iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced Review - MusicTech
iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced 9.02: A Mastering Suite for the Future
Mastering is the final stage of audio production, where you polish and enhance your mix to make it sound balanced, clear, and loud. It can make a huge difference in how your music is perceived and appreciated by listeners. However, mastering can also be a challenging and time-consuming process that requires skill, experience, and expensive equipment.
iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced 9.02
That's where iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced comes in. It's a powerful mastering software that offers you everything you need to create professional-sounding masters in minutes. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, Ozone 9 Advanced can help you achieve your desired sound with ease and efficiency.
In this article, we'll take a look at what iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced is, what's new in this version, how to use it, and why you should choose it for your mastering needs.
What is iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced?
iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced is a standalone app and plugin that you can use to master your audio tracks. It's designed to work seamlessly with any digital audio workstation (DAW) or audio editor, such as Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Cubase, Audacity, etc.
A standalone app and plugin for mastering audio
As a standalone app, Ozone 9 Advanced lets you import your audio files and master them without opening any other software. You can also export your masters in various formats and quality settings. As a plugin, Ozone 9 Advanced lets you insert it on your master bus or individual tracks in your DAW and apply its processing in real time.
A collection of 12 essential mastering processors
Ozone 9 Advanced comes with 12 modules that cover all the aspects of mastering. You can use them individually or together to create your own custom mastering chain. The modules are:
Imager: Adjust the stereo width and balance of your mix.
Equalizer: Apply up to eight bands of parametric EQ with various filter shapes and modes.
Dynamics: Control the dynamics of your mix with up to four bands of compression, expansion, limiting, and gating.
Maximizer: Increase the loudness of your mix without clipping or distorting.
Exciter: Add more modules to the list Exciter: Add harmonic distortion and saturation to your mix.
Spectral Shaper: Smooth out harsh or resonant frequencies with spectral shaping.
Vintage EQ: Emulate the sound of classic analog equalizers with three bands of EQ and filters.
Vintage Compressor: Add warmth and character to your mix with three types of vintage compression.
Vintage Limiter: Limit your mix with the sound of analog tube or transistor circuits.
Vintage Tape: Simulate the sound of tape saturation and wow and flutter.
Master Rebalance: Adjust the levels of vocals, drums, and bass in any mix.
Low End Focus: Enhance or tame the low frequencies with surgical precision.
Match EQ: Match the tonal balance of any reference track or genre preset.
A smart and intuitive tool with AI-driven features
Ozone 9 Advanced is not just a collection of processors. It's also a smart and intuitive tool that can help you master your audio with AI-driven features. These features include:
Master Assistant: Analyze your audio and suggest a custom mastering chain based on your target loudness, genre, or reference track.
Tonal Balance Control 2: Visualize and control the tonal balance of your mix across different frequency ranges and compare it with industry standards or custom targets.
Ozone 9 Elements: A simplified version of Ozone 9 Advanced that gives you access to three essential modules: Imager, Equalizer, and Maximizer.
What's new in iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced?
Ozone 9 Advanced is the latest version of iZotope's flagship mastering software. It builds on the previous versions by adding new features and enhancements that make it even more powerful and user-friendly. Some of the new features are:
Master Rebalance: Adjust the levels of vocals, drums, and bass in any mix
This is one of the most impressive features of Ozone 9 Advanced. It allows you to adjust the levels of vocals, drums, and bass in any mix, even if you don't have access to the individual tracks. You can use it to fix a poorly balanced mix, enhance a specific element, or create a different version of your master. For example, you can make the vocals louder or quieter, bring out the drums or bass, or create a karaoke or instrumental version of your song. You can also automate the changes over time to create dynamic effects.
Low End Focus: Enhance or tame the low frequencies with surgical precision
This is another new feature that lets you control the low frequencies of your mix with surgical precision. You can use it to enhance or tame the low end, depending on your needs. You can choose between two modes: Punchy or Smooth. Punchy mode adds clarity and definition to the low end, while Smooth mode reduces muddiness and rumble. You can also adjust the contrast and boundary parameters to fine-tune the effect. Low End Focus can help you achieve a tight and balanced low end that translates well on any system.
