LOL! Where there's a will, there's a way. I know these videos take more than 2 seconds to produce, especially when they're obviously so well organized and as objective as possible, given that what we each perceive as "pleasing" sound is a subjective matter. So kind of you to put in such great effort. Just kindness in return. I speak for everyone here: your efforts are cream of the crop!
Wow! Thanks so much, Big MT! The Super Thanks, and your compliments, mean the world to me! Well, now I GOTTA post a new video soon...hahaha! Thanks again!
@@palebluedotstudios Hmm. I had left a longer comment here regarding looking forward to your next video and suggesting, according to your available time and growth strategy, starting a Patreon page and Discord server for continuous community dialog, but it seems RUclips decided it had had ENOUGH! of my incessant palebluedotstudios appreciation. 😂EDIT! OH! I see you do have a Patreon page.
@@BigMTBrain Hello! Yes, thanks so much for signing up! I need to update that actually, it's been slow around there. I've been thinking about a Discord server, for sure. It's really hard to properly follow conversations here (and that's why I miss your messages-they get collapsed in the the replies if.I don't see them right away!).
You take these reviews to a whole new level! Deep dives and comparisons, revealing all so educated choices can be made. We all appreciate that so much. Thank you!
OMG, thank you so much! That means everything. I'm just glad there are good, intelligent people watching my videos. Makes me happy! Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers!
@@palebluedotstudios You're quite welcome! * * * It appears you didn't see my other comment about your PB affiliate link incorrectly pointing to Loopmasters. Please correct it so I can fulfill the deep yearning to own this plugin your superb demo/review/comparison instilled in me. Please!... Hurry! HURRY! I can't take all of this yearning much longer! I want! I WANT!!!! 😂
@@palebluedotstudios Ahh, but it appears PB hasn't added Curves Equator to their catalog just yet. If you have one, can you please post your Waves affiliate link in the video description as well?
@@BigMTBrain Oh man, you're so kind! I'm actually approved for Waves affiliate, and I'm talking to their guy next week. So go ahead an grab it now, get it while it's cheap! Thanks so much Brian, you're very kind.
Man, I absolutely LOVE that you test these plugs on distorted guitar! Seems like NOBODY else ever tests rock guitar when demoing plugins. Thank you! Edit: also, have you heard of Hornet's Harmoniq? It seems pretty similar to these spectral plugins but operates slightly differently.
Wow, thanks! Yeah, for me, guitar is one of the first problems I consider when it comes to these suppression plugins! Glad you enjoyed it. As for HarmoniQ, that’s designed to suppress enharmonic content, or aliasing, that occurs mostly during saturation at lower sampling rates. It’s very subtle, and I need to do a test on it. But Sleek is actually his spectral correction plugin. Check out my review! ruclips.net/video/PC3S0VLVqlY/видео.htmlsi=-DI3kxYKttfunazm
Amazing! I'm so happy I could help! Stay tuned, I'm putting out a video very soon about how I used Waves Curves Equator to help remaster my old, crappy CD!
@@palebluedotstudios fwiw, I demoed this the day it came out. Took me about 5 minutes to figure out I had to buy it. I also really like DSEQ by TB Pro Audio-underrated company. Baby Audio Smooth operator is also good. Nice to have a few to choose from, but Waves really knocked it out of the park. And at an unbeatable price.
@@gregwixted Agreed. Even if you don't think it's the best, it's a no-brainer at this price. I love DSEQ too (check my review here: ruclips.net/video/73yXr0Tn-sY/видео.html), and that new TBTech SpecComp is looking like a real competitor too. Cheers!
20:50 great comparison - interestingly the rolloff in the Kick side chain in soithe seems to follow the kick (frequency going down) whereas it is static in equator./ Still the "Rider" feature is killers, so far I was using Attack / release on track spacer and the same on waves F6 to duck out bass with the Kick. a "rider release" and "ride shape" would be really nice addition to really be able to craft proper pumping without using a gate / compressor..
22:40 I had to LOL. I find soothe really really hard to use. love track spacer though. It's nothing to do with fancy looks or the amount of money spent on a plugin, it's the result and the workflow that counts. And hopefully it doesn't hog as much CPU as soothe 2.
Trackspacer kicks ass. It's dead-simple and is often all you need to clear up conflicts. And that's a good point about the "rider" feature; you have good eyes and ears! I would think that Equator and SpecComp would dynamically follow plosive frequncies, but I may be misunderstanding you. Cheers!
@@palebluedotstudios sure - tbh I saw the following more than I heard it - but then I heard the 808 pitch going down. I just find soothe hard to set in a way that satisfies my ears, but the ducking following the pitch envelope of the 808 would suggest it to be more transparent than TrackSpacer - if set properly. And that's a big if. Personally I have (too many) parameter paralysis with soothe and its a bit of a resource hog. TS just shrinks it down to just the necessary parameters LowPass, HiPass, Attack, Release, Mid, Side and a big old knob for the "Mix". Love it.
Thanks so much! I'll have to add some more videos as I get more experienced with it. I just used Curves Equator to remaster my band's old LP! Very cool
@@palebluedotstudios Yeah, I just saw your "best of 2024" video. Hey, your style is great, making it a pleasant experience to watch your videos. Also great tips and and ideas. And after purchasing Gullfoss I became really interested in real-time spectral processing. So now I'm kind of a resonance suppressor freak as well. Bloom looks really interesting as does Spec Craft. Anyway, keep up the great work!
