Comments

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  Joe Nickell September 12, 2011 at 11:27pm

  It simple terms a compressor+a filtered input to drive the compressor is a de-esser. The de-esser switch puts a filter in the detector (not the signal path) of the compressor. When this special input is brought out to a connector it is called a side chain input. It is is typically used to drive a compressor to act as a ducker or desser. So a compressor with special 'drive' inputs (side chain input) are turned into specialty devices called de-esser or duckers, depending how they are used. 
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  Rod Maupin September 12, 2011 at 11:24pm

  I don't know about it on a hardware DeEsser/Compressor, but on my Waves DeEsser plugin, it has a sidechain output.  That is useful because when you listen to the sidechain only, not the full audio, you can hear the part that the DeEsser is set for.  In your father's case, if he had the DeEsser frequency set correctly for his S sounds, you would only hear those S sounds in the sidechain output.  Nothing else.  It makes it easier to single out your S sounds and also lets you hear what the DeEsser is limiting, or de-essing.

   

  When you set a DeEsser, you listen to the sidechain, and change the frequency until you hear only (or mostly) the S sounds in the sidechain.  That's what I do on mine.

   
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  Alexis Serrano September 12, 2011 at 11:05pm

  Mr. Nickell, 

  Thanks for taking the time to write to us.  Would you mind explaining what this means... "you can drive the side chain input to make it a de-esser."

   

  My dad knows what a de-esser is but not the side chain part.

   

  Thank you
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  Joe Nickell September 12, 2011 at 9:51pm

  Alexis,

  Preamp choices are kind of personal. Some are very clean, some add a nice color. In particular popular units with 'color' are Focusrite Red 7, Avalon 747, and the Universal Audio 6176 let's say. The UA 610 is a good tube pre with no comp. In lower-mid price ranges you might find a Symetrix, Joe Meek, or Aphex. All are good some are better or more special with your mic and voice.

   

  Grace Designs pres are clean and uncolored. It may sound appealing as a concept but not give you 'that' sound.

   

  So the last time I went shopping we were looking at Red7/Avalon/UA 610+comp/ limiter. At that time I did not think the Presonus, or less expensve Focusrites that Guitar Center carries and likes to sell were competition for the Red7/Avalon/UA 610+comp options.

   

  IMO Mackie oversells the Onyx preamp. It is a good preamp for the price. BTW are you passing signal thru the pre only or thru the mixer? The mixer buss degrades the performance compared to the straight pre, but that shouldn't be much of an issue with a singel mic. So buy a FMR audio RNC compressor and hook it up with your Mackie. They are under $200, you can drive the side chain input to make it a de-esser.
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  Alexis Serrano September 12, 2011 at 9:29pm

  My dad said to thank everyone for the suggestions.  We do have a good double thick nylon pop filter, so that part is covered.  Also he has been speaking across the mic rather than into it and that has helped some.  He said he will experiment with your suggestions and let you know.   

  Thanks 

  Alexis 

  (P.S. he was wondering why the Presounus Studio series preamps may not be a good choice) 
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  Howard Ellison September 12, 2011 at 4:15pm

  Yesss... the dreaded esses.  Mine are too strong, and I really do favour the compression method (software or hardware) rather than EQ or frilly nylons.  Why?  Because using an EQ dip at (for example) 4kHz for men, 6 kHz for women, will weaken the harmonic 'wetness' of all other voice components as well.  Good de-essing just drops overall volume briefly during the ess, then goes away.  Studio-grade de-essing is able to reduce momentarily and by a precise amount the volume of just the ess.  Yesss!   Can I afford it?   Nooooo
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  Ken Maxon September 12, 2011 at 1:29pm

  another option that isn't as pretty, but may be functional is: (assuming you have a pop filter, if not, add one) place a thin piece of foam to the pop filter like a wind screen is made from, then use a nylon stocking over the assembly. I prefer black nylons, but the color is inconsequential. The stocking will hold the foam in place as well as hopefully add some more pop removing and s reducing goodness.
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  Joe Nickell September 12, 2011 at 1:16pm

  Alexis,

  The software de-esser is a good option.

  Otherwise you need a compressor that has a de-ess feature. One way to find the ss problem is to play the file and add 6+ db of boost and sweep the frequencies with a parametric EQ, and make it worse. Now that you can determine the problem you can set the de-ess frequency to moderate the ess problem.

   

  This is a very helpful way to apply an EQ by the way. Boost your voice and find what sounds bad, now remove 1 to 5 dB of the bad.
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  Ken Maxon September 12, 2011 at 11:51am

  here's a start point that may help for the software's compressor settings:

  compress 1.5 above -24 db

  flat below -24

  low cut off 4000

  high cut off 12000

  You may have to play with the high and low cut off to tweak it some....
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  Alexis Serrano September 12, 2011 at 11:25am

  We don't have a compressor, the chain is....the mic goes to a Tascam interface and then the Mackie mixer then the computer.