# Anyone using Izotope Ozone for mastering Orchestral style scores?



## nas (Feb 24, 2020)

In the absence of having a great mastering engineer, I was wondering if anyone here is using Ozone on orchestral style scores? If so... how do you like it? would you use it on your final stems /mixes for a film score?


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## Mikro93 (Feb 24, 2020)

Litteraly just used it on my last piece  

I like Ozone a lot, it made my tracks feel tighter and glued together. It was a game-changer for me, not only for orchestral music. I would feel pretty comfortable sending something mastered with Ozone to a client.


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## Haakond (Feb 24, 2020)

I use Ozone 8 for mastering orchestral music. It has a "classical" preset too!


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## gst98 (Feb 24, 2020)

Yeah Ozone is amazing, works on all genres. I think the stigma around Ozone just comes from the pop world where lesser-experienced user just use the AI mastering and then leave it like that. It's often marketed as a auto mastering for dummies, and some people think they don't need to learn how to master if they use Ozone.

The individual plugins inside it are all amazing. As long as you use it sensibly it wills ound great on orchestra. 

by the way, Ozone comes with a plugin called tonal blance control, or something along those lines, which shows you how the overall frequency balance of your mix compares to the 'average' sound of a specifc genre - completely amazing tool.


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## nas (Feb 26, 2020)

Mikro93 said:


> Litteraly just used it on my last piece
> 
> I like Ozone a lot, it made my tracks feel tighter and glued together. It was a game-changer for me, not only for orchestral music. I would feel pretty comfortable sending something mastered with Ozone to a client.





Thank you for sharing! There's a nice build up to your piece and I like how Ozone doesn't just clamp down and squash the transients during the louder section. It seems that it's fairly transparent.


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## Mikro93 (Feb 26, 2020)

nas said:


> Thank you for sharing! There's a nice build up to your piece and I like how Ozone doesn't just clamp down and squash the transients during the louder section. It seems that it's fairly transparent.


Thank you 
Yes, I agree! The limiter/maximizer in Ozone is a beast, it can handle a high peak level before the limiting becomes noticeable. I've had issues with other limiters that would start clipping fairly easily, not the case for Ozone, regardless of the limiting mode you choose


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## nas (Feb 26, 2020)

gst98 said:


> by the way, Ozone comes with a plugin called tonal blance control, or something along those lines, which shows you how the overall frequency balance of your mix compares to the 'average' sound of a specifc genre - completely amazing tool.



I think the Tonal Balance Control is only available in the Advanced version of Ozone? I'm considering the Standard version for the time being and then if I end up really using the plugin a lot I may upgrade. I imagine the Standard version still has the vast majority of functions and is still quite comprehensive. Are you on the Advanced version?


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## Mikro93 (Feb 26, 2020)

nas said:


> I think the Tonal Balance Control is only available in the Advanced version of Ozone?


Correct!



nas said:


> Are you on the Advanced version?


No, I'm using Ozone 8 Standard  There's plenty to get going, and more!


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## Joël Dollié (Feb 26, 2020)

Mikro93 said:


> Thank you
> Yes, I agree! The limiter/maximizer in Ozone is a beast, it can handle a high peak level before the limiting becomes noticeable. I've had issues with other limiters that would start clipping fairly easily, not the case for Ozone, regardless of the limiting mode you choose



FF Pro L2 is even better, on the "modern" setting in particular, destroys ozone in terms of transparency imo.


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## Joël Dollié (Feb 26, 2020)

nas said:


> I think the Tonal Balance Control is only available in the Advanced version of Ozone? I'm considering the Standard version for the time being and then if I end up really using the plugin a lot I may upgrade. I imagine the Standard version still has the vast majority of functions and is still quite comprehensive. Are you on the Advanced version?



Tonal balance control is worth the price of ozone advanced just by itself, it's the most useful plugin you can buy, out of all the plugins that exist in the world. Even more useful than Pro Q3. Stock and free plugins can technically do what ProQ3 Does, but Tonal Balance Control is unique.

