iZotope recently unveiled a big update to their Neutron 4 mixing toolbox with many new features including 'Unmask’ - a module that allows you to fix muddy mixes in seconds. Paul Maunder takes a closer look at what it can do from a Post Production perspective…
One of the new features in iZotope’s recent Neutron 4 update is Unmask. This is described by iZotope as a dynamic side chain tool that provides a fast and high quality method for creating space between two tracks. Essentially, it allows you to attenuate overlapping frequency areas between the two sources and improve separation between them. Whilst you could achieve something similar with a dynamic EQ side chained from a trigger signal, Unmask is said to utilise ‘Spectral Shaping Technology’ to aid in resolving frequency conflicts.
Setting up Neutron 4 Unmask is straightforward. Just add the plug-in to the track you want to affect then use a send on the other track to act as a trigger. After setting the side chain input in Neutron, Unmask will then identify overlapping frequency areas. These are indicated graphically within the plug-in. The original signal is shown in grey, the side chain signal in purple and the amount of gain reduction being applied within the overlapping frequency range is shown by the difference meter, coloured orange. The range of operation can be restricted with the range selectors, allowing you to band limit the frequency range in which unmasking is applied.
Most of the demonstrations online of Neutron 4’s Unmask feature focus on music production but, being from a mostly post production background, I was interested to see how it would fare in reducing masking between music and dialogue. Check out the video below to see iZotope Neutron 4’s Unmask module in action.
This is just one example of how Unmask could be utilised in a post-production context. It could equally be useful on foley or sound effects. In my opinion, when used sparingly, Unmask can be a great tool to add that extra degree of space between elements of a film or TV mix. It could potentially also save a bit of time which you might otherwise spend refining volume automation or manually sculpting EQ in order to get things to sit correctly together in the mix.