De-ess before you add air.

A vocal that needs to sound more open gets a high-shelf boost. A vocal that already has sharp S sounds gets worse.

Why the order matters

A shelf lifts everything above its corner, and sibilance lives up there (roughly 4 to 9 kHz, depending on the singer). Boost first and every S rises with the air, so the de-esser has a louder problem to fight. De-ess first and the shelf has a clean range to lift.

Do it in this order

• Find the harshest S and T sounds and loop them.
• Set the de-esser so those sounds come down, not the whole phrase. A few dB is usually enough.
• Add the high shelf last, a little at a time, until the vocal feels open again.

Check the loud ones

Listen to the loudest S and T sounds, not the average line, and compare at matched loudness: a brighter vocal always wins the first few seconds. A starting point, not our measurement.

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