@@mikemccormick1624 Amazing! Really glad you watched my 2024 vid. If you're so-inclined, test out both those plugins and let me know. I find bloom very exciting, but also SpecCraft is very similar to Waves Equator, but I didn't put SpecCraft on the list because I think Waves is a little smoother experience overall (SpecCraft is still a little buggy sometimes, and more expensive). So I'd be curious to hear what you think. Thanks so much for watching, and cheers!
great vid and the fact that you used was voltron was rad! i remember the days waking up at 6 to eat cereal and watch voltron before i headed out the door to skate before school
I'll admit Curves is a worthy contender in this space. I downloaded the demo and I have to say Acustica Dove has more adjustability and slightly better reduction. For $40, Curves is a great value no doubt and it does work if anyone is looking to get into these kind of plugins. Curves' interface is clean and well thought out. Dove is not for the beginner but I like the level of adjustability. Great demo video!
Thank you so much! Funny you mention Dove; my next video is on that (if my demo hasn’t run out)! Spoiler: I’m not in love with it, but it definitely has a ton of options. I’m not sure if I’m sold on the impulse-response vs FFT paradigm, but, anyway… I’m curious: have you had any issues with sluggish graphics with Dove?
@@palebluedotstudios Dove is not for the faint of heart as is much of Acustica's plugins. Lol. I have to admit Oeksound's GUI is buttery smooth and very easy to use. I do notice how Dove will lag a little bit the more you crank up the oversampling and resolution. Like most of Acustica's compressors/limiters, they give you the kitchen sink in adjustments.
@@marksaxon_plays It absolutely had all the features I'd want for this type of plugin. But riddle me this: what do Acustica plugins install, like, 20 different files and versions in my VST folder?
@@palebluedotstudios It’s what makes Acustica different..sampled based vs algorithm. They are not friendly on drive space or CPU. The price you pay for sonics. They are an acquired taste but those who trade off, we are fans. lol.
@@marksaxon_plays I don't have an issue for high CPU for high quality. But I've always had technical issues with Acustica. I remember back in the 00s, they were a pain to install, the compressors sounded like hell, and I was lucky if I could even hit play on my DAW! They're much, much more stable now. But.it left a bad taste in my mouth, and I'm still yet to see the merits of their output. That being said, I respect them greatly, and they're mad geniuses. I've spoken with them many times (especially back in the KVR Forum days), and I think it's time for me to sit down and do a think-piece about them. I'd like to open a conversation with Acustica fans about why they love their stuff so much. Cheers!
Great video, nice one, waves might just get a purchase this weekend, this looks cool, with soothe on a rent to own option I thought I will pick it up later at some point for finishing, but this looks quite the weapon at far less the price, again cheers for this, great video 👊
My pleasure! Thanks so much for watching! Yeah, at this price, it's hard to argue against it. soothe2 is a great weapon, but I think it's showing its age and there are too many other good options now. I can't really advocate for soothe at its price tag anymore. But yeah: Curves Equator is a rare case where they could charge a lot MORE! Cheers!
Both MSpectralDynamics and DSEQ3 have a "learn" function. They don't pretend it's some sort of A.I. magic though, they just let you create a threshold by "capturing audio". Melda, of course, let's you manipulate the created curve either by drawing or moving nodes.
Shit, you're right. I forgot about DSEQ's Learn function! Ha. I should watch my own videos...good call. I have to jump on MSpectralDynamics ASAP. Thanks!
Well, seeing this it does sound just like soothe2. You can do all the same tweaks in soothe2 and you can have super fine grained control there as well, perhaps even more. For price yeah waves seems like the way to go but if I already have soothe2 that's just the same.
Yes, if you already own soothe2, you probably don’t need it. Personally, I found Equator was less prone to producing those “watery” FFT artifacts at higher settings, but soothe2 is still a fantastic plugin. Cheers!
That's a great question. Gullfoss is very gentle, and also a little mystifying. I recently remastered my band's (awful-sounding) 2007 album, and I used Equator on every track to get rid of the digital harshness. So yeah, I'd recommend Curves over Gullfoss right now. But it's always a good idea to try them out! Cheers.
This may be a dumb question, but couldn't a dynamic or static EQ be used just as effectively, if not more precisely, for the resonance that you hear and/or could seek-out by sweeping? With that in mind, what is the draw to these resonance suppression plugins? To me, the most precise resonance-suppressor is one's ears and an parametric EQ. MTM's RESO does a great job also if someone needs PRECISE + SLIGHTLY AUTOMATED.
When comparing Soothe and Equator on the techno piece, I noticed that the kickdrum in Soothe became sort of unclear and lost attack. The low end was still there, but the rest got kind of... I dunno... marshmallowy. I dont have either plugin, but I think I am going to pick up Equator.
You nailed it. I've often found that I have to take a lot of time to balance soothe2, so that I don't get artifacts. I find it by FAR the most artifact-y of these plugins when it's pushed hard. Equator and SpecCraft seem to leave transients 100% intact. So that's something for buyers to be aware of. Thanks so much for watching, cheers! Thanks so much for watching, cheers!
So… after you spend all that time in-doing all the resonance suppression except for a small, narrow band, the what is the point? If I know that I have a problem resonance at 3k, why the hell would I do all this crap instead of, you know, take 5 seconds to node it out in my EQ?
You’re probably right in this instance. With these guitars, it is a pretty fixed resonance, and I’ve used a static EQ in the past to address this. However, I’d say the advantage to Equator is that it can cut and track resonances dynamically, so you can arguably get more transparent resonance suppression. Plus, it was tightening up the low-mids on the guitar as well, so that’s a bonus. Again, your mileage may vary! Cheers.
