LEARN MASTERING WITH IZOTOPE

There's nothing better than a free plugin to celebrate the premiere of another season of the sensational series “Are you listening?” presented by Jonathan Wyner (Berklee/Izotope).

Last week in an article published here, we addressed the controversy between headphones and reference monitors when mixing or mastering under critical listening. Fortunately, just a few days after the article was published, Izotope, one of the leading brands in the development of dynamic processing software, eq's and unsurpassed audio restoration and post-production tools (some Izotope products, such as the RX suite, have become the industry standard in audiovisual content production) launched the third season of their series "Are you Listening?" whose episodes on YouTube cover concepts, techniques and tips used in audio mastering, which is usually the final step in the audiovisual content production process.

Season 1 covered the basics of mastering such as EQ, the mastering studio acoustic environment, limiting and other issues including transitioning from the mixing stage to mastering, with the participation of the amazing sound engineer Sylvia Massey.

Season 2 discussed issues such as stereo imaging, Mid/Side processing and, more deeply, the concept of Loudness, which is the current standard for evaluating audio and video playback volume in broadcast and online streaming services (Spotify , Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon, etc…).

Season 3 debuted with the topic 'Mastering in Headphones', with precious tips on choosing the ideal model, the technical limitations of headphones compared to listening on reference monitors an much more. The series also covers the use of exciters at the mastering stage, adding harmonics and intentional distortion to the program, automation in audio mastering and other topics very well explained by the current president of the Society of Audio Engineering (AES), Jonathan Wyner.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jonathan Wyner on one of his trips to Brazil, during one of the editions of AES Brasil Expo. Very patient and kind, he is an excellent educator and always accessible to answer questions and learn more about the student's private universe. He is also director of education at Izotope and a professor at the famous Berklee College of Music, based in Boston/MA, USA.

And for those who are not familiar with the Izotope product platform, click here and download a free plugin from this brand: The Izotope Ozone Stereo Imager.

According to the manufacturer: “Control the width of any track, perfect for making super-wide sounds or creating narrow, mono-like sources. Make your pianos, synths, and cymbals fill up your stereo image, or tighten up your low end by narrowing bass and kick drums!” Here you can listen to audio samples with the before and after application of the Stereo Imager (Listen with headphones or quality monitors).

The Izotope Stereo Imager is that plugin used to manipulate the width of the stereo image of a track, mix or master, very useful for making the bass sound in the center of the image, or for extending the stereo sensation out of your speakers or headphones, but be careful, the effect is so pleasurable that it's easy to overdo it, so follow the tips from the “Are you listening?” series and use with caution. One of Izotope's flagship plugins, Ozone (which is a complete mastering suite) has a multi-band version of the Stereo Imager, which allows different stereo image widths to be applied to each of the frequency bands, keepin g narrow the low frequency region and wider the upper frequency bands, for example. Avoid an excessive width in the stereo image at low frequencies because that can cause a strange auditory sensation due to the lack of phase coherence in this band between the L/R channels. Experiment and see you next time!

From Jerusalem,

Tairo Arrabal

(@enginearaudio)

(Photos: YouTube reproduction)