# Audio Sibilance Map Map harsh S, T, and SH regions so de-essing can target the right moments instead of dulling the whole voice. > Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-sibilance-map - **Category:** Media - **Keywords:** audio, sibilance, de-esser-pro, de-esser, s sound, sh sound, voice cleanup, podcast ## Overview Analyzes short windows for high-frequency speech energy, zero-crossing density, and peak level. It returns timecoded regions, labels likely S/T/SH character, and de-esser guidance for podcasts, narration, vocals, and dialogue cleanup. ## Inputs - **Audio File** (file): Select an audio file - **Sensitivity** (range) - **Minimum Region Duration (ms)** (number) - **Focus Band** (select) ## When to use - When preparing a podcast or voiceover track for editing and you want to locate harsh sibilant sounds without listening to hours of raw audio. - When configuring a dynamic EQ or de-esser plugin and you need precise frequency bands and timecodes to target. - When cleaning up dialogue recordings with inconsistent microphone placement that caused sudden, piercing S and SH sounds. ## How it works - Upload your audio file to the tool. - Adjust the sensitivity threshold, minimum region duration, and select the target focus band (such as Speech, Bright, or Lower). - The tool analyzes short windows of the audio for high-frequency speech energy, zero-crossing density, and peak levels. - It outputs a JSON map containing timecoded regions, identified sibilant characters (S, T, or SH), and recommended de-esser settings. ## Use cases - Automating vocal cleanup workflows by feeding the generated JSON timecodes into DAW automation scripts. - Fine-tuning de-esser plugins by identifying whether the harshness lies in the lower 3-8 kHz band or the higher 5-11 kHz band. - Quality-checking audiobook narration files to ensure sibilance levels meet distributor specifications. ## Frequently asked questions ### What audio file formats are supported? The tool supports standard audio files up to 100MB. ### How does the sensitivity setting affect the output? Higher sensitivity detects softer sibilant sounds, while lower sensitivity only flags the loudest, most piercing peaks. ### What are the focus band options? You can choose Speech Sibilance (4-10 kHz), Bright S/SH (5-11 kHz), or Lower T/CH (3-8 kHz) to match the speaker's vocal range. ### Can I use the output directly in my DAW? Yes, the output is a JSON map of timecodes and frequencies that you can use to automate de-essers or volume envelopes in your DAW. ### What is the minimum region duration setting? It defines the shortest duration in milliseconds a sibilant sound must last to be flagged, preventing ultra-short transients from cluttering your map. ## Related tools - [Audio Plosive Reducer](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-plosive-reducer): Reduce P/B plosive thumps in close-mic speech while preserving voice body. - [Audio Remote Guest Rescue](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-remote-guest-rescue): Reduce room echo, broadband noise, boxiness, and dullness in remote guest recordings. - [Assistive Listening Enhancer](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-assistive-listening-enhancer): Clarify listening audio with low-frequency cleanup, speech-presence EQ, conservative denoising, and level protection. - [Audio Vocoder](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-vocoder): Apply a vocoder effect using a carrier and modulator - [Classroom Recording Cleaner](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-classroom-recording-cleaner): Clean lecture recordings with speech-focused EQ, hum reduction, peak control, and optional long-silence trimming. - [Audio Voice Cleanup Assistant](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-voice-cleanup-assistant): Analyze voice issues and suggest a processing chain, with a before/after preview of the cleaned audio. - [Audio DC Offset Fixer](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/audio-dc-offset-fixer): Detect and remove DC offset from audio - [FFmpeg Audio Noise Reduction](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/ffmpeg-audio-noise-reduction): Professional audio noise reduction using FFmpeg advanced filters (highpass, afftdn, loudnorm) for optimal audio cleaning ## Samples - [Copyright-Free FLAC Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/flac-samples): Lossless FLAC audio samples for testing and development, mirrored from MP3 set with nature sounds and meditation music - [Copyright-Free MP3 Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/mp3-samples): Collection of royalty-free audio samples for testing and development purposes including nature sounds, meditation music, and ambient audio - [Copyright-Free WAV Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/wav-samples): Uncompressed PCM WAV audio samples for testing and development, mirrored from MP3 set with nature sounds and meditation music - [Speech Learning & Safety Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/audio-learning-safety-samples): Deterministic synthetic WAV inputs for pronunciation comparison, dictation preflight, alert degradation, and voice privacy tools.