MusicRadar Verdict
A quality de-esser that does everything that it should.
Pros
- +
Simple uncluttered user interface. Successfully de-essess a wide range of material. Auto Level Tracking helps hide unwanted side-effects of de-essing.
Cons
- -
Quite expensive.
MusicRadar's got your back
Sibilant vocals are annoying. You could have a vocalist who sounds great in real life, but the studio mic throws up a whole heap of problems. Each time a word is sung that has an 's' in it, there's a volume leap and a sound like a hissing snake, while 't' 'f' and even 'ch' sounds can cause problems, too.
A de-esser works by analysing the incoming vocal signal and attenuating the frequency range that's causing the problem whenever it exceeds a user-specified threshold.
SuprEsser requires an iLok for authorisation, and once the painless installation is finished, the first impression is one of a solid, no-nonsense audio tool.
The main window gives you quick and easy access to the most important parameters - the frequency range you need to de-ess, by how much, and at what threshold the plug-in starts doing its work.
There's a fair supply of presets included with the package, but to get the best out of any de-esser you have to set it up manually.
The most interesting feature here is Auto Level Tracking, which eliminates the need to adjust the de-essing threshold as the track progresses. Auto Level monitors the overall level of the track.
Summary
SuprEsser is exactly what its name implies - a professional level tool that, with some careful setting up, can de-ess anything you throw at it.
Sonnox has turned out a solid, stable solution that feels professional and sounds great. At £162, it's not particularly cheap, but if you need a quality de-essing solution, you'll consider this a price worth paying.
“Its provides the mix ‘glue’ that makes everything sound cohesive and finished”: Here's how to compress your mix bus for sonic punch
“I remember thinking: ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I could ask Sting to sing that line?’ Suddenly someone said: ‘Sting’s here on holiday! He’s on the beach!’” How Mark Knopfler got lucky with Money For Nothing
“I got to jam with Stevie Wonder. Just me and him, one afternoon. We each had a keyboard and we were just trading riffs and jamming together and it was like, ‘Wow’”: Howard Jones talks vintage gear, his new piano album and that 1985 Grammys synth medley