Tips for Mix Bus Processing

From EQ to multiband processing and saturation, learn best practices for mix bus processing.
Discover how multiband compression can frame your mix bus, how to use Ozone's Exciter module to spotlight specific aspects of a track, and how Tonal Balance Control can help ensure a consistent listening experience.
Download a free demo of Ozone here: www.izotope.co...

[@avrhm]

i generally try not to take all the advice i see in tutorial videos, as i feel it can often get overwhelming, but man this was helpful. Thanks for this

[@Gr1dSh7ftR]

and yes, you're absolutely right. after watching countless hours of mixing and mastering videos I can't say I've ever seen such a wide array of advice and techniques offered for one any one skill. I try to glean and apply what really sticks out and is useful to me immediately. By doing this I am slowly but surely developing a workflow with techniques that is customized to me. This is not something you learn overnight but rather a unique set of interwoven skills you develop over time through much experience.

[@bigrivermedia762]

Ozone is a super DEEP plugin. These videos are fantastic, keep them coming!

[@djronakdelhi]

exciter really brought it to life

[@LoveItDirtyOffroad]

Izotope still one of the best

[@avrhm]

Ozone has one of my favourite mix bus compressors. Personally, i like to divide the frequency spectrum the same way it's divided in tonal balance control. That way when i go back in and solo the bands in tonal balance control, i'm really hearing what the compressor is doing for the signal. Side note but not-so-side note: tonal balance control is literally one of my favourite mix bus plugins. izotope nailed it with that one.

[@Gr1dSh7ftR]

i was literally doing that for the first time in one of my own projects while watching this video lol. great minds think alike.

[@MrBitterman75]

Gain matching highly appreciated, nice video. Thanks.

[@DRocksRecords]

I really like how you explain and the sound of the voice over. thanks for the tips

[@BlackenedNL]

This was great to watch! More of these please!!

[@fastronaut909]

Thanks so much for this great tutorial; I just bought Ozone and hope it will help me learn more about processing the mix bus. Also, that band is killer; love that guitar tone!

[@gateurizomma6244]

This is the most good explained and useful tutorial that I´ve seen about this mastering software... Thanks!

[@NovianLeVanMusic]

Fantastic video with exceptional quality. Well done, iZotope!

[@heathsledger]

wow this is HUGE value thanks izotope

[@romeocajones]

Nicely done, would appreciate more of these with different audio content... not that the band wasn't great, just as an alternative starting point.

[@lakshaithani268]

Really amazing before and after. Bravo

[@lewiglenismusic662]

Very helpful tutorial especially for Izotope users.

[@mariusvanderleij21]

That is a great guitar sound right there

[@TheWaveFiles]

Thanks for the subtitles and the helpful content.

[@cahlajthepoetmc9746]

Great video. Thanks for the info.

[@stevemcnamara2584]

Great video as others have said. Quick question: If Dynamic EQ should be first as a default, why isn't in when using Master Assistant? Your explanation makes a lot of sense but then we have to remember to move D-EQ ahead of everything else. Just a suggestion.

[@MaybeLoveHate]

He explained in the beginning that he isn't doing mastering here but instead doing the mix bus processing. Master Assistant is trying to do a lot more, he was just using it to get what he wanted for getting the mix balance right.

[@arnavkaushaltrio7405]

While we're mastering using the isotope ozone, the master assistant places the EQ ahead of the dynamic eq. It ensures any changes we make in the EQ curve of the track as a whole to adjust the tonal balance go through the dynamic eq which would take care to deal with any resonances or clashes that might have got boosted or reduced in the process. :)

[@izvarzone]

it shouldn't. You can change order of plugins to find sound you like most. If dynamic eq sounds better elswhere, do it.

[@CestLaVie73]

This was very useful video for me, thank you alot!

[@AfterNothingsEnd]

Great video! Thanks!

[@SocietateaAscendenta]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! Just saved my stupid mix :D

[@vaakhsmusic360]

Im really thankful to uhh oll sir

[@Keroser1983]

Very well put, thank you sir!