Reason why I'm saying that is that there's no other plugin that does what TBC does, shows you the balance of your frequencies in reference to an average calculated from many tracks, with a curve that auto weights itself. It's mostly useful in the "bass heavy" preset, mostly regarding the bass and mids balance (highs always go a bit lower in orchestral). It makes any spectrum analyzer totally useless in comparison when it comes to having a good objective idea of your spectral balance.


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## Living Fossil (Feb 26, 2020)

Mikro93 said:


> Yes, I agree! The limiter/maximizer in Ozone is a beast, it can handle a high peak level before the limiting becomes noticeable.




Indeed, it is.
However, basically it's wrong to speak about "the" limiter of Ozone. You not only have different algorithms (with further modifications) but can even further modify those. (Fast - relaxed, adjustable stereo independence).
It's a good thing to spend enough time in exploring the parameters and how they affect the material.


Besides:
Ozone's stereo imaging tool is fantastic, as are some other modules.

My advice would be to skip the AI part and rather not to rely on presets. 
Those presets usually are over the top and are the main reason for the main negative attributes that people use when speaking about Ozone.


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## Illico (Feb 26, 2020)

I use it for loudness adjustment (peak limiting and LUFS maximizer).


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## Kent (Feb 26, 2020)

Joël Dollié said:


> Tonal balance control is worth the price of ozone advanced just by itself, it's the most useful plugin you can buy, out of all the plugins that exist in the world. Even more useful than Pro Q3. Stock and free plugins can technically do what ProQ3 Does, but Tonal Balance Control is unique.
> 
> Reason why I'm saying that is that there's no other plugin that does what TBC does, shows you the balance of your frequencies in reference to an average calculated from many tracks, with a curve that auto weights itself. It's mostly useful in the "bass heavy" preset, mostly regarding the bass and mids balance (highs always go a bit lower in orchestral). It makes any spectrum analyzer totally useless in comparison when it comes to having a good objective idea of your spectral balance.


my mixes got an order of magnitude better once I started using TBC


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## gh0stwrit3r (Feb 26, 2020)

I love the iZotope products. Use it for all the mastering. But I guess I need to dive into the TBC more after reading this. Thanks!


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## dzilizzi (Feb 26, 2020)

I've had Ozone since version 6 (I think I updated to 8) and rarely used it because it would crash my computer which is why I never thought much of it. And probably a reason others didn't like it. However, if your computer can handle orchestral VI's it should work. It works fine on my current computer. I use it more on pop/rock stuff so can't say much about it with orchestral.


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## nas (Feb 27, 2020)

Yes I saw some demonstrations of the TBC and it's pretty amazing. If I end up using the Standard version a lot, then the extra cost for the Advanced version will be justified for me and I'll probably make the upgrade. 

Man this place is really dangerous for bank accounts and relationships.


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## dzilizzi (Feb 27, 2020)

You can pick up the Elements version for cheap from Plugin Boutique and then start looking for upgrades. The upgrades go on sale periodically and you can usually get a better deal at one of the resalers rather than straight from Izotope.


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## José Herring (Feb 27, 2020)

Ozone is great. Funny thing though is I got great results with Ozone 3. Now I'm on 8 or 9 (can't remember) and still wish it sounded as good or was as easy to use as version 3.


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## nas (Mar 3, 2020)

Hey folks just a quick follow up on Izotope Ozone 9. I ended up getting the Advanced version as it was on sale. Not sure how long this sale is on, but I would suggest anyone considering this software who may have held back on the Advanced version for being too expensive should head over to the Izotope site and check out the Sale... it's at a significant discount!

Cheers.


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## ptram (Mar 3, 2020)

…and I'm here, asking myself if I need Ozone (specialized in mastering) or Neutron (for mixing).

I'm tempted to say that mixing is part of the creative process of composing, in particular when dealing with orchestral scores. There are decisions that can't be delegate to a software. So, a mastering assistant looks like something more useful.

Paolo


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## SupremeFist (Mar 3, 2020)

ptram said:


> …and I'm here, asking myself if I need Ozone (specialized in mastering) or Neutron (for mixing).
> 
> I'm tempted to say that mixing is part of the creative process of composing, in particular when dealing with orchestral scores. There are decisions that can't be delegate to a software. So, a mastering assistant looks like something more useful.
> 
> Paolo


I've only messed around with Neutron Elements but I found it sometimes quite handy as a sort of sanity check: a preset will show you how it expects your instrument to sound, and if there's a big difference you might want to go some of the way there with your channel eq etc. I just upgraded to Ozone 9 Advanced and Neutron 3 Advanced on sale so I'm interested to take a closer look...


