I’ve been using iZotope RX [Tape Op #123] for over a decade, starting with RX 3 [#100], and this "audio repair toolkit" has become an integrated part of my workflow on every music project I do. Most RX users are in post-production, and I can imagine why. Dealing with location sound, sound effects, room tones, and all the requirements of film and TV mixing, they need all the help they can get. But in music production, it seems people have been somewhat slower to take advantage of the heavy editing that is possible in RX 11. While I use it to clean up my Tape Op podcast interviews and intros before sending them to Geoff Stanfield, I also extensively use it in mixing and, quite often, even in the middle of tracking to clean up my tracks and overdubs.
Using RX 11 can seem daunting at first, but it really isn't that difficult as long as one double checks their work and stays attentive. Think of what you wish it could do, and then see if it can! In many cases, it can do what once seemed impossible in audio. Of all the modules RX 11 offers, I’ve sorted out the ones I like to use and learned how to best apply them: Spectral De-noise for removing background hum, hiss, AC noise, and unwanted room tone; Spectral Repair for Attenuate and Replace functions; De-click for fixing un-crossfaded edits, electrical clicks, and more; Mouth De-click for cleaning up typical mouth sounds like saliva and clicks; De-plosive for cleaning up popped consonants (people, please buy pop filters!). Gain is probably the module I use the most, either blacking selected audio regions out to nothing when I don't need it, reducing "S" sounds manually for careful de-essing, or boosting components of a sound to level out apparent volumes (like increasing the fundamental harmonics of a quiet word in a vocal so it sits more evenly). Music Rebalance is one module (of many) that got much better with RX 11, and we can all guess that this type of software will continue to improve with AI-type technology and the possibility of training apps to perform exacting tasks as we intended. I've been using Music Rebalance to separate vocals and acoustic guitars from each other when they are tracked live together, with impressive results. I recently "remixed" a classic punk band's live stereo recording, moving the right channel-only vocal to the center. Separating drums, bass, and "other" tracks allowed me to fill in the sound and present a much stronger balance for mastering. Tape Op contributor Adam Gonsalves (Telegraph Mastering) recently used Music Rebalance to bump up a short instance of a quiet vocal in an album we were remastering, saving the day.
If you have one of the Pro Tools plans that includes the new iZotope RX Spectral Editor via ARA 2, I urge you to check out RX 11, though the modules here are limited (no Spectral De-noise!). If you are serious about recording and mixing – or especially if doing mastering – and you do this even part-time as a professional, purchase Advanced right now. I feel like I've been saying this in reviews for over a decade, but programs like RX 11 will be a big part of the future of audio production – and RX 11 is already here! Crossgrade pricing available.
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