Yes, most definitely.
I've seen many pros use Ozone, and I've used it myself on a number of masters that were quite successful.
Now when I say "use Ozone" I don't mean the auto assist AI thing. I wouldn't trust that at all, nor have I really felt like the results are worth much. I mean the tools within Ozone, such as the limiter, compressor, dynamic eq, etc... Those are top notch and as good quality as any other software tools out there for mastering in the box.
FWIW, you don't need really fancy stuff to master at a professional level. I've seen experienced engineers finish high quality respected masters using stock plugins from a number of DAWs. I'm not naming any names, but one friend of mine masters projects for a major regularly using stock Reason of all things. He's used it for 10 years and just knows how it works. It's about your ears, experience, and making the right choices, not what compressor you have.
I wouldn't say Reason is genre specific. It mainly just works really well if you like the workflow it provides.
I've been a Reason user for 5 years now and I can't imagine using any other daw at this point. (no, i don't only use stock and native plugins (I do still use quite a few of them though), I do use VSTs)
What eq do you usually use? I just started experimenting with Reason and I find the channel eq and m class one are kinda limiting. Especially when having more complex layering of different textures.
Lol I'm not saying my stuff sounds good, but I use Fruity Parameter EQ2 and Maximus. Ones stock, the others free, and I like the results. Helps me learn the fundamentals too so ik what's going on if I upgrade.
As an engineer with a toe in the puddle of software design I'd definitely agree in saying that the bottom end of software is actually pretty good. After a certain point expensive, "good" software really only provides creature comforts and a pretty UI. In the end it's just math you're doing, and most of that information is either available in open source repositories or on Wikipedia. At which point performance lays at the client side in the user's hardware.
Ozone Maxmizer IRC IV transient is my last resort for adding the last one or two dB of limiting if everything else fails at getting the desired loudness without distortion
There is the whole “are you listening?” Series on YouTube taught by Jonathan Wyner. Sure it’s a bit skewed towards Izotope, but it’s still a very informative walk through.
It's a respected tool.
It's used a lot in media music production, where time constraints often mean fast and effective comes over hair-splitting quality.
For music, I did exactly what you described. Used ozone until my mixes made ozone do literally nothing. Then I started using my own chains after studying and practicing.
If I had a job where I was really struggling with deadlines then I wouldn't hesitate to use ozone. You will get a safe master, unless you material is really messed up.
But for creative music as art or where I have more time, I prefer to use other plugins.
Every plugin is essentially professional capable and probably has been used in a professional capacity. I have made money from tracks made with Synth1. We likely hear stock EQs and comps etc every day when listening to music. It really depends on the producer or Engineer's skill whether the end product is high quality or not.
you will probably get a decent mix of answers as the term "professional" has been stretched these days.
I would say that some probably do and some dont. I ONLY use Ozone for 2 things
1. I love the imager - I use it on every project to get a better sense of the stereo image
2. for a reference - I always use it as a refernce for clients. I will run the assistant and print them an "Automated" version. I supply this in addition to my master version so they can compare.
Ozone is a great tool for learning but I wouldnt say that any major studio uses it without the support of other software or hardware processing.
The reference idea is pretty cool, would we be able to listen and compare the ozone mastering with yours too? No worries if that's something you'd rather not share.
I am an audio professional who charges for my services. I have reference tracks in my portfolio that you can listen to for free.
If you want an A-B test for an ozone assistant vs my own then you can message me privately about how to proceed forward.
Yes, I know many professional audio engineers who use Ozone. Some of them are the super top tier that master the high budget top 40 pop stuff. Maximizer is the biggest reason, there’s nothing else like IRC III or IV on the market. Many of the other Ozone modules are used too, but you’re also right that they’ll use custom chains with many plugins and not solely use Ozone.
I'm on Ozone 9 but I heard 10 removes the ability to load the plugins separately? Wouldn't that annoy a lot of those people? (I'm a hobbyist who just runs the assistant and does some minor tweaks)
Ozone 10 stopped including a standalone application, where you could load in 3rd party plugins. I master with a DAW, and so do these pros, so obviously a DAW lets you use any plugin you want.
Ah, so you can still load individual modules as separate plugins in your DAW? I've used the standalone version in the past but it's not really something I use now. I load Ozone, or individual plugins in Reaper.
