# Soundtheory Gulfoss Update 1.9.1 comes with Gulfoss Live !



## muziksculp (Apr 15, 2021)

_The biggest update for Gullfoss so far introduces new features, an improved equalizer engine and a new plugin called Gullfoss LIVE._

April 15, 2021 - Starting with version 1.9.0, Gullfoss now comes in two flavors. The established version of Gullfoss for mixing and mastering in the studio is accompanied by Gullfoss LIVE, which is optimized for low-latency situations like tracking and live mixing. At a latency of less than 2 milliseconds, compared to the approximately 20 milliseconds for the regular version, Gullfoss LIVE delivers pristine sound quality and all the same features. The sound gains a little more character as the low-latency algorithm treats transients differently. This difference also makes Gullfoss LIVE an alternative for mixing and mastering music styles with very pronounced transients.

With the new release, Gullfoss gains support for sidechain processing to enable stem mastering, content-driven ducking and creative sound-design. The EQ display gain scale can now be changed so that even the most subtle movements can be observed.

The new equalizer engine debuting with version 1.9.0 improves upon the renowned sound quality of Gullfoss. A new innovative algorithm delivers a smoother high-end and a warmer low-end that will satisfy the most critical listeners. At the same time the CPU performance is improved at very high sampling rates.

https://www.soundtheory.com/support


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## RonV (Apr 16, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> _The biggest update for Gullfoss so far introduces new features, an improved equalizer engine and a new plugin called Gullfoss LIVE._
> 
> April 15, 2021 - Starting with version 1.9.0, Gullfoss now comes in two flavors. The established version of Gullfoss for mixing and mastering in the studio is accompanied by Gullfoss LIVE, which is optimized for low-latency situations like tracking and live mixing. At a latency of less than 2 milliseconds, compared to the approximately 20 milliseconds for the regular version, Gullfoss LIVE delivers pristine sound quality and all the same features. The sound gains a little more character as the low-latency algorithm treats transients differently. This difference also makes Gullfoss LIVE an alternative for mixing and mastering music styles with very pronounced transients.
> 
> ...


Also a 30% off sale for the new version until 4/28.


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## Macrawn (Apr 16, 2021)

Ok cool. I'll try it. I always cut back on the high end in Gull so maybe the new algo makes that better.


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## muziksculp (Apr 16, 2021)

RonV said:


> Also a 30% off sale for the new version until 4/28.


Thanks for adding that. I forgot to add it to my post.


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## Sarah Mancuso (Apr 16, 2021)

I'm a bit hesitant to update while I'm in the middle of projects, if the sound has changed. Is there a compatibility switch or anything like that?


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## Macrawn (Apr 16, 2021)

Sarah Mancuso said:


> I'm a bit hesitant to update while I'm in the middle of projects, if the sound has changed. Is there a compatibility switch or anything like that?


I kinda want an undo, but the first update they did, significantly improved it. I'd like to hear the difference first.


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## Consona (Apr 16, 2021)

Macrawn said:


> Ok cool. I'll try it. I always cut back on the high end in Gull so maybe the new algo makes that better.


I use this plugin https://www.sknoteaudio.com/wp/inde...dbrigade-a-brigade-of-filters-with-a-mission/ which does a similar thing without that high end hype Gulfoss does.


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## sean8877 (Apr 16, 2021)

Is this a free update if you own the current version?


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## muddyblue (Apr 16, 2021)

sean8877 said:


> Is this a free update if you own the current version?


yes, look at their homepage : https://www.soundtheory.com/support

....all previous purchasers of Gullfoss can download the latest versions, and get the two plug-ins for free! These versions should be compatible with all previous settings of Gullfoss in saved projects. Please note, however, that saved projects with the new versions are not compatible with previous versions of Gullfoss.


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## sean8877 (Apr 16, 2021)

muddyblue said:


> yes, look at their homepage : https://www.soundtheory.com/support
> 
> ....all previous purchasers of Gullfoss can download the latest versions, and get the two plug-ins for free! These versions should be compatible with all previous settings of Gullfoss in saved projects. Please note, however, that saved projects with the new versions are not compatible with previous versions of Gullfoss.


Excellent, thanks.


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## gh0stwrit3r (Apr 16, 2021)

muddyblue said:


> ....all previous purchasers of Gullfoss can download the latest versions, and get the two plug-ins for free!


Marvelous! Something to look forward to this weekend


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## Rob Elliott (Apr 16, 2021)

Sarah Mancuso said:


> I'm a bit hesitant to update while I'm in the middle of projects, if the sound has changed. Is there a compatibility switch or anything like that?


