Softube Acoustic Feedback $9 + Get AudioThing Crusher FREE w/Code!

[peter]

NOTE: I’m strongly considering this and would love to hear from anyone who has it. I’m also trying out the demo.

Free AudioThing Things – Crusher

Realistic simulation (physical modeling) of guitar feedback
Fully responsive to vibratos, bends, slides, tremolos etc
Simple user interface — control amount of feedback with the Feedback knob, and the sensitivity with the Tolerance switch
Compatible with MIDI foot controls
Use it as a creative tool for producing inspiring acoustic landscapes

Use this code to reduce the price to $9: SUMMER10

https://audiodeluxe.com/collections/on-sale/products/softube-acoustic-feedback

You can try out a demo here:
https://www.softube.com/us/plug-ins/acoustic-feedback

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[peter]

I tried this during my lunch break and I love it. It adds some real magic to guitar amp sim sound. I have Minimal Audio Rift Feedback Lite (it’s free and on the LM list of best free effects; if you don’t already have it, I’d recommend picking it up), which also does physically modeled feedback, but there’s a depth to this beyond what Rift Feedback Lite does.

I’d still love to get thoughts from anyone here who has this or has demoed it. Or you can try out the free demo (I linked to it in the original post) and share your thoughts.  This plugin adds something really cool that I’m not sure I can get from any other plugins I already own (which is a lot, but none of them do exactly what this does).

You can find Rift Feedback Lite and other great freebies here:

LM Official Curated List of Best Free VST Effects Plugins

 

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1

[MrFigg]

I have it and I think it’s total crap.

[peter]

On MrFigg said

I have it and I think it’s total crap.

Now, don’t beat around the bush out of concern for offending anyone. Just come right out and say what you mean…are words I don’t think anyone has ever said to you! 😉

Seriously though, Are you comparing it to another feedback plugin that you think is superior? If so, would you mind sharing more detail on why you think the Softube one misses the mark, in your opinion, and why another plugin is superior? I want to understand WHY you don’t like it.

I put this on guitar sample libraries to try it out and I compared it to Minimal Audio’s plugin. I found the Minimal Audio plugin didn’t sound as realistic and the Softube plugin had warmth to it. It sounded realistic. Now, maybe the difference in your take and mine is subjective or perhaps it’s because I’m using it on polished sample libraries compared to a raw guitar sound? What do you think? I spent maybe 15 or 20 minutes comparing these two plugins and the Acoustic Feedback really seemed to add something special.

I’d love for others to weigh in too. Just try out the free downloads from Softube and Minimal Audio and share your thoughts. Or if you already own one of these, please share your thoughts.

I think I’m going to run a sentiment analysis on this and see what the various views on it are.

 

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1

[peter]

I just ran the sentiment analysis. It analyzed comments at the major plugin, gear, and composing forums, audio production groups on the major social media platforms, and comments on retailer sites. Overall, user opinion on Softube Acoustic Feedback plugin is very favorable for this plugin. Now, I’m sure at 9 bucks that it would be even more favorable. A quick cut and paste from it:

“Relative Strengths and Weaknesses

Softube’s Strengths: Simplicity, realism (when used subtly), responsive controls, and DAW workflow integration.

Competitor Strengths: Greater polyphonic/harmonic flexibility (AcouFiend), hands-on live control (Runaway), or seamless workflow inside a single amp suite.
Softube’s Weaknesses: Monophonic limitation, limitations to realism/articulation, and less advanced parameter control versus top competitors.

Conclusion
Overall, user sentiment towards Softube Acoustic Feedback is largely favorable, particularly for its ability to inject the elusive ‘amp feedback’ feel into in-the-box productions. Musicians value its sound quality, responsiveness, and simple controls, which make it easy to achieve natural-sounding results. Most criticisms center on its occasional artificiality, pitch detection limitations, and its niche appeal. As competition (especially from Blue Cat AcouFiend) grows, users weigh Softube’s accessible simplicity against the expanded and more flexible feature sets of newer alternatives. For those prioritizing fast, musical feedback effects in a digital workflow, Softube Acoustic Feedback remains a respected and popular solution, though feature-focused users sometimes look elsewhere for maximum customization.”

