izotope ozone?

B

bryank

New member
i just got this software for my Sonar 4. It seems pretty nice! before i start to 'butcher' my mixes with it......has anyone used this program? and what do you think of it?

-how is the dither program MBIT+ (ultra)?
-is the sound quality really THAT good?
-any tips (pros/cons) that i should be aware of before using this stuff?

i usually master my stuff just by using multiple stand alone plug ins (limiter, compression, eq, stereo imaging....etc), but i never tried an "all-in-one" program before...............
 
I love this plug, as well as my Izotope Trash...there are a couple things that I would suggest as far as the use of this plug goes.

1) the eq is NICE looking, and user friendly, but I think it is a bit harsh especially if boosting the highs. Use it delicately.... :D (I use it to gauge the frequency spectrum of the mix many times, and don't even turn it on.)

2) the dithering algorithm is nice, and works very well IMHO.

3) master in order of the sections (left to right, top to bottom), in other words, eq first if needed, then harmonics, etc.

4) I don't use the compressor/limiter on it either...I usually just throw up a Waves C4, and an L2 after the fact

5) My favorite section is the harmonics section (which I can't remember what it's actually called right now); usually I start with the mix% at 100, find the frequencies I want to effect, turn up the boost, then back the mix % back until just past being able to hear it...trust me, it comes out when you throw your cd in other systems.

6) lastly, just like many mastering plugs, your ears will get used to the crispness that this plug-in creates...beware, and as a rule don't overuse this, or it will kill you mix, usually resulting in an extremely brittle high-end.

hope this helps...enjoy!!!
 
Used it a couple of years ago with Win98SE. My version doesn't work with XP so haven't used it in awhile. It's really not that bad and does have some useful applications as long as you don't go overboard. Especially with the stereo imaging. Several years ago when I first got started I recorded a friends heavy metal band and did the final (note I didn't say mastering) using Ozone. Sounded really good with the stereo imaging in the studio. Didn't check it in mono. Big mistake. My friend made a bigger mistake by taking it directly to the local radio station. It was Friday night local band hour. I didn't know it until I heard it come on the radio. Absolute train wreck!! I seem to remember about the only thing I heard was drums (lots) and a weak vocal. Everything else pretty much cancelled out. Hard lesson to learn - check it in mono!

DD
 
could you explain a little further as to why everything else was canceled out when it was played in mono?

I just picked up the ozone as well. I'm loving it. But at the same time I do see how you could go way overboard if you don't keep yourself grounded in the reality of your mix. I bypass it about every minute or so when I'm working with it, as well as cross referencing a professionally mastered track just to give myself a basis to work from.
 
I've used Ozone in the past. I thought the limiter/maximizer was the best sounding processor in it when in "Intelligent" mode with a fairly fast release time, and the spectrum graph was helpful. The pdf mastering guide they have is great and is applicable to any processors. The graphics it uses are also great.

The multiband compressor sounded good if used as a broadband compressor at very low ratios (1.5:1 up to maybe 2:1) but I didn't like the sound of its filters when used as a split band compressor. But when used as a multiband, I liked the digital filters better than the analog-modeled ones.

The EQ was OK for slight cuts with wide filters in digital mode. The verb was OK when the highs were rolled off above 3 kHz. The main thing with all the processors in it is to use them subtly. The exciter and stereo imaging are fun to play with but I never ended up using them on a final mix. With those also, I thought they sounded better if all bands but one are eliminated and they're used as broadband effects.

Tim
 
umm...yeah, it takes a little while to get some rep power...gotta post things other than....

..."wow, my rep power is zero, but I only have 4 posts"...

just joshin ya
 
one thing that I do like in ozone is that you have the thingy (i bet you are all wowed by my techie terms) that lets you invert speakers and such to hear how it will sound in different formats. Does anyone have any thoughts on that.

Also, I've been trying to get to know Trash... I would certainly love some direction there...

By the way, so far this forum is great... everyone is very polite and so far no condescension. I love that...
 
I'm still waiting on mine to arrive....friend of mine got it for me for 150$ before he left the company he worked at....ive been dying to use this software as ive heard a lot of good things about it...(also some negative...mostly from those gear wizards that have million dollar studios with real mastering abilities) HAHAH...im sure it does a pretty good job for the money...!
 
ive mesade around with it, and so far im pretty impressed! you do have to go easy on it and not go over borads, subtle is the key here.

i like the image expander! ive used differnt ones before........and on other ones, the wider your make it, it just makes the hard panned items sound louder...not spread more. but on this ozone.......i can hear it spread more, but it doesnt effect the volume in any way. i like this!

the multi-band compressor is pretty goog too.
 
I used Ozone almost every day for about two years before I upgraded to better processors. I'm glad I used it because I think the extent of control detail, the great mastering guide, graphing and metering in it helped me learn a lot. But it just never sounded very good to me. :eek:

FWIW here's a freeware collection of plugs that I think sound better than Ozone. I didn't list a stereo expander or exciter because I don't use them in any serious way. A/B them with Ozone. None of these, except maybe SIR, actually LOOK as good as Ozone graphically but to me they sound much better.

multiband compressor - Slim slow slider C3
EQ - Paris EQ, or slim slow slider linear phase EQ
verb - SIR
limiter - Blockfish by digitalfishpones (chain two together and it's an incredible limiter)

Tim
 
currently i use Voxengos mulitband compressor (soniformer), and kverhouse(?) classic master limiter, and Sonitus Parametric EQ. these sound good to me, but i thought i would give the OZONE a try to see what it had to offer.......
 
I use this at the end of all my mixes, mostly for ease of use.

I try not to EQ it much (always less then +/- 1db at any point).
I like to do a brickwall with the limiter at -.1db, and even bring down the threshold there a little bit, to boost up the volume for me.
I like the harmonic exciter a lot, and again - use it just a few db TOPS, because sometimes that will really fatigue your ears if you use to much, just sounds horrible.
the multiband compressor is decent IMO too.

basically, use it lightly, and it can definately help your mix. just don't overdo anything.
 
hmmmmm......are you using it to clean up your mixes? or to actually "master' the song as a final?

my guess is.......this program is a good tool to clean up a mix, but its FAR from being an actuall 'mastering software'. i mean........would i be able to finalize a mix on this, and produce final CDs to distibute and sell with this? is it good enought to do that? or is that just a dream?..........................
 
bryank said:
this program is a good tool to clean up a mix, but its FAR from being an actuall 'mastering software'. i mean........would i be able to finalize a mix on this, and produce final CDs to distibute and sell with this? is it good enought to do that? or is that just a dream?..........................
Click to expand...

http://www.amo.org.au/release.asp?id=7024 Mastered with Ozone....Next question........
 
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