A specialized tool for transparent de-essing and high-end control.

The Precision De-Esser plug-in for UAD-2 hardware and Apollo interfaces lets you easily remove unwanted sibilance and high-end problems from individual audio tracks or even mixes. With smart, easy-to-use controls, Precision De-Esser has enough sophisticated, yet transparent filter processing to fix vocals, drum overheads, or hi-hats.

Precision De-Esser

Precision De-Esser Controls

Control knobs for the Precision De-Esser behave the same way as all UAD plug-ins. Threshold, Frequency, and Width values can be modified with text entry.

Threshold

Threshold controls the amount of de-essing by defining the signal level at which the processor is activated. Rotate Threshold counter-clockwise for more de-essing.

Signals peaks as determined by Frequency and Width that exceed the Threshold level are compressed by a ratio of 7:1.

The available range is -40 dB to 0 dB.

Speed

Speed determines the response of the sibilance detector. Fast mode will usually make sibilance reduction more obvious. In Slow mode the effect is usually more subtle but can produce a more natural-sounding result. The actual times of the two modes are as follows:

• Fast: Attack = 0.5ms, Release = 30ms.
• Slow: Attack = 2.0ms, Release = 120ms.

Click the Speed button to change the mode. Alternately, you can click+hold the LED area and drag like a slider to change the value.

Frequency

This control defines the center frequency of the de-esser when in bandpass mode, or the cutoff frequency of the de-esser when in highpass mode. For bandpass use, the value is set to the center of the undesirable frequency range that is to be reduced. For highpass use, the value is set below the frequency range that is to be reduced. Used in conjunction with the Width control, a broad range of de-essing is possible.

The available range is 2 kHz – 16 kHz.

Solo

The Solo button isolates the de-essing sidechain (the signal defined by the Frequency and Width controls). Solo makes it easier to hear the problem frequencies to be attenuated.

Click the button to active Solo mode. The button is red when Solo is active.

Note: When Solo is active, changes to the Threshold and Split controls cannot be heard.

Width

Width controls the bandwidth of the de-essing sidechain when in bandpass mode. Bandpass mode is active when the control is in any position except fully clockwise.

Smaller values have a narrower bandwidth, causing a tighter, more focused de-essing effect. Higher values have wider bandwidth, for de-essing when undesirable frequency ranges are broader.

When Width is rotated fully clockwise, High Pass mode is activated. In High Pass mode, Frequency defines the cutoff frequency of the high pass filter (instead of the center frequency of the bandpass filter). High Pass mode is useful when you want to attenuate all frequencies above the cutoff frequency.

The available range is 0.15 (about 1/6 octave) to 1.61 (about 1 2/3 octaves), plus High Pass mode.

Note: UAD DSP usage is slightly decreased when Precision De-Esser is in High Pass mode versus bandpass mode (unless UAD-2 DSP LoadLock is enabled).

Split

Split determines if attenuation (compression) is applied to the sidechain signal only, or to the entire audio signal.

In normal use Split should be enabled, causing only the "ess" spectrum as defined by Frequency and Width (i.e., the sidechain), to be attenuated. This provides the most precise de-essing control.

Split can be disabled, which causes the entire input signal to be attenuated (instead of just the "ess" sidechain) which results in more traditional compression. However, the sidechain still controls attenuation when Split is off.

Click the Split button to change the mode. Alternately, you can click+hold the LED area and drag like a slider to change the value.

Note: UAD DSP usage is slightly decreased when Split is disabled (unless UAD-2 DSP LoadLock is enabled).

Gain Reduction

The Gain Reduction meter provides a visual indication of how much attenuation (compression) is occurring. Signal peaks are held for 3 seconds before resetting.

When Split is on, the amount of sidechain attenuation is displayed. When Split is off, it displays the attenuation of the entire signal.

Power

The Power switch determines whether the plug-in is active. This is useful for comparing the processed settings to the original signal or bypassing the plug-in to reduce the UAD DSP load (load is not reduced if UAD-2 DSP LoadLock is enabled).

Toggle the switch to change the Power state; the UA logo is illuminated in blue when the plug-in is active.

Note: You can click-hold the power switch then drag it like a slider to quickly compare the enabled/disabled state.

Operating Tips

• For taming sibilance for a full mix/mastering, best results will usually be obtained by enabling Highpass and Split modes.
• Generally, female "ess" and "shh" sounds vary more in frequency than those of males. Due to this situation, you may find that using the sidechain filter in Highpass mode (or Bandpass mode with a large width) may be more responsive.
• Over de-essing can degrade the natural sound of a vocal.