Sibilance help?

Subject: Sibilance help?
From: Trapper
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 10:41 AM

I was in a friend's studio last week, and we were trying to reduce some of the sibilance that was being recorded from S's and SH's. He said he had read one way to reduce that "hot" sound was for the singer NOT to sing them, but he didn't really know how to do that.

Any help from any 'Catters who have recorded and worked with sibilance problems?

Thanks!

- Al

Subject: RE: Sibilance help?
From: Rowana (at work)
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 11:10 AM

Tips I learned doing voice-overs: Try moving your mouth slightly away from the mike. Try not to aspirate on the "S". Experiment with placement of tongue and the position of teeth. It's hard for me to explain but here's an example of how to overcome the popping sound when pronouncing the letter "P". Your lips are together as if you're going to say "P" but a very soft "B" is voiced instead. The listener hears a "P" rather than B because s/he expects to hear a "P". Similarly with "S". How you hold your tongue and teeth will alter the hissiness (?) of the "S". It takes practice.

Subject: RE: Sibilance help?
From: pavane
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 11:34 AM

Sibilance is most pronounced with people who have a 'Low S'. There are two ways to produce the S sound. The one with the tongue against the bottom teeth is the problem one.

Subject: RE: Sibilance help?
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 12:02 PM

Try not to clamp your teeth together, but let the lower jaw relax so that the lower teeth are slightly behind the upper set. This deflects the air stream without "fuzzing" the s sound

Try not to breathe out too hard or (worse) inhale slightly while singing the s

stand back from the microphone or use a shield

Avoid songs with the word "spit" in the lyrics :)

Subject: RE: Sibilance help?
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 12:27 PM

When singing in a group have only one person sing the "S".

Three people singing "Roses" sounds like a bag of snakes.

Don

Subject: RE: Sibilance help?
From: Don Firth
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 08:24 PM

Eight years experience as a radio announcer/newscaster (produced and voiced a batch of commercials in that time -- mea culpa): You do need to tone it down a bit, but the best way to avoid hissing your S's and popping your P's is to speak (or sing) just a bit off-mike. It depends a lot on the mike itself. You have to experiment.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Sibilance help?
From: Trapper
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 10:45 AM

Thanks all for the advice! I will pass this on and let you know of our results.

Thanks again!

- Al

Subject: RE: Sibilance help?
From: Lucius
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 10:53 AM

Its been years since I have had to deal with this, but I remember some sucess in cutting the high EQ on recording, and boosting it on the mix-down. A screen over the mike may help a bit too.

Subject: RE: Sibilance help?
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 10:54 AM

It also helps to pay attention to where you put the emphasis in a word. Singing the S softer and with less emphasis than the rest of the word/syllables usually helps.

Subject: RE: Sibilance help?
From: mooman
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 03:08 PM

Sybilance can be a real problem when recording or performing. As Don Firth said above, Fawlty positioning in relation to the microphone can be a problem and moving slightly away or a little to one side helps a lot. I would agree also with Lucius that a Manuel adjustment of the high EQ can reduce the problem significantly.

Of course, the problem is a Basilianfold worse when dealing with a Pollyphonic singing group as Don Meixner mentioned.

Best of luck with your experiments.

mooman

Subject: RE: Sibilance help?
From: Bernard
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 03:44 PM

It's usually more of a problem with condenser mics; dynamic mics tend to sound 'warmer', too.

Always be careful not to do too much with EQ when recording, as you can't put back what isn't there.

Pop shields can help to reduce sibilance, but, as suggested above, training the speaker/singer to control it is the best approach.

Denture wearers can be a big problem!!