ProAudio Review - October 2008 - (Page 31) had previously mastered to retain dynamics. I loaded a favorite Green Day track as a target just to see what would happen. With EQ matching and some additional limiting, I could easily match my master to the major label release. Finally, my attempt to match my Mudvayne mix to an American Head Charge mix produced a comb filtering sound in the high frequencies at the most aggressive matching percentage. The “smoothing” slider cleared up the problem, but made the low end matching less accurate. I’d suggest iZotope separate low, mid, and high controls for the smoothing parameter. EQ matching works so great that I wish there were a dynamics-matching feature, too. In any case, just turn up the limiter four to six dB more than you think sounds good, and you will have a commercially competitive master! (I’m kidding, please don’t.) Clicking Alt-Solo on a frequency band brings up Ozone’s zooming feature previously available to me only in the astutely designed Massenburg DesignWorks Hi-Res EQ. The quality of the crossover will have the greatest effect on a multiband processor’s sound. Whether in analog or linear phase digi- tal mode, Ozone’s crossovers sound great. Due to the extreme power of multiband compression, limiting, gating, and upward expansion, this module can shine up — or when used improperly, destroy — a master. I especially liked Ozone’s auto attack and release settings, but my favorite tool for subtly improving a great mix is the expander. For one song on The Get Up Johns record, I employed the high frequency section of the multiband dynamics to expand high frequencies above 3.5kHz by a ratio of 1:1.1 below a threshold of –29.6dB, effectively reaching down into the mix to reveal low-level treble information. It can increase the HF noise floor slightly, but by automating the ratio from a negative number (upward expansion) to a positive number (downward expansion), the dynamics control works like a noise reduction circuit. Unfortunately, the traditional method of holding Control Option Command and clicking on a plug-in parameter will not enable that parameter for automation as is the standard method within Pro Tools. I wish also there were a way to change any parameter simultaneously within all bands, but one can copy and paste settings between bands. Without fail, A/B-ing with vs. without, the harmonic exciter would win every time. The ability to determine the intensity and mix of tape, tube, and the crunchy “retro” per each of four bands is pure genius. Be careful, though — loads of harmonic distortion can sound pleasing at first, but might not translate well over time or on other systems; I found out while transforming an excellent all-digital (the piano instrument was Ivory software instrument) classical piano recording by LA producer/composer Wayne Jones from clear and clean to something slightly older and more sonically soulful. It took me back to hearing classical piano recordings from the 1960s. On another of Wayne’s records, headphones revealed my tube harmonics settings — while great on the vocal, bass and guitars — were turning the piano into a box of crunchy Cracker Jack. Dialing back the drive amount and mix controls fixed it. In a future Ozone release, I’d like to see a master control to move all bands at once and the facility to set different types of distortion per band. The icing on this module’s cake is its ability to put the low frequencies slightly ahead of the IZOTOPE continues on page 32 ® www.proaudioreview.com October 2008 | ProAudio Review | 31 http://www.cascademicrophones.com http://www.cascademicrophones.com http://www.proaudioreview.com
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