Restoration & Post-production Processing Software [Mac OS & Windows]

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New in RX5 is an Instant Process option that can really help to speed up repetitive tasks.

The latest version of iZotope’s best-selling restoration software adds powerful new modules, as well as a Post Production Suite bundle aimed at film and TV applications.

It seems that along with Christmas, another regular annual event we can rely upon is a new version of iZotope’s RX Audio Editor software. Incorporating an ever-expanding collection of sophisticated tools for repairing, restoring and enhancing audio files, RX has now reached version 5, with both standard and Advanced editions available. The company have also released a new flagship product called the RX Post Production Suite; as the name implies, this not only includes RX5, but also the Insight metering system, RX Loudness Control and RX Final Mix products as well. The idea is to provide a full suite of tools that cover all aspects of audio post-production including audio repair, mixing and final delivery.

Insight

I reviewed the impressive Insight audio analysis and metering plug-in (v1.01) in the March 2013 issue of Sound On Sound, so will cover it only briefly here. Insight is included in the Advanced version of RX5 as well as the Post Production Suite and, in brief, provides a customisable loudness and true-peak meter, with support for channel formats up to 5.1 and presets for the international BS.1770 loudness standard variations. It also includes stereo and surround-sound ‘sound stage’ displays, spectrum analysers, and both 2D and 3D spectrogram modes. The display window can also be customised to show or hide the different display options as may be required for different applications or preferences.

The latest version is 1.04, but the only significant changes compared with the version I reviewed, apart from a few small bug-fixes, are to the supported platforms and plug-in formats. For example, Insight now supports Mac OS 10.11 and Windows 10, with host support for Pro Tools 12.3, while DirectX support has been dropped.

RX Loudness Control

RX Loudness Control works as an offline AAX AudioSuite plug-in in Avid’s Media Composer and Pro Tools (v10 to 12), or as an Audio Extension for Adobe’s Premiere Pro. Its functionality is derived in part from the loudness-normalisation algorithms within Insight and the Loudness Modules in RX4/5, but it also has features that go beyond the capabilities of both. In essence, the loudness parameters needed to comply with a particular programme delivery specification — such as the integrated loudness target level and maximum true peak value — are dialled into RX Loudness Control, after which the programme mix (in any format from mono to 5.1) is then rendered through RX Loudness Control.

The audio is analysed (faster than real time) and any transgressions are then displayed to allow the user to manually amend the mix to resolve any detected issues. Alternatively, the audio material can be corrected automatically and transparently through the plug-in’s built-in compression and peak-limiting tools.

RX Final Mix

Designed to simplify and speed up the task of mixing audio, the RX Final Mix plug-in combines automatic dynamic EQ and true-peak limiting tools and is aimed primarily at video editors and for use in TV and film audio post-production. The plug-in can be employed on stems or the final mix bus, supports all surround formats up to 7.1, and is designed to help control and blend multiple mix stems.

Final Mix incorporates dynamic EQ that is optimised to increase the intelligibility of dialogue.

The dynamic EQ is particularly useful in helping to maximise speech intelligibility through intelligent un-masking: pushing down any parts of the mix spectrum that might obscure important speech frequencies, moment by moment. It is equipped with six parametric bands, plus high- and low-pass filters, any of which can be set manually or for automatic programme-dependent operation. The latter has both compression and expansion options with user-adjustable thresholds set independently per band. Different parts of the audio spectrum can therefore be attenuated or emphasised and, when skillfully applied, this provides improved dialogue clarity by reducing any masking elements from background music and effects. It can also increase the dynamic impact of special effects, for example by raising the low-frequency region during explosions, and the like.

Moving on to the limiter feature, this can be optimised either for transparency or low latency, with three different sound-character options (clear, smooth or thick), and the ballistics are intelligently programme-dependent. The true-peak limit threshold is adjustable, and a separate gain slider allows the average volume to be increased by up to 20dB, if required.

The other main element of Final Mix is a simple-to-use limiter.

RX5 Advanced Audio Editor

The core RX audio restoration package is already such a powerful and versatile system that it might seem there is little room for practical improvement with each new generation. However, the Advanced version of RX5 included with the RX Post Production Suite manages to squeeze in a number of new workflow enhancements, better default settings, and closer integration with Avid’s Pro Tools — and even a few new processing modules, too!