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## GdT (Mar 3, 2020)

Yes. I have been using Ozone for mastering orchestral style music for quite a while now. I also use Neutron and the Tonal Balance control plugin.
There are some of my MIDI mockups here on this link:
box folder MIDI mockups
I find it quite easy to use and I am pleased with the results. I recently completed an orchestral music album using Ozone for mastering.


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## ptram (Mar 3, 2020)

I might ask an impossible question, but I'll do it to clean some fog from my mind.

I've done some tests with Ozone 9 Elements, and in the end I found that I preferred the limiting I could do with Logic's own Compressor. Ozone goes for a bright sound, and I’m always after a darker sound.

A Match EQ is also included in Logic, and I find it effective. I also like the sound of Logic EQs. Imager and Exciter are also in Logic. So, I wouldn't probably use Ozone's dynamics and EQ much.

But there are Master Rebalancing, Low End Focus, and Tone Balancing that are exclusive to Ozone. Are you using them? Are these indispensable tools to make a mix sound great?

Paolo


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## GdT (Mar 4, 2020)

Hi Paolo, I should say first I am using samples, which I find are missing a little bit of very high top end compared with when I hear live musicians.
I hear what you say about preferring a full body sound - I too like a full body sound and I don't like a lot of modern very toppy music.
But I use the tonal balance control and comparing my mix with their standard orchestral balance it appears that my samples are missing little bit of energy in the very high end about 18kHz and up. But with advancing years I did a test a few years back and I can't hear much about a certain range anyway; so that is another reason why Tonal Balance Control is useful.
I find if I get the gain staging right then the mastering multiband compressors and the final limiter have very little to do and don't seem to make a huge difference.
For orchestral style music I rarely use any of the fancy sound enhancing tools; but I do use those a lot on synth music and vocal backings. Which I find very useful.
I should also say I always add a light layer of reverb gloss on top at the mastering stage.


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## Peter Williams (Mar 5, 2020)

Most orchestral samples have already been processed a bit to allow for general use. It's safe to use EQ for most frequency boosting or reduction, but limiters seem to add unwanted color if you go very far below -2 db. Maximizers give you too much distortion, especially with strings. Limiters also are useful for bringing up the level of quiet passages when needed. At least that's what my 71 year old ears tell me. But who doesn't want to increase the volume of the final result sometimes?


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## Joël Dollié (Mar 5, 2020)

Peter Williams said:


> Most orchestral samples have already been processed a bit to allow for general use. It's safe to use EQ for most frequency boosting or reduction, but limiters seem to add unwanted color if you go very far below -2 db. Maximizers give you too much distortion, especially with strings. Limiters also are useful for bringing up the level of quiet passages when needed. At least that's what my 71 year old ears tell me. But who doesn't want to increase the volume of the final result sometimes?



Yeah most limiters start being "audible" at around 2-3db of gain reduction. But it also depends on the mix, if it's only limiting transients you can do a lot more. 

I find that the ozone maximizer is pretty good but not the best for handling orchestral/sustain stuff. Kind of messes the tails a little too much and distorts too easily.

Fabfilter pro L2 is a lot better.


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## GdT (Mar 7, 2020)

The Ozone documentation is very informative. The Ozone limiter which they call the Mazimizer actually has several (5) modes they call Intelligent Release Control (IRC) modes. The last two have 4 and 3 what they call Character styles. So there is a wide choice of what flavors are applied to the final results.


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## EwigWanderer (Mar 7, 2020)

dzilizzi said:


> You can pick up the Elements version for cheap from Plugin Boutique and then start looking for upgrades. The upgrades go on sale periodically and you can usually get a better deal at one of the resalers rather than straight from Izotope.


 That’s what I did. Bought essential versions (ozone and neutron) for about 9€ each and then upgraded to advanced 149€ each. Pretty good deal.


