Exploring the New Features of iZotope Ozone 11

Just a year after its previous release, iZotope, now part of the Native Instruments family, surprises us with Ozone 11. This all-in-one mastering suite is available in Elements, Standard, and Advanced versions, or as part of the attractive Music Production Suite 6 bundle, which also includes the new Nectar 4 and Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Ozone 11 Advanced, focusing on the new features and differences, as the overall workflow remains unchanged from Ozone 10.

Ozone 11 Master Assistant

The heart and highlight of Ozone 11 is still the Master Assistant, known from Ozone 10. However, with the new modules included in Ozone 11, it delivers significantly better sound results compared to its predecessor.

No matter which of my own tracks I tried Ozone 11 Advanced on, I was simply amazed by the results from the new Master Assistant. Ozone 11 Advanced sounds much louder, more powerful, and yet much clearer and more transparent compared to Ozone 10 Advanced. The difference is enormous.

Ozone 11 Clarity Module

When toggling the individual modules in the automatically created signal processing chain, it becomes clear that the new Clarity module significantly contributes to the improved sound. For this reason, I highly recommend going directly for the Ozone 11 Advanced version, as this module is not included in the other versions.

Clarity, similar to the already known modules Low End Focus, Spectral Shaper, and Stabilizer, is based on adaptive spectral analysis and processing of the selected frequency range. Its goal is to produce louder, more transparent, and professionally sounding results.

Ozone 11 Stem Focus

Another exclusive feature of Ozone 11 Advanced is Stem Focus. This allows you to apply the parameters of individual modules to either the entire mix, just the vocals, just the percussions, or just the bassline/bass tracks. Being able to influence individual group tracks afterwards is a real game-changer and was previously unthinkable.

Ozone 11 Transient / Sustain

A new feature, available in both the Standard and Advanced versions, is the ability to process only the transients or sustain in each module. Previously, you could only influence the stereo, mid/side, left/right signal. Now, you can target transients or sustain, providing more precise control over your mix.

Ozone 11 Upward Compress

Additional loudness is achieved in the popular Maximizer module through a new Upward Compress function. Similar results can be obtained with parallel compression, but Ozone 11 simplifies the workflow with an adjustable slider to set the intensity.

Ozone 11 Reference Tracks

Despite the fantastic results of the Ozone 11 Advanced Master Assistant, it is crucial to compare the mastered result with reference tracks. The integrated comparison feature in Ozone 11 Advanced makes this easy. By clicking the “Reference” button, you can add one or more reference tracks and switch between them and your own track. The displayed frequency curve is a visual indicator to spot differences between your master and the reference track.

Also read: The Importance of Reference Tracks

Ozone 11 Individual Modules

A key difference between the Standard and Advanced versions of Ozone 11 is that only the Advanced version allows individual modules to be used as inserts in your DAW. This can be practical and CPU-friendly, as you don’t always need to load the entire Ozone 11 Mastering Suite.

For Standard version users, it’s good news that the Stabilizer and Master Rebalance modules are now included, previously exclusive to Ozone 10 Advanced.

How To Use Ozone 11

iZotope’s YouTube channel deserves praise for its tutorials. Not only do they explain new products in detail, but they also cover the entire mastering process in a series format. These tutorials are especially educational for newcomers to mastering.

Conclusion

Despite being released less than a year after Ozone 10 Advanced, iZotope has significantly improved auditory with Ozone 11. The new Clarity, Stem Focus, and Upward Compression modules, along with algorithmic refinements, make a noticeable difference in sound quality.

Creating professional-sounding masters has never been easier, and for those seeking an easy-to-use mastering suite, Ozone 11 Advanced is a clear recommendation.

At SongMixMaster.com, we use Ozone 11 alongside with other tools and the best hardware studio gear to ensure the highest quality possible for our online mixing and mastering services.

Buy Link: iZotope Ozone 11