SMOOTH

The deal

$23 at Plugin Boutique (down from $29). The sale runs through August 31, 2026.

What it is

SMOOTH is a dynamics processor from KERN Audio built specifically for taming resonance and harshness. It splits the signal across 40 psychoacoustically-mapped frequency bands and only engages on bands where a resonance actually flares up, rather than applying blanket EQ cuts. It runs in Resonance mode for sustained harsh buildup or Transient mode for percussive spikes.

Who it's for

Mixing and mastering engineers who need surgical resonance control on vocals, drums, or full mixes without reaching for narrow EQ notches or over-processing the material.

Key features

• Processes 40 ERB-mapped frequency bands independently using 4096-point FFT analysis
• Offers full mid/side routing so resonances can be tamed differently across the stereo image
• Includes real-time spectral visualization to see exactly where it's working
• Ships with 32 factory presets and runs under 3% CPU