ProAudio Review - October 2008 - (Page 43) SuprEsser in three versions: the standard Oxford SuprEsser, with a delay of 1,044-3,092 samples, SuprEsser HR—designed for work at the higher sample rates—with delays between 4,116 and 12,308 samples, and SuprEsser LL, the low latency version, with delays between 276 and 3,072 samples. This one is not recommended for processing below 400Hz, but can be used easily while tracking. I also processed a recording I had made of a local flutist, whose sound, although beautiful, also contained a bit too much air. Despite having recorded her using the most flattering of vintage tube microphones, I was still not satisfied. Enter SuprEsser’s “Reduce Embouchure Blow” preset and violà! There was much less breath noise and, amazingly, it didn’t touch the high end on the piano. Just watching the gain reduction meter was a revelation. It dipped to -12dB in the “worst” places when the flute was playing but stayed right at 0dB for each piano interlude —and the results sounded almost identical to the original, only minus the breathiness. For my final test, I ripped the famous 1956 Spike Jones hit, “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth” from CD, which features an erstwhile “kid” singing as if he were missing his two front teeth, making quite loud whistles each time he tries to pronounce an “s,” as in “Sister Suzy” or “For Goodness Sake.” I’ve concluded that the master must have been edited, because many of the whistles precede the S sounds too much, and they’re also almost at full level. Nonetheless, I decided to see if SuprEsser could eliminate the whistles in “For Goodness Sake,” which is near the very end of the tune. I ended up using two instantiations of SuprEsser ’s Whistle preset, adjusted slightly differently (since each has a maximum of 27dB gain reduction). The whistle frequency was 4.9kHz, and I used widths of .4 oct. and .3 oct., with a sharp slope of 72dB/8ve. I lowered each threshold to 40dB. This double treatment just about eliminated the whistling, with quite minimal side effects, but left some breathiness. So I added a third instantiation, employing the aforementioned “Reduce Embouchure Blow” preset, and that lessened the breath considerably. I admit that this exercise was an extreme PRODUCTPOINTS Works transparently, produces excellent results, easy to use. Relatively high latency in high-resolution mode. SCORE It’s simply the best de-esser plug-ins presently available — but it’s a lot more, too. one — and Spike Jones’ hit was all about the whistles — but it definitely shows the power that lies underneath SuprEsser’s hood. If it can de-whistle “Two Front Teeth,” it can do just about anything! SUMMARY Oxford SuprEsser is the new standard for de-essers and redefines the frequency-specific compressor category. I highly recommend it! Dr. Fred Bashur has received credits on hundreds of recordings during the past 30 years. He is also a regular contributor to Pro Audio Review. www.proaudioreview.com October 2008 | ProAudio Review | 43 http://passlabs.com http://passlabs.com http://www.proaudioreview.com
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