Somehow, the developers have managed to keep harshness away but keep the rest of the sound intact. On some material – vocals particularly – soothe2 impresses with its sonic correction capabilities, and not surprisingly, it is marketed as a “dynamic resonance suppressor.” The flexibility can seem a bit daunting, and it needs some time getting used to, especially being a tool made for pretty surgical operations. Of the three equalizers featured here, soothe2 is the one that puts the user in control to the largest degree. Thoughts on sound comparisons follow after the presentations. Read on to get a sense of what each one of the three plugins does. smart:EQ 3 also features a novel feature for carving out space from less needed tracks, which I consider quite a big thing. Smart:EQ 3 has more of a general approach toward mixing, though it too can be used to deal with, say, problematic sibilants. They (especially soothe2) do this by removing sibilance, clearing up muddy or overall resonant parts of the frequency spectrum, and taming general harshness. The constant adaptation to incoming audio differentiates these EQs from static EQs, which are simply filtering the audio source through several static EQ nodes.Īs their names imply, Smooth Operator and soothe2 have similar aims: to make the listening experience nicer. It is, however, up to the user to change the suggested settings provided by presets or, in the case of smart:EQ 3, a machine learning-assisted EQ curve for a given audio source. These EQs are all dynamic, meaning they constantly analyze and then adapt to the incoming audio using EQ and compression in combination, which is nicely indicated by their user interfaces. “Smart” or not, they are great helpers on one’s way to a great mix. Maybe one should draw the line at dynamic EQs. In a world where everything from our phones or homes to the buildings we (usually) work in carries the “smart” label – hey, even my toilet paper is labeled “smart” – one may wonder where the hyperboles end and actual value begins. Still, the article ends with recommendations for use cases and purchasing recommendations, so read on if auto EQ might be something for you in this “balanced” overview. Note that this is not a shootout: all three products have their strengths, but slightly different foci.

What a beautiful time to be reviewing VST plugins! Three different products, all aiming to facilitate mixing decisions, with an aptitude for taming sibilance and removing muddiness.

Here, I’m taking a closer look at three newly released “intelligent” equalizer plugins: soothe2 by oeksound, Smooth Operator by BABY Audio, and Sonible’s new smart:EQ 3 plugin. The last couple of years have given us some innovative plugins, and quite a few dynamic EQs have appeared. I’ve always been on the lookout for synths and effects that redefine how we create music or that redefine music itself.

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