Best hardware de-esser?

[Space Station]

Which is the best hardware de-esser you can buy?

thanks!

[Barish]

902 if you can get hold of one. Old but still relevant.

B.

[Penny]

Any compressor with a side-chain input can become a great De-Esser. Just use an eq to shelf out the low end and crank what ever the sibilance freq is.

The best stand alone de-esser I've ever used/heard is the Weiss DS1. There is a reason you see this in mastering guys studios all the time.

In the realistic price range category I have used and been really happy with the Empirical Labs DerrEsser. Great box does what you want out of a de-esser and doesn't break the bank at all.

[jonathan jetter]

Originally Posted by Penny

Any compressor with a side-chain input can become a great De-Esser. Just use an eq to shelf out the low end and crank what ever the sibilance freq is.

except this won't provide band-specific gain reduction. just band-specific triggering of wideband reduction. which sometimes is just the ticket but for me i'd say 70% of the time i want to just compress the highs.

p.s. - gorgeous room you have there. would love to come see it in person sometime if that's cool.

[yotonic]

I love my 902s.

[T. Morgan]

I've been pleased with the SPL.

[work2do]

Empirical Labs DerrEsser

[Grin-go-go]

Do it with the automation and spend your money on something more fancy

[dcjekyll]

902 !!!!!

[Continental]

api 525 de-esser is nice....but you must find the sweet spot....
he works realy smooth, not so the most plugins ...sound more like a bitcrusher when you push to hard :(

[alexstringer]

No love for the Maselec MDS-2?

[sscannon]

I use a couple dbx 263x half rack units with great results. Cheap.

[TonyBelmont]

2 x DBX 902's is the best de-essr around... Using one is fine, but a pair of them in series is by far better and more versatile.

The Sonnox SuperEsser plugin is pretty cool, too.

[Gax]

902

[Penny]

Originally Posted by jonathan jetter

except this won't provide band-specific gain reduction. just band-specific triggering of wideband reduction. which sometimes is just the ticket but for me i'd say 70% of the time i want to just compress the highs.

You are 100% correct. I just was trying to give a workaround that a lot of people seem to forget about.

If you want to come check out the studio just PM me a good time for you to come out to williamsburg. I'm here almost everyday.

[kpbenoit]

Definitely impressed with the Empirical Labs Derr-esser. ITB, i've had good results with Sonnox SuprEsser and the Dynamic Spectrum Mapper.

[cowrange]

I've used the 902 and it's good, but I have a derr-esser that I prefer. Seems to be a bit more versatile for me.

[Space Station]

Well at the moment I can't find a 902 racked up for sale or hire..but I have three options available now, all of which I tried tonight...

1. Built in de-esser in ISA430.

Good(uses phase cancellation) but Q not wide enough...

2. Eventide de-esser in H8000

Too many menus, drove me nuts, didn't get an instant enough result..sounded like it could of been ok with patience and manual reading. Something about latency in the manual...bye bye..

3. Back to the ISA430..used in split mode this time..

IE used a send off of vox channel on the console into the EQ section of the ISA..cut all the bottom/mid boosted the offending frequencies..sent the EQ'd vox into the sidechain of the ISA compressor..ISA comp patched into the un-EQ'd vox...

Worked really well...very smooth..lots of control and options..

I have other compressors here but they are all being used on the mix right now..the ISA was spare.

So I think I may have a winner..for now..

[tubeaudiofan]

Originally Posted by Space Station

Well at the moment I can't find a 902 racked up for sale or hire..but I have three options available now, all of which I tried tonight...

1. Built in de-esser in ISA430.

Good(uses phase cancellation) but Q not wide enough...

2. Eventide de-esser in H8000

Too many menus, drove me nuts, didn't get an instant enough result..sounded like it could of been ok with patience and manual reading. Something about latency in the manual...bye bye..

3. Back to the ISA430..used in split mode this time..

IE used a send off of vox channel on the console into the EQ section of the ISA..cut all the bottom/mid boosted the offending frequencies..sent the EQ'd vox into the sidechain of the ISA compressor..ISA comp patched into the un-EQ'd vox...

Worked really well...very smooth..lots of control and options..

I have other compressors here but they are all being used on the mix right now..the ISA was spare.

So I think I may have a winner..for now..

Always had love for UREI [well JBL UREI] LA-22's very fast very versatile, sound great on drums as well....

[hereticskeptic]

Originally Posted by jonathan jetter

p.s. - gorgeous room you have there. would love to come see it in person sometime if that's cool.