How come whenever you were bypassing the plugin it was when the harmonic bend part turn. Every single time, Seems like you don't to shaw how it processes those high harmonic bends?
Love that you did shootouts! Hey, Smooth Operator allows sidechaining unmasking-or did you mean something different? Wicked vid. Waves has pulled us back in!😪
Yeah, I hope I didn't say "smooth" instead of "soothe". I only showed soothe, in the interest of time. Personally, I don't think smooth is really up for the challenge, IMHO. Cheers!
Very light. I was running 5-10 in a project and didn't feel much strain on my 2019 iMac, with 128 buffer on my interface. It introduces about 42 ms latency.
for me, a plugin that tries to repeat something already invented long ago. besides, I don't think it does better than soothe2. you say that you know that the problem is with 3K and I agree, but you had to show it to the “intelligent” Waves plugin. waves plugin saw resonances completely elsewhere. you say that it is faster with waves, but it seems to me that 7 seconds with the learn function is a much longer wait than soothe2, which recognizes resonances automatically, without unnecessary clicks. I tried the demo, in my opinion the waves plugin applies one algorithm to everything and takes heat from the source. for me, not only does it not surpass Soothe2 and Gullfoss, but it also cannot replace them. the price is great, but add paid waves upgrades. then it doesn't seem so useful anymore.
That’s a fair point: at a certain time in their lifecycle, you’ll have to pay a fee for it to be compatible. Mind you, I haven’t paid WUP in years. As long as the plugin works on your system, you’re fine! But I hear you: pay once, and you’re done. Unless oeksound decides to release a V2…🤔
def a fair point, but at a cost of $39 for equator vs $209 for soothe, its five years of updates for equator at that price, and by then im sure you'll have to pay for an update to soothe to V3. and there will also likely be another plugin in that time frame to take the place of both of these:)
Certainly! They're not identical, or anything. And now there's TBTech SpecComp, which offers its own unique flavours of spectral correction. Check my review here: ruclips.net/video/qwy3TtCQWvI/видео.html
That's a solid point. Kirchhoff-EQ is still very niche (I would've made that price more competitive, personally), and soothe2 is VERY entrenched in the pro audio community. But then again, so is Waves. But yeah: when I work at pro houses and gaming companies, they're using the old standards like RComp and Q10. So that's a great point! Cheers.
I would’ve bought the Pro-Q, but the Kirchhoff was 79.99 at the time and the ProQ at 169.00. They don’t seem to have any promotions throughout the year, so it was only a matter of price. I do think the Pro-Q is more intuitive, but the Kirchhoff is great and more than enough for my personal needs.
I'm a simple man. Palebluedot does a celebrity plugin deathmatch, I stop what I'm doing and watch. It takes me back to MTv days. EDIT: I was on the fence about this but after watching it, I guess I'm getting it now. You explained it better than the Waves vid. Is that the plugin's auto-Delta on the cursor? 11:09 - 11:10 ?
No, I think that's the Tilt's center-frequency symbol. You just reminded me: I forgot to mention that Equator does have a delta button, though, haha! Man, so many features...and I'm glad you like my videos that much! Means so much. Cheers!
@@palebluedotstudios Thanks! I noticed the soloing effect on what I initially thought was the cursor. RUclips's video title text was in the way and obstructing the delta button. Thanks for another review!
Thank you so much! Great questions. I haven't had a chance to really test MSpectralDynamics (I talk to the devs often, I'll see if I can get a review copy), so that goes on my list! Now, I do love DSEQ. I thought TBProAudio slightly beat out soothe2 with a breathtaking amount of control. However, I think things like Waves Equator are not only easier to use, but don't cause as much spectral artifacts and hours of hair-pulling. I think soothe2 and DSEQ will still serve pros and people who want ultra-detailed control over every aspect of spectral processing, but they're still pretty damned expensive, and I can't justify sending people to DSEQ or soothe2 with a $39 gem like Equator out there. Thanks for the great questions! Cheers!
@@palebluedotstudios I've been using DSEQ3 as my Sooth 2 lower-cost option. I've learned how to use it over time and it does the job for me. Still, I'm gonna buy Curves Equator and give it a go!
@@johnplainsong9769 Great to hear (god, I wish I was making commission on this video, haha)! DSEQ is amazing, and a viewer just reminded me about it's learn function, so it really has it all. I'm a big fan, but it definitely has a learning curve (no pun intended).
Hardly the end of Soothe 2. Waves has an adequate copy of Soothe2’s functionality but it’s really not even that close to level of functionality that Soothe2 has. It is adequate and useful though. If I didn’t already own Soothe2, I’d definitely purchase this as a much more inexpensive alternative. Equator works.
You make some good points. I would point out that Equator also adds multiband processing thresholds, which soothe2 does not have. I still find soothe2 better for some tasks, but man, that price difference...however, you're probably right: it's not dead, nor do I wish any ill will to oeksound. He's a trailblazer and soothe2 will always be a great legend! Cheers.
I fully understand. They were on thin ice when they announced the sub-only move. But I'm glad they put perpetual licenses back in, but you still have to deal with update fees, etc, I get it. I just think Equator is SUCH a good deal (and no, I'm not an affiliate right now).
Harmonically stagnant? Interesting. Generally, distorted guitars are the most harmonically rich signals because, well, harmonics are cranked up to maximum in the signal. More distortion, more harmonics. Plus they're prone to resonances from pickups, speaker breakup and other mix processing. But they are dynamically stagnant! Cheers.
