Alternative native de-esser

O

oortone

Logician
Hello.

Any advice on an alternative native AU de-esser, instead of the one bundeled in Logic?

Preferably not much more than $100.
 
You can get Waves Renaissance DeEsser on sale for $49 right now (native, iLok). That's probably the best software de-esser I've used.

Also, I cannot recommend the Renaissance Vox compressor enough, if you want to spend all of that $100. :)
 
Sounds interesting. I've never used Waves plugins.
I wonder about the iLok technology.
Is it like the eLicenser Arturia is using where you can either use a dongle (for multiple machines) or software only if you only use one machine.
 
oortone said:
I wonder about the iLok technology.
Is it like the eLicenser Arturia is using where you can either use a dongle (for multiple machines) or software only if you only use one machine.
Click to expand...

The licence to use the software is stored on the ilok (a USB dongle). This means:

It is independent of the system or systems you may wish to use it on.

You can install the plugins on more than one computer (but of course only use them when the ilok is plugged in)

You do not have to request re-authorization should you have to reconfigure your system, replace your system hard drive, move to a new computer.

Of course, you need to take care of the ilok, you don't want to lose it or have it stolen.

Personally, I have made good experiences with the ilok, never had a problem with it - in fact, I currently use three, one ilok 2 for Waves Mercury and SSL, two of the older iloks for various other licences including celemony, sonnox, PSP, Antares. What at present seems to be a problem is that with the exception of celemony, no other ilok protected software is 64 bit.

BTW, I agree with George and Glenn, the Waves Ren De-esser is very good (as are all of the renaissance Plugins), although as a rule I really try to avoid having to use de-essers, I never found any of them to be completely artefact free.

kind regards

Mark

kind regards

Mark
 
Waves used to offer software-only challenge and response codes a few years ago, but now an iLok is indeed required. So you'd have to budget another $30+ for that (check Amazon.com). Not a bad investment to have one on hand.
 
Markdvc said:
Personally, I have made good experiences with the ilok, never had a problem with it - in fact, I currently use three, one ilok 2 for Waves Mercury and SSL, two of the older iloks for various other licences
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Hmm...
This sounds exactly like the situation I'm trying to avoid . having a lot of usb-dongles. Since I'm on a lap top and need my usb:s to other things I really want to avoid having to use hubs. I used to have some dongles (Korg and Logic) and it was a relief when they weren't needed anymore. Don't want to go there again.

I'm amazed you need three different iLoks. Why can't you use the same iLok-dongle for all of them? I thought that was one of the main arguments for iLok. The possibility to gather all licenses in one place.
 
oortone said:
This sounds exactly like the situation I'm trying to avoid . having a lot of usb-dongles. Since I'm on a lap top and need my usb:s to other things I really want to avoid having to use hubs. I used to have some dongles (Korg and Logic) and it was a relief when they weren't needed anymore. Don't want to go there again.
Click to expand...

I understand, this is one of those discussions which crops up repeatedly where opinions differ. In addition to the external express card HD and FW Audio inteface which are for me inevitable when running a notebook for audio use, a hub is not any real issue. In fairness, I have been using dongles since the 1980's, so have gotten to regard them as a "not-too-inconvenient inconvenience". I avoid system authorized software if possible, in part due to the reasons I mentioned, but particularly as I work on more than one system.

While it would be wonderful if other companies would follow Apple's decision to relax the protection of Logic since version 8, I absolutely understand and accept that this is not feasible. For me, the dongle is the more convenient and user friendly option. Then again, some companies such as Celemony, PSP and Overloud offer system authorisation as well as ilok, so with them you have the benefit of choice.

I'm amazed you need three different iLoks. Why can't you use the same iLok-dongle for all of them?
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I could transfer more onto the mercury/ssl ilok, but prefer to keep the waves stuff seperate on its own. That is incidentally Waves' recommendation as well.

I thought that was one of the main arguments for iLok. The possibility to gather all licenses in one place.
Click to expand...

Yes, you can. The old ilok holds around 115 licences (which means that it is not big enough for Waves Mercury/SSL), with the new one, I think it is around 500, so it is possible.

kind regards

Mark
 
For what it's worth, I have my handful of Waves auths and some others on my original iLok, and it's well under half full. I remember Waves making the same recommendation to keep their auths separate but I've never had any issues (I don't remember seeing that warning with the v8 install-is it still in effect?).

Basically, don't let the iLok prevent you from getting the best software at a killer price.

Aside-I saw something recently about an enclosed/locking USB hub for multiple dongles. "LokBox", I think?
 
Glenn Gutierrez said:
I remember Waves making the same recommendation to keep their auths separate but I've never had any issues (I don't remember seeing that warning with the v8 install-is it still in effect?).
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I believe so, Glenn. In my case, it came quite recently from Waves' support. I did have both Waves and other plugins mixed on one ilok for many years, never had a problem with that. As Mercury and SSL meant getting the new ilok 2 anyway, it was easy enough to keep them seperated.

kind regards

Mark
 
Any other de-essers out there?

About iLok. If I understand you guys correctly it is always possible to gather all licenses on one dongle?
 
Ah yes logics deesser easily the worst plugin in all of logic and a complete joke!

Save your money. You can make an excellent deesser using logics compressor.

Simply set a hpf in the sidechain to somewhere in range of 4.5 - 8khz then set a platinum circuit type to about 8:1 fast attack and release achieving 6-10th gain reduction. Easily as good as rencomp.
 
That would create a broadband deesser (the whole frequency spectrum of the track would be attenuated). A true deesser only attenuated the range of the sibilance. Not that it's bad, just different.
 
pkm said:
That would create a broadband deesser (the whole frequency spectrum of the track would be attenuated). A true deesser only attenuated the range of the sibilance. Not that it's bad, just different.
Click to expand...

Yes. You're correct technically. But in practise every deesser either hardware or software (and I've used a lot of them) without exception performs better as a deesser using the HPF in the side chain approach than using the narrow parametric or notch filter approach.

If you'd like to explore for yourself the Logic compressor's side chain eq band is switchable between HPF, LPF and full parametric band.

The Logic compressor - properly set to deess - is easily as good as anything else I've used which includes Waves Deesser & Renaissance Deesser (good), Logic Deesser (total crap), UAD Precision Deesser (the one I mostly use cause I can) Spitfish (free plugin and surprisingly good) and in hardware (never as good as software I feel) I've tried SPL Deesser, Aphex deesser, A deessing setting on my Avalon VT737 (comprssor too slow)...

YMMV
 
It's still not a true deesser is my point. No matter what triggers the compressor (whichever filter you use doesn't matter), the compressor will attenuate the entire signal, and not just the frequencies triggering it.
 
Well, I think I have explained it twice (once in each of my two posts) already but I can try again. I must not be explaining it well and I apologize.

When a deesser hears sibilance, it will attenuate just the frequencies of the sibilance. The low end is untouched.

When a sidechained compressor hears sibilance, it will attenuate all frequencies, not just the frequencies occupied by sibilance.

In effect, a deesser is a multiband compressor and a sidechained compressor is broadband.

I hope this was more clear.
 
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