AURORA vs soothe2: a free way to tame resonance
soothe2 (by oeksound) is the go-to for automatic resonance and harshness control - it listens across the whole spectrum and ducks whatever jumps out, continuously. It's excellent and it's paid. AURORA is a free dynamic EQ whose de-resonate assistant and dynamic bands cover a lot of the same ground. This is an honest comparison, not a takedown.
Updated 2026-07-07What soothe2 does
soothe2 is a dynamic resonance suppressor: rather than you placing bands, it analyses the signal and automatically ducks resonant peaks as they appear, self-adjusting moment to moment across the spectrum. That hands-free, everywhere-at-once behaviour is its signature, and it's why so many engineers reach for it on vocals, guitars and busses.
Where soothe2 leads
It's a specialist, deeply refined, cross-platform, and automatic in a way a manual EQ isn't - it keeps hunting and ducking resonances you'd never place by hand, and adapts as the material changes. If resonance and harshness control is a big part of your work and you want the dedicated best-in-class tool, soothe2 earns its price.
Where AURORA is compelling
AURORA is free, and it approaches the same problem two ways: a Smart Ops de-resonate pass that hunts and ducks peaks for you (the automated angle), plus up to 24 dynamic bands you can place by hand on any resonance. It isn't a moment-to-moment auto-suppressor across the whole spectrum the way soothe2 is - but for finding and taming resonances, de-essing and de-harshing, it does a lot of the same jobs at no cost, and it's a full EQ on top.
- Free - no license key, works offline.
- Smart Ops de-resonate (automated) + up to 24 dynamic bands (manual).
- Also a full dynamic parametric EQ, with mid/side and a live analyzer.
- Not a continuous whole-spectrum auto-suppressor like soothe2; Windows-first today.
Which should you use?
If continuous, automatic resonance suppression is central to your sound and you want the specialist, soothe2 is worth it. If you want to tame resonances and harshness - and get a full dynamic EQ - for free, AURORA covers a surprising amount of the same ground. Try AURORA first; if you find yourself wanting hands-free suppression everywhere at once, that's when soothe2 makes sense.
Tame resonance free with AURORA
A one-click de-resonate pass plus up to 24 dynamic bands you place by hand - a free way to clean resonances and harshness, and a full dynamic EQ besides. No license key.
Is there a free alternative to soothe2?
Nothing is a 1:1 free clone of soothe2's continuous auto-suppression, but AURORA is a free dynamic EQ with a de-resonate assistant and dynamic bands that cover many of the same resonance- and harshness-taming jobs at no cost.
What does soothe2 actually do?
It's a dynamic resonance suppressor that automatically analyses the signal and ducks resonant peaks as they appear, self-adjusting across the spectrum - hands-free harshness and resonance control.
Can a dynamic EQ replace soothe2?
For placing and taming specific resonances and de-essing, yes - a dynamic EQ does that well. What it doesn't do is soothe2's continuous, automatic whole-spectrum suppression, so heavy resonance work may still want the specialist.