Solve Harshness Tips

General

• the Most Harshness Occurs between 1000Hz and 5000Hz

• can be Better Detected by FFT Analyser than Resonances

• also Easier to Dress than Resonances as its Often Simply the Result of Noisy Sounds at Wrong Levels 

– as Always, EQuing is Best Done by Listening to the Whole Track (and Not in Solo Mode, if then Just Occasionally)

Workflow

1) Its Important to Hear Everything on its Own, Specifically in Similar Groups of Sounds

– i.e. Mute Tracks One by One to Find Out Which Ones are Causing an issue

2) Try by Simply Lowering Volume of Specific Track or Group

3) Try Pan to the Opposite

4) Add Subtle Reverb, i.e. Maximal 10% Wet

5) Chorus FX can Work Wonders 

6) Check the Transient, i.e. Cut the Transient on the Problematic Sound, but Only on the Specific Frequency Range

• you can also Try a Compressor with a Very Fast Attack

7) Higher Pitches Sound can Benefit from De-Essing