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beatsbyclos « Review by Beats By C-Los »
Published on 04/14/15 at 10:10
Value For Money :
Correct
Audience:
Anyone
I bought Izotope’s Alloy 2 close to graduating college for Music Production last year. I got it bundled with Ozone 6 as an investment for the mixing and mastering services I offer. I enjoy mixing with Alloy 2 because it is super user-friendly. Whether you are a beginning mix engineer or a well seasoned professional, this plug-in is a “one stop shop”. Among the modules are a graphic EQ, two separate compressors, an exciter to help give your audio that extra spark, a transient shaper,de-esser, and a limiter. You can view and work on all of these modules at once in “Overview” mode, or click on each module separately to get a clearer picture of what you’re doing. For the amount of plug-ins that come within Alloy 2, the regular price of $199 is very moderate compared to other plug-ins I either have or have considered purchasing. If you can afford it (and need it), I highly recommend purchasing the bundle that includes Alloy 2 and Ozone 6.
UTILIZATION
I currently use Alloy 2 mainly for mixing vocals. I can handle all of my dynamic processing within this one plug-in. The eight bands are more than enough for me to clean up my clients’ vocals without having to grab any other plug-in. Parallel compression is very big in hip-hop, and with Alloy’s two compressors, it’s easier to do that without copying the signal to another track because you can mix in the “wet” signal of each. I prefer Logic Pro X, but if I want, with Alloy 2’s compatibility, I can use inside of Pro Tools, Studio One, or any other DAW on the market. I’ve been using Alloy 2 for about 6 months and I have not had a problem yet.
GETTING STARTED
Installing Alloy 2 takes five minutes. Simply download the demo, activate with your key (no iLok required), and you’re good to go.
The equalizer is probably my favorite module to work with for two reasons: 1) You can zoom in on the graph of the EQ and control how much you are boosting or attenuating with each band. In school I learned that “less is more”, and if you are inexperienced in mixing, by zooming on the graph, you can “limit” your cuts and boosts to how much of the graph you can actually see. The second reason is the sweeping feature. Holding down the “Option” key while clicking and dragging the mouse, you can solo whatever frequency you are hovering over. This is a good way to sweep for frequencies you may be looking for whether you are cleaning up vocals, or trying to find the high end of your kick drum. This frequency solo feature can also be great for helping you to learn what frequencies to check for things like mudiness or harshness.
OVERALL OPINION
Alloy 2 is a 7-in-1 plug-in. Decent 3rd party plug-ins will cost you an average $50 individually. Alloy only costs $199, and is frequently on sale. When I think of comparable bundles, Waves Gold comes to mind. But as far as an all-in-one dynamic processor, Alloy 2 is the way to go!
Pros
Frequency-solo mode
Customize graphs
Affordable
Cons
None so far
UTILIZATION
I currently use Alloy 2 mainly for mixing vocals. I can handle all of my dynamic processing within this one plug-in. The eight bands are more than enough for me to clean up my clients’ vocals without having to grab any other plug-in. Parallel compression is very big in hip-hop, and with Alloy’s two compressors, it’s easier to do that without copying the signal to another track because you can mix in the “wet” signal of each. I prefer Logic Pro X, but if I want, with Alloy 2’s compatibility, I can use inside of Pro Tools, Studio One, or any other DAW on the market. I’ve been using Alloy 2 for about 6 months and I have not had a problem yet.
GETTING STARTED
Installing Alloy 2 takes five minutes. Simply download the demo, activate with your key (no iLok required), and you’re good to go.
The equalizer is probably my favorite module to work with for two reasons: 1) You can zoom in on the graph of the EQ and control how much you are boosting or attenuating with each band. In school I learned that “less is more”, and if you are inexperienced in mixing, by zooming on the graph, you can “limit” your cuts and boosts to how much of the graph you can actually see. The second reason is the sweeping feature. Holding down the “Option” key while clicking and dragging the mouse, you can solo whatever frequency you are hovering over. This is a good way to sweep for frequencies you may be looking for whether you are cleaning up vocals, or trying to find the high end of your kick drum. This frequency solo feature can also be great for helping you to learn what frequencies to check for things like mudiness or harshness.
OVERALL OPINION
Alloy 2 is a 7-in-1 plug-in. Decent 3rd party plug-ins will cost you an average $50 individually. Alloy only costs $199, and is frequently on sale. When I think of comparable bundles, Waves Gold comes to mind. But as far as an all-in-one dynamic processor, Alloy 2 is the way to go!
Pros
Frequency-solo mode
Customize graphs
Affordable
Cons
None so far