How Soothe2 Became a Major Addition to My Mixing Workflow 🎛️

In modern music production, clarity is king. Achieving a polished, professional mix used to require surgical EQ moves, manual automation, and multi-stage compression—but Soothe2 has changed the game.

Developed by Oeksound, Soothe2 is an intelligent dynamic resonance suppressor that identifies harsh frequencies and reduces them in real time without killing the natural tone of a sound.

So, what has Soothe2 done for modern production? A lot.

Mixing has always been about balance, clarity, and problem-solving. Over the years, I’ve refined my approach, relying on a solid foundation of EQ, compression, and careful listening. But even with a strong workflow, there are always challenges—harsh vocals, resonant synths, boxy drums—that take time to fix manually.

🎛️ Where I Use Soothe2 in My Mixes

Since adding Soothe2 to my toolkit, it has become my go-to for specific problem areas:

🎤 Vocals – After compression, Soothe2 smooths out harsh sibilance and aggressive frequencies without dulling the presence. It’s excellent for de-essing, offering natural control without over-processing.

🥁 Drums & Kicks – Some kicks and snares can have an annoying midrange boxiness or low-end resonance that gets in the way of the mix. Soothe2 cleans it up without over-EQ’ing.

🎹 Synths & Pads – Some soft synths and filter sweeps develop sharp peaks that can feel harsh in a mix. A touch of Soothe2 softens them without losing character.

🎛 Mix Bus & Mastering – A gentle setting on the mix bus can smooth out any harshness in the upper mids, making the entire mix feel more polished.

🔥 Hard vs. Soft Mode: When to Switch It Up

When I first start using Soothe2, I mainly work in Soft mode, keeping things transparent and natural. But sometimes, a sound just needs stronger control—that’s when Hard mode comes in.

🔹 Soft Mode – Subtle and smooth. Perfect for vocals, synths, and mix bus processing, where I don’t want to overdo it.

🔹 Hard Mode – When a sound needs stronger control, Hard mode locks it in completely—nothing gets through. If Soft mode isn’t quite enough, switching to Hard mode usually gets the sound exactly where it needs to be.

👉 If a sound is still fighting with the mix, switching to Hard mode is usually the fix.

🎛️ The Sidechain Trick: How I Use Soothe2 for Clarity

One of my favourite features in Soothe2 is sidechain mode. It’s a brilliant way to carve out space between elements without over-processing them.

🔥 Kicks & Bass – Instead of manually EQ’ing out low-end clashes, I sidechain Soothe2 to the kick, and it dynamically ducks only the clashing frequencies in the bass. Unlike traditional sidechaining to a trigger or the full kick signal, Soothe2 intelligently shapes the sidechain around the kick, preserving the bass’s natural movement.

🎤 Vocals & Instruments – If the vocals compete with guitars or pads, I use Soothe2 on the instrument sidechained to the vocal—it subtly creates space for the vocal to shine.

🎛 Mix Bus Glue – A light touch on the master smooths out clashing frequencies dynamically, adding glue to the mix without forcing elements apart.

🚀 How Soothe2 Fits into My Workflow

Before Soothe2, fixing problem frequencies was a manual and time-consuming process. Now, it’s a quick and precise step in my workflow:

✔️ I don’t spend as much time EQ’ing vocals—Soothe2 handles it dynamically.

✔️ I don’t have to carve out synth harshness manually—it smooths out any spikes naturally.

✔️ Kicks and bass fit together better without over-EQ’ing or losing impact.

It hasn’t changed the way I mix—it’s just made solving mix problems much easier and faster.

🎧 Final Thoughts: Is Soothe2 Worth It?

For me, Soothe2 is one of the most effective problem-solving tools in modern mixing. It’s not a replacement for EQ, compression, or careful mixing, but it fills a unique gap that no other plugin quite covers.

✅ Vocals sit in the mix effortlessly

✅ Harshness disappears without losing clarity

✅ Mixing is smoother, faster, and more creative

If you’re not using sidechain mode, switching between Soft and Hard modes, or applying Soothe2 lightly on the master, you might be missing out on what it can really do.

Have you used Soothe2 in your mixes? Let me know how it fits into your workflow! 🚀🎛️

Soothe2