EDIT (2020/04/22) after the videos, at the end of this post:

I already have Soothe2 plugin and I am very happy with it because it does the job for which I bought it very well.
I still wanted to compare it with its competitor, the already famous DSEQ.
So I downloaded the demo version (1.04 OSX) to try it out.
At first glance, they are really similar.
Not by design, what interests me are the functionality.
They both work in the same way.
We select a work area with an eq (linear filters) and apply an algorithm that detects the frequencies that are problematic, then remove them and the result is a cleaner sound and therefore more clarity in the mix.
Getting started is very fast with these 2 plugins.

During my test, I didn't use the filters to work on a specific region the first time.
I used the 2 plugins on the whole frequency band to avoid influencing the result.
In a second step, I also tried on a specific area.
I tried to have all the similar settings, the attack, the release, the selectivity, the gain reduction applied… I compared with FX, without FX, in Delta mode (this feature lets you listen to only the effect that is removed)
I also tried them on several types of tracks, Vocals, Guitars, Drums, bass, but also on master bus / Mastered Tracks.

After trying the 2 plugins, I see that the biggest difference is in the detection algorithm.

For me, Soothe2 better detects problem resonances.
It also better detects the muddiness and rumble problems than the challenger DSEQ.
It is precise and effective also in the higher frequencies to solve the problems of Harshness or sibilances.
Even if it's not a de-esser.

After trying the DSEQ, I was very impressed.
It consumes less resource than soothe.
Even if I find the detection of resonances less efficient, it works very well, especially in higher frequencies.
It does the job very well for removing harshness, it can even be used as a de-esser for vocals or any other instrument.
Even on a mix.
You can push it very hard, it generates very little distortion and artifact, it is very clean, as the developer say.
For the price (2.5 times cheaper than soothe2) it is unbeatable.

Moreover, on the presentation of the DSEQ product is presented as follows :

DSEQ is a dynamic processor working in the frequency domain.
DSEQ is removing digital harshness on the fly thanks to self-adjusting frequency bands.
DSEQ can be used in all mix and master situations:
• de-essing vocals
• taming resonances in e.g. drum, guitar, vocal recordings
• removing digital harshness
• balancing the mix
• de-masking frequency regions
• support of pink noise mixing / mastering

While Soothe2 is presented like this :

soothe2 is a dynamic resonance suppressor. It identifies problematic resonances on the fly and applies matching reduction automatically.
soothe2 can be used to reduce harshness, sibilance and mud from the sound source, and excels in fixing a range of problems.
With soothe2 you can :
• Remove harshness from close mic’d sound sources
• Transparently manage sibilance in vocals and dialog
• Treat uneven tonal balance from suboptimal recordings
• Clear muddiness, boominess, and proximity effect
• Soften overly bright guitar and piano recordings
• Tame piercing synth sounds

Just by reading the 2 presentations, you will notice that they are not presented in the same way.
Look carefully.

My conclusion would be as follows, I prefer Soothe2 because I find it more efficient and more versatile.
I recommend it for precision, surgical work, especially if you work a lot with acoustic instruments, vocals, and if you do recordings.
Be careful, it is very subtle, too much Soothe, and you kill your mix!
Remember, The best is the mortal enemy of good
I think that Oeksound will have to revise the prices soon because other competitors should not be long in coming, and the first DSEQ is already there.

For producers of electronic music, Hip-Hop, Trap and current music, DSEQ can help you a thousand times.
It does the job very well and will allow you to tweak your mixes for a better final result.

Both are not essential.
The big producers of the last 30 years have produced tons of hits without these 2 plugins.
Just think that there are 2 great tools that will save you time and make your mix much more balanced.

Et Voila


PS : Sorry for my poor english and merci google translate

Soothe2 by Oeksound : 199,00€
https://oeksound.com/plugins/soothe2/

DSEQ by TBProAudio : 79,00€ (+VAT)
https://www.tb-software.com/TBProAudio/dseq.html

EDIT (2020/04/22) :

@AMERICUH said “Did you try DSEQ on ULTRA Settings?”

Thank you @AMERICUH for this very interesting remark !


I did the tests yesterday on the 2 plugins in “NORMAL” mode
and you made me want to test the "ULTRA" mode

Indeed, the DSEQ reacts even better in "ULTRA" mode, you can push it even more without causing too much distortion and artifact, it remains super transparent and does not degrade the original signal too much.
I find it really very good on the midrange, high midrange and all the highend.

Soothe2 is always very subtle to handle, even and “ULTRA” mode.
It is less transparent than the DSEQ and it can quickly react negatively and kill the original source if you abuse too much.
Soothe2 needs well trained ears to be tame and get the best out of it.

