Much to the horror of many veteran audio engineers and purists of audio-fidelity, music producers, radio stations, and DJs have long been using sonic matching tools to "remaster" existing recordings and mixes to create more uniform material for a particular session, or to achieve a specific sound that has proven popular at a specific time. Not only manipulating multiband loudness and dynamics, but also using frequency-response and curve "stamping" directly applied to the finished material.
Although we all know that what sounds like "the best sound" today will inevitably sound dull and dated in just a question of months or even weeks, music artists, record labels and producers never stop "remixing", "remastering" or completely changing existing recordings, envisaging the always-elusive mainstream commercial success or a better fit to a specific music genre that might be trending at the moment.
Music creation in the studio increasingly also uses those same sonic-matching tools to quick elevate a particular mix to specific goals. Reference tracks offer a representation of the desired end result of a track and are a crucial part of achieving what is perceived as "the perfect mix" or master. In the past, producers and sound engineers would simply listen and compare subjectively, and would use their own methods to emulate those specific sounds and results. Today, it's done using dedicated software and even artificial intelligence (AI).
Audiolens from iZotope aims to streamline that referencing process, assisting engineers that are looking to find balance on a final master for a client and producers that want to make sure their song will stack up on a playlist. The new app from the Boston-base audio software house gathers information on key sonic characteristics such as tone, dynamics, and width, and saves the analysis as a reference track to help users quickly visualize and compare how their own mixes and masters stack up their chosen references.
Audiolens can then integrate seamlessly with the AI-powered Assistants of iZotope plug-ins Ozone 10 and Neutron 4, automatically populating saved referenced targets to the Target Libraries where characteristics can be matched. Further adjustments are able to be dialed in using the Assistant Views, whether that’s adding more thump to bass, crisping up snares, or making hi-hats sizzle.
References can also be saved to the Audiolens Target Library to build a personal catalog of reference track data that can be accessed at any time. Saved references can be named and organized to help users quickly find the sounds they want to match and compare tonal balance profiles with ease. The Target Library communicates with Ozone 10 and Neutron 4, automatically populating references to those plug-ins.
Audiolens is available to download temporarily for free from the iZotope website, and will retail for $99 USD starting November 22, 2022. Those with to watch Youtube videos can find a demonstration here.
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