Q: Is Mix Assistant the same as Track Assistant?

A: Mix Assistant is the new assistive feature in Neutron 3 Advanced. In Mix Assistant, you can choose Track Enhance to run the assistant on your track and create a custom preset, or you can choose Balance to balance the track levels in your session. Neutron 3 Standard doesn’t include the new Mix Assistant, so you will see “Track Assistant” as the option to select on the top of the plug-in.

 

Q: When I use Neutron and Relay for features like Masking Meter, Visual Mixer, and Mix Assistant, the track names in my DAW aren’t pulled into the plugin.

A: The track naming feature in Neutron and Relay is specific to DAWs that support this functionality. DAW manufacturers have to intentionally make this functionality available for us to be able to use it.

 

Q: My mix sounds weird, did I do something wrong?

A: There are a few things that can cause Mix Assistant to produce undesirable results. But if you follow these 3 rules, then you will almost always get great results.

• Mix Assistant should be used on Tracks or Buses only, not both

• Use only 1 Relay, Neutron mothership, or Neutron component plug-in per track as a source for Mix Assistant

• Do not use Mix Assistant on Sends and FX Returns

 

Q: Why does my mix sound quieter after I run Mix Assistant?

A: We’re adjusting your levels to give you a good starting point. When you bypass the recommended settings, we gain match your unprocessed signal to the processed signal. Feel free to adjust your monitoring during this stage.

 

Q: When do I use Mix Assistant?

A: Use Mix Assistant on unmixed sessions or right after you insert stems into your DAW.

 

Q: How do I use Mix Assistant?

A: You can use Mix Assistant in two ways:

1. Neutron 3 Advanced mothership

   1. Insert Relay as the first plug-in in your session

   2. Only insert a single Relay on each track

   3. Insert a Neutron 3 Mothership on a track

   4. Open Mix Assistant and click Balance

   5. Let it listen to your entire your song

   6. Click Go To Results

   7. Adjust group sliders to taste

   8. Click Edit Classification if tracks are not categorized to your liking

   9. Click Accept to apply the balance or click X to revert

   10. Use your DAW faders and pan pots to continue mixing

2. Neutron Visual Mixer

   1. Insert Relay as the last plug-in in your session

   2. Only insert a single Relay on each track

   3. Insert a Visual Mixer on a track

   4. Open Mix Assistant

   5. Let it listen to your entire your song

   6. Click Go To Results

   7. Adjust group sliders to taste

   8. Click Edit Classification if tracks are not labelled to your liking

   9. Click Accept to apply the mix or click X to revert

   10. Use the nodes in Visual Mixer to adjust level, pan, and width for your mix

 

Q: Can I use this with instrumental music?

A: Yes. Mix Assistant was designed to work with this use case.

 

Q: How does this affect my DAW Faders?

A: Mix Assistant does not affect the faders in your DAW, only iZotope Relay, Neutron and any component plug-ins.

 

Q: I have Neutron Standard/Elements, where is Mix Assistant?

A: Mix Assistant is an Advanced-only feature in Neutron 3.

 

Q: Can I adjust my faders before running Mix Assistant?

A: We recommend that you leave your faders at unity gain before running Mix Assistant. Feel free to adjust them afterwards.

 

Q: Can I use my faders when Mix Assistant is done?

A: Yes! You can use your DAW faders or Visual Mixer after Mix Assistant.

 

Q: Does Mix Assistant finish my mix?

A: No. Once you've achieved an initial level balance with Mix Assistant, you may still wish to apply other processing, such as compression, EQ, and panning to elements of your mix.

 

Q: When should I pan my tracks?

A: For best results, we recommend that you pan after you have run Mix Assistant.

 

Q: Does this work with automation?

A: No. Mix Assistant is only setting an initial, static balance for your tracks. You may feel free to add automation to your faders and plug-ins after running Mix Assistant and getting an initial balance.

 

Q: Can I touch my faders while Mix Assistant is running?

A: No. For best results, we recommend you let Mix Assistant fully analyze your tracks first.

 

Q: Can I stop Mix Assistant while it’s still listening to my song?

A: We recommend that you let Mix Assistant listen to your whole track for the best possible results, but there’s obviously nothing stopping you from stopping your DAW’s transport whenever you want.

 

Q: Can I use wet stems (stems with time-based effects) with Mix Assistant?

A: Yes. It can listen and classify it to the best of its ability. Usually these will be classified as Musical.

 

Q: Does Mix Assistant work with other Assistants?

A: No, but we encourage you to use all our Assistants in a mix. It’s quick, fun, and easy. For example, once you've achieved your level balance with Mix Assistant, try running Neutron's Track Assistant on individual tracks as you continue mixing.

 

Q: Which plug-in formats does Mix Assistant work with?

A: Mix Assistant itself only supports plug-in formats that Neutron 3 supports which are AAX, AU, VST2 and VST3. We are not supporting 32-bit VST2 or VST3, as well as no support for RTAS.

 

Q: Can I save Mix Assistant as a part of my Track Templates or DAW specific templates?

A: Yes. This is very encouraged.

 

Q: Which tracks do I use Mix Assistant on?

A: Use Mix Assistant on any tracks you want mixed, it works with most styles of music.

 

Q: Why do I need to pick a Focus?

A: Every mix has a focal point, and yours should too. Pick the track that is the most important part of your mix and Mix Assistant will make that track the star of the show.

 

Q: Can there be multiple Focuses?

A: Yes, they will be grouped together in the Focus slider category when Mix Assistant is done mixing.

 

Q: Do I have to listen to my entire track to change Mix Assistant’s results?

