De-essing

I read Dan's blog on de-essing and have to wonder why do it that way? It makes sense but why do it that way?
 
I think the better way is to clone the vocal track your working on, archive it and then just do some simple editing. I find it easier to select the syllabants and do a gain reduction. It may be more time consuming but it's well worth it in the long run. Plus, you can get the CK  and the T sounds as well.
 
I get side chaining but never saw a use for it other than voice overs.
 
Just my $0.02.
 
A good read if you want to go that route.

I do a combination of both. A mild auto de-esser and editing to get rid of the persistent ones.

Guitarpima
I read Dan's blog on de-essing and have to wonder why do it that way? It makes sense but why do it that way?

 
Sometimes you need to make the 5 PM Fed Ex dropoff
 

I get side chaining but never saw a use for it other than voice overs.

 
I use de-essing with guitar prior to going into an amp sim. It's like a more "intelligent" version of rolling down the highs with the tone control to get a creamier tone. However, I tend to use a multiband compressor, with all bands except the high frequencies set for no compression. That way I don't have to set up a sidechain.
 
This doesn't lend itself to manual manipulation because it's not sibilants that you can identify easily, but rather, a reduction of high frequencies if they exceed a certain level.
 
My main use for sidechaining is effects, like cross-synthesis between instruments, as well as pumping drum sounds for dance mixes.
 

deswind
 
Craig's electric guitar idea is very interesting and I wish I knew that a week or so ago.  I just recently had a track where the highs were sort of piercing where I think a de esser could have been the ideal solution.

Here's an article I wrote with more details. I'll be demoing this (and a bunch of other amp sim-related techniques in person during one of my workshops at Sweetwater's GearFest.