Izotope Ozone 8 Advanced - Much better than standard?

[RustyShakleforde]

Hello,

I have Ozone standard, Advanced upgrade is on sale just now. I am thinking about upgrading but wonder if anyone has any input on whether the upgrade is worth it?

I don't really mind using standard having to have all the modules in the one instance, though I have thought it would be nice to just use each module as an independent vst... I can obviously just load up standard and just have the thing I want to use and nothing else, so just the EQ for example. Is there much difference to doing that and running the standalone you'd get with Advanced.

Im Running an i7 laptop by 3xs systems. Top specs as of last year. Incase that matters. (Ozone still hogs the cpu with a few instances though - so wondering if the stand alones would be kinder that way?)

Im interested in any one experiences and input as even at half price it will still be a big purchase at the moment...


All the best

[Kalm]

For me the upgrade was worth it since there are certain instances where I only want to waste the CPU for one module. That's really what it comes down to for me. When I'm mastering in Studio One, not being able to freely move around my modules with other VST's is cumbersome. You'll essentially have to have multiple Ozone 8's just to create a signal path.

[mcatalao]

To me the most important thing about the advanced version (since for mastering i usually use the integrated version) is the Tonal Balance plugin that is not included in the standard version.

Tonal balance allows you to "see" a tonal cumulative representation of your track and it helps you see how it is in relation to a median based on several sources, or a reference that you put there yourself.
Its a good visual aid imho, and it works quite nicely integrated with Ozone or neutron.

[EnochLight]

Hello,

I have Ozone standard, Advanced upgrade is on sale just now. I am thinking about upgrading but wonder if anyone has any input on whether the upgrade is worth it?

If using Ozone is your primary mastering environment, then absolutely. It also unlocks its modules so they can be used inside of Reason or any other DAW as standalone devices, which is pretty cool. And Tonal Balance is absolutely awesome - I've found it to be a critical tool for mastering.

That said, if you decide to wait it out, don't worry - they put the upgrade on sale at least a couple times a year.

[demt]

i prefered previous izotope ozone vsts theres just 2 mutch to keep an eye on without selling your sole to it

[EnochLight]

Unrelated to Ozone 8 (but not really, as it used to be included for a time), if you want one of the best metering plugins in the industry, have a look at iZotope Insight 2. Along with Ozone, it's pretty freak'n awesome (and communicates with inter-plugin communication with Ozone 8 or Neutron 2 relay/mix taps).

[RustyShakleforde]

Hey guys,

Thanks very much for the advice and info. I'm still holding off but tempted. I had been thinking along the lines of what you guys confirmed. Insight does look cool too Enoch, thanks.

Im going to mix a few tracks i have over the weekend with standard and see how it goes. I dare say i will probably snap it up by end of the weekend though, as I do like the idea of tonal balance and the standalone vst aspects.

Thanks again

All the best

[EnochLight]

I do like the idea of tonal balance and the standalone vst aspects.

O8 Advanced' Tonal Balance is single-handedly one of the most useful mastering metering tools on the market, IMHO (aside from Insight 2). To visually see and be able to compare your mixes to reference mixes visually is incredibly helpful. It's practically magical.

[eusti]

O8 Advanced' Tonal Balance is single-handedly one of the most useful mastering metering tools on the market, IMHO (aside from Insight 2). To visually see and be able to compare your mixes to reference mixes visually is incredibly helpful. It's practically magical.

Is Insight 2 still included? I thought there was something about it being included in older versions and not any longer, but that might have been for the non advanced version...

D.

[ScuzzyEye]

Is Insight 2 still included? I thought there was something about it being included in older versions and not any longer, but that might have been for the non advanced version...

The only bundle that includes Insight now is the RX Post Production Suite, and it costs a bundle.

While Insight is a great tool, I think it's overpriced at its stand alone rate. I think they justify it because it does help with television standard's compliance.

[mcatalao]

Is Insight 2 still included? I thought there was something about it being included in older versions and not any longer, but that might have been for the non advanced version...

The only bundle that includes Insight now is the RX Post Production Suite, and it costs a bundle.

While Insight is a great tool, I think it's overpriced at its stand alone rate. I think they justify it because it does help with television standard's compliance.

Insight is overpriced i agree. I'm using RE 128 Loudness Meter for that an it's really good.

[EnochLight]

Is Insight 2 still included? I thought there was something about it being included in older versions and not any longer, but that might have been for the non advanced version...

No, it's only sold standalone or in a bundle now.

While Insight is a great tool, I think it's overpriced at its stand alone rate. I think they justify it because it does help with television standard's compliance.

Agree 100% it's overpriced. I picked it up on sale for $99 USD, which I think is still too pricey - but at half off the MSRP I couldn't say no. It's the last metering tool I'll ever buy.

[eusti]

Thanks EnochLight and SkuzzyEyes for confirming!

D.