Watch live GR while reading a sibilant phrase¶
The gain-reduction (GR) bar in the Aetherial De-Esser updates in real time while you transmit or speak. Use this procedure to watch the meter respond as you read a sibilant phrase, so you can confirm the de-esser is catching your "S" and "T" sounds before going on air.
Before you start¶
- The Aetherial De-Esser must be enabled via the CHAIN widget. The applet is hidden until the De-Ess stage is active.
- Your microphone must be routed through the TX audio chain and producing signal — either by keying the radio or by using a monitor/test mode so audio flows through the DSP.
- Open the "Aetherial De-Esser" sub-container inside the Aetherial Audio (TXDSP) parent container. Bypass and editing are both handled through the Aetherial Audio Channel Strip — there is no separate floating editor for the de-esser in v0.9.7.
Steps¶
- Ensure the De-Ess stage is enabled in the CHAIN widget. The applet will be visible once the stage is active. When the stage is bypassed, the entire tile dims to approximately 55% opacity.
- Locate the Gain-reduction bar — the horizontal strip directly below the sidechain response curve.
- Key your radio or activate your audio path so microphone audio flows through the TX DSP.
- Speak a phrase containing heavy sibilance — for example, "She sells seashells by the seashore" — at your normal microphone level and distance.
- Watch the Gain-reduction bar fill from right to left in soft red on each "S" or "T" sound. No fill means the de-esser is not triggering; a fill that reaches the full width means up to 24 dB of reduction is being applied.
- Note where the bar typically peaks. The tick mark on the bar indicates the −6 dB point, which is the default Amount value and a common target for transparent de-essing.
- If the bar never moves, lower Thresh toward −60.0 dB until it begins to respond. If the bar is pegged to the right on every syllable, raise Thresh toward 0.0 dB.
- Repeat the phrase until the bar responds only on genuine sibilant peaks, not on ordinary speech.
What each control does¶
| Control | Default | Valid range | Persisted key | Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidechain response curve | — | — | — | Draws the bandpass filter response. A live ball marks the current centre frequency. |
| Gain-reduction bar | — | 0 to 24 dB GR | — | Horizontal soft-red strip, right-filled. Refreshed at approximately 30 Hz. A tick marks the −6 dB point. |
| Freq | 6000 Hz | 1000 to 12000 Hz | ClientDeEssTxFrequencyHz |
Centre frequency of the sibilance band. Uses logarithmic mapping. |
| Q | 2.00 | 0.5 to 5.0 | ClientDeEssTxQ |
Bandwidth of the sibilance band. Higher Q = narrower. |
| Thresh | −30.0 dB | −60.0 to 0.0 dB | ClientDeEssTxThresholdDb |
Level above which the de-esser begins attenuating the band. |
| Amount | −6.0 dB | −24.0 to 0.0 dB | ClientDeEssTxAmountDb |
Maximum attenuation applied at peak sibilance. |
Tips¶
- The meter runs at approximately 30 Hz, so short, sharp transients may appear as brief flashes. This is normal.
- Keep the Amount knob at its default of −6.0 dB while watching the meter for the first time. Dial it down only after you have confirmed the meter is triggering on the right sounds.
- If the ball on the sidechain response curve sits far from where your sibilance peaks, use Freq to move it. The meter will only show GR when energy in the current Freq band crosses Thresh.
- When the De-Ess stage is bypassed in the CHAIN widget, the entire applet tile dims visibly. If the tile appears faded, confirm the stage is not bypassed before interpreting the meter.
Troubleshooting¶
- Gain-reduction bar never moves — The de-esser is not triggering. Check that the De-Ess stage is enabled in the CHAIN widget, that audio is flowing through the TX DSP, and that Thresh is not set too high (too close to 0.0 dB) for your microphone level.
- Gain-reduction bar is pegged to the right on every syllable, including non-sibilant speech — Thresh is set too low. Raise it toward 0.0 dB until ordinary vowels no longer trigger the meter.
- Bar moves but you hear no effect on air — Amount may be set too close to 0.0 dB. Lower it toward −24.0 dB for more audible reduction, or confirm the stage is not bypassed in the CHAIN widget.
- Applet tile appears dimmed — The De-Ess stage is bypassed. Single-click the DESS stage in the CHAIN widget to re-enable it. The tile will return to full opacity when the stage is active.