Advanced Dynamic Processing

All-in-one dynamic processors are not new in music and audio production, but they keep evolving and surprising us with their performance. Check out one of these dynamic processors and discover advanced dynamic processing.  

Discover iZotope Neutron 2

The iZotope Neutron 2 is a powerful tool that uses the latest technological advancements, audio analysis, and machine learning to provide you with a powerful mixing plugin for confidently starting and finishing your music. It possesses essential audio dynamic processing tools such as compressors, gates, dynamic equalizer, harmonic exciter, and more. The Track Assistant is one of the most advanced features incorporated in the iZotope Neutron 2. That is why we will cover it in detail in the following tutorial. We will start by adding the iZotope Neutron 2  to the master track of the previously made SoundBridge: DAW project.

 

Track Assistant

First, the Track Assistant is the latest feature in machine learning and intelligent audio processing. It provides you with the starting point for your mix. The Track Assistant has also been updated from the previous version of Neutron with a refined user interface. It gives you more control over the suggestions it provides for your audio. With more intelligent controls, new instrument classification, and a new user interface, Track Assistant is the most advanced version of this technology yet.  

 

The Interface

We can see many sections and parameters when we open the iZotope Neutron 2 interface. On top are tabs for switching between Gate, Equalizer, Compressor 1&2, Exciter, and Transient Shaper. Those are the critical components of this advanced plugin. We see a dedicated metering section on the right side with input and output controls. Below this section are controls for width, panning, limiting, and so on. In this part of the tutorial, we will concentrate on the Track Assistant feature, which we have mentioned above. The Track Assistant can be accessed by clicking on the tab with the same name in the upper part of the overall interface. After clicking on it, we are switched to the following dialogue.  

The new addition to the iZotope Neutron 2 Track Assistant is the ability to auto-detect a more extensive range of instruments, as shown in the picture below.  

 

Choose Your Instrument

So, the Track Assistant intelligently applies the appropriate amount of processing for the selected instrument category, whether it is Voice, Guitar, Piano, etc. We will run the Track Assistant on the master channel and apply it to the whole mix. Since the full mix contains many elements, we will leave the base setting of "Auto Detect" and go to the Track Assistant to choose the best choice for the overall mix. Besides this, we feel that this mix lacks some middle and high frequencies, and it initially sounds a bit muddy so we will go with the "Style" set to "Upfront" and "Intensity" set to "Medium." After clicking "Next," we must wait until Track Assistant calculates and applies new dynamic processing. Let's now hear the difference before and after processing with the Track Assistant.

~Full Mix - Unprocessed

~Full Mix -Processed with Neutron 2/Track Assistant

The track assistant helped bring up the dynamics and middle and high frequencies more upfront. It is an advanced tool that can help with just about any mix or recording.