If you want to read the entire sentiment analysis:

Sentiment Analysis: Softube Acoustic Feedback Effect Plugin

SOS gave Acoustic Feedback a very positive review many years ago:
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/guitar-technology-4

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1

[Teebacca]

I have it and it’s my number one most regrettable purchase in plugins. Paid $49 for it “On sale” Just a couple years ago? Was looking for a realistic feedback replication since i don’t live in a space to do it loudly with a real guitar amp. This thing is so wobbly and uncontrollable that it’s almost unusable. It sounds like a whale. I’ve had to bounce pieces of what i liked and pitch shift the results in melodyne to morph it into a texture that i layer into the background of a track, which is way more effort than this thing is worth. Every now and then i might hit a sweet spot where i like what it does at a very specific moment, but it’s almost impossible to replicate those moments even with automation because the results are so random. It makes sense why it’s $9 now . I can go on but i know there are some die hard softtubers out there who might feel like disagreeing with me. If that’s you, please tell me what I’m doing wrong as i want so bad for this to be a usable plugin

2

[peter]

On Teebacca said

I have it and it’s my number one most regrettable purchase in plugins. Paid $49 for it “On sale” Just a couple years ago? Was looking for a realistic feedback replication since i don’t live in a space to do it loudly with a real guitar amp. This thing is so wobbly and uncontrollable that it’s almost unusable. It sounds like a whale. I’ve had to bounce pieces of what i liked and pitch shift the results in melodyne to morph it into a texture that i layer into the background of a track, which is way more effort than this thing is worth. Every now and then i might hit a sweet spot where i like what it does at a very specific moment, but it’s almost impossible to replicate those moments even with automation because the results are so random. It makes sense why it’s $9 now . I can go on but i know there are some die hard softtubers out there who might feel like disagreeing with me. If that’s you, please tell me what I’m doing wrong as i want so bad for this to be a usable plugin

I’m wondering, is the difference between my experience — the SOS reviewer’s experience — and the majority of people from major forums and groups that posted about this that we’re using guitar sample libraries and you and MrFigg are using real electric guitars?

I sent Greg Schlaepfer from Orange Tree Samples a DM about it, to get his thoughts, as I was using it on Evolution Rock Standard — which already has feedback in it. Now, from your uncontrollable remark, you described what I experienced with the “Wild” setting, but the standard setting was well controlled. I loved what it did, and I ended up buying it ($6 with my Deal Bucks or whatever that store calls them). But I can’t help but wonder if the big difference is that I’m using a sample library and probably much more controlled dynamics than you and MrFigg with actual real guitars.

As far as its price, this plugin was released nearly 20 years ago. Softube, like many other plugin developers that have been around a long time, tends to put their older plugins and very deep discount. For example, their Spring Reverb, which I picked up a few years ago for around ten bucks.

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1

[MrFigg]

Pretty much what Teebacca said. It doesn’t track well (warbles all over the place) and sounds like a whale. As you said, it may be because I’m using it on a guitar but that’s what it’s marketed at. When I feedback my guitar I get all sorts of nuances and the feedback follows the note or the harmonic. This just gives a wooooooooo sound mostly at the same note. If it works for you man then that’s cool. Didn’t do what I was hoping for.

Incidentally, if you’re looking for a good amp sim then Klevgrand Stark is the one to get and it’s on sale now. I have about a million amp sims but this one is the only one I have installed these days. They’ve just updated it and added Brusfri which is a very good plugin in itself.

[peter]

Last night, I tried Acoustic Feedback on a bunch of different presets, and I did find some presets — basically the most distorted sounds — that caused the plugin sounds to be unmanageable on certain settings; I’m guessing making what teebacca referred to as a “whale sound.” But after I adjusted (lowered) the settings on the preset, everything was fine. Based on the sentiment analysis, I suggest that @mrfigg and @teebacca may want to demo AcouFiend, as a lot of users found that far more controllable than Softube Acoustic Feedback. Based on the differences in our experiences, I am guessing that this plugin behaves very differently when you’re using it with a real, live guitar, compared to a sample library. In any event, there’s a free demo plugin available for Acoustic Feedback and for Blue Cat’s AcouFiend. I’d strongly recommend anyone interested in an acoustic feedback plugin start there.

https://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/Product_AcouFiend/

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