So You Put Soothe on Your Master Bus and Called It a Mix? Bless Your Heart! (Patreon)

Today I shared my experiences using different spectral compressors, including DSEQ3, Specraft, and Spectral Compressor.

I explained why I prefer DSEQ3 over Soothe and how I use these tools carefully to avoid over-processing my music. I also highlighted the dangers of removing too many resonances and stressed the importance of subtlety when working with these plugins.

Overall, I use spectral compressors mostly for resonance control and sidechaining, but always aim to preserve the character and balance of my mix.

Comparison and usage of three spectral compressors: DSEQ3, Spectra Compressor (free/open-source), and Spectraft

DSEQ3 is preferred over Soothe due to its features, non-iLok protection, and price

DSEQ3 features include smart AI threshold, custom threshold curves, and frequency-selective processing

Emphasis on subtle use with slow attack/release to avoid ruining musical resonances

Overuse of spectral compressors can remove musicality and make tracks sound artificial

Selectivity/sharpness and gain reduction strength are key controls in DSEQ3 to manage frequency grouping and processing intensity

Custom threshold and slope options allow targeted frequency balancing or matching other tracks’ spectral shapes

Spectra Compressor is basic, free, useful for sidechain bass-drums but lacks quality-of-life features and selectivity

Warning that Spectra Compressor can sound harsh/digital quickly, especially on the master or with high ratio/upwards compression

Spectraft sits in between, offering more versatile controls, real ratio, Q/selectivity, attack/release in ms, threshold profiling, and adaptive dynamics for upward correction

Spectraft’s dynamic compensation helps restore broad spectral energy after frequency reductions

All spectral compressors discussed can be used as analyzers/visual guides, not just for active processing

The importance of not over-flattening music, keeping resonances and “dirt” for character and glue

Recommendation to fix frequency issues at the source/instruments rather than relying on heavy spectral master bus processing

Subgenre-specific aesthetic choices acknowledged, with a general preference for more musical, resonant mixes