Major Update for Soundtheory Gullfoss: Introducing Gullfoss LIVE
by The Press Desk   15th April 2021

Originally Posted by JfromRVA ➡️

I was using the Master version sidechained with a mix of the track to archive stems. I was pleased, at first, with the improvement of clarity over the 'regular' version of Gullfoss. I would not have thought to check the Live version for this particular job had it not been for Bmanic's comments regarding the impact on transients. I finally gave in and did a proper A/B. Sure enough the Master and Regular version have what I can only describe as a digital 'haze' to the upper mids of the transient. Or a more 'rounded' sound...I guess.

Albeit a Gullfoss digital haze. Meaning that it still sounded amazing using the Master version with sidechain. But the cumulative effect when the stems were played back together is very noticeable when compared to the same stems made with the Live version. The Live version retains the upper mid attack and the beauty of Gullfoss 'magic'.

My mixing life just got a lot easier.

Originally Posted by RJHollins ➡️

Curious ... what typical settings of Recover/Tame [etc] are you using ?

Originally Posted by JfromRVA ➡️

My bus stem process (GTRs, Synths, Bass, Drums) is to run a mix without Gullfoss. Get it in the direction that I want it sonically and then use that mix as a sidechain signal into Gullfoss.

After trial and error, I found that I best like using Gullfoss for creating stems of the buses right before hitting IK Tape machines.

This is my current setup:

1. Mixdown through full processing without a final limiter

2. Sidechain Gullfoss at a max 20/20 (getting max +/- 1.5db GR/Boost. Adjust sliders to avoid huge boost/cuts in the Lows/Highs) to treat the Bus Stems.

3. Hit IK Tapes with the needle around 10 (more for guitars and synths as desired)

4. BX Amek 9099 for +/- 0.3db broad stroke adjustments

5. Treat each stem with Kelvin

6. Mix the final stems through Kush BLYSS (just a kiss of saturation and compression)

7. Limit with Elevate

Edit: Link to stems I made using this process if interested
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ooa7evyb4...xr8eoN3ia?dl=0

Originally Posted by kindafishy ➡️

J, sorry for being daft here but can you please explain more about what you are doing with sidechains here and why (ELI5)? I'm not really getting it.

Originally Posted by Ssamson ➡️

So after atell's response above I decided to give the LIVE plug a proper go and I have to say I'm really very impressed. We all know what Gullfoss is capable of, it's basically magic and I love it, but sometimes (actually tbh MOST of the time) I was finding it too brittle and harsh. It just seems to create this hardness to the sound. Which I thought was more about EQ than transient shaping, but I guess they're kind of linked in this application. With Gullfoss it was always a compromise between livening up an uninspiring source and going too far and making everything spiky and fatiguing. So much so that I'd basically stopped using Gullfoss in the last 6 months or so because I started to find the "house sound" somewhat irritating. Of course, to each their own, ymmv etc. It's still a great tool but at the end of a long day those high frequencies that it creates can be really damn annoying.

I've always wondered what was going on with the "auditory model" for it to always (ALWAYS!!) boost right at the top. You only have to look at it for it to be boosting 2db at 18k. Every. Time. I always thought that was odd, like the model is compensating for societal level average hearing loss in the high frequencies or something. Is it trying to perfect everything? Even our age related hearing loss?! Before anyone says "it's only because your mix isn't balanced properly". It will try to make the brightest of sounds and mixes brighter still. Every. Time. When it first came out I turned an engineer friend of mine onto Gullfoss and he didn't get on with it at all because he thought it was just adding a "smiley EQ" to everything, even when it wasn't necessary. That stuck with me and has made me cautious about overdoing it, especially on multiple sources in a mix. I've also never really enjoyed using the HP and LP filter sliders as I think I can hear something like phase shift going on which I don't really like. I use them as something of a last resort. How steep are those filters anyway? That would be excellent to be able to control, or use like shelves.

Anywhos, finally coming to Gullfoss LIVE. It has literally none of these issues. I preferred the sound of it on everything I tried (including masters). It has replaced every Gullfoss in all my current projects. The harsh, whistling, fatiguing high end is gone. It almost does a transformer-y euphoric thing to the sound; enlivening but compacting. Suffice to say I've removed the original Gullfoss from all my templates and plugin folders, replaced with Gullfoss LIVE. It's a revelation.

Originally Posted by henry miller ➡️

Do you still feel it’s working for you? Revelation is strong praise... still ?

Originally Posted by Fleer ➡️

Great review in the latest Sound On Sound:
“ Pros
Powerful unmasking EQ.
Easy intuitive interface.
Always natural‑sounding, even with extreme processing.
Can treat full spectrum or a selected frequency band.

Cons
None at all.

Summary
I’m usually a little uncomfortable using software processes that I can’t fully understand — I can’t say that I’m totally across the complexities of how Gullfoss works, but it works so well that I’m happy to use it anyway. A fixer/enhancer like no other, with an infinite array of applications.”