Which Soothe 2 resolution sounds best? Why I use Normal, not Ultra

One small setting people completely overlook in Soothe 2 is the resolution mode. And honestly, it changes the sound A LOT.

Most people immediately think: “Ultra must be the best one.”

But after comparing it on a lot of different material, I kept coming back to the same conclusion: Normal sounds the most natural, at least on Soothe 2.

Better resolution is not better sound

This plugin uses FFT processing, which means it analyzes the signal and detects harmonics across the frequency spectrum. When you increase the resolution, the plugin simply starts detecting more and more tiny harmonics, especially in the high frequencies.

And I mean really tiny ones: super specific little spikes like 5463 Hz, 7321 Hz, you name it.

Technically that sounds impressive, but musically it’s not always a good thing. The plugin starts reacting to every microscopic harmonic in the top end. That makes the processing extremely detailed, but it can also make the result feel sterile.

On top of that, it’s very CPU heavy for something that doesn’t actually help the sound.

My approach

For me, Normal resolution hits the sweet spot. It still detects the important resonances, but it doesn’t chase every tiny harmonic in the signal. The result feels much more musical and natural.

The way I use the plugin matters too. You’ll almost never see me using super sharp bands or hunting ultra-precise frequencies. I treat it more like a multiband compressor, gently controlling harsh areas instead of surgically removing individual frequencies.

When I want to experiment, I always switch the modes in real time while the track is playing.

Watch out

This part is important: don’t change these settings blindly. Actually listen to what they do to the sound.

Sometimes the setting that looks more advanced technically just ends up making the music feel worse.

For example, and quite the opposite, Gullfoss sounds best at the higher settings. That was an epiphany for me too, and I highly recommend you check its settings.