My experience with sibilance is as a live sound technician and in a home recording studio environment.
This article will explain a tool used by sound engineers to control sibilance, a deeser.
https://ledgernote.com/columns/mixing-mastering/de-esser/
I run audio systems in churches where there is a large number of older folks with reduced ability to hear high frequencies. So I feel pressure to provide a generous amount of high frequencies associated with sibilance but without creating an unpleasant sound.
When I am working with a powerful digital audio mixer that has plenty of parametric EQ and deeser or compressor with frequency side chain (explained above) there is little difficulty controlling sibilance.
Sometimes I’ve noticed that sibilance can be controlled by reducing the attack time of the compressor.
For a home situation EQ would reduce sibilance but also hacks the high frequencies (4-8khz) for the entire mix. That is why a deeser is preferable.
If you notice the problem mostly when the volume is loud or when you are boosting the volume of a preamp, maybe the sibilance is causing unpleasant high frequency distortion somewhere in your signal chain. Be sure to check your signal chain for a volume knob that is too high followed by one that is too low.
In the case above maybe a tube preamp or tube compressor will create less offensive distortion in the highs while providing some gentle compression. The compressor will likely have an insert so you can use an EQ to turn it into a pseudo-deeser.
Your solution will likely be greatly influenced by your budget. There are plenty of options, including some not included above.
This article will explain a tool used by sound engineers to control sibilance, a deeser.
https://ledgernote.com/columns/mixing-mastering/de-esser/
I run audio systems in churches where there is a large number of older folks with reduced ability to hear high frequencies. So I feel pressure to provide a generous amount of high frequencies associated with sibilance but without creating an unpleasant sound.
When I am working with a powerful digital audio mixer that has plenty of parametric EQ and deeser or compressor with frequency side chain (explained above) there is little difficulty controlling sibilance.
Sometimes I’ve noticed that sibilance can be controlled by reducing the attack time of the compressor.
For a home situation EQ would reduce sibilance but also hacks the high frequencies (4-8khz) for the entire mix. That is why a deeser is preferable.
If you notice the problem mostly when the volume is loud or when you are boosting the volume of a preamp, maybe the sibilance is causing unpleasant high frequency distortion somewhere in your signal chain. Be sure to check your signal chain for a volume knob that is too high followed by one that is too low.
In the case above maybe a tube preamp or tube compressor will create less offensive distortion in the highs while providing some gentle compression. The compressor will likely have an insert so you can use an EQ to turn it into a pseudo-deeser.
Your solution will likely be greatly influenced by your budget. There are plenty of options, including some not included above.