Yeah of course. The individual modules as plugins is a feature of the Advanced Ozone though (and always has been, that's not new). The Standard Ozone just has the "mothership" that can load any of the modules
Very respected tool. It’s very ergonomic. Rivals some of my analog gear. And it can do things analog can’t do. I’m still using Ozone 5. It’s that good.
I used 5 a lot, and I still use it on a few projects. There is a real natural sound to the algorithms, that I think we're lost in later iterations of the plug-in. I think they wanted to go for something cleaner, I feel like version five has a thicker and more saturated sound, perfect for some material.
Ozone is fine, it will get you as close as your stems will allow. Just make sure you don't lean on it too heavily, and understand that it won't help you with dynamics. Ozone will never tell you, "Hey if you put the volume on a curve in the last 1.5 seconds before your drop it'll hit WAY harder" as an example. But with the way that it will allow you to use reference tracks, all of the visualization stuff like the Tonal Balance Control 2 tool, and the fact that it has one of if not THE best clippers out there, you can make a fine record with it. And the Mastering Assistant -- pay attention to what it does and try to understand why it made that choice. Best of luck!
Yes. Though as part of a chain rather than alone. It’s got some good modules, for other tasks I prefer other tools. I don’t generally hit the master bus very hard anyway so it’s really the final tweaks, stereo field, mono the bass end, maybe a touch of multiband, maybe a touch of exciter.
At the end of the day, mastering is about taking a track and making it sound it’s best within the technical limitations of the format. Ozone is definitely able to do that in the box. I just prefer using other tools to help with that.
Yes, plenty of master engineers and top notch producers (Skrillex for instance) use and have been using Ozone for ages! The tools in Ozone are well respected in the industry, the only reason you might have heard some "shade" being thrown at it is because of the Master Assistant function that uses AI to create an automatic mastering for your track. If you ignore this function and just use the individual modules it's one of the best toolsets for mastering in the market.
Yes. To me professionalism is not only the aspect to do the work about audio, but also choose wisely the tools to be used; I don't recommend to automate, but to learn the resources and doing a full mastering using Ozone, why not?
Unpopular opinion that’s surfacing but Mr. Bill has been showing off the power of not even mastering your tracks and literally just cranking the gain on a utility in ableton to redline the master but have no audio distortions. Depends on the type of track you’re making for sure but it’s just perplexing to me
That's a cool video.
The fact that his video monitors were half hidden by his gear pissed me the fuck off for some reason.
Also, why was the source on the right and the destination on the left. That also made me irate. I think I drank too much coffee.
You realise the engineers who use ozone also have “excellent rooms and reference speakers” right? And you can get software versions of almost every piece of mastering hardware these days. Plenty of engineers are fully in the box, and that includes using ozone.
My professor at pointblank hates Ozone! It’s a great tool and many professionals use it. I believe that the way I learning it to get the most of it, instead of relying on the mastering assistant Or presets
That’s probably why he’s a professor and not a professional musician - ozone is moving fast and gets better annually - you can’t hold old opinions on it for more than 12 months !
Thanks.. so to clarify im sure artists use it at some point in their workflow.
Im more wondering if Ozone 9 ever makes it in the final master. Or if its used more as a demo (early stage tool).
from what im seeing in other comments, it seems like the answer is:
It depends on the artist and engineers. However most pro shops would have dedicated hardware for mastering.
It's not just Ozone 9 or 10. The algorithms in Ozone 5 we're really good, and I still use them a lot. Mainly as kind of saturating limiter. Plus, either Ozone 4 or 5 has a function where you can load a reference track and save its EQ curve. Apparently, that wasn't possible up until potentially Audiolens came out. White Sea studios did a video about this, so search for that.
Why are you see a lot of EDM artists on the list of users of Ozone is because of the toolbox aspect. A lot of people like the imager, the exciter, and of course, the maximizer. Many of these DJs are always on the road, and so they want to make tracks or finish tracks they are working on for the next set. Ozone is the quickest for this work.
Outside of EDM, I'm not sure how much it gets used in a professional setting. Although, there are many levels of mastering engineer. Some of them might have put all their money into an expensive compressor and EQ, then relying on plug-ins for the rest of their tools. This could include the maximizer and other modules on Ozone.
I found that Ozone alone got my masters too quiet. I would routinely get -10 LUFS when I wanted -6. I learned how to master myself and it was a great decision.
This guy… ozone can make your mixes as loud as you want if your mix is good to begin with. I’ve done extensive limiter shootouts and sometimes I prefer Ozone over other limiters, but usually I prefer something else. That said, Ozone is much more than a limiter, it’s got like ten modules or something.