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## Jeremy Spencer (May 6, 2020)

Anyone here using the standalone Ozone 9 EQ module on individual tracks, as opposed to something like FabFilter Q3? If so, is it transparent?


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## MichaelVakili (May 6, 2020)

I have Ozone simply because I am plugin nerd and they have amazing stuff, dynamic EQ is really useful, the tape saturation is love, the multiband comp is something that everyone should at least have one on the raft just in case, the limiter has amazing algorithms, but my go to limiter has always been TR5 Stealth.


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## Living Fossil (May 6, 2020)

Wolfie2112 said:


> Anyone here using the standalone Ozone 9 EQ module on individual tracks, as opposed to something like FabFilter Q3? If so, is it transparent?



I used the Neutron3 (formerly Neutron 2, formerly Neutron) [advanced] EQ module as my standard EQ for years. Perfect workflow, since the bands are switchable between normal and dynamic EQ.

When FabFilter Q3 came out, i tested it. Couldn't find anything in it that made me think that i should buy it, specially not in the sound. (i have Fabfilter's MB Pro but almost never use it)

Now, since a couple of months, Neutron3 crashes Logic, so in the meantime i switched to TDR Nova GE.
In which it's possible to set individual attack and release times for dynamic bands. It's a great tool.

Nevertheless, i hope that some day Neutron will work again properly.


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## Jeremy Spencer (May 6, 2020)

Living Fossil said:


> I used the Neutron3 (formerly Neutron 2, formerly Neutron) [advanced] EQ module as my standard EQ for years. Perfect workflow, since the bands are switchable between normal and dynamic EQ.
> 
> When FabFilter Q3 came out, i tested it. Couldn't find anything in it that made me think that i should buy it, specially not in the sound. (i have Fabfilter's MB Pro but almost never use it)
> 
> ...



Thanks for the info! I’ve been trying Ozone 9 EQ and its surprisingly good. With regards to Nova, do you experience any latency when it’s on an instrument track?


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## Living Fossil (May 6, 2020)

Wolfie2112 said:


> With regards to Nova, do you experience any latency when it’s on an instrument track?



Usually i insert Nova rather when i start mixing, i.e. when the parts are already played.
(otoh i have had [and still have] Neutron's EQ as a default on some channel strip settings...)

According to Logic Nova GE causes 4.2 ms latency which isn't ideal for timing critical instruments.


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## Levon (May 24, 2020)

Would people recommend Ozone and Neutron for some one starting out learning the craft of mixing and mastering? Or are there other tools better suited for novice level?


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## Jeremy Spencer (May 24, 2020)

Levon said:


> Would people recommend Ozone and Neutron for some one starting out learning the craft of mixing and mastering? Or are there other tools better suited for novice level?



I’m not a fan of Neutron (it clutters up my workflow), but Ozone 9 Advanced is awesome. I master all of my final mixes with it, and you do indeed get a good handle on how to mix/master. Tonal Balance 2 has also become a big part of my workflow.


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## peladio (May 24, 2020)

Joël Dollié said:


> Fabfilter pro L2 is a lot better.



Yes, but far from the best though..


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## Scalms (May 24, 2020)

peladio said:


> Yes, but far from the best though..


What would be the best? I have Pro-L2 and it’s awesome, transparent, way better than ozone. Honestly curious what you had in mind


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## peladio (May 24, 2020)

Scalms said:


> What would be the best? I have Pro-L2 and it’s awesome, transparent, way better than ozone. Honestly curious what you had in mind



A.O.M. Invisible Limiter and DMG Limitless are probably my favorites..Sonnox Limiter, Eventide Elevate and TDR Limiter6 are great as well. Pro-L2 does something weird to transients when oversampled and distorts and pumps more easily than those at least in my experience..


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## Joël Dollié (May 24, 2020)

peladio said:


> A.O.M. Invisible Limiter and DMG Limitless are probably my favorites..Sonnox Limiter, Eventide Elevate and TDR Limiter6 are great as well. Pro-L2 does something weird to transients when oversampled and distorts and pumps more easily than those at least in my experience..



I personally found Invisible limiter to be not so invisible compared to pro L2. Have you tried Pro L2 on the "modern" algorithm? It's the best algo for most uses imo.


