Audio Mixing: 10 Hidden Features in Neutron

Neutron  is to mixing what  Ozone  is to mastering: an intelligent, modular channel strip plug-in that helps you with any mixing task. Whether you’re mixing music or post production audio, we want to help you use Neutron more efficiently with workflows and modules that you might not have used before. That’s why we’re sharing 10 “hidden” features in Neutron that can make your mixing process easier and faster.

This article references a previous version of Neutron. Learn about Neutron 5 and its powerful features including Assistant View, Target Library, Unmask, and more by clicking here.

Want to follow along as you learn about these new features? Start your free trial of  Music Production Suite Pro  to access Neutron and all of its powerful audio mixing tools.

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Looking for even more “hidden” features tutorials? Take a look at Ozone Pro, Nectar Pro, and RX Pro for Music’s hidden or lesser known workflows.

1. Unlock the power of Neutron’s Masking Meter

For longtime users of Neutron, the Masking Meter is perhaps no surprise. However, there’s still heaps of people who know a little about it, but not enough to truly take advantage of its power. So let’s break down how to find it in Neutron and how it can help you in your next mix.

When Neutron is used on two or more tracks in your DAW, Masking Meter uses inter-plugin communication to show you areas in the EQ where one track clashes with another. You can use the Masking Meter between two individual tracks, an individual track and a bus, between two buses, the choice is yours. 

Once you’ve got two Neutron plug-ins set up, you’ll spot the Masking Meter icon.

When you click the dropdown menu, Neutron will look for other iZotope plug-ins in your session. To keep things simple, I’ve placed another Neutron on the bass track, so it populates for me here in this menu. 

By clicking on that track, the interface of the EQ changes and we can see some new controls. At the bottom of the EQ window, we have two tabs. The first represents the Neutron we’re currently using, and the second represents the Neutron on the other track. 

We’re also seeing some new elements in the plug-in. The orange trace represents the frequency energy of the track on the other Neutron. The intermittent orange flashes represent where masking might be occurring between my two tracks.