In this article we look at Gullfoss, an intelligent dynamic equaliser which is based on a revolutionary computational auditory perception model which can process audio to make it easier for your brain to interpret by identifying and controlling elements which are competing for the listener’s attention.
Why Gullfoss?
Gullfoss is the name of a particularly beautiful waterfall in Iceland. Perhaps not the most obvious name for an audio plugin. The name comes from an observation made by Andreas Tell, a German physicist on whose work Gullfoss is based. He was considering why some sounds are inherently pleasing and others are not and the example he though of as a pleasing sound was a waterfall. Is there a way to process sounds so as to be inherently pleasing to the listener?
Andreas was doing research on quantum theory when he realised that one of the mathematical formulations he was using could potentially be very useful for rethinking the approach to time-frequency concepts in auditory signal processing. The result was Gullfoss, an adaptive equaliser that listens to a signal and decides how to present that information in a way that is most easily understood by the listener. Gullfoss uses a computational auditory perception model to decide which elements in the signal are competing for your attention. By altering levels within the signal but at the same time maintaining the perceived sound level the algorithm tries to present the signal in a way which doesn’t cause the different audible elements to over-compete for the brain’s attention.
If this sounds difficult to understand then I sympathise, When speaking with Soundtheory their advice is not to worry too much about exactly what it’s doing. However what it does, as it what it can achieve, is nothing short of remarkable.
What Does Gullfoss Do?
Gullfoss is a semi-automatic equaliser which makes audio easier to understand. As a part of that it adds clarity but on the right material the effect is much more than that. The soundstage “opens up” revealing low level information and it has an uncanny ability to clear up the difficult midrange congestion which can so often affect complex audio. Particularly well suited to mastering or processing busses, it is also useful on solo instruments. Because of its dynamic nature, it can update and change its settings 300 times per second, it can help with comb-filtering issues in multi-miked recordings and even on a solo vocal it is one of the best de-essers I’ve used. The algorithm responds to esses and I’ve also had success with dealing with squeaks on acoustic guitar recordings. Gullfoss’ ability to “get it right” is usually very good and occasionally startling.
What Does The Effect Of Gullfoss Sound Like?
If you listen to the example above, you’ll hear the example which was played to me the first time I heard Gullfoss. It is a fairly neutral solo piano playing some Bach, exactly the kind of recording which can be very frustrating to try to correct using conventional EQ., anyone who has ever done it know that pianos are uniquely unforgiving of poor EQ decisions. There is just so much going on and nowhere to hide on a solo piano. Gullfoss introduces instant clarity, perhaps better described as “intelligibility” and like most timbral processes the effect is most noticeable when going back to the original unprocessed version.
How To Use Gullfoss
Explaining what Gullfoss does is more difficult than showing what it does so watch the video below to see and hear how Gullfoss can open up a recording.
I was both impressed and fascinated by Gullfoss. To find out more visit the Soundtheory website.