De-essing often feels like navigating a minefield. It's not just about eliminating harsh sibilance, but about refining it in a way that keeps the vocal track lush and inviting. In this week's video, I tackle whether the new Velvet plugin truly resolves those pesky de-essing dilemmas we all face.
Evaluating Velvet's Approach
From the outset, Velvet intrigued me with its promise of learning sibilance dynamically. Does it truly solve all de-essing nightmares? Well, it certainly plays a useful role in streamlining the process. However, my experience has taught me to rely on more than just one tool, and here's why.
Velvet is designed to 'learn' your vocal track's unique sibilance characteristics and apply a dynamic EQ to tune it out smoothly. This can be particularly handy in achieving natural-sounding vocals quickly. It offers both tonal control and a dynamic EQ, which admittedly works excellently to fine-tune those harsh frequencies.
Beyond Automation: The Power of Manual De-Essing
Plugins like Velvet are innovative and save time, but for the discerning audio engineer, manual de-essing remains unsurpassed. Once a track is mixed to a satisfactory degree, I employ a methodical approach—painstakingly adjusting sibilance by hand.
Here's how I de-ess manually:
Step 1: Identify Those Peaks
After a general mix is on point, focus on the vocal track. Listen carefully and identify sections where sibilance stands out starkly, typically visible as denser parts of the waveform.
Step 2: Breaking and Editing
Utilizing Pro Tools, I separate ('Break') the S's and consonants that require attention. By customizing a macro on my keyboard, I press a designated number to reshape the EQ settings for these segments. This lets me lower the peaks and adjust the frequencies without over-processing the entire track.
Step 3: Fine-Tune and Adjust
Handling T's, D's, B's, and other consonants reasonably is paramount. By setting different EQ cuts and volume adjustments for each type, I can tailor the adjustments perfectly.
The Art of Not Relying on Just One Solution
Ultimately, while Velvet offers automated de-essing, it doesn't singularly define the de-essing process for me. Using Velvet means leveraging its capabilities for quick corrections, but for a meticulously refined mix, combining Velvet with manual adjustments is indispensable.
Insightfully Balancing Speed and Quality
Speed in production is desirable, but not at the cost of quality. Listen closely, adjust with intent, and remember: the vocal is essential—it's your mix's centerpiece. Thus, while Velvet might elegantly solve many de-essing issues, it's one part of a broader toolkit.
In my next video, I will delve deeper into comparing Velvet with other tools and craft strategies for plugin utilization in particular scenarios.
Check out the Velvet plugin's features yourself and ponder: How do you tackle your de-essing challenges? Would Velvet streamline your process? Share your thoughts, and keep innovating.