I would not tell you that this plugin is better than this one.
I just want to try them on and tell you how I feel.
I have a plugin that suits me which will be the best for what I do… but may be not for you.


Thank you again for your comments

 

Last edited: Apr 22, 2020

Great review, Shankar!

 

nice review !! will not buy if it is only FOMO ..

 

Awesome, thanks for that!

 

Nice! Thanks.
It would be interesting a short video with some audio/workflow comparisons

 

Thanks @shankar for the review. I bit the bullet myself during the sale days and downloaded Soothe2 to try. I tested it in my day-to-day mix work, and as everyone says it's very efficient at finding problem resonances, and although it is subtle, using multiple instances (freezing tracks) can easily dull a mix. I was really close to buying it, and the deadline got past me. It is definitely a totally unnecessary tool, but it does save time and it gives you a pleasant result in things like cymbals that is very hard and time-consuming to match.

Now comes DSEQ. I tried it and it does its job pretty well, too, but it's a bit less subtle than Soothe2, which could be good or bad depending on how you take it. However, at its price point it's a no-brainer compared to Soothe2. then I realized one thing, the demo is permanently fully functional except for the couple of seconds of silence it inserts every 90 seconds. You know what? Anyway, I can live with it and run it again in the sections where silence is, which gives me a tool two hundred Euros cheaper. Anyhow, it's a sound corrective plugin, and it's wise to print the corrected track prior to mixing.

One last thing, once Soothe or DSEQ is used, adding Balancer to the corrected track sounds just awesome 9 times out of 10. Try it.

 

Last edited: Apr 22, 2020

are you talking about the Sonible/Focusrite plugin Balancer?

 

You forgot ReaFIR (reaplugs) in compress mode (FFT size, 4096), which is FREE for windows.

 

I am. Definitely it's one of the best freebies for a pleasant coloring of a sound.

 

Thank you for your review, greatly appreciated. I'll definitely buy this.
I really don't understand why release groups haven't released Soothe to the public. Doesn't make any sense to me. If they want me to spend money with oeksound, that's not the way to do it. So now, I finally have a great alternative. This will do the job for me, I don't need the last bit of effectiveness when I can have a software that is a whole lot cheaper and uses no BS protection. So I'll spend my money with TBProAudio then. Case closed, let's hyperventilate over something else now

 

Heads up: Sister site DSEQ v1.0.7 (R2R)

 

Last edited: Apr 25, 2020

I think I will buy DSEQ for sure.

 

Melda Spectral Dynamics is also another one.

 

Did you try DSEQ on ULTRA Settings?

I'll just want to give my two cents into here, I've been in the studio for a few hours with my friend and we also made a A/B comparison with Soothe2.
And we came to the conclusion that DSEQ is much more efficient. Especially on the ULTRA Mode much MORE resonances get detected on DSEQ.
You can load up more instances of DSEQ on ULTRA then Soothe2, that was our final reason why we picked DSEQ here as our winner.

Nevertheless, guys .. we now have a real german competitor!

 

Okayy, I buy your reviews, I don't buy but download the DSEQ

 

100% Agree... I own soothe since version 1 >>>now Own Soothe 2, and its great ... I much Prefer DSEQ over Soothe 2 its capable of so much more. BUT!!! use your own ears dont listen to mine

 

That's great advice for those looking for specific sections, thank you!

 

Thank you @AMERICUH for this very interesting remark !

EDIT (2020/04/22) :

I did the tests yesterday on the 2 plugins in “NORMAL” mode
and you made me want to test the "ULTRA" mode

Indeed, the DSEQ reacts even better in "ULTRA" mode, you can push it even more without causing too much distortion and artifact, it remains super transparent and does not degrade the original signal too much.
I find it really very good on the midrange, high midrange and all the highend.

Soothe2 is always very subtle to handle, even and “ULTRA” mode.
It is less transparent than the DSEQ and it can quickly react negatively and kill the original source if you abuse too much.
Soothe2 needs well trained ears to be tame and get the best out of it.

I would not tell you that this plugin is better than this one.
I just want to try them on and tell you how I feel.
I have a plugin that suits me which will be the best for what I do… but may be not for you.

Thank you again for your comments

 

Great review my bro ! very detailed >>> I agree Soothe and soothe2 are beasts for quickly removing annoying ugly clutter. A little goes a long long way . Can overdo it quick. I get a little better control with DSEQ = Cleaner results, as its not as smothering in the upper Mid. Mid high range when i clamp down on it. Both great Tools! I would recommend either or both for quick results ... But like you stated above their non essential, and for me its more of a pre production tool than anything. Ive not used soothe one single time in a production, as i try to get what i want when im recording.I use my other tools for this on the front end. I can however see this as a great learning or reference tool for someone who is fairly new to the game of music production ;)

 

Great and useful reviews and tips. Thank you guys.