Soothe 2 still sounds cleanest and more natural. Waves sounds best among others but still little to lifeless compared to Soothe 2. Well, I cannot afford Soothe 2 so...
Hey, if soothe sounds more natural, than what can I say? I’m glad viewers can watch and make up their own mind. I found Equator particularly transparent, but maybe try the demo and see if it’s up your alley. Cheers!
Totally valid point. These problems can often be solved by classic EQ techniques. However, these do give you a dynamic option, which is good for plosive resonances and any harmonic intervals that may occur. But it's a total "your mileage may vary"-type of situation. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Cheers.
@@palebluedotstudios Reso does that in 1 click have you used it ? The original analog guys used a pencil yes a pencil taped it at 45 degrees across your pop filter and splosives be gone when you recorded . The pencil splits the air before it can get to the mic a very cool trick before we had computers. Source was produce like a pro RUclips channel.. good old Warren 😄
@@williamshaneblyth Yes! I've tried the pencil track back in...the 90s hahahaha. Cheers, great tip! And yes, I've tried Reso, and I wasn't a fan. Check out my review here: studio.ruclips.net/user/video7HYqZTXJfsQ/edit
@@IAmSomeTreyGuy Like all Melda plugins. Great tools, great quality, but way too complicated and definitely not user-friendly. My biggest complaint though is complete LACK of presets. You get a few crappy presets and that is it. More presets with description would at least allow me to understand what to use. Only one good thing is online presets from other users, but it's a mess and all descriptions are just names from other people what they thought would be nice. So basically it's random stuff. Again. UI is the problem. Cramping all parameters into one place is not helping. You never know what is priority and what is detail. At least that started adding some design to UI, but not to all plugins.
No ))) bad try ))) No one needs any Soothe killer. Soothe is good enough and sufficient. And Waves now has unfavorable conditions )) I don't use any of their plugins anymore. Long live Soothe! )))))
Thanks, guys! I’m not an affiliate as of this writing, but I’m actually speaking with Waves next week to discuss becoming an affiliate. Trust that this is my honest opinion; I will always only tell it like it is. Cheers!
Good call. I meant to mention that I'm not a Waves affiliate, but I'm in talks right now. But I'm not making a cent off this right now, and it is my honest opinion. Always is, even if money's on the line.
LOL! Where there's a will, there's a way. I know these videos take more than 2 seconds to produce, especially when they're obviously so well organized and as objective as possible, given that what we each perceive as "pleasing" sound is a subjective matter. So kind of you to put in such great effort. Just kindness in return. I speak for everyone here: your efforts are cream of the crop!
Wow! Thanks so much, Big MT! The Super Thanks, and your compliments, mean the world to me! Well, now I GOTTA post a new video soon...hahaha! Thanks again!
@@palebluedotstudios Hmm. I had left a longer comment here regarding looking forward to your next video and suggesting, according to your available time and growth strategy, starting a Patreon page and Discord server for continuous community dialog, but it seems RUclips decided it had had ENOUGH! of my incessant palebluedotstudios appreciation. 😂EDIT! OH! I see you do have a Patreon page.
@@BigMTBrain Hello! Yes, thanks so much for signing up! I need to update that actually, it's been slow around there. I've been thinking about a Discord server, for sure. It's really hard to properly follow conversations here (and that's why I miss your messages-they get collapsed in the the replies if.I don't see them right away!).
How the hell did you completely missing VOCAL treatment?
If you're going to alledge the end of Soothe2 you missed a BIG concern. Just saying!
You take these reviews to a whole new level! Deep dives and comparisons, revealing all so educated choices can be made. We all appreciate that so much. Thank you!
OMG, thank you so much! That means everything. I'm just glad there are good, intelligent people watching my videos. Makes me happy! Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers!
@@palebluedotstudios You're quite welcome! * * * It appears you didn't see my other comment about your PB affiliate link incorrectly pointing to Loopmasters. Please correct it so I can fulfill the deep yearning to own this plugin your superb demo/review/comparison instilled in me. Please!... Hurry! HURRY! I can't take all of this yearning much longer! I want! I WANT!!!! 😂
@@BigMTBrain oh i missed that comment, thanks! Shit, that's an old link! Changing now-thank you!!!
@@palebluedotstudios Ahh, but it appears PB hasn't added Curves Equator to their catalog just yet. If you have one, can you please post your Waves affiliate link in the video description as well?
@@BigMTBrain Oh man, you're so kind! I'm actually approved for Waves affiliate, and I'm talking to their guy next week. So go ahead an grab it now, get it while it's cheap! Thanks so much Brian, you're very kind.
Absolutely the best demo/tutorial I've seen for this product. Thanks!!!
Wow, thanks! That means a lot! So glad I could be of some help. Thanks so much for watching, cheers!
Absolutely RUclips channel, very nice! ;-)
@@simonepippi5353 Thank you very much!
Man, I absolutely LOVE that you test these plugs on distorted guitar! Seems like NOBODY else ever tests rock guitar when demoing plugins. Thank you!
Edit: also, have you heard of Hornet's Harmoniq? It seems pretty similar to these spectral plugins but operates slightly differently.
Wow, thanks! Yeah, for me, guitar is one of the first problems I consider when it comes to these suppression plugins! Glad you enjoyed it.
As for HarmoniQ, that’s designed to suppress enharmonic content, or aliasing, that occurs mostly during saturation at lower sampling rates. It’s very subtle, and I need to do a test on it. But Sleek is actually his spectral correction plugin. Check out my review! ruclips.net/video/PC3S0VLVqlY/видео.htmlsi=-DI3kxYKttfunazm
Thankyou so much for this. I bought the plugin, but you have showed me how to really make the most this tool.
