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julian_r7 « A must-have mastering suite »
Published on 07/31/14 at 21:28Ozone 5 is a mastering tool that you can use as a plugin with a number of DAWs. I've tried it in both Sonar and Nuendo with excellent results.
The installation is completed in the blink of an eye (I didn't experience any compatibility issues on Windows 7 x64 or Windows Vista) and the best part is that Nuendo automatically recognizes the plugin, requiring no intial setup or tedious folder searching. The manual is quite straightforward.
But what I feel is the strongest point of Ozone 5 is the intuitive quality of the interface: it is all about generating a nice, understandable visual feedback of every little adjustment you can make. Every tool gets its own separate tab, making for a very straightforward and organized overview. The general layout of the tools and meters has been improved from Ozone 4: the Dynamics Tool (compressors, limiters, etc) shows a more graphical interface that won't take any parameter away from you, but will let you fully concentrate on the audio -if you wish to do so. Every other tool has been refined in terms of graphic accessibility. The snapshot tool (as well as the matching) in the EQ tab are now easier to access.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I've been using Ozone 5 for a couple of months now, and up to this point I have never experienced a single crash. It has never slowed down either, so I'd say its very, very stable. It doesn't consume a lot of memory either, and the fact that you now can use a single tool as an insert (without having to use the entire mastering suite) makes it even better. For example, the new Meter Bridge feature can be used to tap different channels and get a complete spectrogram of the whole session, and it barely uses any memory.
OVERALL OPINION
I took my first steps in mastering a couple of years ago with iZotope Ozone 3. Over the years I tried other tools, but I've always found myself returning to Ozone. I even used to joke that Ozone works against you in your mixes, because the presets are so good its very hard to avoid using presets every single time.
If possible, Ozone 5 delivers a more transparent sound that Ozone 4, and combined with a good set of monitor speakers it can be a very powerful tool for either the beginner or the experienced engineer. Once again, I think that the strongest point of this suite is the visual element: getting to see in graphics what otherwise would be a set of confusing algorithms and numbers
The installation is completed in the blink of an eye (I didn't experience any compatibility issues on Windows 7 x64 or Windows Vista) and the best part is that Nuendo automatically recognizes the plugin, requiring no intial setup or tedious folder searching. The manual is quite straightforward.
But what I feel is the strongest point of Ozone 5 is the intuitive quality of the interface: it is all about generating a nice, understandable visual feedback of every little adjustment you can make. Every tool gets its own separate tab, making for a very straightforward and organized overview. The general layout of the tools and meters has been improved from Ozone 4: the Dynamics Tool (compressors, limiters, etc) shows a more graphical interface that won't take any parameter away from you, but will let you fully concentrate on the audio -if you wish to do so. Every other tool has been refined in terms of graphic accessibility. The snapshot tool (as well as the matching) in the EQ tab are now easier to access.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I've been using Ozone 5 for a couple of months now, and up to this point I have never experienced a single crash. It has never slowed down either, so I'd say its very, very stable. It doesn't consume a lot of memory either, and the fact that you now can use a single tool as an insert (without having to use the entire mastering suite) makes it even better. For example, the new Meter Bridge feature can be used to tap different channels and get a complete spectrogram of the whole session, and it barely uses any memory.
OVERALL OPINION
I took my first steps in mastering a couple of years ago with iZotope Ozone 3. Over the years I tried other tools, but I've always found myself returning to Ozone. I even used to joke that Ozone works against you in your mixes, because the presets are so good its very hard to avoid using presets every single time.
If possible, Ozone 5 delivers a more transparent sound that Ozone 4, and combined with a good set of monitor speakers it can be a very powerful tool for either the beginner or the experienced engineer. Once again, I think that the strongest point of this suite is the visual element: getting to see in graphics what otherwise would be a set of confusing algorithms and numbers