Match EQ: Match the tonal balance of any reference track or genre preset
This is a new module that lets you match the tonal balance of any reference track or genre preset. You can use it to make your master sound more consistent with other tracks in your genre, style, or mood. You can also use it to create your own custom EQ curves by capturing the spectrum of any audio source. Match EQ can help you achieve a professional-sounding master that meets your sonic goals. Improved Master Assistant: Get a custom mastering chain in seconds
This is an improved version of the Master Assistant feature that was introduced in Ozone 8. It analyzes your audio and suggests a custom mastering chain based on your target loudness, genre, or reference track. You can use it to get a quick and easy start for your mastering process, or to get some inspiration and guidance. The improved Master Assistant now offers more options and flexibility, such as:
Reference mode: You can choose any audio file as a reference and Ozone 9 will match its tonal balance and loudness.
Genre mode: You can choose from a list of genre presets that are based on popular music styles and trends.
Modern or Vintage mode: You can choose between a modern or vintage sound for your master, depending on your preference.
Manual adjustments: You can tweak the suggested mastering chain by adding, removing, or rearranging modules, or by adjusting their settings.
Other improvements: GUI overhaul, extra headroom, text scrubbing, Catalina support, etc.
Ozone 9 Advanced also comes with many other improvements and enhancements that make it more user-friendly and efficient. Some of them are:
GUI overhaul: The graphical user interface of Ozone 9 has been redesigned to make it more intuitive and responsive. It features a new resizable window, a new module selector, a new preset manager, a new metering section, and more.
Extra headroom: Ozone 9 now offers an extra 6 dB of headroom for the input and output levels, giving you more flexibility and control over the loudness of your master.
Text scrubbing: You can now scrub through the text fields of the modules by dragging the mouse left or right, making it easier to adjust the values.
Catalina support: Ozone 9 is fully compatible with macOS Catalina, the latest operating system from Apple.
And more: Ozone 9 also includes bug fixes, performance improvements, stability enhancements, and more.
How to use iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced?
Ozone 9 Advanced is easy to use and versatile. You can use it as a standalone app or a plugin in your DAW. Here are some basic steps to get you started:
Load Ozone as a standalone app or a plugin in your DAW
If you want to use Ozone as a standalone app, simply launch it from your applications folder or desktop shortcut. You can then drag and drop your audio files into the app and start mastering them. If you want to use Ozone as a plugin in your DAW, simply insert it on your master bus or individual tracks in your DAW. You can then access its interface by clicking on the plugin window.
Choose a preset or run the Master Assistant to get started
If you're not sure how to set up your mastering chain, you can choose from one of the many presets that Ozone offers. You can find them in the preset manager at the top of the interface. You can browse through different categories and subcategories of presets, such as genre, style, mood, etc. You can also preview how they sound by clicking on the play button. Alternatively, you can run the Master Assistant by clicking on the button at the top right of the interface. It will analyze your audio and suggest a custom mastering chain based on your target loudness, genre, or reference track.
Customize your mastering chain by adding, removing, or rearranging modules
If you want to customize your mastering chain, you can add, remove, or rearrange modules by using the module selector at the bottom of the interface. You can drag and drop modules from the selector to the chain, or vice versa. You can also reorder modules by dragging them left or right in the chain. You can have up to six modules in your chain at a time.
Fine-tune each module with the advanced controls and options
If you want to fine-tune each module in your chain, you can access its advanced controls and options by clicking on its name in the chain. You can then adjust its parameters with the knobs, sliders, buttons, graphs, etc. that appear in the main window. You can also access some additional features by clicking on the icons at the top of each module's window. For example, you can solo or bypass each module, access its presets or help menu, or enable some advanced options such as mid/side or stereo processing, phase invert, or auto gain.
Compare your master with the original or a reference track using the A/B switch
If you want to compare your master with the original or a reference track, you can use the A/B switch at the top of the interface. You can toggle between A and B by clicking on the switch or using a keyboard shortcut. You can also adjust the level and balance of each source by using the sliders and buttons below the switch. You can load a reference track by clicking on the load button and choosing an audio file from your computer.
Why choose iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced?
Ozone 9 Advanced is one of the best mastering software available in the market. It offers many benefits and advantages that make it a great choice for your mastering needs. Some of them are:
It delivers professional-quality results with ease and speed
Ozone 9 Advanced is designed to help you achieve professional-quality results with ease and speed. It uses advanced algorithms and AI-driven features to analyze and process your audio in an optimal way. It also offers you many presets and suggestions that can save you time and effort. With Ozone 9 Advanced, you can master your audio in minutes and get results that sound balanced, clear, and loud.
It adapts to your workflow and preferences with flexibility and versatility
Ozone 9 Advanced is adaptable to your workflow and preferences with flexibility and versatility. It works as a standalone app or a plugin in your DAW, giving you the choice of how to use it. It also lets you customize your mastering chain by adding, removing, or rearranging modules, or by adjusting their settings. You can also create your own presets and save them for future use. With Ozone 9 Advanced, you can master your audio in any way you want.