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## Billy Palmer (May 24, 2020)

Nice to hear some experienced mixers use ozone.
How do people tend to use the transient/stereo impedance settings for orchestral stuff? I'm newer to mastering and just have elements. I struggle to understand what the setting actually does.


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## Jeremy Gillam (May 24, 2020)

I've basically stopped using Ozone after getting my hands on (and head around) FabFilter.


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## Jeremy Spencer (May 24, 2020)

Jeremy Gillam said:


> I've basically stopped using Ozone after getting my hands on (and head around) FabFilter.



Yes! I love FF, especially Q3, L2 and C2. There’s just a few things I like to polish everything off with in Ozone.


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## BlackDorito (May 24, 2020)

ptram said:


> …and I'm here, asking myself if I need Ozone (specialized in mastering) or Neutron (for mixing).
> 
> I'm tempted to say that mixing is part of the creative process of composing, in particular when dealing with orchestral scores. There are decisions that can't be delegate to a software. So, a mastering assistant looks like something more useful.
> 
> Paolo


If you're thinking of choosing just one, I recommend Ozone. I have Neutron but I've never needed it. I tend to reach for FabFilter Q2, which has a nice interface and is lightweight. If I ever need the EQ and the mastering tool to talk to each other, I suppose I'll have to spend more time with Neutron.


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## vitocorleone123 (May 24, 2020)

Ozone is a great learning tool. Just definitely try to learn from it (the assistant part), not rely on it.

I have Neutron but don’t really use it.


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## jcrosby (May 25, 2020)

Ozone would be my desert island choice. The limiter is incredible, and it comes with a swiss army knife of incredibly powerful and phenomenal sounding tools... Don't let Izotope's frequent sales fever & AI obsession fool you. Izotope was developed by two MIT grads with R&D that goes back almost 20 years... 

I don't know anything else out there with this range of tools and features all in one place. Not to mention that most modules can be stereo, mid-side, or L/R independent.

EQ with adjustable phase
Dyanmic EQ
Vintage EQ - (Pultec EQP-1A EQ)
Vintage Tape - (1/2" Master tape)
Vintage Compressor (3 circuit types, 1 of which is variable mu)
Vintage Limiter (Often overlooked.)
Multiband Exciter
Multiband imager - (with zero-antiphase option & mono-compatible haas effect)
Multiband Dynamics - (Multiband Downward compression/limiting & Upward compression)
Low End Focus - (Spectral dynamics & transient shaping specifically for low end restoration.)
Master Rebalance - (Adjust the level of drums, bass, vocals, or "other" via RX's algorithms, eerily accurate.)
Spectral De-esser - (Similar idea to Soothe. Based on RX's de-esser.)
Maximizer - (4 algorithms, Transient Recovery, True Peak, etc)

Plus AB referencing, Mp3 and AAC codec preview, a dithering, suite, a standalone version, etc

You really can't find a better suite of tools all in one place. There's also a world of features hiding in plain sight most users don't even know exist... I've used Ozone for 12+ years and once you know about some of the features listed below it's on par with FF, ahead on some front, and a world unto itslef.

The EQ's mixed phase, (freely adjustable between minimum & linear phase on all bands) and its surgical mode are often overlooked. It lets you view the phase shift and and group delay introduced by each EQ band. The imager has a 'prevent antiphase' option with crossovers that can be linear phase, The spectral shaper is an RX algorithm, master rebalance comes from RX's stem separation feature... Incredible stuff people often aren't aware of...

Ozone's a daily driver for me. Use it in mixes, masters, production... 
As the phrase goes.. I put that isht on everything


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## mekosmowski (May 30, 2020)

nas said:


> Yes I saw some demonstrations of the TBC and it's pretty amazing. If I end up using the Standard version a lot, then the extra cost for the Advanced version will be justified for me and I'll probably make the upgrade.
> 
> Man this place is really dangerous for bank accounts and relationships.



Plugin Boutique has a Tonal Balance crossgrade bundle sale right now.


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## vitocorleone123 (May 30, 2020)

Mastering the Mix REFERENCE is more useful to me than Tonal Balance. But, used in conjunction, they’re a very powerful way to mix.