Your comment made me go check out the link to his studio. Wowsers. You were spot on. That studio is beautiful.

[Aisle 6]

The Orban 516 EC 3 channels de esser is great and has a great texture.

[Fletcher]

The best de-esser I've ever used is part of the dynamics section of the Pendulum Audio "Quartet" [the original "Quartet" - the "blue face" one] -- the second best one I've ever used is the Derr-esser... which is a measure more versatile [yet every bit as good in its core role] as the DBX-902 [which can be a bitch to find... AND requires a DBX frame -- which is more than a little impractical as the 903 compressor, and 905 parametric EQ aren't that good... the 904 noise gate is useable... but pretty far from Drawmer 201 kind of quality].

I hope this is of some assistance.

Peace

[Boschen]

Originally Posted by hereticskeptic

Your comment made me go check out the link to his studio. Wowsers. You were spot on. That studio is beautiful.

I did too. Wow!
I love the architectural elements, tone, and style of the A room.
Bravo!

And this... from Spacestation....
<quote>
IE used a send off of vox channel on the console into the EQ section of the ISA..cut all the bottom/mid boosted the offending frequencies..sent the EQ'd vox into the sidechain of the ISA compressor..ISA comp patched into the un-EQ'd vox...
Worked really well...very smooth..lots of control and options..
</quote>

Dude, you are out there! Definitely going to steal this.

[Granny Gremlin]

Originally Posted by Penny

Any compressor with a side-chain input can become a great De-Esser. Just use an eq to shelf out the low end and crank what ever the sibilance freq is.

+1. More flexible than any dedicated hardware unit which at most offer only a few sibilance ranges, or often only one.

That said, I really like the Orban Sibilance Controlers - no freq selection but they have a nice wide sidechain filter so it works well on any voice I've put through it. Also great on overly jangly/harsh guitars and in pairs (they also have 2 and 3 channel units) for taming unruly cymbals..... and talk about not breaking the bank (<200 shipped easy). Sometimes there's something to be said for being able to patch it in in a hurry without having to muck about with hooking up an EQ to a comp sidechain and tuning the freq in right. Not the best, but I don't feel the need to spend more because it does what I need it to well. Sometimes, if you really give'r, it can also be a nice tracking comp on the right vocal/guitar.

[skybluerental]

Urei LA 22 is my favorite.

its also a great compressor for drums, bass, vocals, whatever........

VERY versatile and also adds a little bit of that lovely old Urei tone to the source.

[PopularDemand]

The De-esser in the Lil Freq is excellent. Not sure if it's the same as the Deresser but it looks similar.

[Space Station]

Originally Posted by Boschen

I did too. Wow!
I love the architectural elements, tone, and style of the A room.
Bravo!

And this... from Spacestation....
<quote>
IE used a send off of vox channel on the console into the EQ section of the ISA..cut all the bottom/mid boosted the offending frequencies..sent the EQ'd vox into the sidechain of the ISA compressor..ISA comp patched into the un-EQ'd vox...
Worked really well...very smooth..lots of control and options..
</quote>

Dude, you are out there! Definitely going to steal this.

The cool thing with the ISA430 is you can do this in tandem with its own de-esser for even more control..

[Bassmankr]

Just an option for those looking at the DBX 902 module, they will work in the Aphex 9000 series frame as long as you also use the Aphex PS9001 power supply which has the additional +24v power feed that DBX modules need to run. As the Aphex modules are still a great bang for the buck buy (#9651 Expressor, #9301 Compellor, #9611 or #9621 Gate, and #9251 Excitor) and still come up for sale fairly often, it may be the smarter way to integrate DBX 902 modules to your setups. Aphex modules will work in the DBX frames but because the DBX frame power supply is weaker, it will limit how many modules you can use in the frame (the power requirements for each of the Aphex modules is on their website for you to do the math).

[sleepyhollos]

Originally Posted by hereticskeptic

Your comment made me go check out the link to his studio. Wowsers. You were spot on. That studio is beautiful.

Me too. That place looks space age and futuristic... That is of course assuming that wood is a big feature of both the space age and future :o)

Gorgeous. I'd happily live there. Imagine the response from a pretty girl when you first take her to your living (control) room and offer her a chair and drink.

[otobianki74]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

2 x DBX 902's is the best de-essr around... Using one is fine, but a pair of them in series is by far better and more versatile.

The Sonnox SuperEsser plugin is pretty cool, too.

I like de-essers in series sometimes as well, a nip off two freqs... I know you said HW, but massey's de-esser is great in SW land.

urz