Sometimes it is not necessarily a technical issue but to do with the person in front of the microphone.  I have had the sweetest smooth sounding mic and preamp and yet with certain individuals the sssssing can be unbearable.
 
The Waves De-esser is pretty good too.  Just listen to the side chain sound for a moment, dial in where it is concentrated and then let it do its thing. 

I am beginning to think it’s the mic. I haven’t developed any speech impediment. I haven’t changed my vocal technique in years. I have a fully treated recording space. I have recently had other intermittent issues with a medium frequency buzzing sound when I engage input echo. This problem has coincided with the excess ess-ing. I’ve tried a new mic cable. The frequency is too high to be an earth hum. I’m using a Rode NT3 which is 18 years old! Boy, have I had my money’s worth. Unfortunately I don’t have access to another mic to test things.

I’m all for sorting this out at the source, rather than messing with software after the event. Thinking of buying a Rode NT1.

Bill's issue sounds technical. Just as a matter of interest the NT1 is not the smoothest of their range in terms of highs. It can be quite toppy at times. It is a fine microphone but I tend to use it in front of more dull sources to balance things out.

^

Bash von Gitfiddle
I'm surprised this thread hasn't been moved to "hardware" or "techniques" now that it has been turned in to a "techniques" with "hardware" discussion. :-b

it's a dying forum, no-one can be arsed with that sort of thing any more

Marshall
Thinking of buying a Rode NT1.

Don't do it. It's a nice mic and all, and a good value for the price. But definitely not a solution for sibilance problems!
 
You might consider a nice ribbon instead. Or an SM-58, which is only a hundred bucks and even if it doesn't help your vocals it'll still be useful for other applications.
 
Bash makes a good point, in that sibilance comes in many forms, and that's what makes detecting and mitigating it via software such a challenge. 

Bash von Gitfiddle
I'm surprised this thread hasn't been moved to "hardware" or "techniques" now that it has been turned in to a "techniques" with "hardware" discussion. :-b
 
In my experience, the number one cause of essing is:
 

 
 
 
 

Good info BvG.
 
 
And thanks for the Public Service Kami!! : )

bitflipper

Marshall
Thinking of buying a Rode NT1.

Don't do it. It's a nice mic and all, and a good value for the price. But definitely not a solution for sibilance problems!
 
You might consider a nice ribbon instead. Or an SM-58, which is only a hundred bucks and even if it doesn't help your vocals it'll still be useful for other applications.
 
Bash makes a good point, in that sibilance comes in many forms, and that's what makes detecting and mitigating it via software such a challenge. 

Until a few weeks ago I didn’t have any sibilance problems! I’m tempted to go for a new NT3 - the mic I’ve known and loved for nearly two decades. Trouble is, I can’t be 100% certain it’s the mic that’s at fault. Plus, I’d like a new toy...hence thinking of the NT1.

In the last album I was also fighting with sibilances in vocal tracks. I tried dozens of settings with 6 different deesser plugins (BT DeEsser DS2S, TB_DeEsser, SleepyTime Lisp, TB_Sibalance, VX-64 Vocal Strip, Tonmann DeEsser). In the end I was not really satisfied, but ran with Lisp (the best IMO). Beforehand I tried to reduce the esses with Melodyne.
 
I have identified 3 problems:
1.) When I had a perfect deesser setting for one case, it was rather bad for another in the same track. To change the settings for each case (automation) was too labor intensive, I thought.
2.) After a while Working on one track  I could not hear anymore if the reduction was too much or not enough.
3.) Reducing the ess-sounds beforehand (Melodyne) did not include problems caused by later compression or other modulation.
 
Thus I am still waiting for the "wonder" DeEsser plugin  (I have already considered some).
 
Marc