The dedicated De-Plosive module is a new addition to RX5 Advanced.

The headline feature for the Advanced version of RX5 is a brand new De-Plosive module, which, as its name implies, is designed to remove distracting plosive sounds from dialogue tracks. This is claimed to be an “industry first” (although CEDAR came up with their DeThump algorithm over 15 years ago...). Another all-new module for RX5 Advanced is the versatile Signal Generator, which can create a variety of precise test tones with different wave-shape options, filtered noise, profanity bleeps, and so on. The Leveler and Ambience Match modules from RX4, which are only available in the Advanced version, have also been updated and improved. The Leveler module analyses a dialogue or vocal track and works out an intelligent clip-gain envelope to de-breath, de-ess and generally smooth out the voice level, while the Ambience Match plug-in automatically constructs a consistent background ambience track from whatever ambience already exists, which is particularly useful when rebuilding heavily edited dialogue or working with ADR tracks.

A welcome addition to RX5 Advanced is the new Signal Generator module.

Both the Standard and Advanced versions of RX5 benefit from a new Instant Process tool button, which has been added to the bottom of the main audio display window. This is a semi-automatic version of the Spectral Repair module, and it works much like the ‘magic eraser’ tools found in photo-editing programs. If the Instant Process button is pressed, a problem sound element can be highlighted with the usual shape selection tools, and instantly attenuated, de-clicked, faded or replaced (as pre-selected in a configuration box). This feature provides a much quicker means of removing lots of clicks, for example, and really speeds up repetitive tasks.

Rx 6 Fat Burner

Another new module provided in both versions of RX5 is a greatly improved EQ module, now called Corrective EQ. This features six separate parametric bands, plus configurable high- and low-pass filters (with four slope options). The module can also be switched between ‘analogue’ or ‘digital’ modes, with usefully different filter characteristics. A new Module Chain facility is also provided in both versions, and this allows any number of different RX5 modules to be loaded in a specific order, configured, and then operated automatically in sequence with a single click to perform complex audio processing tasks in a single pass.

Now rechristened Corrective EQ, RX5’s equaliser has been considerably improved.

There are a number of other worthy enhancements to this latest version of RX, starting with a subtly improved toolbar layout, with bigger icons and more obvious navigation and zoom controls. Retina screen support has been added for Macs, giving sharper text and graphics. And when working with long audio files, the Marker and Region search facilities have been improved to make finding required sections quicker and easier. Over 60 new ‘problem-oriented’ presets have been provided for the various modules, too.The Module Chain feature allows multiple RX processes to be combined into a single macro.

Impressions

I’ve been an enthusiastic user of iZotope’s RX for a very long time now, and find it an extremely capable audio restoration platform — although it takes some persistence and diligence to properly understand and master its sophisticated processing tools. RX5’s new De-Plosive module is a very welcome addition to the already quite comprehensive suite of tools, and it is highly effective. I also like the improved Corrective EQ module very much, while the new Instant Process feature is handy for simple repetitive spectral fixes. Another useful new facility for more complex repetitive work is the Module Chain, which allows a string of processes to be performed in one click. Experiments with the Ambience Match and Leveller modules showed them to be easy to use and very effective, too, and I can see them becoming popular in audio post-production for film and TV.

Moving beyond RX5 Audio Editor, the full-featured RX Post Production Suite is a very useful collection of tools for the film and TV post-production, world where loudness normalisation is now a crucial element. The Insight metering and Loudness Control plug-ins make it very straightforward to conform with the appropriate loudness standards, either while mixing or to correct pre-recorded material. The Final Mix plug-in is the only element of the suite that was entirely new to me, but I was impressed with the capabilities of its dynamic equalisation and limiter processes — although such powerful tools require great care, as they can wreck a mix more easily than improve one!

Alternatives

CEDAR’s Cambridge Suite offers a similarly comprehensive collection of audio restoration tools that are more advanced and easier to use, but at a much higher price and less oriented towards film and TV post-production.

Pros

• Loudness normalisation made easy with Insight’s metering and Loudness Control’s analytical and corrective facilities.
• Mix enhancement through RX Final Mix dynamic EQ and limiting tools.
• New De-Plosive processing module.
• Greatly improved Corrective EQ module.
• Module Chain and Instant Process features speed up repetitive tasks.

Cons

• Tools this sophisticated and capable will never be cheap!

