Soul Squash

Name: Soul Squash
Price: 39 USD
Author: Tone Empire

by Tone Empire · Compressor · Vintage compressor pedal model

Not rated yet

Soul Squash is a neural-network model of a vintage solid-state compressor pedal, made with Tone Empire's NM2 technology.

It keeps the controls minimal and aims for soulful, funky squash, for $39.

Best for: Guitars, Bass, Keys & Synths, Drums. Genres: R&B & Soul, Rock & Indie, Pop, Lo-Fi.

Keywords: bass, vintage, electric guitar, minimal controls, solid-state, keys, parallel processing, vocals, AI/machine learning, beginner-friendly, classic, clean, drums, glue, inspired by, lo-fi, metering, mixing, rhythmic, simple, single-band, single knob, subtle, thick, visual feedback.

What it does

Soul Squash is a neural capture of a vintage solid-state compressor pedal, inspired by classic soul, funk and R&B recording chains. Tone Empire sums it up as "squash with groove, in three knobs."

Pedal model: a clean, solid-state compressor sound captured with Tone Empire's NM2 neural networks.
Compress: one knob that goes from subtle dynamic control to full, saturated squash.
Dry Mix: blends in the uncompressed signal for parallel compression without extra routing.
Output: sets the final level, with a gain-reduction meter to show the squash.
Thick mode: a switch that adds low-end EQ after the compressor for weight on bass, body on guitars and presence on vocals.

KVR lists version 1.0.1. A 15-day full-version trial is available.

Source: Tone Empire product page

When to use it

Soul Squash is for fast, characterful stompbox compression: three knobs and a switch, with no ratio or timing to set. Compared with bx_opto Pedal, another pedal-based compressor plugin, it adds a Dry Mix for parallel blending and a Thick switch for low-end weight. It is far simpler than CLA-76 or Pro-C 3 and gives up their attack, release and ratio control in exchange for instant vibe. It is a low-cost add-on for funk and soul tones rather than a general mixing compressor.

Best for: funky clean guitars, bass and electric keys, plus groups of tracks that need some cohesion.
Genres: R&B, soul, funk, rock, pop and lo-fi.
Look elsewhere if: you want detailed control over attack, release and ratio; Pro-C 3 or CLA-76 give more.
Tip: Bedroom Producers Blog found it worked on groups of tracks as well as single parts, adding unity while keeping clarity.

What producers say

Coverage is light, but the one review found it does its job simply and well.

Bedroom Producers Blog (James Nugent, 2024) said it "does what it's supposed to do with minimal fuss" and praised its authentic funk and soul character on bass, guitar, keys and vocals.
Criticisms: none raised; the review covered a limited-time free offer, so it is light on detail.

Bedroom Producers Blog article

Where to buy

Tone Empire: $39
Plugin Boutique: $39

Tutorials and reviews

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