This is your friendly reminder to read the submission rules, they're found in the sidebar. If you find your post breaking any of the rules, you should delete your post before the mods get to it.
You should check out the regular threads (also found in the sidebar) to see if your post might be a better fit in any of those.
[Daily Feedback thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=author%3AAutoModerator+title%3Afeedback&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) for getting feedback on your track. The only place you can post your own music.
[Marketplace Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=title%3Amarketplace&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) if you want to sell or trade anything for money, likes or follows.
[Collaboration Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search/?q=biannual%20collaboration&restrict_sr=1&sort=new&t=all) to find people to collab with.
["There are no stupid questions" Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=title%3ANo+Stupid+Questions+Thread&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for beginner tips etc.
Seriously tho, read the rules and abide by them or the mods will spank you.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/edmproduction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I am a mastering engineer and I use Ozone 10 very frequently. It has a lot of flexibility and is often useful. I do use many other tools as well, I never rely on Ozone alone.
In mastering there is no one size fits all plugin chains. Every song is different and therefore needs different processing. Sometimes I'll use 4 or 5 modules in Ozone and sometimes just one, or none. It is much more important to know what the song needs and how to use the tools in your arsenal than just owning the best tools. Also, in mastering there is an essential prerequisite, which is to work in a great acoustic environment with a high end monitoring system. If you can't hear what is actually in the audio signal, you can't make the right decisions.
Yes, most definitely. I've seen many pros use Ozone, and I've used it myself on a number of masters that were quite successful. Now when I say "use Ozone" I don't mean the auto assist AI thing. I wouldn't trust that at all, nor have I really felt like the results are worth much. I mean the tools within Ozone, such as the limiter, compressor, dynamic eq, etc... Those are top notch and as good quality as any other software tools out there for mastering in the box. FWIW, you don't need really fancy stuff to master at a professional level. I've seen experienced engineers finish high quality respected masters using stock plugins from a number of DAWs. I'm not naming any names, but one friend of mine masters projects for a major regularly using stock Reason of all things. He's used it for 10 years and just knows how it works. It's about your ears, experience, and making the right choices, not what compressor you have.
Do people still use reason?! Any specific genres it caters to?
I wouldn't say Reason is genre specific. It mainly just works really well if you like the workflow it provides. I've been a Reason user for 5 years now and I can't imagine using any other daw at this point. (no, i don't only use stock and native plugins (I do still use quite a few of them though), I do use VSTs)
What eq do you usually use? I just started experimenting with Reason and I find the channel eq and m class one are kinda limiting. Especially when having more complex layering of different textures.
Most likely to use the free version of TDR Nova
Yes, huge in riddim dubstep
Lol I'm not saying my stuff sounds good, but I use Fruity Parameter EQ2 and Maximus. Ones stock, the others free, and I like the results. Helps me learn the fundamentals too so ik what's going on if I upgrade.
Maximus is goated
As an engineer with a toe in the puddle of software design I'd definitely agree in saying that the bottom end of software is actually pretty good. After a certain point expensive, "good" software really only provides creature comforts and a pretty UI. In the end it's just math you're doing, and most of that information is either available in open source repositories or on Wikipedia. At which point performance lays at the client side in the user's hardware.
relevant https://www.reddit.com/r/mixingmastering/comments/p7ek8g/is\_fabfilter\_pro\_q\_really\_way\_better\_than\_the/
Ozone Maxmizer IRC IV transient is my last resort for adding the last one or two dB of limiting if everything else fails at getting the desired loudness without distortion
There is the whole “are you listening?” Series on YouTube taught by Jonathan Wyner. Sure it’s a bit skewed towards Izotope, but it’s still a very informative walk through.
It's a respected tool. It's used a lot in media music production, where time constraints often mean fast and effective comes over hair-splitting quality. For music, I did exactly what you described. Used ozone until my mixes made ozone do literally nothing. Then I started using my own chains after studying and practicing. If I had a job where I was really struggling with deadlines then I wouldn't hesitate to use ozone. You will get a safe master, unless you material is really messed up. But for creative music as art or where I have more time, I prefer to use other plugins. Every plugin is essentially professional capable and probably has been used in a professional capacity. I have made money from tracks made with Synth1. We likely hear stock EQs and comps etc every day when listening to music. It really depends on the producer or Engineer's skill whether the end product is high quality or not.