Amazing video. 👏 👏 👏 🙏
Amazing! I'm so happy I could help! Stay tuned, I'm putting out a video very soon about how I used Waves Curves Equator to help remaster my old, crappy CD!
Amazing and thorough review as usual. Great job!
Thank you so much! That means a lot. Cheers
@@palebluedotstudios fwiw, I demoed this the day it came out. Took me about 5 minutes to figure out I had to buy it. I also really like DSEQ by TB Pro Audio-underrated company. Baby Audio Smooth operator is also good. Nice to have a few to choose from, but Waves really knocked it out of the park. And at an unbeatable price.
@@gregwixted Agreed. Even if you don't think it's the best, it's a no-brainer at this price. I love DSEQ too (check my review here: ruclips.net/video/73yXr0Tn-sY/видео.html), and that new TBTech SpecComp is looking like a real competitor too. Cheers!
20:50 great comparison - interestingly the rolloff in the Kick side chain in soithe seems to follow the kick (frequency going down) whereas it is static in equator./ Still the "Rider" feature is killers, so far I was using Attack / release on track spacer and the same on waves F6 to duck out bass with the Kick. a "rider release" and "ride shape" would be really nice addition to really be able to craft proper pumping without using a gate / compressor..
22:40 I had to LOL. I find soothe really really hard to use. love track spacer though. It's nothing to do with fancy looks or the amount of money spent on a plugin, it's the result and the workflow that counts. And hopefully it doesn't hog as much CPU as soothe 2.
Trackspacer kicks ass. It's dead-simple and is often all you need to clear up conflicts. And that's a good point about the "rider" feature; you have good eyes and ears! I would think that Equator and SpecComp would dynamically follow plosive frequncies, but I may be misunderstanding you. Cheers!
@@palebluedotstudios sure - tbh I saw the following more than I heard it - but then I heard the 808 pitch going down. I just find soothe hard to set in a way that satisfies my ears, but the ducking following the pitch envelope of the 808 would suggest it to be more transparent than TrackSpacer - if set properly. And that's a big if. Personally I have (too many) parameter paralysis with soothe and its a bit of a resource hog. TS just shrinks it down to just the necessary parameters LowPass, HiPass, Attack, Release, Mid, Side and a big old knob for the "Mix". Love it.
Great video as usual! I own this plugin and still learned a lot from your video.
Thanks!
Thanks so much! I'll have to add some more videos as I get more experienced with it. I just used Curves Equator to remaster my band's old LP! Very cool
@@palebluedotstudios
Yeah, I just saw your "best of 2024" video.
Hey, your style is great, making it a pleasant experience to watch your videos. Also great tips and and ideas.
And after purchasing Gullfoss I became really interested in real-time spectral processing. So now I'm kind of a resonance suppressor freak as well. Bloom looks really interesting as does Spec Craft.
Anyway, keep up the great work!
@@mikemccormick1624 Amazing! Really glad you watched my 2024 vid. If you're so-inclined, test out both those plugins and let me know. I find bloom very exciting, but also SpecCraft is very similar to Waves Equator, but I didn't put SpecCraft on the list because I think Waves is a little smoother experience overall (SpecCraft is still a little buggy sometimes, and more expensive). So I'd be curious to hear what you think. Thanks so much for watching, and cheers!
great vid and the fact that you used was voltron was rad! i remember the days waking up at 6 to eat cereal and watch voltron before i headed out the door to skate before school
Awesome!!! Thanks for reviewing all of these Soothe competitors. Gonna go buy Curves Equator!!!
Great news! I’m so happy the reviews help. And I’m not even getting a cut of these sales! Haha. Cheers!
I'll admit Curves is a worthy contender in this space. I downloaded the demo and I have to say Acustica Dove has more adjustability and slightly better reduction. For $40, Curves is a great value no doubt and it does work if anyone is looking to get into these kind of plugins. Curves' interface is clean and well thought out. Dove is not for the beginner but I like the level of adjustability. Great demo video!
Thank you so much! Funny you mention Dove; my next video is on that (if my demo hasn’t run out)! Spoiler: I’m not in love with it, but it definitely has a ton of options. I’m not sure if I’m sold on the impulse-response vs FFT paradigm, but, anyway… I’m curious: have you had any issues with sluggish graphics with Dove?
@@palebluedotstudios Dove is not for the faint of heart as is much of Acustica's plugins. Lol. I have to admit Oeksound's GUI is buttery smooth and very easy to use. I do notice how Dove will lag a little bit the more you crank up the oversampling and resolution. Like most of Acustica's compressors/limiters, they give you the kitchen sink in adjustments.
@@marksaxon_plays It absolutely had all the features I'd want for this type of plugin. But riddle me this: what do Acustica plugins install, like, 20 different files and versions in my VST folder?
@@palebluedotstudios It’s what makes Acustica different..sampled based vs algorithm. They are not friendly on drive space or CPU. The price you pay for sonics. They are an acquired taste but those who trade off, we are fans. lol.
@@marksaxon_plays I don't have an issue for high CPU for high quality. But I've always had technical issues with Acustica. I remember back in the 00s, they were a pain to install, the compressors sounded like hell, and I was lucky if I could even hit play on my DAW! They're much, much more stable now. But.it left a bad taste in my mouth, and I'm still yet to see the merits of their output. That being said, I respect them greatly, and they're mad geniuses. I've spoken with them many times (especially back in the KVR Forum days), and I think it's time for me to sit down and do a think-piece about them. I'd like to open a conversation with Acustica fans about why they love their stuff so much. Cheers!
