Mouth Clicks... And How to Eliminate Them Forever

There is nothing more frustrating for a sound engineer—or a listener—than hearing "smacks" and "clicks" scattered throughout a recording. These tiny sounds can ruin a perfect take and make you sound amateurish.

Why do they happen?

Mouth noises occur mainly due to Dehydration. When the body lacks water, saliva becomes thick and sticky. As your tongue moves against your palate or lips part, it creates that dreaded clicking sound.

Natural Remedies (Prevention)

1. The Green Apple Trick 🍏

This is the oldest trick in the book. Tart green apples (like Granny Smith) contain Pectin and Malic Acid. Eating a slice clears the mouth of sticky saliva instantly. It's a temporary but effective fix right before the mic goes live.

2. Strategic Hydration 💧

Gulping water right before recording doesn't hydrate your vocal cords immediately. You need to be well-hydrated at least 2 hours prior. Room temperature water is best.

3. Diet Control ☕🧀

Avoid dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese) and caffeine before sessions. Dairy creates a coating of mucus, and caffeine dehydrates you—both are recipes for mouth noise disaster.

Technical Remedies (The Fix)

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, clicks happen. This is where Audio Engineering comes in.

• iZotope RX: The "Mouth De-click" module is magic. It detects the specific frequency of lip smacks and removes them without dulling the voice.
• Spectral Repair: For stubborn, loud clicks, you may need to open the Spectral View in your DAW (like Adobe Audition) and visually "paint out" the click.
• Manual Editing: If you don't have plugins, you can zoom in closely on the waveform and lower the volume (Gain Reduction) on the tiny spike where the click occurs.

Remember: Removing clicks in post-production takes hours. Preventing them with an apple and water takes minutes. Choose wisely!