Sibilance is a de-esser plugin from Waves that reduces harsh "ess" and "shh" sounds in vocal recordings. It is available in VST2, AU and AAX formats for Windows and macOS.
Sibilance is a de-esser plugin built for vocals, dialogue and voiceover. Waves designed it to break a sound into its component parts before processing, so it can target sibilant sounds without dulling the rest of the signal. Its Organic ReSynthesis technology aims to keep vocal brightness while removing harshness. A zero-latency version is included for live performance use.
Sibilance works by separating the signal into individual components before it applies any gain reduction. Waves says this lets the plugin lower only the unwanted sibilant energy and leave other high-frequency content alone.
The plugin is designed to keep the original tone of the voice, even when de-essing is heavy. Waves states that the vocal's timbre, duration and resonance are preserved during processing.
Sibilance offers a variable frequency range, from a wide setting to a split-band mode, so you can match the de-essing area to the material. A variable detection mode lets you choose between responding to short transients or to longer ess sounds.
An informative graph shows when de-essing occurs and how much gain is applied, which helps you check the result as you adjust settings.
Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.
| Developer | Waves |
|---|---|
| Type | Plugin |
| Category | De Esser |
| Formats | VST2, AU, AAX |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS |
Sibilance is available in VST2, AU and AAX formats.
Sibilance runs on Windows and macOS. Waves lists macOS Monterey 12 through Sequoia 15 and Windows 10 or later as supported systems.
Yes. Sibilance includes a zero-latency version intended for live performance.