Great video, nice one, waves might just get a purchase this weekend, this looks cool, with soothe on a rent to own option I thought I will pick it up later at some point for finishing, but this looks quite the weapon at far less the price, again cheers for this, great video 👊
My pleasure! Thanks so much for watching! Yeah, at this price, it's hard to argue against it. soothe2 is a great weapon, but I think it's showing its age and there are too many other good options now. I can't really advocate for soothe at its price tag anymore. But yeah: Curves Equator is a rare case where they could charge a lot MORE! Cheers!
Yep. I thought the same here in my room. I was pleasantly surprised.
I had no idea there were so many options. But Equator sure seems to beat most of them, if not all.
Glad I bought it 😁
Glad to be of any help! I think it’s a no-brainer while it’s on sale. Cheers!
Excellent, excellent, excellent job. A+
Thank you so so much! That means a lot. 😊 cheers!
Yo, now there's SpecCraft by Three-Body Technology. Do a comparison between them all, please.
What this man said 👌
@@gffg387 cheers! I just heard about this. Will load it up when I get home! Thanks for the tip!
Yes. Looks interesting. Looking forward to the palebluedot treatment.
Both MSpectralDynamics and DSEQ3 have a "learn" function. They don't pretend it's some sort of A.I. magic though, they just let you create a threshold by "capturing audio". Melda, of course, let's you manipulate the created curve either by drawing or moving nodes.
Shit, you're right. I forgot about DSEQ's Learn function! Ha. I should watch my own videos...good call. I have to jump on MSpectralDynamics ASAP. Thanks!
Great review
Thanks so much! That means a lot. Thanks for watching! Cheers.
Very useful plugin!!
Agreed!
Is it possible to sidechain-duck (de-mask) just the Mid or the Sides?
Absolutely! Just put Equator in M/S mode, and turn the dial 100% left or right!
Well, seeing this it does sound just like soothe2. You can do all the same tweaks in soothe2 and you can have super fine grained control there as well, perhaps even more.
For price yeah waves seems like the way to go but if I already have soothe2 that's just the same.
Yes, if you already own soothe2, you probably don’t need it. Personally, I found Equator was less prone to producing those “watery” FFT artifacts at higher settings, but soothe2 is still a fantastic plugin. Cheers!
Do you need to spend $200 on Gullfoss if this sounds good on the master? Would you need Gullfoss if you had Curves? Thanks
That's a great question. Gullfoss is very gentle, and also a little mystifying. I recently remastered my band's (awful-sounding) 2007 album, and I used Equator on every track to get rid of the digital harshness. So yeah, I'd recommend Curves over Gullfoss right now. But it's always a good idea to try them out! Cheers.
@ thanks for the feedback
@@ST-fl5fy Anytime! Thanks so much for watching, cheers!
aww man! I wasn't gonna buy any more plugins this year
@jbva804 It's pretty good.
I know, right? The good news is: it's Waves. They'll put it on for $29 all the time, or let you choose it as a 2-for-1 plugin. Cheers!
@@mainsailsound983 Tell me about it. I bought it as soon as paleblurdurt told me he loved it.
This may be a dumb question, but couldn't a dynamic or static EQ be used just as effectively, if not more precisely, for the resonance that you hear and/or could seek-out by sweeping? With that in mind, what is the draw to these resonance suppression plugins? To me, the most precise resonance-suppressor is one's ears and an parametric EQ. MTM's RESO does a great job also if someone needs PRECISE + SLIGHTLY AUTOMATED.
When comparing Soothe and Equator on the techno piece, I noticed that the kickdrum in Soothe became sort of unclear and lost attack. The low end was still there, but the rest got kind of... I dunno... marshmallowy. I dont have either plugin, but I think I am going to pick up Equator.
You nailed it. I've often found that I have to take a lot of time to balance soothe2, so that I don't get artifacts. I find it by FAR the most artifact-y of these plugins when it's pushed hard. Equator and SpecCraft seem to leave transients 100% intact. So that's something for buyers to be aware of. Thanks so much for watching, cheers! Thanks so much for watching, cheers!
So… after you spend all that time in-doing all the resonance suppression except for a small, narrow band, the what is the point? If I know that I have a problem resonance at 3k, why the hell would I do all this crap instead of, you know, take 5 seconds to node it out in my EQ?
You’re probably right in this instance. With these guitars, it is a pretty fixed resonance, and I’ve used a static EQ in the past to address this. However, I’d say the advantage to Equator is that it can cut and track resonances dynamically, so you can arguably get more transparent resonance suppression. Plus, it was tightening up the low-mids on the guitar as well, so that’s a bonus. Again, your mileage may vary! Cheers.
How come whenever you were bypassing the plugin it was when the harmonic bend part turn.
Every single time,
Seems like you don't to shaw how it processes those high harmonic bends?
I hadn't noticed that! You're very observant. Now that I think of it, those bends could probably use a little mid-high processing. Good call.
"Seems like you don't to shaw how it processes those high harmonic bends?"
Yeah dude... it's a total conspiracy... /s
@@IAmSomeTreyGuy You got me. I'm the second gunman :D
Love that you did shootouts! Hey, Smooth Operator allows sidechaining unmasking-or did you mean something different? Wicked vid. Waves has pulled us back in!😪
Yeah, I hope I didn't say "smooth" instead of "soothe". I only showed soothe, in the interest of time. Personally, I don't think smooth is really up for the challenge, IMHO. Cheers!
