. This function is sometimes identified as “audition”, “delta”, or “monitor”.
Additionally, certain de-essers allow you to choose at which frequency range the sidechain EQ boost is applied, so keep an eye out for this control, which is sometimes named differently depending on which plugin you’re using.
My Favorite De-Esser Plugins …
1. oeksound soothe2
The original soothe plugin from oeksound was a subtle game-changer for me. Normally, the plugins that really excite me are the ones that add some unique characteristic — saturators that growl, equalizers with character, or compressors that really smack. But the original soothe (and its recently-released successor) are subtractive by nature, and were designed to remove unwanted frequencies, and not really add anything whatsoever.
Described s a dynamic resonance suppressor, soothe2 will only attenuate unwanted frequencies when it detects an abundance of them. The user places individual bands at the offending frequencies, and then dials in the depth, sharpness, and selectivity controls to transparently attenuate, resulting in a sound that keeps what you want, and removes what you don’t. Soothe was a mainstay for me on mix-buss, sub-groups, and when mixing vocals, and soothe2 is even more powerful. It was re-coded from the ground up and sounds cleaner and more transparent than its predecessor.
soothe 2 is a fantastic update to the original, with new features and capabilities that include:
- The ability to affect the entire human hearing spectrum, rather than just the high-mids and highs
- You can now work in mid/side mode, which is great for mix-buss and mastering duties
- Attack and release parameters, which makes working on material with prominent transients much easier
- A new ‘soft mode’ which allows for more transparent processing
Mix Tip
The new mid-side mode is so useful. I typically use mid-side equalization when processing the mix buss to enhance clarity and space. I now use soothe in this way as well, hunting down harshness that only exists straight up the center of the mix, and attenuating that that frequency range as to not alter the content on the sides. I then find unwanted resonances in the sides, and attenuate there, preserving what is up the middle. It’s a subtle process, but one that truly improves the depth and width of mixes and/or masters.
How to Tame Harshness in a Mix with oeksound soothe
The human voice is a wonderfully complex instrument. A typical sentence — whether its spoken or sung, is actually composed of several sonic components, some generated in the lungs and chest cavity, others a result of the resonance of the larynx (which we also refer to as our “voice box”), and even m
2. FabFilter Pro-DS
The transparent sound quality, helpful visual feedback, and versatility of the controls on FabFilter plugins are virtually unmatched, and the Pro-DS is no exception. Despite being an incredibly deep and detailed plugin, loaded with parameters and unique features, I can fix sibilance with the Pro-DS quickly and easily.
The Pro-DS shows you how it’s working via a scrolling waveform that becomes yellow/green when attenuation is required, and a small strip in the lower left corner that indicates exactly where in the frequency spectrum it detects sibilance. It’s details like this that make FabFilter plugins extremely helpful and educational, visually speaking. The different modes, look-ahead and external sidechain options put it a cut above most other de-esser plugins.
Mix Tip
Try it on non-vocal sources. The “all-around” mode and ability to control the stereo linking make the Pro-DS a great option for taming unwanted harshness on cymbals, acoustic guitars with excessive fret noise, and virtually any source that suffers from unpleasant high-frequency content.
Introduction to FabFilter Pro-DS intelligent de-esser
The human voice is a wonderfully complex instrument. A typical sentence — whether its spoken or sung, is actually composed of several sonic components, some generated in the lungs and chest cavity, others a result of the resonance of the larynx (which we also refer to as our “voice box”), and even m
3. FabFilter Pro-Q 3
Not technically a de-esser, but with the addition of the dynamic EQ mode, the Pro-Q 3 makes this flagship equalizer from FabFilter even more versatile. Essentially, when this mode is engaged, the Pro-Q 3 applies attenuation only when the plugin detects amplitude at a specific frequency over a set threshold.
For instance, if you’re hoping to tame sibilance in a vocalist, which let’s say hypothetically is most prominent at roughly 8 kHz, but you don’t want to attenuate at that frequency when the singer isn’t singing sibilant lines, this feature would be perfect, as the attenuation would only occur once the singer vocalizes an ess, ch, etc.
Mix Tip
Try the Pro-Q 3 on a vocal buss, or even the 2-buss. This plugin also features a helpful M/S mode, allowing one to process the sides separate from the center, which makes it great for mix buss processing and even mastering. The spectrum analyzer also detects and displays peaks, giving one valuable visual feedback as to where exactly in the frequency spectrum sibilance is occurring.
4. Weiss Deees
The Weiss DS1-MK3 bundle from Softube, which is a line-by-line code port from the highly sought after hardware unit, is a fantastic set of mastering tools. Weiss Deees features two independent bands, in case your program material suffers from sibilance at multiple frequency ranges. Add to that, helpful metering and pristine sound quality, making it one of the best plugin de-essers currently available.
Mix Tip
Use on an individual track or during mastering. As advertised, these are mastering grade tools, so it’s common to place across an entire program, but the Weiss definitely excels when placed on a lone vocal, high-hat, or similarly harsh audio track.