[@stuartwrigglesworth9339]

Amazing video

[@shaynegreen]

Great! Im buying. Thanks!

[@athomesongwriting]

My question on this one is would you mix into this chain, or add it to sweeten after the mix is done? I suspect you could try either way and see how it sounds.

[@sq7507]

I dont understand why would you mirror the settings for all bands. Isnt the whole point of mb comp to treat certain frequencies separately?

[@jonanders76]

Haha, glad its not just me thinking that.

[@jmula1963]

yes, that is the whole point but actually when you split the track into bands (even at the same ratio) the audio is still actually processed differently than if compressing as a whole due to the placement of the filters separating each band. however, i would use the band link as a starting point and dial in a specific threshold and ratio as fitting for each part of the freq spectrum [ie. mix may require less compressing in low-end, or running a higher ratio in parallel (

[@JimijaymesProductions]

It still does, the idea of equal settings is to even out the sound because with the same threshold lets say there is too many highs, this will trigger the hi band to compress and the others won't. When you want to get into genre specific flavours that accentuate a certain area like say hip hop where you wan loads of lows and highs then you adjust your multiband to reflect this so that say an 808 drop wont trigger the lows to severely cut each time. It depends what you are doing, best would be to start with mirrored setting and then adjust if there are issues like pumping low end.

[@Keroser1983]

Each band acts different so one threshold set for high end may create some other effect on the mids. In this video he did not need any additional tweaks I suppose that is what has confused us.

[@izvarzone]

it will still compress independantly

[@johnjoedaly]

Very helpful.

[@jjones7837]

Great stuff as always.

[@sammytheman8994]

Great video! To clarify, mix bus processing isn't the same as mastering right? Wouldn't this be considered mastering twice? Thanks!!

[@ryun3307]

I have same question

[@charleskosher6604]

It's definitely part of mastering. Mastering would also involve making sure that all the songs on the album fit together. Timing between songs levels of each song. It's usually done in a specific mastering daw. They also consider what format(s) will be used. Different ways of dithering. If you read Bob Katz' mastering audio you can see there is a lot more involved. Writing the meta data in the CD.

[@JimijaymesProductions]

The main difference in a real situation between mix bus processing and mastering is how you approach it. The mix engineer might want an overall sound but is very involved in the process whereas the mastering engineer isnt and can hear problems and has a different approach, now if you are mixing and mastering then the way you can change your workflow is to master a few days or weeks after the final mix so you have a fresher perspective. The best approach as a mix engineer is to leave some room for mastering mainly not limiting or using severe compression so you dont overdo it.

[@izvarzone]

it overlaps with mastering

[@Piter32199]

Great!!!

[@VivekKumar-sk1js]

Thank you so much 👏

[@LuisM_Piozza]

Thanks a lot for add the subtitles! Greets!

[@buzzcrumhunger7114]

I thought the vox were already plenty distorted before you added the Exciter.

[@gaskomusic]

Different type of distortion! The saturation he add here was to give the vocal more presence and colour, as opposed to the distortion in the mix-down stage which was more a sound design technique!

[@txfaulk795]

Great video izotope rocksss

[@HansHenningThomas]

very helpful !

[@georgealveskog]

It looks like mastering to me. Why not treat elements separately to control the resonances, for instance?

[@izvarzone]

lot of way do things

[@playmovingpictures]

Could you show a full from recording a instrument using iZotope Insight 2 and ozone 8 to mix to master all the way using ozone and iZotope Insight 2 for volume control and ready output to USA radio master. Thanks. And what’s the difference between USA radio output and say CD master output. Thanks.

[@Bloemanstudio]

This video is fire 🔥

[@tonydigregorio3806]

"low end hygiene" gotta remember that one!

[@yohanandz]

7:30 cant really tell the difference without Gain match on :/

[@Layarion]

I really love that these don't assume you know what he's talking about.

[@ryansexton2499]

Umm who is the artist? I want.

[@cayxine]

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