Its used everywhere in the industry.
you will probably get a decent mix of answers as the term "professional" has been stretched these days. I would say that some probably do and some dont. I ONLY use Ozone for 2 things 1. I love the imager - I use it on every project to get a better sense of the stereo image 2. for a reference - I always use it as a refernce for clients. I will run the assistant and print them an "Automated" version. I supply this in addition to my master version so they can compare. Ozone is a great tool for learning but I wouldnt say that any major studio uses it without the support of other software or hardware processing.
The reference idea is pretty cool, would we be able to listen and compare the ozone mastering with yours too? No worries if that's something you'd rather not share.
I am an audio professional who charges for my services. I have reference tracks in my portfolio that you can listen to for free. If you want an A-B test for an ozone assistant vs my own then you can message me privately about how to proceed forward.
Getting downvoted for being a professional who charges for your time and services, classic Reddit
Yes, I know many professional audio engineers who use Ozone. Some of them are the super top tier that master the high budget top 40 pop stuff. Maximizer is the biggest reason, there’s nothing else like IRC III or IV on the market. Many of the other Ozone modules are used too, but you’re also right that they’ll use custom chains with many plugins and not solely use Ozone.
I'm on Ozone 9 but I heard 10 removes the ability to load the plugins separately? Wouldn't that annoy a lot of those people? (I'm a hobbyist who just runs the assistant and does some minor tweaks)
Ozone 10 stopped including a standalone application, where you could load in 3rd party plugins. I master with a DAW, and so do these pros, so obviously a DAW lets you use any plugin you want.
Ah, so you can still load individual modules as separate plugins in your DAW? I've used the standalone version in the past but it's not really something I use now. I load Ozone, or individual plugins in Reaper.
Yeah of course. The individual modules as plugins is a feature of the Advanced Ozone though (and always has been, that's not new). The Standard Ozone just has the "mothership" that can load any of the modules
Very respected tool. It’s very ergonomic. Rivals some of my analog gear. And it can do things analog can’t do. I’m still using Ozone 5. It’s that good.
I used 5 a lot, and I still use it on a few projects. There is a real natural sound to the algorithms, that I think we're lost in later iterations of the plug-in. I think they wanted to go for something cleaner, I feel like version five has a thicker and more saturated sound, perfect for some material.
Ozone is fine, it will get you as close as your stems will allow. Just make sure you don't lean on it too heavily, and understand that it won't help you with dynamics. Ozone will never tell you, "Hey if you put the volume on a curve in the last 1.5 seconds before your drop it'll hit WAY harder" as an example. But with the way that it will allow you to use reference tracks, all of the visualization stuff like the Tonal Balance Control 2 tool, and the fact that it has one of if not THE best clippers out there, you can make a fine record with it. And the Mastering Assistant -- pay attention to what it does and try to understand why it made that choice. Best of luck!
100% but as a tool in the mastering stage not as a complete solution
Yes. Though as part of a chain rather than alone. It’s got some good modules, for other tasks I prefer other tools. I don’t generally hit the master bus very hard anyway so it’s really the final tweaks, stereo field, mono the bass end, maybe a touch of multiband, maybe a touch of exciter. At the end of the day, mastering is about taking a track and making it sound it’s best within the technical limitations of the format. Ozone is definitely able to do that in the box. I just prefer using other tools to help with that.
Yes, plenty of master engineers and top notch producers (Skrillex for instance) use and have been using Ozone for ages! The tools in Ozone are well respected in the industry, the only reason you might have heard some "shade" being thrown at it is because of the Master Assistant function that uses AI to create an automatic mastering for your track. If you ignore this function and just use the individual modules it's one of the best toolsets for mastering in the market.
It’s just a set of really good tools.
Yep it’s great.
Yes indeed many pros too use ozone, like the biggest example SKRILLEX him self uses ozone Ref: in his Mumbai power video
Yes. To me professionalism is not only the aspect to do the work about audio, but also choose wisely the tools to be used; I don't recommend to automate, but to learn the resources and doing a full mastering using Ozone, why not?
Unpopular opinion that’s surfacing but Mr. Bill has been showing off the power of not even mastering your tracks and literally just cranking the gain on a utility in ableton to redline the master but have no audio distortions. Depends on the type of track you’re making for sure but it’s just perplexing to me
I personally know of three of the top mastering houses using Ozone as part of their recipe.