It’ll take me until at least Ozone 10 to start getting a handle on everything. And deciding whether it replaces other plugins more often than not. 

Just wish the upgrade to RX7 Advanced wasn’t so ridiculously priced.


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## Rory (May 30, 2020)

vitocorleone123 said:


> Just wish the upgrade to RX7 Advanced wasn’t so ridiculously priced.



Owners of RX6 Advanced could purchase RX7 Advanced for US$200 during a sale that ended a couple of weeks ago. I passed on RX7 and the sale because I saw it as a marginal upgrade over RX6, except for quite specific use cases. I also passed on the sale because it is highly likely that RX8 will be released by the end of September.


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## vitocorleone123 (May 30, 2020)

Rory said:


> Owners of RX6 Advanced could purchase RX7 Advanced for US$200 during a sale that ended a couple of weeks ago. I passed on RX7 and the sale because I saw it as a marginal upgrade over RX6, except for quite specific use cases. I also passed on the sale because it is highly likely that RX8 will be released by the end of September.



Alas, I have RX 7 Standard, so there's not been a reasonable upgrade path yet. I think the cheapest is $500 or so, so far. You'd think it'd be a reasonable upgrade from MPS3.....

That's my biggest complaint about iZotope, though I knew it going in: convoluted upgrade/crossgrade availability and pricing.

At any rate, while Fabfilter started "ahead" of iZotope on their key effects, iZotope has caught up or surpassed them in some ways at this point, given the lack of meaningful updates by Fabfilter. Fabfilter's are still easier to use, though the difference is smaller now. I can only speak to ProQ3, L2, C2, and MB. If new versions of those don't start coming out this year, Fabfilter is at risk of being left behind.

For orchestral, you could easily use iZotope ONLY (ideally in conjunction with Nimbus and/or R4).


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## Memarkiam (Sep 3, 2020)

GdT said:


> Hi Paolo, I should say first I am using samples, which I find are missing a little bit of very high top end compared with when I hear live musicians.
> I hear what you say about preferring a full body sound - I too like a full body sound and I don't like a lot of modern very toppy music.
> But I use the tonal balance control and comparing my mix with their standard orchestral balance it appears that my samples are missing little bit of energy in the very high end about 18kHz and up. But with advancing years I did a test a few years back and I can't hear much about a certain range anyway; so that is another reason why Tonal Balance Control is useful.
> I find if I get the gain staging right then the mastering multiband compressors and the final limiter have very little to do and don't seem to make a huge difference.
> ...


That's interesting. I just got TBC, and applied it to a score I'm producing using Spitfire BBCSO, and the first thing I see on TBC is my highs are way down from their Orchestral reference, and I'm wondering if this is something I should worry about? If I try to up the top end with my EQ it just sounds awful, but perhaps I'm not being subtle enough!


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## Kent (Sep 3, 2020)

Memarkiam said:


> That's interesting. I just got TBC, and applied it to a score I'm producing using Spitfire BBCSO, and the first thing I see on TBC is my highs are way down from their Orchestral reference, and I'm wondering if this is something I should worry about? If I try to up the top end with my EQ it just sounds awful, but perhaps I'm not being subtle enough!


it *might* be an issue, but in general samples are liable to be lacking in the very top end. Do any of your other libraries show this behavior?


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## Billy Palmer (Sep 3, 2020)

kmaster said:


> it *might* be an issue, but in general samples are liable to be lacking in the very top end. Do any of your other libraries show this behavior?


I definitely find this.
Home recording seems to be a good way to subtly fill out the high end.


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## Memarkiam (Sep 4, 2020)

kmaster said:


> it *might* be an issue, but in general samples are liable to be lacking in the very top end. Do any of your other libraries show this behavior?


Thanks. I haven't yet rub TBC against them, but will try that next.

Here's the track by the way. I have tweaked the mix a bit since:


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## Jeremy Spencer (Sep 6, 2020)

Memarkiam said:


> Thanks. I haven't yet rub TBC against them, but will try that next.
> 
> Here's the track by the way. I have tweaked the mix a bit since:




IMO you're having more programming/mixing issues than tonal. I'd try smoothing out those aspects first and foremost.


