![neutron vs fabfilter pro q neutron vs fabfilter pro q](https://www.audiopluginguy.com/wp-content/uploads/APG__iZotope-Neutron-3-Advanced.jpg)
You can even use Neutron 3’s Mix Assistant to help set levels in your mix to avoid masking.īut it is usually a little more complicated than this. If the Masking Meter in your session is really lighting up, and you can manage to knock a few dBs to bring on certain instruments, this might just solve your problem. Given the visual presentation of Masking Meter, it is easy to forget (or just not know) that the presence of masking is influenced by level. Who knows? Maybe this is what you want! 4. Too much dynamic EQ can produce an unnatural, wobbling effect. This means whenever the kick isn’t in the mix, the bassline stays in its unaltered state, so you don’t have to compromise sound quality or use multiple EQs across duplicate tracks.Ī note of caution: it is easy to get carried away with dynamic EQ, so my suggestion would be to stop after two or three nodes. If you dial in a cut on the bass track where masking is occurring (as indicated by the Masking Meter), hit dynamic mode and then sidechain mode, and use the corresponding external EQ band on the kick track as an input, the bassline will only be EQed when the kick is present-at the specific frequency you selected, in this case, Band 1. Let’s take the classic kick and bass war as an example. This makes the dynamic EQ functionality on each node very useful.
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Since masking doesn’t occur all the time, you don’t need your EQ to be actively cutting frequencies all the time. The leads only rub against backgrounds when the voice dips into the deeper register. The synths clash with the keys in the chorus, not the verse. The bass masks the kick, but only when the kick is in the mix. Flip the dynamic switchĬertain instances of masking are solved with a single, static cut, but often times frequency collisions happen in an uneven manner.
#Neutron vs fabfilter pro q manual#
If you turn Inverse Link off, node position will remain unchained, and you can now shape each curve independently with manual moves, like widening the Q, bringing up the gain, and so on. You can switch over the second instrument and make changes there too. In the screenshot above, the “inverse” cut is represented by dashed lines. If your synth needs a boost at 4 kHz, Masking Meter will cut that same frequency on the drums to avoid nasty collisions. This way, you can make cuts and boosts knowing they will not aggravate frequency masking further.
![neutron vs fabfilter pro q neutron vs fabfilter pro q](https://www.fabfilter.com/img/products/pro-mb-intro.jpg)
In this case, the range between 300–600 Hz is troublesome. Once you make a pick, Neutron will display the frequency spectra of both signals and reveal where masking is taking place, represented by the red bars at the top and the orange overlays on the EQ.
![neutron vs fabfilter pro q neutron vs fabfilter pro q](https://i.imgur.com/xKly0Ck.png)
The plug-in is capable of bringing up other iZotope plug-ins too, but I’ll get to that later. In your DAW, drag a copy of Neutron’s EQ onto a lead element and press the drop-down menu next to “Masking,” which will show you other instances of Neutron that can be brought up in the same window. Once you handle these main sounds, it's easier to make decisions about what else needs unmasking and what doesn’t. You want lead elements to sound clear and powerful, so reducing the amount of masking occurring with them is crucial. So where do you start unmasking? And when do you call it quits? I find it makes sense to start with the most important element in the mix, like the vocals or drums. A bit of masking can potentially make a song sound more cohesive, but like all things audio, the presence of masking can become overwhelming too. One of the best defenses against masking issues is smart recording and arrangement, but every situation is different and masking can occur from unexpected sources. The more you add to a mix, the greater your risk of having masking occur. Start from the most important mix element