iZotope Neutron How to use – 2. About the effects
Understanding the effects section to dive deeper into your sounds
Previously, we took a look at the innovative track assistant function.
Its a highly anticipated function that automatically finds effect settings by reading a track and analyzing it.
In this article we will take a look at the effects on board Neutron.
iZotope’s mixing plugins are high in quality and functionality, allowing for very comfortable sound design.
In addition, by understanding these effects, you can make small adjustments to the analysed sound created by the track assistant as well.
Neutron About the effect – Tutorial video
An effects MIX amount
Each effect has a「Mix slider」that determines how much of the plugin is applied.
0% and you will get no effect on the sound (Dry), and at 100% you will have a completely effected sound (Wet).
If the effect seems too strong, try mixing in the Dry sound on the MIX slider.
Knowing this will allow you to create more natural sounds.
Using this knowledge, you can also apply「parallel compression」.
- You will get to keep the original feel while giving it a compressed effect.
EQ section
In our previous article, we looked at a special EQ function called「masking」.
We will now take a look at some other EQ functions.
There are 12 EQ points available, and turning them on activates the EQ.
You can select the EQ curve from below each point.
The EQ points also have a「Compress」function built in, which can be used in a multi-band compressor kind of way.
When「Compress」is on, lower the「Threshold」slider to begin compressing the frequency.
The meter on the right is for gain reduction, and allows you to visually see the compression amount.
Compressor section
Neutron has 2 compressors built it, allowing for double compression on a signal.
Various edits and nuances can be achieved, such as keeping one comp set natural, another set hard, and using the「Mix」slider to adjust the amount applied.
In one compressor there are also 3 compressors available.
By using multiple comps, you can compress different frequency bands and use Neutron as a「multi-band compressor」.
For some, figuring out which frequencies to compress can be the hard part about multi-band compression.
Neutron can automatically set up frequency cross-over points to compress on from the source sound.
Turn「Learn」on and let the track play.
The track will be analyzed, and cross over points will be automatically applied.
In addition, because of extreme high/low end sounds, sometimes you don’t get the results that you’re looking for.
You can set the compressor to not react to these frequencies as well.
Turn the button shown in the red on, and drag it to designate what areas to not read with the compressor.
Exciter section
This can add saturation, warmth, and blend a sound better into the mix.
In addition, adding saturation helps keep down peaks, and increase loudness.
Similar to the previous compressor, you can saturate different frequency ranges as well.
In addition, you can use「Learn」again to set frequency points.
Its very easy to use;
select the type of saturation from the matrix in the center,
and use the slider on the right to determine the amount of the effect applied.
Create various sounds from natural saturation, to powerful overdrives.
Blending sounds with overdrive effects
By「overdriving your sound」, the attack and tone of a sound changes, making it easier to blend into the mix.
When mixing drums, there may be times when「the hats and cymbals are too clean in the mix」; as a more dramatic way of changing the sound, we can apply distortion.
Using distortion as a mixing tool When mixing drums, there may be times when「the
Transient section
Use this effect to adjust the tracks attack and reverberation.
This works great on drums and other percussive sounds.
- Red : Enhances attack. Negative amounts will decrease the attack as well.
- Green : Set the curve for the transient. This will change the nuance in the sound.
- Yellow : The sound reverberation will be enhanced. Negative amounts will decrease the tail and work as a sort of gate.
- Blue : Determines how the sound changes from the transient; check visually from the orange curve.
For those who are looking for a denser sound, raising the release will give good results.
Though the effects seem complicated when compiled together, understanding these functions individually makes the process much easier.
In addition, this plugin has many visual displays that show the results of the effects applied, making it an easy to use tool.
A demo version is available for download as well.
Give it a try!
