iZotope Ushers in the Next Evolution of Mixing and Mastering with Ozone 8 and Neutron 2

Machine learning and inter-plugin communication bridge the gap between mixing and mastering

Massachusetts based audio technology company iZotope, Inc., have announced the release of Ozone 8, Neutron 2, and Music Production Suite. The Advanced versions of Ozone 8 and Neutron 2 feature ground-breaking technology, including the ability to communicate with each other through the new Tonal Balance Control plug-in. This new level of inter-plugin communication puts more power in users’ hands, allowing them to achieve tonally balanced, professional mixes and masters that sound great in any listening environment.

Ozone 8 now features machine learning technology with the introduction of Master Assistant, allowing music professionals to reach an optimal starting point for the master in seconds. Version 8 also includes Track Referencing, a Spectral Shaper to tame problematic frequencies, improved signal processing, and refinements to the user interface and workflow. Neutron 2 includes new signal processing, including a Gate with Hysteresis for a smoother gating response, and improvements to Track Assistant and Neutrino modes to help you get to a better starting point. Neutron 2 also features an intuitive Visual Mixer that allows you to mix on a soundstage by controlling pan, gain, and width of audio busses. The new Mix Tap plug-in now allows you to route any track to the Tonal Balance Control plug-in, Visual Mixer, and Masking Meter, even if you are not using any iZotope plug-ins.

Bringing these two powerful products together is a new plug-in called Tonal Balance Control. This visual analysis tool measures the distribution of energy across frequencies, comparing your audio to targets created from analysis of tens of thousands of commercially available tracks spanning a variety of musical styles to help you achieve better tonal balance. Tonal Balance Control can also compare your audio to a custom upload to inform how you shape its sonic profile and across listening environments.

Also new within Tonal Balance Control is inter-plugin communication, a technology that allows communication and interaction with any Equalizer instance of Neutron 2 or Ozone 8 in your project. Inter-plugin communication allows you to fix issues from one location in the mixing stage that could hinder mastering, and provides a visual guide for more tonally balanced mixes and masters throughout your production workflow.

“We see Tonal Balance Control as the missing piece between mixing and mastering,” says Dan Gonzalez, Product Manager at iZotope. “Mixing, and mastering especially, can often be difficult to understand, and getting your songs to sound like commercial releases can often be a struggle. With Tonal Balance Control, we created a new analysis tool that helps educate users on why their mixes and masters may be lacking in certain areas. And more importantly, we offered them the tools to help fix those issues, with communication and control between the mixing and mastering plug-ins.”

Ozone 8 Advanced and Neutron 2 Advanced will also be available as part of iZotope’s new Music Production Suite.