The Oxford SuprEsser does what it says, it suppresses harsh sibilance in vocal recording.
It has the combination of an intuitive FFT display and three listen to modes that enable you to easily see and hear exactly where the disturbing frequencies are located in the frequency spectrum, which in turn allows rapid reduction or removal of the offending frequency.
Since the SuprEsser can operate at all frequencies, ‘plosives’ and other annoyances can also be removed effortlessly, making it more than a simple De-Esser.
An issue with doing a static de-essing is that you are applying it to the whole audio, although, this can be mitigated by automation, but again, it is time-consuming and since you would be working on lots of vocal mixed, you are better off with a plugin that does the heavy lifting for you.
For example, the Oxford SuprEsser includes Automatic Level Tracking, Linear Phase Filtering, and a Wet/Dry blend control for final balancing. Also, you can take out unwanted frequency peaks as and when they occur - unlike applying a fixed EQ to the whole channel.
On top of all that, there is detailed visual feedback which allows quick identification of the frequencies that need treatment and where to set the threshold.
The threshold level and peak hold levels of the user-definable band are shown on the graph, alongside the FFT display of the narrowband signal, which includes retention of the peak level and the frequency containing the most energy.
Let's Get to Know how Some of It Features Works in Detail...
Signal Processing Flow
The way Oxford SuprEsser works is using two opposing filters, one is a narrow bandpass filter, and the second pair is a complementary narrow band-reject filter, this results in one signal path containing the isolated band of interest, and the other signal containing the original signal with the band of interest removed, when mixed back together you get the original signal.
I know this is difficult to grasp, but understanding how the signal flows let you get a good idea of how things are done, if you are interested in the science of how the signal flows, you can pick up the manual, if you just want to get the job done, pick up a suitable preset, and move on.
Auto Level Tracking
This is ON by default, and it is useful and works well with non-steady audio material, so, the way it works is that it automatically adjusts the threshold level to follow the general signal level of the wide-band input.
I really love this feature as it can help you tame harsh transient peaks, e.g in Vocals, or peaky drum percussion.
Key Features:
- 64-bit compliant (AAX / AU / VST)
- Highly featured professional De-Esser
- Linear Phase Dynamic EQ
- Transparently controls aggressive frequencies
- Automatic Level Tracking follows energy levels (no need to automate threshold)
- A large intuitive graphic display makes finding frequencies very easy
- Full Spectrum Operation (20Hz -20KHz)
- Three different 'Listen' modes
- Very easy to use
- Advanced Mode for ultimate control of the Dynamic EQ
- Many creative as well as corrective uses
- Presets giving good starting points
Plug-in Formats
- Native: AAX, RTAS, Audio Units, and VST
System Requirements
Pro Tools
- Pro Tools 7, 8, 9 & 10, 11
- Approved Pro Tools CPU, OS, and hardware configuration
- Mac OSX 10.4 or later 1
- - Pro-Codec and Codec Toolbox compatible with Intel Mac only
- Windows XP / Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8
- RAM 1GB minimum
- iLok USB device with latest drivers OR active internet connection required
- iLok2 / iLok3 OR active internet connection required for AAX plug-ins
Audio Units
- Audio Units compatible application (Logic, Digital Performer, etc)
- Mac OSX 10.4 or later 1
- - Pro-Codec and Codec Toolbox compatible with Intel Mac only
- RAM 1GB minimum
- iLok USB device with latest drivers OR active internet connection required
- iLok2 / iLok3 OR active internet connection required for 64-bit plug-ins
VST
- VST-compatible applications (Cubase, Nuendo, Wavelab, Sequoia, etc)
- Mac OSX 10.4 or later 1
- Pro-Codec and Codec Toolbox compatible with Intel Mac only
- Windows XP / Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8
- RAM 1GB minimum
- iLok USB device with latest drivers OR active internet connection required
- iLok2 / iLok3 OR active internet connection required for 64-bit plug-ins
Please Note: This product now supports iLok Cloud Authorisation. Either an iLok USB Dongle OR an active internet connection is required in order to activate and use this product.