Options
General
Enable Tooltips
This allows you to toggle off tooltips should you find them distracting, or enable them should you desire the guidance and information on any parameter you mouse over.
Auto Gain
When Neutron is on, there are many modules such as the multiband Dynamics and Equalizer, that can affect the overall or perceived loudness of the mix. This makes it very hard to compare “Neutron on” to “Neutron bypassed.”
The “Automatically Match Effective Gain When Bypassed” feature solves this problem. Neutron determines how much perceived gain is being added by all of the active Neutron modules and then automatically adds this amount of gain when Neutron is put into bypass mode. You can bypass Neutron, or any individual module, and the gain is automatically adjusted so that when you A/B Neutron on and off, the apparent volume is the same.
This gain processing is the only processing that is applied when Neutron is bypassed, and it is of course only applied when Neutron is actually bypassed. (This feature won’t work when True Bypass is enabled.)
True Bypass
Click this box to allow Neutron to disengage a module’s latency when that module is bypassed. This results in a click as the audio transitions, but avoids unnecessary latency compensation and CPU usage.
Enable Analytics
Click this box to allow Neutron to occasionally upload data on your usage patterns of the plug-in to iZotope’s servers. This info is completely anonymous, and allows us to better understand how users use Neutron in order to provide the best updates possible in the future.
Channel Delay
Left and right channel delay amounts (in milliseconds) can be linked or adjusted independently.
Updates
Neutron allows you to check for updates from iZotope with recurring frequency. Check Now is an instant check, but you can also define periodic, automatic checks.
These options are: * Never * Daily * Weekly * Monthly
Authorization
This section allows you to authorize and deauthorize Neutron. Clicking on “Authorize” will load the authorization window discussed in detail in the earlier chapter. Clicking on “Remove Authorization” will remove the authorization from your machine to facilitate transfer to another computer. This is specific to local authorizations and will not affect iLok.
Clicking on “More information…” will take you to the authorization help section of iZotope’s website.
Metering
Meter type
This allows you to switch Neutron’s metering between a Peak+RMS combo meter and a Peak+Short-term loudness combo meter.
The combined Peak+RMS meter displays a lower bright bar representing the average level (RMS) and a higher dimmer bar representing peak level. There is also a moving line above the bar representing the most recent peak level or peak hold.
Short-term loudness is a level measurement used originally in audio post production, but now much is used in music production as well due to it being a much more perceptually accurate measure of volume than RMS. It is a calculation of loudness over the course of a moving window of three seconds. This measurement is useful in monitoring immediate trends of loudness in your audio.
Detect True Peaks
By default the Input/Output meters will only indicate clipping which occurs within the digital domain. To accurately measure the signal that will result from digital to analog conversion, select “Detect True Peaks.”
Spectrum type
This feature lets you select between four types of spectrums: * Linear: A continuous line connecting the calculated points of the spectrum. * 1⁄3 Octave: Splits the spectrum into bars with a width of 1⁄3 of an octave. Although the spectrum is split into discrete bands, this option can provide excellent resolution at lower frequencies. * Critical: Splits the spectrum into bands that correspond to how we hear, or more specifically how we differentiate between sounds of different frequencies. Each band represents sounds that are considered “similar” in frequency. * Full Octave: Splits the spectrum into bars with a width of one full octave.
Average time
This feature averages the spectrum according to this setting. Higher average times can be useful for viewing the overall tonal balance of a mix, while shorter average times provide a more real-time display.
Show peak hold
This shows or hides the peak hold in the audio spectrum behind the EQ. Note this is different to the level meters.
Peak hold time
Peak hold time determines how long peaks are displayed after they are detected.
Choices include: * 5 ms * 250 ms * 500 ms * 1,000 ms * 5,000 ms * Infinite
Social
This tab links you to iZotope’s social media networks, as well as a few other online areas that contain useful educational content.
Equalizer
Show spectrum
Check this box to display a real-time spectrum analyzer signal underneath the Equalizer curve. This can be very useful in showing the frequency balance of your mix and how it is changed as you apply equalization.
Show musical units
When this setting is checked, it allows you to display frequency labels as notes (for example, A4) in addition to the conventional EQ measurement of Hz.
Spectrum frequency scale
Allows you to adjust the scale of the EQ frequency spectrum.
Alt-solo Q
Sets the bandwidth (Q) of the Alt-Solo Feature, which allows you to solo bands and sweep through the spectrum when holding Alt and left-clicking.
This tab also contains the Masking Meter Collision Histogram peak time and Gain Offset, each of which is explained in the masking chapter.
Compressor / Transient / Exciter
Each of these tabs allows you to choose which type of crossover you so desire for that module’s multiband processing. * The analog, zero-latency crossover option provides a natural analog character at the expense of some phase distortion. * The hybrid, transparent crossover is a perfect reconstruction IIR analog crossover designed to reduce phase distortion and frequency distortion found in other analog crossovers while maintaining the efficiency and the warm characteristics of analog crossovers.