Smooth Operator Pro
The deal
$79 at Plugin Alliance (down from $129). 39% off - part of the ongoing Pop-Up Shop, no expiry date listed.
What it is
Smooth Operator Pro is a spectral balancer and clarity plugin from Baby Audio. It dynamically removes problematic frequency energy - mud, harsh resonances, and masking - across your tracks using spectral processing that works on individual frequency particles rather than broad EQ bands. The Pro version adds per-node dynamic profiles, mid/side and left/right channel targeting, and 184 factory presets from world-class engineers.
Who it's for
Mix engineers and producers working on dense arrangements where multiple tracks are competing for space. It works well on any track type - vocals, drums, full mixes - where you need to reduce harshness or clean up crowded frequency ranges without reaching for a static EQ.
Key features
- Resonance Suppression 2.0 lets you set individual dynamic profiles per frequency node - target only the sides at 150 Hz, or compress just the left channel at 7.5 kHz, all within one instance
- The Instant Track Optimizer workflow is fast: set a target curve, dial the global threshold, and the plugin rebalances automatically
- Ships with 184 presets from Grammy-nominated engineers including Max Jaeger (Ariana Grande, Drake, Diplo) and Craig Bauer
- Supports independent M/S and L/R processing at any frequency across the spectrum