effectoeksound
Soothe 2
The industry-standard dynamic resonance suppressor: it tames harsh, ringing frequencies only when and where they occur, surgical de-harshing for vocals, busses and masters without dulling the source.
Free Alternatives to Soothe 2
Soothe 2 automated a job engineers used to do by hand: finding and ducking harsh resonances in real time. The free route back is doing some of that by hand again, and TDR Nova is the tool that makes it practical.
Written and reviewed by Kasper Nods. Updated July 2026.
PlugPick is reader-supported. We may earn a commission from links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Learn more
The plugin in question
effectThe free alternative
effectTokyo Dawn Records
TDR Nova
A free parallel dynamic equalizer, four fully dynamic bands that work as EQ and multiband compressor in one. The budget answer to surgical, transparent tonal control beside Soothe and Gullfoss.
#1 TDR Nova
A free parallel dynamic EQ with four fully dynamic bands: park them on the harsh zones (sibilance, 2–5 kHz edge, boxiness) with a threshold, and they duck only when the problem spikes, which is most of what Soothe does on most sources. Transparent, well-coded, and long the standard free answer here.
Trade-off: You identify the resonances yourself and cover them with four static-frequency bands; Soothe 2 tracks dozens of resonances automatically as they move, which matters on complex, dynamic sources.
When Soothe 2 is still worth it
For a known problem in a known range, a de-ess band, taming a bright guitar, Nova free does the job and teaches you exactly what you are fixing.
Buy Soothe 2 when the problems move: dense vocals, cymbals and full mixes where resonances shift constantly and manual bands can't follow. Its automatic tracking and transparency at depth are what the price buys, and mixing or mastering professionally, you will feel the difference weekly.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free version of Soothe?
No, oeksound offers only a trial. The practical free substitute is a dynamic EQ, TDR Nova being the standard pick, with bands parked on the problem frequencies.
Can TDR Nova do what Soothe 2 does?
It covers the common cases: dynamic bands duck sibilance, harshness or boxiness only when they spike. What it cannot do is Soothe's automatic tracking of many moving resonances at once, which is where the paid tool pulls away on complex sources.
How do I use TDR Nova as a Soothe alternative?
Sweep to find the harsh zones (commonly 2–5 kHz on vocals, 6–9 kHz sibilance), place a narrow dynamic band on each, set the threshold so reduction only engages on the spikes, and keep the gain reduction modest, transparency comes from ducking little and often.