Aura vs soothe2 (and soothe3)
soothe2 tames everything that spikes. Aura ducks only the peaks that cross a threshold, and leaves the body of the note alone between spikes. Both reduce flaring frequency peaks automatically — the difference is in what they protect.
| Feature | Aura | soothe2 / soothe3 |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Reduces harsh peaks when they spike, leaves the signal alone between spikes | Full-spectrum automatic resonance reduction (soothe3 rebuilt the algorithm) |
| Full-spectrum processing | No — adjustable frequency range, not a full-spectrum processor | Yes — full spectrum, hundreds of frequency points |
| Manual band placement | Yes — you set the frequency region and threshold | No — automatic (no fixed bands) |
| Multiband mode | Yes — unlock 1, 3, or 5 independent zones | No (the whole unit is the multiband) |
| Mid/Side (on this module) | No — the resonance suppressor processes L/R (Aura's EQ and opto/FET comps offer M/S) | Yes |
| Sidechain (on this module) | No — internal detection only (Aura's opto/FET/bus comps have sidechain + HPF) | Yes |
| Delta listen | Yes — hear what was removed | Yes — via the diff button |
| Bloom (additive warmth on sustained content) | Yes — independent of taming | No |
| Soft / Hard processing modes | No — threshold-based single mode (Sharpness + Selectivity shape the reaction) | Yes — Soft and Hard modes |
| Zero-latency mode | No — small fixed latency on the resonance stage | soothe3 added a zero-latency mode in v1.0 (soothe2 has none) |
| Formats | VST3, Standalone | VST, VST3, AU, AAX (platform varies by version) |
| OS | Windows 10/11 (64-bit) | Windows and macOS |
| Copy protection | None — no iLok, no account wall | iLok account + License Manager required (dongle not required) |
| Part of a larger strip | Yes — EQ, compressors, saturation, bus glue all in the same window | No — standalone plugin |
| Trial | 14 days, full feature set | 20 days |
Where they overlap
Both plugins identify frequency peaks that flare up and reduce them automatically. soothe finds resonances that rise above the surrounding spectral level and ducks them, across the full spectrum, in real time. Aura's resonance stage watches for harsh peaks — the kind that cause ear fatigue — and ducks them only when they spike above your threshold, passing the signal untouched between spikes.
Both give you a delta / diff listen so you can hear exactly what is being removed. On the basic job of catching a harsh resonance and pulling it down, the two tools meet.
Where soothe2 / soothe3 wins
Depth and comprehensiveness. soothe processes the full spectrum simultaneously with fine granularity. To transparently smooth a dense, complex signal — a full orchestral stem, a harsh acoustic room, a dense synth pad — the full-spectrum approach handles cases Aura's module was not designed for. This is the core reason soothe has the reputation it does.
Soft / Hard processing modes. soothe gives you a Soft mode that is more transparent and a Hard mode that reacts more dynamically — useful when you want to nudge the suppression behavior rather than set a threshold.
Cross-platform, Pro Tools, and tracking. soothe3 runs on Windows and macOS in VST3, AU, and AAX, and added a zero-latency mode in v1.0 for live tracking. Aura is Windows-only and its resonance stage carries a small fixed latency.
It is a specialist. If resonance suppression is the specific job, a dedicated tool built entirely around it offers more control and more transparency than a module inside a channel strip.
Where Aura is different
The aura display changes how you use the resonance stage. The spectral display glows amber where your signal is alive and dim where it isn't. When a resonance spike flares on a frequency the aura shows as dim, you are looking at noise; when it spikes on an amber frequency, you are looking at something the music is actually doing — and you can decide whether to duck it. That context is not available in soothe.
Bloom. Inside the Resonance module, Bloom adds warmth that grows on the sustained, in-tune body of a note — independently of the taming. You can run Bloom with no suppression, or run them together. There is nothing equivalent in soothe.
One window. Aura provides resonance taming alongside parametric EQ, opto and FET compression, analog saturation, and a bus glue compressor without leaving the plugin. soothe is a single-purpose tool you chain alongside everything else.
No iLok. soothe3 requires an iLok account and License Manager to activate. Aura uses a signed keyfile: drop it in once, run offline permanently, install on all your own machines.
What Aura's resonance module is not
It is not a soothe replacement. If full-spectrum automatic resonance processing is the specific job — smoothing a difficult room mic, taming a thorny mix bus, or working where the suppressor must handle the whole spectrum at once — soothe2 or soothe3 will do things Aura's module cannot.
Aura's resonance stage is designed to be the dynamic taming layer in a front-of-mix chain: catch the harsh peaks that fatigue the ear, add Bloom to the body of the note, and pass a clean, warm signal downstream.
Who each is for
soothe2 and soothe3 are specialists. If resonance suppression is the primary need and you work across platforms, they are the more thorough tool.
Aura is for the Windows-first engineer who wants EQ, compression, taming, saturation, and bus glue in one window — and wants to see what the music is doing while they work.
Before you commit
Is Aura a soothe2 or soothe3 alternative?
Not a full replacement. Aura's resonance module catches harsh peaks when they spike and adds Bloom to the body of the note, inside a full channel strip. soothe processes the full spectrum simultaneously with Soft/Hard modes — for dense, comprehensive resonance smoothing it does things Aura's module was not designed to do.
Does Aura tame resonance across the full spectrum like soothe?
No. Aura's resonance stage works on an adjustable frequency range with up to 1, 3, or 5 zones, ducking harsh peaks above a threshold. It is not a full-spectrum spectral processor the way soothe is.
Does Aura's resonance module need iLok?
No. Aura uses a signed offline keyfile with no account wall. soothe3 requires an iLok account and the iLok License Manager (no physical dongle needed).
Can I run Aura on macOS or in Pro Tools like soothe3?
Not yet — Aura is Windows-only (VST3 + Standalone). soothe3 runs on Windows and macOS in VST3, AU, and AAX, and has a zero-latency tracking mode Aura's resonance stage does not.
soothe2 and soothe3 are specialists — if resonance suppression is the primary need and you work across platforms, they are the more thorough tool. Aura is a channel strip with a resonance module built in, built around a visual that tells you what is alive in your signal and what isn't. If you want a Windows-first workflow that does EQ, compression, taming, saturation, and bus glue in one window, Aura is worth 14 days. The trial is the full plugin — nothing crippled.