That synthwave at 17:20 though…🤤
Oooh glad you like it! I need to restore that project, many synths are missing (THANKS, Sampletank...)
How's the CPU load on this?
Very light. I was running 5-10 in a project and didn't feel much strain on my 2019 iMac, with 128 buffer on my interface. It introduces about 42 ms latency.
Definitely worth the 💰
It’s the year’s biggest no-brainer since Deres! Cheers!
@@palebluedotstudiosYeah.🙏
for me, a plugin that tries to repeat something already invented long ago. besides, I don't think it does better than soothe2. you say that you know that the problem is with 3K and I agree, but you had to show it to the “intelligent” Waves plugin. waves plugin saw resonances completely elsewhere. you say that it is faster with waves, but it seems to me that 7 seconds with the learn function is a much longer wait than soothe2, which recognizes resonances automatically, without unnecessary clicks. I tried the demo, in my opinion the waves plugin applies one algorithm to everything and takes heat from the source. for me, not only does it not surpass Soothe2 and Gullfoss, but it also cannot replace them. the price is great, but add paid waves upgrades. then it doesn't seem so useful anymore.
Thanks for your video. Curves is good , but I think soothe is good at another way. So maybe we can have both two🤔
Remember with Waves, updates are a subscription - Soothe is free for life of the plugin
That’s a fair point: at a certain time in their lifecycle, you’ll have to pay a fee for it to be compatible. Mind you, I haven’t paid WUP in years. As long as the plugin works on your system, you’re fine! But I hear you: pay once, and you’re done. Unless oeksound decides to release a V2…🤔
@@palebluedotstudiosor v3 ….. but yes I agree everyone’s out to make money
def a fair point, but at a cost of $39 for equator vs $209 for soothe, its five years of updates for equator at that price, and by then im sure you'll have to pay for an update to soothe to V3. and there will also likely be another plugin in that time frame to take the place of both of these:)
@@chucknkd So many things to consider! Yep, and something cooler will be out, like, next month, probably. But for now, my money's on Equator. Cheers!
Equator sounds more natural. Soothe for 209 dollars, lost. Get freaked greedy oeksound.
I think there’s room for both soothe 2 and equator in a mix…..They sound different at first process on the source.
Certainly! They're not identical, or anything. And now there's TBTech SpecComp, which offers its own unique flavours of spectral correction. Check my review here: ruclips.net/video/qwy3TtCQWvI/видео.html
That's what was said about Kirchhoff-EQ replacing Pro-Q. I have yet to see any pro's using Kirchhoff but they sure love Pro-Q and Soothe.
That's a solid point. Kirchhoff-EQ is still very niche (I would've made that price more competitive, personally), and soothe2 is VERY entrenched in the pro audio community. But then again, so is Waves. But yeah: when I work at pro houses and gaming companies, they're using the old standards like RComp and Q10. So that's a great point! Cheers.
To be fair not apples to apples because Kirchoff is also an expensive EQ.
@@palebluedotstudios I used Q10 but I liked Waves Renaissance EQ better. I use Waves Renaissance Axx on guitar occasionally.
@@RayFerretti I love REQ. And RenAxx is one of my all-time favourite compressors; sounds really great on drums.
I would’ve bought the Pro-Q, but the Kirchhoff was 79.99 at the time and the ProQ at 169.00. They don’t seem to have any promotions throughout the year, so it was only a matter of price. I do think the Pro-Q is more intuitive, but the Kirchhoff is great and more than enough for my personal needs.
I actually wanted soothe 2 but the price wasn’t soothing
I'm a simple man. Palebluedot does a celebrity plugin deathmatch, I stop what I'm doing and watch. It takes me back to MTv days.
EDIT: I was on the fence about this but after watching it, I guess I'm getting it now. You explained it better than the Waves vid. Is that the plugin's auto-Delta on the cursor? 11:09 - 11:10 ?
No, I think that's the Tilt's center-frequency symbol. You just reminded me: I forgot to mention that Equator does have a delta button, though, haha! Man, so many features...and I'm glad you like my videos that much! Means so much. Cheers!
@@palebluedotstudios Thanks! I noticed the soloing effect on what I initially thought was the cursor. RUclips's video title text was in the way and obstructing the delta button. Thanks for another review!
@@MattStevens9824 Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
12:30
Yeah you're finding your results way quicker than in soothe2
Definitely. soothe2 is good, but I think it's starting to show its age.
What are your thoughts on DSEQ and MSpectralDynamics? Excellent analysis you set out here, again!
Thank you so much! Great questions.
I haven't had a chance to really test MSpectralDynamics (I talk to the devs often, I'll see if I can get a review copy), so that goes on my list!
Now, I do love DSEQ. I thought TBProAudio slightly beat out soothe2 with a breathtaking amount of control. However, I think things like Waves Equator are not only easier to use, but don't cause as much spectral artifacts and hours of hair-pulling. I think soothe2 and DSEQ will still serve pros and people who want ultra-detailed control over every aspect of spectral processing, but they're still pretty damned expensive, and I can't justify sending people to DSEQ or soothe2 with a $39 gem like Equator out there.
Thanks for the great questions! Cheers!
@@palebluedotstudios I've been using DSEQ3 as my Sooth 2 lower-cost option. I've learned how to use it over time and it does the job for me. Still, I'm gonna buy Curves Equator and give it a go!