Pros use ozone Lmao I love it and so do Grammy winning engineers
It’s decent for software, it won’t beat hardware tho. Analog vibes.
[удалено]
That's a cool video. The fact that his video monitors were half hidden by his gear pissed me the fuck off for some reason. Also, why was the source on the right and the destination on the left. That also made me irate. I think I drank too much coffee.
You realise the engineers who use ozone also have “excellent rooms and reference speakers” right? And you can get software versions of almost every piece of mastering hardware these days. Plenty of engineers are fully in the box, and that includes using ozone.
False. Paging /u/Fanubreaks
Don't have a time to watch this fully right now (but I'll do). At a first glance this seems like a stone age compared to the software we have today.
My professor at pointblank hates Ozone! It’s a great tool and many professionals use it. I believe that the way I learning it to get the most of it, instead of relying on the mastering assistant Or presets
That’s probably why he’s a professor and not a professional musician - ozone is moving fast and gets better annually - you can’t hold old opinions on it for more than 12 months !
https://equipboard.com/items/izotope-ozone-9
Thanks.. so to clarify im sure artists use it at some point in their workflow. Im more wondering if Ozone 9 ever makes it in the final master. Or if its used more as a demo (early stage tool). from what im seeing in other comments, it seems like the answer is: It depends on the artist and engineers. However most pro shops would have dedicated hardware for mastering.
It's not just Ozone 9 or 10. The algorithms in Ozone 5 we're really good, and I still use them a lot. Mainly as kind of saturating limiter. Plus, either Ozone 4 or 5 has a function where you can load a reference track and save its EQ curve. Apparently, that wasn't possible up until potentially Audiolens came out. White Sea studios did a video about this, so search for that. Why are you see a lot of EDM artists on the list of users of Ozone is because of the toolbox aspect. A lot of people like the imager, the exciter, and of course, the maximizer. Many of these DJs are always on the road, and so they want to make tracks or finish tracks they are working on for the next set. Ozone is the quickest for this work. Outside of EDM, I'm not sure how much it gets used in a professional setting. Although, there are many levels of mastering engineer. Some of them might have put all their money into an expensive compressor and EQ, then relying on plug-ins for the rest of their tools. This could include the maximizer and other modules on Ozone.
I found that Ozone alone got my masters too quiet. I would routinely get -10 LUFS when I wanted -6. I learned how to master myself and it was a great decision.
I don't think Ozone was the issue here.
Is this a troll? lmao
Any details on what you did differently that Ozone did not provide? Any plugin or technique recommendations?
This guy… ozone can make your mixes as loud as you want if your mix is good to begin with. I’ve done extensive limiter shootouts and sometimes I prefer Ozone over other limiters, but usually I prefer something else. That said, Ozone is much more than a limiter, it’s got like ten modules or something.
Feel free to DM me and I’ll walk you through my mastering process.
Ozone is trash
Then you're using it wrong or don't know how to use it.
My man. Sure as long as you have no idea what your doing, its definitely great. Used it often. But now not so much
This is your friendly reminder to read the submission rules, they're found in the sidebar. If you find your post breaking any of the rules, you should delete your post before the mods get to it. You should check out the regular threads (also found in the sidebar) to see if your post might be a better fit in any of those. [Daily Feedback thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=author%3AAutoModerator+title%3Afeedback&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) for getting feedback on your track. The only place you can post your own music. [Marketplace Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=title%3Amarketplace&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) if you want to sell or trade anything for money, likes or follows. [Collaboration Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search/?q=biannual%20collaboration&restrict_sr=1&sort=new&t=all) to find people to collab with. ["There are no stupid questions" Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=title%3ANo+Stupid+Questions+Thread&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for beginner tips etc. Seriously tho, read the rules and abide by them or the mods will spank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/edmproduction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Mainly just the limiter But I do use the imager ambd exciter when mixing, especially if it’s a shitty two track a rapper came in with
I am a mastering engineer and I use Ozone 10 very frequently. It has a lot of flexibility and is often useful. I do use many other tools as well, I never rely on Ozone alone. In mastering there is no one size fits all plugin chains. Every song is different and therefore needs different processing. Sometimes I'll use 4 or 5 modules in Ozone and sometimes just one, or none. It is much more important to know what the song needs and how to use the tools in your arsenal than just owning the best tools. Also, in mastering there is an essential prerequisite, which is to work in a great acoustic environment with a high end monitoring system. If you can't hear what is actually in the audio signal, you can't make the right decisions.