Narrow or widen the sidechain band with Q¶
The Q knob controls how wide or narrow the sidechain bandpass filter is around the sibilance centre frequency. A higher Q focuses attenuation on a tighter slice of the spectrum; a lower Q affects a broader band. Adjust Q after locating the sibilance peak with Freq so the de-esser targets exactly the right content without dulling nearby consonants.
Before you start¶
- The Aetherial De-Esser (DESS) stage must be enabled and visible. It appears as a sub-container inside the Aetherial Audio (TXDSP) parent container.
- If the applet is not visible, open the Aetherial Audio Channel Strip, which hosts the de-esser controls directly. The separate "Aetherial De-Esser — TX" floating editor no longer exists.
- To bypass the de-esser, single-click the DESS stage in the CHAIN widget. When bypassed, the entire applet tile dims to approximately 55 % opacity as a visual indicator.
- Set the centre frequency with Freq before fine-tuning Q. See Sweep Freq to locate peak sibilance.
Steps¶
- Open the Aetherial De-Esser applet inside the Aetherial Audio Channel Strip.
- Locate the Q knob in the four-knob tuning row.
- Rotate Q clockwise to increase the value and narrow the sidechain band, or counter-clockwise to decrease the value and widen it.
- Watch the sidechain response curve — the bandpass peak broadens or sharpens as Q changes.
- While transmitting or speaking a sibilant phrase, observe the gain-reduction bar to confirm the de-esser is still triggering at the adjusted bandwidth. See Watch live GR while reading a sibilant phrase.
What each control does¶
| Control | Default | Valid range | Persisted key | Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q | 2.00 | 0.5 to 5.0 | ClientDeEssTxQ |
Linear mapping. Higher values narrow the sidechain bandpass; lower values widen it. |
| Sidechain response curve | — | — | — | Displays the bandpass filter shape. Updates live as Q changes. The ball marks the current centre frequency. |
| Gain-reduction bar | — | 0 to 24 dB GR | — | Shows current attenuation applied to the sibilance band, refreshed approximately 30 times per second. |
Bypass dimming¶
When the DESS stage is bypassed via a single-click in the CHAIN widget, the entire applet tile renders at reduced opacity (approximately 55 %). This matches the dim behaviour used on the EQ curve and gives a clear at-a-glance indication that the stage is inactive. Click the DESS stage again in the CHAIN widget to re-enable it and restore full opacity.
Tips¶
- Start at the default of 2.00 and increase Q only if attenuation is spilling onto vowels or other consonants adjacent to the sibilance band.
- Very high Q values (above 4.0) can make the de-esser miss slightly off-centre sibilants. If GR stops triggering reliably, lower Q slightly or re-sweep Freq.
- The response curve gives immediate visual feedback — use it to judge whether the bell is too broad or too sharp before committing to a setting.