iZotope RX Post-Production Suite 5
By Adam Gallant
With our reliance on video content growing , iZotope ’ s latest production suite is a welcome release that includes tools to address current-day challenges . This is the fifth iteration of the Post-Production Suite bundle and is a comprehensive collection of the company ’ s most valuable products for both audio-for-video and music production .
Here , we ’ ll touch on most of the tools included in the bundle as well as a few realworld applications .
RX8 Advanced The most substantial component included in the suite is iZotope ’ s most recent version of RX . RX8 Advanced is a fully-featured flagship restoration software toolkit and a staple in our industry . The latest version includes some highly-anticipated upgrades such as new algorithms , horizontal scrolling , expanded functionality for the De-Hum module , improved workflows for batch file processing , the return of the much-loved Repair Assistant , and much more .
Brand new to this version is the Loudness Control module , which allows users to load preset loudness targets and automatically conforms audio content to broadcast specifications . Guitar Denoise is also a totally new module – a denoising tool optimized for the noisy world of guitars . Other new features include the Wow & Flutter module , which corrects pitch drift and variances that tend to exist on material transferred from less-than-ideal tape or vinyl systems .
With so many of us creating content from home , it is becoming more common to encounter video projects that include content recorded from streamed conference calls or interviews . The audio in these segments is often mangled in the top end because of lossy audio compression used to stream over the internet . RX8 ’ s brand new Spectral Recovery restores frequencies above 4 kHz . It easily turns watery-sounding dialogue audio into clearer , more intelligible and human-sounding speech .
Check out the demo on iZotope ’ s site for a pretty amazing example of what this software can do . This product is a display of how iZotope remains on the cutting edge of development .
Nectar 3 Nectar 3 is a tool devoted to enhancing vocals in a music mix . It is extremely easy to use and it delivers quick results . There are seven modules to help shape vocals and dialogue in a track : EQ , Pitch , Dimension , Harmony , Compressor , Reverb , and a De-esser . There ’ s an array of presets to get a finished vocal sound almost instantaneously . Melodyne 5 essentials is also included with Nectar 3 . Between RX ’ s breath control , Mouth De-click , and Nectar 3 , a perfectly polished vocal performance can be easily shaped . What used to be hours of painstaking work can now be tackled in minutes .
Neutron 3 Neutron is a powerful and intelligent mixing suite with eight modules designed to get a mix going very quickly . New to version three is Mix Assistant , which listens to an entire mix and builds a jumping-off point that focuses the mix around a user-selected instrument ( often the lead vocal ). We ’ ve had great success using Neutron to kickstart a mix .
Tonal Balance Control 2 This tool is designed to take the guesswork out of finishing and comparing a mix to reference material . It lets users view the tonal balance of audio and compare against 12 target curves derived from popular music genres . You can also load in an audio file to create a custom reference curve . Using reference tracks during music production or post has become commonplace in our studios and this plug-in makes implementing their overall EQ curve a breeze . This plug-in is also great for pointing your mix in the right direction before digging into the nitty gritty .
Dialogue Match Dialogue Match is a quick and easy tool designed to take ADR , wildlines , or otherwise mismatched-sounding dialogue and make it blend seamlessly into surrounding dialogue clips . iZotope won a Cinema Audio Society Award for this tool . ( If you haven ’ t yet , have a read through our in-depth test of Dialogue Match in the Feb . 2020 issue .)
Insight 2 Another heavy-hitter in the production suite , Insight is relied upon by many professionals to get loudness measurements out of an audio mix . Insight 2 ’ s spectrogram creates a topographical map of your mix , showing a frequency loudness graph over time . The latest version features the new Intelligibility Meter that gives feedback exclusively for a dialogue bus . Updated to be compatible with Dolby Atmos playback systems and Netflix loudness delivery standards , Insight 2 is an integral part of the collection that gives valuable information to help finalize a mix .
RX Loudness Control Another mainstay of post facilities is RX ’ s Loudness Control . This tool allows users to choose from a list of standard broadcast specifications and Loudness Control will automatically match LUFS and peak settings for final delivery . This tool , like a lot of the software in the iZotope lineup , takes the guesswork out of the complicated aspects of our jobs as finishers and finalizers .
Stratus 3D & Symphony 3D Exponential Audio founder Michael Carnes teamed up with iZotope to bring reverb products to iZotope ’ s user base . Included with Post-Production Suite 5 are two spectacular reverb plug-ins with a true depth of realism and creative flexibility . Both have Dolby Atmos 7.1.2 multichannel support and are great reverbs for placing foley , ADR , and SFX in a mix .
Summary Post-Production Suite 5 is a brand new release from our friends at iZotope . If you are at all considering iZotope ’ s industry-standard RX plug-in for a project , have a quick glance at all the added tools included in this bundle and you ’ ll see that the value is pretty incredible . For slightly more than the cost of RX , you get every tool you could possibly need to take a rough idea and get it ready for commercial release . Highly recommended .
Adam Gallant has worked in all facets of digital audio production , from music composition to location and post audio for television and film . He currently owns and operates The Hill Sound Studio in Charlottetown , PE .
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