In a newsletter to users, Focusrite announced that the Sonnox Soften plugin is available for free download. The plugin is a resonance suppressor suitable for processing guitars, vocals, buses, and sends.
Sonnox Soften was originally part of the Sonnox Voca combined compressor and saturator. The developers separated the resonance suppression component and released it as a plugin.
Soften offers three modes of operation and simple control via a main knob. This knob controls the intensity of resonance suppression. Information about the signal and the plugin's effect on it is displayed on a small screen in the instrument window.
Users have access to modes for processing vocals, guitars, buses, and sends. In vocal mode, the effect can be used as a de-esser and filter to reduce harshness in the high-frequency range. Despite this, Soften does not distort the signal, preserving its clarity, purity, and presence.
In guitar processing mode, Soften promises to improve the overall sound quality in terms of timbre and make instruments sit tighter in the mix. Focusrite claims that the plugin pushes fragile high frequencies and nasal mids into the background, creating a more natural guitar sound.
Finally, in Bus and Send Processing mode, the effect enhances the overall sound quality and suppressing harsh high frequencies. Harsh high frequencies can make a mix sound unpleasant, which can be tiring to listen to.
Sonnox Soften is available for free download until September 16, 2025. To download it, you must be a registered user of Focusrite or Novation products. Create an account with one of the two companies and link your existing equipment to it.
Focusrite Sonnox Soften is available in VST3, AU, and AAX formats. It is compatible with Windows 10 and later, as well as macOS 11 and later (Intel/Apple). Visit the promo page on the Focusrite website to download the plugin.
I really liked it.
So nice
Sharp
Very good