Definition of sibilance please?

pixiedave

hear it being slung about, but can not find a satisfactory definition. Any educators wanna take a stab?

Early B.

Try a dictionary. Mine says, "Of, characterized by, or producing a hissing sound like that of (s) or (sh)...

It's the annoying slithering snake sound heard after certain words that end in s, sh or z are spoken or sung. On some speakers, cables, and other gear, sibilance is more apparent that others. Definitely don't want to hear too much of it on your center channel.

dorokusai

Once you hear sibilance, you will always hear it if it is present. It is very fatiguing and generally makes listening unpleasant. It's like someone that has an annoying lisp or speech impediment of that kind.

It's a very sharp, audible emphasis to words or sounds often beginning with "S" and "T". It is more often when the pronunciation is emphasized ON these letters or sounds, as opposed to being at the end of the word or sound.

If I record this paragraph onto CD-R, you may experience sibilance

VR3

If you want a GOOD idea of sibilance --

Play Chevelle... that CD is loaded down with it man, or may just be me. But I definetely like the CD but cant stand to listen to it.

Mjr7531

Hey guys, don't down Silibance too much, silibance is integral to understanding speech. You want silibance, but not too much, lack of silibance causes the speech to be undefined and muddy. With the correct amount of silibance, speech should be crisp. Generally in sound reinforcement, the first thing a person will do if the sound is unclear is up the silibance, it sounds like a bad idea, but it makes it much easier to understand, well assumung the person is miked correctly.

danger boy

Ssssssssss

that's it

PolkWannabie

Sssssally sssssellsssss sssssea ssssshellsssss at the sssssea ssssshore

gmorris

Originally posted by Mjr7531
Hey guys, don't down Silibance too much, silibance is integral to understanding speech. You want silibance, but not too much, lack of silibance causes the speech to be undefined and muddy. With the correct amount of silibance, speech should be crisp. Generally in sound reinforcement, the first thing a person will do if the sound is unclear is up the silibance, it sounds like a bad idea, but it makes it much easier to understand, well assumung the person is miked correctly.

To further the excellent point being made here, if you are hearing sibilance on your system, don't immediately think you have a "Bright" sounding system, or a problem with the equipment. If the recording is full of sibilance, as Trey mentioned about the Chevelle disc, you SHOULD hear the sibilance. If it is on the recording, you should hear it.

pixiedave

ok thanks for replies guys.

dorokusai

Sorry, sibilance no, shimmer yes.

In reference to audio, sibilance is in relation to having TOO MUCH...not the absense OF sibilance. Are we getting into semantics now?

You have to realize that some recordings just suck.

F1nut

I agree with Doro, you do not want sibilance period. Nasty stuff there. Though the use of careful gear selection there is no reason to hear any of it in your system regardless of how bad the recording.

gidrah

Think of a cymbal with a lisp.

woodyjacobs

I think I caught that once in college. Penicillin took care of it.