Harsh S Sounds in FL Studio? How to De-Ess Your Vocals

Your vocal sounds good, but every S and T stabs your ears. It shows up right away on earbuds or a phone. Those harsh hissing sounds are called sibilance, and taming them is called de-essing. Logic Pro has a dedicated plugin for it, but how do you do it in FL Studio? In this article you'll learn which stock plugins to use, how to set them up, and when it's quicker to fix it by hand.

Does FL Studio have a de-esser?

FL Studio doesn't have a separate plugin called "De-esser". You de-ess with a multiband compressor. Image-Line, the company behind FL Studio, points to two options:

• Fruity Multiband Compressor: a three-band compressor (low, mid and high).
• Maximus: also three bands, plus a master band. According to Image-Line's manual, Maximus works as a de-esser as well as a compressor and limiter. Maximus is included in FL Studio Producer Edition and up.

Why a multiband compressor and not just an EQ? An EQ cuts the highs across the whole vocal, even when there's no S. That quickly makes your voice dull. A compressor on just the high range only kicks in when an S goes over your threshold. The rest of your vocal stays clear.

Where do the S sounds live?

Image-Line says sibilant energy sits roughly between 4,000 and 12,000 Hz. That's a wide range, and it's a little different for every voice. A dark male voice often hisses lower than a bright, high voice. That's why listening matters more than copying a fixed number.

A handy trick: put an EQ on your vocal for a moment, make a narrow, big boost and sweep it slowly through the high range. Where the S suddenly gets loud and ugly, that's your problem area. Remember that frequency and remove the EQ boost.

De-essing with Fruity Multiband Compressor: step by step

1. Put the plugin on your vocal mixer track. Usually after your compressor. Compression brings up quieter parts, and that includes the S sounds. De-essing afterwards catches them.
2. Pick your band. Image-Line describes two approaches: the mid band for a targeted cut around one area, or the high band if you want to tame everything above a certain frequency. For most rap vocals, the mid band set around the frequency you just found is the most precise place to start.
3. Set the crossovers. The filter knobs decide where each band starts and ends. Make sure the band you're using covers the sibilant range of your voice, and not much more.
4. Listen to that band only. Each band has a switch with Active, Muted and Bypass. Set the other two bands to Muted for a moment so you only hear the sibilant range. Hearing mostly S, T and Z? You're in the right spot.
5. Set the other bands to Bypass. That way low and mid pass through untouched and you only compress the S band.
6. Set threshold and ratio. Start with a firm ratio and lower the threshold until the compressor only reacts to the S sounds. A fast attack and a short release fit here, because an S only lasts a moment.
7. Check it in the beat. Don't just listen solo. Bring in the beat and switch the plugin on and off. The S should sting less, but your lyrics have to stay easy to understand.

De-essing with Maximus

If you have Producer Edition or higher, you can do the same in Maximus. The idea is the same: use the crossovers to decide which band holds the sibilant range, and only let that band compress. Leave the other bands and the master band alone as much as possible, or you'll end up processing the whole vocal instead of just the S sounds. Also check the Maximus preset menu for a de-essing setting you can use as a starting point, then tune it to your voice.

Maximus shows you clearly what's happening, but it's also a deep plugin. If you're a beginner, Fruity Multiband Compressor is often easier to follow.

How much de-essing is enough?

Too much de-essing is just as distracting as too little. You'll hear it right away: the S turns into an F, or it sounds like the rapper has a lisp. A few checks:

• You can still clearly hear the S, it just doesn't sting anymore.
• Words with lots of S sounds stay clear.
• The vocal doesn't sound duller than without the de-esser. If it does, your band is too wide or the compressor is working too often.
• Check on earbuds and a phone. That's where harshness shows up first.

Sometimes doing it by hand is faster

Is the problem only in a few words, like one harsh S in your hook? Then you don't need to compress the whole vocal. Cut the S out as its own clip in the playlist and turn just that piece down a little, or use volume automation. That often sounds more natural than a plugin that's working all the time.

Prevent harsh S sounds while recording

A de-esser fixes things, but a better recording saves work. This helps:

• Sing or rap slightly past the mic. Turn the mic a little so the air from your S doesn't blow straight into it.
• Know what a pop filter does. A pop filter mostly helps with popping P and B sounds. It doesn't do much against sibilance.
• Watch your high end in the EQ. A big boost up top makes your S sounds sharper. If you boost for clarity, de-ess a bit harder or boost a bit less.

Where does the de-esser go in your vocal chain?

A common order in FL Studio is: clean up, pitch correction with Pitcher, EQ, compression, de-essing, then reverb and delay on separate send tracks. Want the whole chain on one page? Grab the free vocal chain cheat sheet for FL Studio and Logic Pro. It shows what to listen for at every step. For more on the order, read FL Studio vocal chain: the right plugin order for rap vocals.

Rather not build it all yourself?

A vocal preset gives you a complete chain that you then tune to your own voice. The Frenna-inspired vocal preset for FL Studio is made for FL Studio Signature and only uses stock plugins. It's a type preset inspired by the mix style of the Dutch artist Frenna, not an official artist product. Even with a preset, it's smart to check your S sounds, because every voice and mic hisses differently. You'll find more options in the vocal presets for FL Studio and Logic Pro.

FAQ

What's the best stock de-esser in FL Studio?

There's no separate de-esser. Use Fruity Multiband Compressor or Maximus (Producer Edition and up) and only compress the band with the S sounds.

Does the de-esser go before or after the compressor?

Usually after the compressor, because compression tends to bring sibilance forward. If your S sounds are already extreme before compression, you can put one before it too, or use both.

Can't I just cut the highs with an EQ?

You can, but then your whole vocal gets duller, even where there's no S. A multiband compressor only steps in when it's needed.

My S now sounds like an F. What now?

You're de-essing too hard. Raise the threshold, lower the ratio or make the band narrower, and listen again in the beat.