It helps you achieve your creative vision with innovative and futuristic features
Ozone 9 Advanced is not just a tool for mastering audio. It's also a tool for achieving your creative vision with innovative and futuristic features. It allows you to manipulate the levels of vocals, drums, and bass in any mix, match the tonal balance of any reference track or genre preset, enhance or tame the low frequencies with surgical precision, and more. With Ozone 9 Advanced, you can master your audio in ways that were not possible before.
Conclusion
iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced is a powerful mastering software that offers you everything you need to create professional-sounding masters in minutes. It's a standalone app and plugin that comes with 12 essential mastering processors and AI-driven features. It's easy to use, flexible, versatile, and innovative. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, Ozone 9 Advanced can help you achieve your desired sound with ease and efficiency.
If you're interested in trying out iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced, you can download a free trial version from their website. You can also purchase the full version for $499 or upgrade from previous versions for a discounted price. You can also check out their other products, such as Neutron 3 Advanced, Nectar 3 Plus, RX 8 Advanced, etc.
iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced is a mastering suite for the future. It's a software that can help you master your audio like a pro. Try it out today and see for yourself what it can do for you.
FAQs
What are the system requirements for iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced?
iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced is compatible with Windows 10 (64-bit) and macOS 10.13-10.15 (64-bit). It requires at least 8 GB of RAM and 1 GB of disk space. It supports VST2, VST3, AU, AAX (64-bit), RTAS (32-bit), AudioSuite DPM (32-bit), and Audiosuite AAX (64-bit) plugin formats.
What are the differences between Ozone 9 Elements, Standard, and Advanced?
Ozone 9 Elements is the most basic version of Ozone 9 that gives you access to three essential modules: Imager, Equalizer, and Maximizer. Ozone 9 Standard is the intermediate version of Ozone 9 that gives you access to eight modules: Imager, Equalizer, Dynamics, Maximizer, Exciter, Spectral Shaper, Vintage EQ, and Vintage Limiter. Ozone 9 Advanced is the most advanced version of Ozone 9 that gives you access to all 12 modules: Imager, Equalizer, Dynamics, Maximizer, Exciter, Spectral Shaper, Vintage EQ, Vintage Compressor, Vintage Limiter, Vintage Tape, Master Rebalance, Low End Focus, and Match EQ. Ozone 9 Advanced also gives you access to the Master Assistant, Tonal Balance Control 2, and Ozone 9 Elements.
How can I get the best results with iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced?
There is no definitive answer to this question, as mastering is a subjective and creative process that depends on many factors, such as your genre, style, mood, taste, etc. However, here are some general tips that can help you get the best results with iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced:
Use high-quality audio files with a sample rate of at least 44.1 kHz and a bit depth of at least 16 bits.
Use a good pair of headphones or monitors in a treated room to listen to your audio.
Use reference tracks that are similar to your genre, style, or mood and compare them with your master using the Match EQ or the A/B switch.
Use the Master Assistant to get a custom mastering chain based on your target loudness, genre, or reference track.
Use the Tonal Balance Control 2 to visualize and control the tonal balance of your mix across different frequency ranges and compare it with industry standards or custom targets.
Use the modules in Ozone 9 Advanced to enhance or correct the aspects of your mix that need improvement, such as stereo width, EQ, dynamics, loudness, saturation, etc.
Use the A/B switch to compare your master with the original or a reference track and make sure you're happy with the results.
Export your master in the appropriate format and quality settings for your intended distribution platform.
What are some of the alternatives to iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced?
iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced is one of the best mastering software available in the market, but it's not the only one. There are some other alternatives that you can try out if you're looking for something different. Some of them are:
Waves L3-16 Multimaximizer: A multiband peak limiter that lets you maximize the loudness of your mix with 16 bands of precision control.
FabFilter Pro-L 2: A versatile peak limiter that offers four different limiting algorithms, true peak limiting, loudness metering, and more.
Slate Digital FG-X: A mastering processor that combines an intelligent transient saturation system with a transparent level maximizer.
Sonible smart:comp: A spectral compression plugin that uses AI to automatically adjust the compression parameters based on the input signal.
TDR Limiter 6 GE: A modular limiter that offers six specialized modules for dynamics processing: dynamics compressor, clipper, high frequency limiter, peak limiter, output protection limiter, and true peak limiter.
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