tips to deal with sibilance at the source?

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guitfnky
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24 May 2020

I've got a sibilant voice, and trying to clean it up once it's been recorded s driving me insane. I tend to create a mixture of the more focused 'normal' sibilance, and also a more wide-band sort of 'white noise' sibilance--at least with the mic I'm using right now (Oktava MK-319). it's an incredible mic that suits my voice really well, otherwise, and I don't want to have to swap it out if I can find a technique or solution to deal with the problem at the source.

I've tried recording further from the mic (about a foot and a half, lately), angling the mic towards my lipflaps instead of singing straight into it. it helps, but not enough.

does anyone have experience using a foam windscreen instead of a pop filter? might that help with sibilance? I can't seem to find much good information online.

HALP?
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QVprod
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24 May 2020

You can try positioning you mic off axis (to the side and tilted back instead of directly in front of you. This is something commonly done on talkshows and podcasts.

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guitfnky
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24 May 2020

QVprod wrote:
24 May 2020
You can try positioning you mic off axis (to the side and tilted back instead of directly in front of you. This is something commonly done on talkshows and podcasts.
that’s what I meant by angling the capsule, but I realize the way I said it wasn’t as clear as it could be. I angle the capsule towards my mouth, but it’s off to one side, and pointing slightly down.
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Benedict
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24 May 2020

Can we hearsss your problemssss pleasssseee?

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apoc123
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25 May 2020

Why not use a de-esser? Every voice has sibliance and it can sound subtly pleasant if you dial in the right frequency for it to compress! My voice has alot of highs to it also, the pre amp has a significant amount more to do with the highs sounding pleasant than the mic by the way!(Unless you have a tube mic) To put it direct, highs sound smoother more silky and just better using a tube pre amp than using a less expensive digital preamp. Sorry I know you said at the source but I find this work best for me!

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motuscott
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25 May 2020

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motuscott
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25 May 2020

Big fan of yours, Guitfnky

Though you'd never know it, would ya?
Who’s using the royal plural now baby? 🧂

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diminished
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25 May 2020

A de-esser can sound easily overdone, but too little is exactly that, too little.
For my mic/voice combo, I tend to gently lower 4.8kHz and 8.5kHz by ~3dB (SSL EQ in E Mode, HF Bell), then apply some moderate de-esser. YMMV and IMHO you have to tackle this problem in small increments :)
By the way, I use a pop filter AND a foam windscreen. The latter is for plosives, the former to fight both high frequencies and plosives in close proximity.
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guitfnky
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25 May 2020

diminished wrote:
25 May 2020
A de-esser can sound easily overdone, but too little is exactly that, too little.
For my mic/voice combo, I tend to gently lower 4.8kHz and 8.5kHz by ~3dB (SSL EQ in E Mode, HF Bell), then apply some moderate de-esser. YMMV and IMHO you have to tackle this problem in small increments :)
By the way, I use a pop filter AND a foam windscreen. The latter is for plosives, the former to fight both high frequencies and plosives in close proximity.
yep, you’ve nailed it—that’s exactly my conundrum. I’ve got several de-essers, and they work pretty well when the sibilance is only slightly offensive. when it’s more apparent though, it gets super difficult to dial in, because as you say, it gets overdone way too easily (and you get that fun lisp effect), or not enough, and you still have too much sibilance. m

that divide and conquer approach has given okay results with one of the problem songs I’ve been working on—having different devices/techniques all doing a bit of the work. a proper de-esser here, a dynamic EQ there, and using the volume settings in the pitch editor to tame things a bit. I think I’ve got this song to a point where I’m happy enough with it, but an annoying amount of trial and error was involved.

and thanks!—that’s awesome to hear that the windscreen helps. just ordered one. it’s only a few bucks, so it can’t hurt to try. I listened to a bunch of my older music last night and realized I’ve never had this issue until I started using this particular mic, so swapping that out is definitely an option. hopefully I won’t need to.
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guitfnky
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25 May 2020

motuscott wrote:
25 May 2020
Big fan of yours, Guitfnky

Though you'd never know it, would ya?
aww shucks. you’re just saying that on account of my mad respect for good drummers. 😆
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DaveyG
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25 May 2020

guitfnky wrote:
24 May 2020
I've got a sibilant voice, and trying to clean it up once it's been recorded s driving me insane.
You'll just have to fire the singer and get a better one ;p

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guitfnky
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25 May 2020

DaveyG wrote:
25 May 2020
guitfnky wrote:
24 May 2020
I've got a sibilant voice, and trying to clean it up once it's been recorded s driving me insane.
You'll just have to fire the singer and get a better one ;p
😂😂😂

I suppose I could also just let the producer slip into madness, and it won’t matter anymore. 😆
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DaveyG
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25 May 2020

guitfnky wrote:
25 May 2020
DaveyG wrote:
25 May 2020


You'll just have to fire the singer and get a better one ;p
😂😂😂

I suppose I could also just let the producer slip into madness, and it won’t matter anymore. 😆

Nah fire the producer too. And as for that musician guy... :o

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guitfnky
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25 May 2020

DaveyG wrote:
25 May 2020
guitfnky wrote:
25 May 2020


😂😂😂

I suppose I could also just let the producer slip into madness, and it won’t matter anymore. 😆

Nah fire the producer too. And as for that musician guy... :o
oh man, it’s a good thing all these people who are the same person already have a day job! to get laid off three times in one day during a pandemic—well that would be a real blow. 😆
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DaveyG
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25 May 2020

guitfnky wrote:
25 May 2020
DaveyG wrote:
25 May 2020



Nah fire the producer too. And as for that musician guy... :o
oh man, it’s a good thing all these people who are the same person already have a day job! to get laid off three times in one day during a pandemic—well that would be a real blow. 😆
I know. Tough times, man. :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Boombastix
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25 May 2020

Put a thin layer of a foam sheet on your pop filter, it dampens high frequencies. This is what manufacturers do in head phones to balance the high end. Even a thin napkin can work to dampen more. Maybe face mask material, I guess you may have masks around your house in this day and age...
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