Sound Magic has introduced its Neo Loudness plugin, designed for producers looking to bridge the gap between loudness and natural sound quality.

If you’re not confident in mastering, brick-wall limiters can lead to a trade-off where music can lose its depth and dynamism in favour of loudness. Ultimately, limiters can make a song sound tight and lifeless if you’re unsure of how to use one effectively while Neo Loudness is designed with easy usability in mind.

Sound Magic’s Neo Loudness plugin seeks to reverse this trend so producers can create sonically powerful tracks and retain the emotive essence of their music.

Neo Loudness by Sound Magic

The Neo Loudness plugin presents a 3-phase maximizer design, incorporating an enhancer and foundation compressor which work together to provide users with control over the balance between volume and dynamics. Through its algorithm, Sound Magic claims its Neo Loudness plugin can attain the same levels of loudness as brick-wall limiters while preserving the intricate character of the music.

Sound Magic states the three phases work harmoniously to enhance different facets of a signal. The first phase refines the audio and establishes a foundation for the Neo Loudness algorithm while the second extends the audio spectrum, contributing to a balanced sonic profile. Then, finally, the Neo Loudness algorithm imparts a full, professional sound to the music.

Furthermore, Sound Magic states that psychological acoustics is at the heart of the Neo Loudness algorithm. By leveraging the inherent insensitivity of human ears to loudness within specific ranges, Neo Loudness adeptly compresses the input signal intelligently.

Its harmonic distortion profile is one of Neo Loudness’ cool features. While limiters can introduce uneven harmonic distortions based on how they’re used, Neo Loudness has been engineered to emphasize even harmonics and nurture a warmer sonic character.

This release marks a decade of evolution since Neo Loudness’s initial debut in 2010, where we saw the first instance of the groundbreaking Neo Loudness algorithm. Over the years, it’s undergone refinement with the second phase being added in 2013. Now, in its third iteration, Sound Magic introduces the three-phase maximizer solution.

Pricing and availability

Neo Loudness is available for Windows and macOS in VST3 and AU plugin formats. Take advantage of its introductory price of $49 until November 28th, 2023, after which it will retail for $129.