Izotope Rx 6 Screen White Plains

Summary

A comprehensively equipped package of audio management, restoration and enhancement tools, now incorporating a Post Production Suite aimed at the film and TV market.

information

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Do you ever wonder why your favorite movies or TV shows sound so good? Or why TV commercials are so much louder than your favorite movies or TV shows? Or why some internet videos sound so bad?

In this mini-series we’re going to discuss the creation of soundtracks for video and film, also known as audio post-production. Mixing audio for video is a fairly deep subject, so you get four articles instead of one. Covering all the bases would take a book (or books) and would need to be revised every 15 minutes, due to the ever-changing nature of business and technology.

This first article, “Getting Started,” covers the basics, a little background, some terminology, and hopefully gets you interested in diving deeper. Subsequent articles will address workflow, standards, deliverables, and careers in audio post. Read on, and stay with us for the whole series, if you can tear yourself away from YouTube.

Way back in the dark ages of the 20th century, budding recording engineers often had to make a career choice between producing music or producing audio for visuals, like film or TV soundtracks. Specialized tasks meant using specialized tools to get the job done, and about the only thing in common between the two gigs was the use of tape machines and synchronizers.

The introduction of computerized digital audio editing systems in the late 1980s made it easier to use the same recording and editing tools to produce both music and soundtracks. I’m talking about nonlinear editing systems like AVID AudioVision, AMS Audiofile, NED PostPro, and early Pro Tools. That era was the first time I heard the term “convergence,” in this case referring to the blurring of lines between the worlds of audio and video production. As a result of this convergence, engineers at my recording studios had to learn to do post sessions by day and music sessions at night in order to take advantage of all the work opportunities. Music was (and is) fun, but post paid the bills.

The process has evolved a great deal in the intervening years, so, for those just getting started, let’s take a look at the modern process for audio post-production.

We should make a distinction here between audio post and other soundtracks, like podcasts, radio commercials, or audio books. When we talk about audio post, we are referring to audio created for a visual component. Such as…

TV

Television shows can be nearly any length, but most US broadcast programs are designed for the 30 or 60 minute format.

Many TV shows are produced by highly experienced TV studio production teams in LA. Reality TV can be shot just about anywhere, but requires a good deal of post-production (both audio and video) in order to create a professional result.

Film

Short films can run a few minutes, long form films can run a couple of hours—or even many hours, if we’re talking Gone With The Wind, clocking in a hair short of 4 hours. This category includes productions for HBO, Netflix, and Amazon, as well as the traditional major film studios.

At the other end of the financial spectrum, independent film makers producing a small or no budget project still need audio post, and working on these films can be a great way to get some on-the-job training.

Commercial

Commercial projects can include TV commercials, infomercials, PSAs, promos for other programming, and political ads. Commercials run in very short formats, ranging from :05, :10, :15, :30, and :60 in length. There are longer commercials, but it tends to get expensive buying airtime for a 2:00 commercial.

These can run on TV, at movie theaters, before your favorite kitten videos on YouTube, and just about anyplace that features streaming video content, and are usually created by advertising agencies and top notch video production teams using a dedicated audio person or persons.

Corporate

When some big company needs to train its employees or customers how to do something, they make a video. Likewise, if they’re rolling out a new product, talking about HR policies, crowing about quarterly financial performance, etc.

These are supposed to be shot by professional videographers, but often, in the effort to save shekels, they will neglect to hire a professional audio person for field recordings. This can result in good looking video with unusable audio. Unless they hire an audio post professional to salvage their noisy, distant, boomy, reverby, lip smacky, skype-y, drop out-y, -60 dB, horrible audio captured with a camera mic next to a cement mixer. You think I’m kidding.

Games

Games are fun. Well, game audio is fun…in moderation. Most AAA games have a dedicated audio team to create and capture sounds, which will be absolutely unique to the game they’re building. It can also be a tremendous amount of work, requiring thousands of audio files authored into a game engine using middleware like Wwise, Unity, or FMOD.

Creating soundtracks in different languages multiplies the number of files to be managed and increases the time it takes to create game audio assets.

Izotope Rx 6 Screen White Screen

Because of the specialized workflow, we’re not going to discuss game audio in detail here. But if you want to learn more about some of the top trends for creating sounds and music for virtual reality and game applications, check out this interview with game industry veteran Brian Schmidt.