Soul Squash
Soul / Funk Vibe Compressor
Neural network captured compressor pedal with vintage soul/funk character — Thick mode, Dry Mix, and instant soulful compression in a minimal interface
VST3 · AU · AAX (64-bit) | Windows & macOS
★ Full version trial for the first 15 Days
* License Authorization needs an internet connection
The Pedal Legacy
Soul Squash is modeled on a vintage solid-state compressor pedal — the kind of unit that lived on pedalboards and recording chains throughout the golden era of soul, funk, and R&B. These pedals were prized for their clean, musical compression that added body and sustain without the noise and coloration of tube-based designs.
- Modeled on a real vintage compressor pedal
- Clean solid-state character — no tube noise
- Musical compression that enhances groove and feel
- The sound of classic soul and funk recording chains
- Minimal controls for instant, usable results
NM2 Neural Capture
Soul Squash uses Tone Empire's NM2 neural network engine to capture the exact behavior of the original hardware — not just a static snapshot, but the full dynamic response of the compressor circuit. Every nuance of how the pedal reacts to transients, sustain, and level changes is faithfully reproduced, delivering analog authenticity you can feel.
- NM2 neural network captures real hardware behavior
- Full dynamic response — not static curve modeling
- Authentic transient reaction and release characteristics
- Preserves the musical "feel" of the original pedal
- Minimal aliasing with clean digital implementation
Thick Mode
Engage the Thick switch and Soul Squash adds a carefully tuned low-frequency EQ bump post-compression — instantly fattening your signal with warm, weighty low-end that sits perfectly in a mix. Whether you need more body on a thin vocal, extra punch on a snare, or sub-weight on a bass line, Thick mode delivers instant analog gravity without muddiness or boominess.
- Post-compression low-frequency enhancement
- Adds weight and body without muddiness
- Perfect for fattening vocals, drums, and bass
- Carefully tuned to complement the compressor circuit
- One-switch simplicity — instant results
Put It On Everything
Vocals, drums, bass, guitars, synths, mix bus — Soul Squash adds groove and character everywhere
Vocals
Smooth, warm compression that controls dynamics while adding soulful presence. Thick mode fills out thin vocals instantly.
Drums & Percussion
Punchy, groovy compression that enhances the feel of every hit. Push the compressor harder for vintage drum bus squash.
Bass & Guitar
Even sustain with musical character. Thick mode adds weight to bass lines and body to clean guitar tracks.
Synths & Keys
Tame dynamic synth patches while adding analog warmth. The dry mix lets you keep the original attack alive.
Mix Bus
Gentle compression with the dry mix dialed in for parallel bus processing. Glue your mix with soulful cohesion.
Soul, Funk & R&B
Built for these genres. The compression character and Thick mode were designed to capture the sound of classic soul records.
Features & Controls
Controls input gain into the compressor processing. Push harder for more vintage compression character — from subtle dynamic control to full-on soulful squash. This is the heart of the plugin, determining how aggressively the neural-modeled circuit clamps down on your signal.
Controls output attenuation after compression. Fine-tune your level after squashing to maintain proper gain staging in your session. Use it to match the compressed signal level with the original for accurate A/B comparisons.
Blend the original unprocessed signal for parallel compression. Get the best of both worlds — the punch and control of the compressed signal mixed with the natural dynamics and transients of the dry signal. No need for parallel routing in your DAW.
Adjust input signal gain before processing. Optimize your signal hitting the compressor for the ideal compression behavior regardless of your source level. Hotter input signals will drive the compressor harder for more character.
Trim the final output after the dry mix. Precision level matching ensures Soul Squash integrates cleanly into any signal chain without introducing unwanted level changes downstream.
Adds a low-frequency EQ bump post-compression for a thicker, fatter sound. Instant low-end weight that complements the compression circuit perfectly. Engage it for vocals that need body, drums that need punch, or bass lines that need gravity.
Visual feedback showing compression depth in real-time. Monitor exactly how much gain reduction Soul Squash is applying so you can dial in the perfect amount of compression for your source material.
Specifications
Plugin Formats
macOS: VST3 / AU / AAX (64-bit)
Windows: VST3 / AAX (64-bit)
macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later
Windows 10 or later
Apple Silicon Native
System Requirements
Intel i3 / AMD Ryzen or equivalent
Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) supported
2 GB RAM minimum
200 MB disk space
Internet for license activation
Processing
Type: Neural Compressor (NM2)
Model: Solid-State Compressor Pedal
Thick Mode: Post-compression LF boost
Dry Mix: Built-in parallel compression
Metering: Real-time gain reduction
Resizable GUI: Yes
Activations: 3 per license
Trial: Full version, first 15 days