A: While we do recommend that you let Mix Assistant listen to your entire track during the initial setup, after it's done you can change the way Mix Assistant has categorized your music. When you do this, it changes the levels automatically. Feel free to experiment with different Focuses to change your mix balance.

 

Q: Can I only use this on a specific style of music?

A: No. Use it on as many different types of music as you want.

 

Q: Where did the Mix Sliders go after I accept the results?

A: Mix Sliders disappear and do not come back. But you can continue to adjust your mix using Visual Mixer or your DAW faders once you’re done. Visual Mixer also supports Mix Snapshots so you can experiment with different balances to your heart’s content.

 

Q: Where can I see what’s happening to my mix when I’m using Mix Assistant?

A: Insert a separate instance of Neutron 3 Visual Mixer in your DAW to see the results of running Mix Assistant and A-B compare against your original levels.

 

Q: Can I use this on a mixed session?

A: Go ahead and experiment, but Mix Assistant is not intended for use on sessions that have already been mixed.

 

Q: Does Mix Assistant work with Neutron component plug-ins?

A: A Neutron component plug-in may be used instead of Relay as a source plug-in that Mix Assistant can listen to and control using iZotope’s Inter-plugin Communication technology.

 

Q: Are Mix Assistant results affected by latency (tracks not lining up in time) in my session?

A: No. Latency is not an issue with Mix Assistant.

 

Q: What if my session drops out during Mix Assistant, do I need to start over?

A: If your session drops out and stops playback we recommend that you increase your buffer size so Mix Assistant can listen to your entire song for better results.

 

Q: How loud should tracks be for Mix Assistant?

A: We only add up to 10 dB to your mix at most to leave headroom. So make sure your stems are not overly quiet.

 

Q: How many tracks can I use this on?

A: We’ve rated Mix Assistant for up to 100 tracks with Relay. Your results may vary based on your CPU’s limitations.

 

Q: How do I set up Mix Assistant quickly?

A: Most DAWs have the ability to insert a single plug-in on many tracks. If you plan on using additional plug-ins or processing or using your DAW's faders and panners after using Mix Assistant, then insert Relay as the first plug-in in the chain. If you choose to rely solely on Visual Mixer to set your final mix levels after other processing, then insert Relay at the end of your plug-in chain. Here’s how you do it in most DAWs:

 

Logic Pro X

A quick and easy way to use Mix Assistant in Logic is to insert Relay across all many tracks.

To insert a plug-in on all tracks in Logic:

• Open Mixer (X)

• Use Command + A to select all tracks in the Mixer view

  • You can hold the Command key and left-click on individual tracks in the Mixer view to deselect them if needed.

  • Or go to Edit > Select Tracks > All

• Insert Relay in the Audio FX slot on a single track

• Relay will be inserted on all selected tracks

 

Pro Tools 2019

The ALT modifier is used when you intend to make a change across all tracks. In this case it can be used to insert a plug-in across all tracks.

To insert a plug-in on many tracks in Pro Tools:

• Open the Mix Window (CMD + [+/=])

• Hold ALT and insert Relay in Insert A or E depending how you want to use Mix Assistant as mentioned above

  • You can increase the number of inserts to 10 in Pro Tools, making Insert J the last Insert in Pro Tools

  • You can hold the CMD key and left-click on individual tracks in the Mixer view to deselect them if needed

If you have selected tracks (as opposed to all) that you intend to use Mix Assistant on you can use the Shift modifier in addition to ALT.

• Open the Mix Window (CMD + [+/=])

• Hold CMD and left-click the individual tracks you want to insert Relay on

• Hold ALT+Shift+Left Click and insert Relay in Insert A or E depending how you want to use Mix Assistant as mentioned above

  • You can increase the number of inserts to 10 in Pro Tools, making Insert J the last Insert in Pro Tools

 

Ableton Live (9-10)

There is no shortcut for inserting a single plug-in on many tracks. However you can use Defaults to achieve this type of workflow. Storing Defaults in Live allows you to recall a specific device status each time you load that device in Live. This way you can personalize how devices are configured when you instantiate them.

To store an Effect Device default:

• Drop Relay on an audio track

• Right click on the Device Header and choose "Save as Default Preset" from the context menu

• The first time that you save a default preset for an Instrument or an Audio/MIDI Effect, an "Instruments," "Audio Effects," or "MIDI Effects" folder will be created inside the Defaults folder in your User Library

• Double-click this to add it to your session, add as many as you need

• Drop your stems onto these tracks

Another way to set Relay up for use by default is to:

• Add it to an empty audio track

• Right click on that track and click "Save as default audio track"

• Anytime you add an audio track to a live session, it will include an instance of Relay

 

Studio One 4

Studio One is flexible in the way it offers this functionality, so you can insert a single plug-in on many tracks a few different ways.

To insert a plug-in on many tracks in Studio One:

• Open the Mixer view

• Select a track, hold Shift, and select another track to select a range of tracks
  OR
  Hold the Command (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows) key to add or remove individual tracks from your selection

• In the Mixer view, click on the + button next to “Inserts”

• Select Relay from the list to add it to all of the currently selected tracks

 

Cubase 10

Cubase can insert a single plug-in on many tracks, you just have to know the shortcut.

To insert a plug-in on many tracks in Cubase:

• Select a track, hold Shift, and select another track to select a range of tracks

• In the track list, click Edit Channel Settings

• The Channel Settings window for the audio channel opens

• In the Inserts section, Hold ALT+Shift+Left Click and insert Relay in the first insert slot on the Inserts tab, and select an effect from the selector

• This should Insert Relay on all selected tracks