De-essing. DBX 902 Vs. SPL De-esser

[Jeff Braun]

I know that the 902's are the old favorites but how do they compare to SPL's De-esser?

With how each unit handles the task of De-essing differently, which one do you guys prefer more?

Thanks,

Jeff Braun

[mu6gr8]

Hard to say... DBX 902 does its thing across a broad range of input material; some folks are okay with the sound but many others are not. SPL 9629 is a lot more picky about what it sees, but when it does work, it works well. I generally prefer the SPL for vocals.

[Empire Prod]

The SPL detects sibilance and then imposes a 180 degree out of phase signal to essentially eliminate the sibilance altogether, where as the 902 is more of a traditional compressing type de-esser. I find the SPL to be hit and miss. When it works it really works. The 902 is a reliable standby.