Same thing here - in middle of project....BUT if the eq is a MARKED improvement - it might be worth the risk. Has anyone 'heard' the difference (std not live)?


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## muddyblue (Apr 16, 2021)

Rob Elliott said:


> Same thing here - in middle of project....BUT if the eq is a MARKED improvement - it might be worth the risk. Has anyone 'heard' the difference (std not live)?


I just updated, runs fine. I can't hear any significant difference to the previous one. But I don't have a perfect hearing either


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## Resoded (Apr 16, 2021)

Thanks for the heads up!


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## Macrawn (Apr 16, 2021)

I updated after muddyblue gave me the clear.

I can't confirm nor deny a difference but here's my take on the regular version.
With the previous version I would usually move the bar on Gullfoss so it wouldn't work above 12k because I thought it introduces harshness. 

I can't tell you if it's better but to me, after I put it on a track I didn't feel the need to move the Gullfoss red bar to 12k. Wasn't harsh sounding as I thought I remembered it. Maybe the update did help.
BUT
Could also my imagination since I can't AB with the old version and I think I want to believe that they did something cause they said they did. 

It's not worse at least and didn't break anything.


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## Rob Elliott (Apr 16, 2021)

Great - thanks guys. I'll give it a go for the next cue review.


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## Rob Elliott (Apr 16, 2021)

Updated and runs just fine. I am sure it is psychosomatic - but does sound a 'tad' less harsh. Hey if it is true in my brain (and hopefully the client's) it IS true.


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## Blakus (Apr 16, 2021)

Side chain implementation, fantastic! Been hoping for this. Also, for those saying it’s harsh, make sure you calibrate brightness to the source by using the tiny indicator down the bottom. Also, I nearly never use “recover”, just “tame”. Picked up that tip from Meyerson. This plugin can do wonders sometimes


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## FireGS (Apr 16, 2021)

Blakus said:


> Also, for those saying it’s harsh, make sure you calibrate brightness to the source by using the tiny indicator down the bottom.


Am I missing something in my interface? Can you explain that?


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## Monkberry (Apr 16, 2021)

I actually forgot I had this plugin until the update email reminded me. I threw it on the mix of a tune I'm working on currently and it brightened up in a good way, but it needs to be used in moderation. On the older version, I found that it would help on occasion but did not need it that often. It definitely sounded great today on an unfinished mix. Not sure about the purpose of the sidechain feature on this plugin but I don't use it on individual tracks or group tracks.


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## Macrawn (Apr 16, 2021)

I know about that brightness meter. I still always thought the highs were a little harsh even with that set. 
I usually set recover and tame somewhat close but maybe I should weigh more on recover I'll try that.


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## Trash Panda (Apr 16, 2021)

How is this for orchestral samples? I’ve found Smart EQ2 and Neutron’s Sculpting tool, which seem similar in idea alter the timbre too much and tend to suck the life out of the samples.


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## Macrawn (Apr 16, 2021)

FireGS said:


> Am I missing something in my interface? Can you explain that?


It's tiny but at the bottom in the middle of the screen is a little tiny white meter that shows like a balance for brightness. You can adjust that so it's more neutral with one of the sliders at the top. There is another one on the left that shows the balance between tame and recover which I try and keep somewhat balanced too but Blakus says go recover so maybe that's better.


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## FireGS (Apr 16, 2021)

Macrawn said:


> It's tiny but at the bottom in the middle of the screen is a little tiny white meter that shows like a balance for brightness. You can adjust that so it's more neutral with one of the sliders at the top. There is another one on the left that shows the balance between tame and recover which I try and keep somewhat balanced too but Blakus says go recover so maybe that's better.


OOOOOOOH, I gotcha. OK, I was just using my ears, and didnt realize what that meter was showing. I thought there was some small, magical "calibrate brightness" feature I missed.


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## Rob Elliott (Apr 16, 2021)

Macrawn said:


> It's tiny but at the bottom in the middle of the screen is a little tiny white meter that shows like a balance for brightness. You can adjust that so it's more neutral with one of the sliders at the top. There is another one on the left that shows the balance between tame and recover which I try and keep somewhat balanced too but Blakus says go recover so maybe that's better.


Yea - I use those TWO sliders a LOT. To give it subtle polish. I also have tame and recover minimally set but always worth lowering the recover to hear it out. Thanks.


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## jcrosby (Apr 16, 2021)

Trash Panda said:


> How is this for orchestral samples? I’ve found Smart EQ2 and Neutron’s Sculpting tool, which seem similar in idea alter the timbre too much and tend to suck the life out of the samples.