@@johnplainsong9769 Great to hear (god, I wish I was making commission on this video, haha)! DSEQ is amazing, and a viewer just reminded me about it's learn function, so it really has it all. I'm a big fan, but it definitely has a learning curve (no pun intended).
Hardly the end of Soothe 2. Waves has an adequate copy of Soothe2’s functionality but it’s really not even that close to level of functionality that Soothe2 has. It is adequate and useful though.
If I didn’t already own Soothe2, I’d definitely purchase this as a much more inexpensive alternative.
Equator works.
You make some good points. I would point out that Equator also adds multiband processing thresholds, which soothe2 does not have. I still find soothe2 better for some tasks, but man, that price difference...however, you're probably right: it's not dead, nor do I wish any ill will to oeksound. He's a trailblazer and soothe2 will always be a great legend! Cheers.
When you bypass Soothe 2 it sounds truly bypassed...not so much with Equator.
Interesting...Equator should be fully-bypassed!
I wouldn’t use a waves plugin ever again for any reason. Utter bastards as most of us know.
I fully understand. They were on thin ice when they announced the sub-only move. But I'm glad they put perpetual licenses back in, but you still have to deal with update fees, etc, I get it. I just think Equator is SUCH a good deal (and no, I'm not an affiliate right now).
If you invested 200 bucks in soothe then no wonder
Can see "noise"" on your main bus when track not playing.. I'm gonna guess… You have H-Delay running? 🤔 😅
Ha! Good guess. That's the usual suspect, but I think it's actually from un-gated amp sims...good call!
Smooth Operator vs Waves Equator
Might have to do that next! I think it's no contest though
@@palebluedotstudios waves is better?
@@Rio-uv1gs i think so. especially at 1/5 the price!
@@palebluedotstudiosYou might have another video to do..Spacecraft came out with one too.
@@Rio-uv1gs yeah my brother pointed it out to me! I gotta jump on that! Too many plugins! 😩
Distorted rhythm guitar is probably the most harmonically stagnant thing there is. Strange choice.
Harmonically stagnant? Interesting. Generally, distorted guitars are the most harmonically rich signals because, well, harmonics are cranked up to maximum in the signal. More distortion, more harmonics. Plus they're prone to resonances from pickups, speaker breakup and other mix processing. But they are dynamically stagnant! Cheers.
Soothe 2 still sounds cleanest and more natural. Waves sounds best among others but still little to lifeless compared to Soothe 2. Well, I cannot afford Soothe 2 so...
Hard disagree...
@@IAmSomeTreyGuy No problem
Hey, if soothe sounds more natural, than what can I say? I’m glad viewers can watch and make up their own mind. I found Equator particularly transparent, but maybe try the demo and see if it’s up your alley. Cheers!
Reso seems better for me.
This seems too much like an overall eq curve which I'm quite capible of easily doing myself
Totally valid point. These problems can often be solved by classic EQ techniques. However, these do give you a dynamic option, which is good for plosive resonances and any harmonic intervals that may occur. But it's a total "your mileage may vary"-type of situation. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Cheers.
@@palebluedotstudios Reso does that in 1 click have you used it ?
The original analog guys used a pencil yes a pencil taped it at 45 degrees across your pop filter and splosives be gone when you recorded . The pencil splits the air before it can get to the mic a very cool trick before we had computers. Source was produce like a pro RUclips channel.. good old Warren 😄
@@williamshaneblyth Yes! I've tried the pencil track back in...the 90s hahahaha. Cheers, great tip! And yes, I've tried Reso, and I wasn't a fan. Check out my review here: studio.ruclips.net/user/video7HYqZTXJfsQ/edit
@@palebluedotstudios they have done some upgrades since then but I find it works well for me at least . 👍
its nothing to sooth...
You think soothe is better?
@@palebluedotstudiosYes
@@Ahmad-1224 Cool. Soothe is still an amazing plugin. Cheers!
Already own MSpectralDynamics and don't want to buy any waves plugin
Yeah. Me to. But I have no idea how to use it. Way too complicated and presets are limited ad crappy.
You needed to tell us this, why?
@@IAmSomeTreyGuy Like all Melda plugins. Great tools, great quality, but way too complicated and definitely not user-friendly. My biggest complaint though is complete LACK of presets. You get a few crappy presets and that is it. More presets with description would at least allow me to understand what to use. Only one good thing is online presets from other users, but it's a mess and all descriptions are just names from other people what they thought would be nice. So basically it's random stuff. Again. UI is the problem. Cramping all parameters into one place is not helping. You never know what is priority and what is detail. At least that started adding some design to UI, but not to all plugins.
@@mikelo303 why are you pinging me with this response? I was talking to the OP...
@@IAmSomeTreyGuy OK. Sorry. :D
No ))) bad try ))) No one needs any Soothe killer. Soothe is good enough and sufficient.
And Waves now has unfavorable conditions )) I don't use any of their plugins anymore.
Long live Soothe! )))))
Cheers! I still love soothe, but the sheer value & quality of Equator makes it really hard to recommend soothe at this point. Thanks for watching!
I smell waves affliliate.
I don't think so. This guy has been reviewing Soothe 2 competitors for a long time, and has always been very honest and thorough.
Thanks, guys! I’m not an affiliate as of this writing, but I’m actually speaking with Waves next week to discuss becoming an affiliate. Trust that this is my honest opinion; I will always only tell it like it is. Cheers!
This sounds 100% like a commercial.. Disclaimer would be nice
Good call. I meant to mention that I'm not a Waves affiliate, but I'm in talks right now. But I'm not making a cent off this right now, and it is my honest opinion. Always is, even if money's on the line.