If you have taken the time to read my other articles and perhaps even browse my website, it will not take you long to realize that I'm an advocate of educating todays up and coming music studio owners. With so many recording software manufacturers releasing $100 - $1,000 recording studio bundles in a box, it is very important for the end user to learn how to record music propely to keep from getting frustated with poorly recorded and mixed music.

Audio recording is a very opinionated industry. Although with every article submission, every page upload, and blog blogged I try to stray away from the debatable topics but it's impossible to discuss anything that has do due with how to mix music without stirring up some discussions.

In this posting I will be going over how to rid your mix of problematic vocal sybillance that is often an artifact of poor recording equipment, too much audio compression, or just a natural sound created by the singer. The dynamic processor that is normally used for this called a de esser. A de esser is a frequency selective compressor that removes the unwanted frequency content that is causing the troublesome sybillance. However many times free audio recording software downloads and sometimes the best recording software that you can buy won't have a de esser in the software plugin package.

If you are luck enough to have a de esser in your recording studio then it becomse very easy to get rid of sybillance. However I'd like to state that before you go inserting software plugins to your recording, why not just simply try to get rid of the problem as the source. One great way of reducing sybillance at the source is with the vocal microphone that you are recording with. Most home recording studio vocal microphones will be similar to that of professional recording studios in the fact that both will be using a condenser mic. Condenser microphones are very sensitive to even the most quiet of sounds. The natural sybillance that is created with the letters "s" and "t" can be over emphasied when a condenser microphone is picking it up. It becomes even more prominent when you add an audio compressor to the mix.

Knowing some of the basics of how to record music as well as how to mix music properly using little recording tips and tricks is essential for the newbie. One trick you can use to reduce sybillance at the source is to use a fabric pop filter. High end frequencies are easily disrupted and a cloth pop filter can be an easy fix. If one pope filter doesn't work, try putting a second. If that doesn't fix the proplem then it's time to use the de esser. As previously stated you may not have a dedicated de esser in your recording software. There are several sites around the web were you can download free recording software and you might be able to find a de esser somewhere on those sites.

However if you are unsuccessful in locating a free de esser, why not just create one! Every recording software package has a parametric equalizer as well as an audio compressor. Using these two dynamic processors together you can create a make shift de esser that will work great in reducing your sybillance problem.

First you need to identify what frequency is causing the problem. To do this you need to insert a parametric eq on the channel of the vocal that has the problem. Now you'll need to increase the volume of the hi mid band of the eq. Now tighten the bandwidth or narrow the bell curve so that you are only increasing the volume of a very small range of frequencies. Now move the hi mid band gain knob to the left and to the right across the frequency spectrum. Eventually you are going to cross over the frequency of the sybillance. You'll know when you find it because you've increased the volume of your eq and when you cross over that frequency the sybillance is going to get really, really loud.

Now you need to route the output of your equalizer to the side chain input of your compressor. Set your compression ratio as high as it will go, hopefully 20:1 or higher. Now loop a section of the song within your D.A.W. where the sybillance is very troublesome. Slowly reduce the threshold setting of the compressor and as the D.A.W. loops the section of the song with the bad sybillance you'll begin to notice the frequency to be reduced in volume.

What's happening here is that you've increased a frequency with your eq to make it very obvious to your compressor about which frequency to compress. Since you've set your compressor ratio at a limiting ratio, the compressor is essentially removing the unwanted frequency content and therefore acting as a frequency selective compressor, the same as a de esser.

Understanding the ins and the outs of your recording studio will help you know how to record music more effectively. Once you've been able to reord music more effectively you'll be able to mix music more effectively. It's very important to make the quality of your music as good as it can be during the recording process. Then when your mixing music it will be go much, much smoother!

Salue!