Curious about this too... Sculptor's ok on some things, but totally destroys others....


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## Henu (Apr 16, 2021)

Just used Gullfoss on a "still messy" brass group (think LotR) in a mix which kind of made it way more tolerable. So just like Soothe, there are definitely situations you can take advantage of having Gullfoss in your toolbox, but as a general rule of thumb Gullfoss works the better the more you have stuff going through it.

Speaking of the 1.9 update, I decided to update in the middle of a soundtrack mix because in many of the songs I just couldn't make Gullfoss useful in the master bus and decided to leave it out on roughly half of the tracks while in the rest it was basically just sitting there not doing anything useful. So I thought that "why not" because technically I had nothing to lose but something to win. 

Turned out that there's definitely something happened under the hood, and the whole algorhitm was just somehow way better, accurate and transparent. It recognized way more bad stuff to tame without touching the good stuff and the the recovery wasn't acting completely bonkers anymore. I don't know what the folks at Soundtheory have done to the code, but it feels like Gullfoss 1.8 "on steroids" and only in a good way. 

Just be wary that if you update in the middle of a project, you will most likely find out that it's doing way more than it used to do earlier- at least this happened to me but YMMV. So you may want to revisit each instance in your mix before printing to make sure that it does what it should do!


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## Macrawn (Apr 17, 2021)

jcrosby said:


> Curious about this too... Sculptor's ok on some things, but totally destroys others....


yeah, Neutron Sculptor can be hit or miss. I think it's good sometimes but other times really bad. Worth trying sometimes. 

I think Gullfoss is very good on orc stuff, but I use it on a bus or the master as it's good at making a lot of things together more clear. It's worth a demo to hear for yourself at least. 

It's not a miracle worker but it gives a little polish I think.


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## jcrosby (Apr 17, 2021)

Macrawn said:


> yeah, Neutron Sculptor can be hit or miss. I think it's good sometimes but other times really bad. Worth trying sometimes.
> 
> I think Gullfoss is very good on orc stuff, but I use it on a bus or the master as it's good at making a lot of things together more clear. It's worth a demo to hear for yourself at least.
> 
> It's not a miracle worker but it gives a little polish I think.


Cool, thanks.... Totally agree. Most of the neutron modules are pretty good but Sculptor's a bit of a dud... The punch and clarity setting's nice as a bus compressor, everything else is a gamble... 

I would mainly use Gulfoss on busses anyway so hear that. The low latency mode is what finally makes it appealing. It'd be nice to have something like this into a production template that can be toggled on if needed.

I'll give the demo a spin and see what I think...


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## Macrawn (Apr 17, 2021)

jcrosby said:


> Cool, thanks.... Totally agree. Most of the neutron modules are pretty good but Sculptor's a bit of a dud... The punch and clarity setting's nice as a bus compressor, everything else is a gamble...
> 
> I would mainly use Gulfoss on busses anyway so hear that. The low latency mode is what finally makes it appealing. It'd be nice to have something like this into a production template that can be toggled on if needed.
> 
> I'll give the demo a spin and see what I think...


I like to know your honest opinion on it and how you are using it. If you don't like it I'd like to hear about it.


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## muziksculp (Apr 17, 2021)




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## Blakus (Apr 17, 2021)

Macrawn said:


> It's tiny but at the bottom in the middle of the screen is a little tiny white meter that shows like a balance for brightness. You can adjust that so it's more neutral with one of the sliders at the top. There is another one on the left that shows the balance between tame and recover which I try and keep somewhat balanced too but Blakus says go recover so maybe that's better.


To be clear, I was suggesting to try full tame, not recover (which can introduce a whole bunch of extra high end)


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## ALittleNightMusic (Apr 17, 2021)

This or Soothe2?


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## Blakus (Apr 17, 2021)

ALittleNightMusic said:


> This or Soothe2?


Both are great. I tend to gravitate towards Soothe2 for specific problem areas, and Gullfoss for its overall magic.


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## R. Soul (Apr 18, 2021)

Blakus said:


> Both are great. I tend to gravitate towards Soothe2 for specific problem areas, and Gullfoss for its overall magic.


I agree with this. 
I use Soothe 2 a tons more though. Gullfoss is mostly just sitting on the master bus, and the occasional mix bus.
It's worth pointing out that both have (cheaper) rivals now. DSEQ 3 is similar to Soothe 2 and Teote is similar Gullfoss.


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## Trash Panda (Apr 24, 2021)

@Blakus I’ve been trying the demo and just not really digging what it does to the sound. Did you use this in your recent Star Wars demo?


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