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## PeterN (Sep 7, 2020)

Just dont use the mastering assistant, depending on where it listens a few seconds it makes the choices.


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## Mikro93 (Sep 7, 2020)

PeterN said:


> Just dont use the mastering assistant, depending on where it listens a few seconds it makes the choices.


Or use it on a part of it that is the most relevant. I do that, I loop the loudest part of the track, it helps.
What I've done recently is to stick my own compressor before it and fine tune it after the Mastering Assistant has done its job. I find that the limiter "Maximizer" is more transparent than they make it seem, I can usually lower the threshold, it will trigger more often but still stay transparent


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## PeterN (Sep 7, 2020)

Mikro93 said:


> Or use it on a part of it that is the most relevant. I do that, I loop the loudest part of the track, it helps.
> What I've done recently is to stick my own compressor before it and fine tune it after the Mastering Assistant has done its job. I find that the limiter "Maximizer" is more transparent than they make it seem, I can usually lower the threshold, it will trigger more often but still stay transparent



I suspect its not designed for orchestral at all, but very monotone dance grooves where theres hardly any dynamic movement. How can it get the low end right by analysing 5 seconds - I mean - is it really basing its whole setup on a 5 seconds analysis where you point it to. I just used it on a pop song yesterday, with orchestral themes bedded in. Ozone 8 mastering asistant "corrected" it to raise the low ends about 4db, bcs I had it analyse a certain part. Thats a total fu.k up, I know it, bcs Ive been polishing the low end 2 fukin weeks. And it added 3db in highs, which is a complete disaster. I dont trust it at all, but I DO USE IT. I use it for the dynamics in mids, and the maximiser, it does a great job, but the highs and lows is a no no, the mastering assistant cannot have a word on them.


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## Agnus Dei (Aug 27, 2021)

I write orchestral with techno influence. Trouble here is that the genre is a crossover so their reference suggestions in both Ozone and TBC don't match my needs. The only way is to use Ozone with very careful ears but they are deffo great tools.


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## ptram (Aug 27, 2021)

A few months after having started using Ozone 9 (Advanced), I’m now in love for it.

Starting from the Classical preset, it is easy to sculpt the sound in a very transparent way. So transparent, that I also sometimes use a more colored tube compressor before it just to add that particular color!

The documentation in the iZotope web site is very informative, and is an indispensable part of using Ozone.

Something I usually do is to deactivate the EQ at the beginning of the chain, that it seems to me to be only needed if there is some problem to correct.

The same may happen with the Dynamic EQ. But this one can be very useful to tame some unwanted resonance. With the accurate graph, it is easy to catch the offending frequencies.

Even a touch of the compressor can make everything smoother, without altering the original sound. I seem to remember that you can do parallel compression with it, and keep the original signal as untouched as possible.

The Maximizer is a surprise to me. I’m accustomed to more aggressive uses of this type of processor. This one is simply transparent. What I hear is the original sound, just smoother and louder.

The trick is not to overdo. If you are careful, Ozone allows to be vey delicate in massaging the sound.

Paolo


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## Agnus Dei (Aug 28, 2021)

Thank you for that Paolo. This was most helpful. I use Spitfire a lot and I agree that there is no point in buying the Abbey road Library sound for example, only to change the eq. What is the point? Also the exciter in Ozone has to be used very sparingly because it creates havoc with the reverb. Another pitfall I fell into was putting Neutron onto the strings. Yes it creates presence and can enhance the sample but it causes other problems in the mix. I also think using a moderated preset rather than using the track assistant is better for orchestral sounds. All in all, I use Izotope but I learnt the hard way that less is always more.


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## dcoscina (Aug 28, 2021)

Haakond said:


> I use Ozone 8 for mastering orchestral music. It has a "classical" preset too!


same here. It seems to help define inner lines and separate the low, mids and highs of a piece.


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## Bman70 (Aug 28, 2021)

I sometimes use Ozone, but lately have liked using Neutron Advanced. It has some nice orchestral style mastering presets too.

When I want to do more than just slap a preset on, I use Ozone's Mastering Assistant, and drag in a reference track and do some matching to that.


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