5. UAD Manley VOXBOX
The VOXBOX, an emulation of a beautiful boutique hardware unit from Manley Labs, is designed to be an all-in-one solution to vocal recording and processing. The preamp section is rich and full, the Pultec-style EQ is great for broad-stroke tonal sculpting, and the compressor can go from smooth and transparent, to grabby and aggressive.
Additionally, the plugin has a fantastically simple de-ess section. One can choose at which frequency the de-esser is applied, and set the threshold. Interestingly, setting the frequency control to “LIMIT 10:1” turns the section from a de-esser into a colorful-sounding limiter.
Mix Tip
With the preamp, EQ, and compression section, it’s certainly the most sonically versatile tool on this list. While obviously designed for work on vocals, the VOXBOX works fantastically on pretty much anything including bass, acoustic guitars, and drums. The de-essing section can actually do wonders on brittle acoustic guitars, or overly-crisp high-hats.
5-Minute UAD Tips: Manley VOXBOX Channel Strip Plug-In
The human voice is a wonderfully complex instrument. A typical sentence — whether its spoken or sung, is actually composed of several sonic components, some generated in the lungs and chest cavity, others a result of the resonance of the larynx (which we also refer to as our “voice box”), and even m
6. Pro Tools Dyn3 De-Esser
Sometimes, this thing just works. The bland, gray user interface and lack of fancy controls don’t really deter me from using the Dyn3 when it sounds right. Of the crop of de-essers that came out before plugins started to get really flexible and impressive, I’d choose the Dyn3 as my go-to.
Mix Tip
Use the “HF ONLY” feature to apply de-essing to frequencies above a certain frequency. I’ve found that the resulting sound (at least on this plugin) is far more natural and transparent.
7. Sonnox Oxford Supresser V3
Available both as a native plugin and from Universal Audio, the Oxford Supresser V3 is one of the most feature-laden and precise de-essers that I have ever come across. The Supresser is a dynamic equalizer, meaning that the user has the ability to set a threshold at which the processor will apply attenuation once it detects signal that passes that threshold. It responds to frequency-based content in a way that is similar to a compressor, but performs the function of an equalizer, so if you need surgical control when removing sibilance from a vocal performance, the Supresser is hard to beat. While the learning curve is a tad steep, and it’s not a 5-second ‘set it and forget it’ tool, the resulting sound is transparent and free of sonic artifacts that plague certain de-essers. If I am absolutely committed to preserving the source material with no coloration whatsoever, I’ll reach for the Supresser.
Mix Tip
One of my favorite features of the Oxford Supresser is the ‘listen’ section, which allows you to hear everything within the range that you’re affecting, everything outside the range you’re affecting, as well as the final ‘mix’ of the two. I find toggling through these and critically listening really great for really dialing in the area at which I’ll be applying reduction with intense precision. The Supresser excels on individual sources, but I’ve also obtained quality results when using it on the vocal buss where all of my vocals are summed through.
Additional Tips
One of the tools that I often use for manual de-essing is using clip gain. In some cases, sibilant sounds (ss, sh, ch, etc.) can cause compressors, saturators, and exciters to behave erratically, and the resulting sound is even more unpleasant than with no processing applied.
Sometimes I’ll go in and use clip gain to manually de-ess, bringing the sibilant parts of phrases down to taste (generally 1-2 dB). Sibilance is pretty easy to spot in waveforms-due to it being higher in frequency, the waveform for a sibilant passage is”fuzzy” in appearance, (see figures beneath). Because clip gain is pre-any-plugin-processing, I am minimizing a problem before it even starts.
Fabfilter Ds Vs Izotope Rx
A word with sibilance at the end. Clip gain is used to bring down the sibilance.
Fabfilter Ds Vs Izotope Rx7
I also regularly use parallel processing, especially on vocals. It’s not uncommon for me to have a “smooth” vocal layer with multiple types of processing, a “hot” layer, a “bright” later, etc. To save DSP, I often “commit” these multiple layers to audio. The buildup of sibilance when using this method can be very apparent. When this issue arises, I’ll group the committed audio tracks, make breaks around each sibilant sound, and bring them down to taste by using the clip gain line.
Fabfilter Ds Vs Izotope Rx Pro
Traditional volume automation, which reduces the track level after any inserts that have been applied is another method I often use to minimize how sibilant lines negatively affect an overall mix. I always perform fader rides when mixing, especially on vocals, so I keep esses in mind, and react accordingly with fader movements when I reach this stage of my mixing process.
To be honest, a mix free of harsh sibilance is a result of a delicate application of several of the aforementioned tools and techniques — careful and deliberate processing with de-essers, subtle use of clip gain and automation, and knowing when you’ve pushed a vocal a bit too far with compression, saturation, etc. are all essential in creating a smooth, intelligible, professional-sounding vocal.
While some may argue that, because of loudness normalization as incorporated by major streaming services, the loudness war has been “won” by those who prefer their music dynamic and natural-sounding, modern productions are still loud and bright compared to musical releases from decades past.
I still serve clients who want their assets delivered in the -8 LUFS range and to be as perceived as louder than the competition. Because of the aggressive compression, high-frequency boosting, and limiting needed to achieve these results, vocals can often become harsh and fatiguing if not treated with extra care, and subsequently, de-essers are arguably more important than they’ve ever been to modern music makers.