Topic: Workflow for Audacity and Ozone GUI

[rigpimp]

Hi I am an Audacity noob.  It is not too steep of a learning curve but can someone type up a simple workflow for how to use the Ozone GUI in Audacity?

I start with a 24/48 file.  My confusion is that I can click the settings in the GUI to go from 24>16 and then click OK and it looks like it processes something but apparently makes no change.  Do I let it ride then do Mix and Render, Export, or both in that order?  I am under the impression that I have Export set up to change files to 16 bit output so I cannot tell if Ozone is doing it or if Audacity is doing it.

I resample to 44.1 after the fact.

[page]

1) when going to 16bit, always resample then dither (dither is last).
2) To use Ozone with Audacity (and it will work), then it's get everything setup in the Ozone screen that you want, hit ok, and it will pop up a little box that shows progress (and yes, it's doing something). After you're done, assuming you dithered as part of that Ozone run, then just export (or export multiple if you've tracked it out there via labels).

So the work flow: Do any adjustments/mixes you want, then resample, then dither. That creates a 24bit file with nothing in bits 17-24. Then export as a 16bit file with truncation set in Audacity (because Ozone already did the dither). My only word of warning, try to only run an Ozone process once or twice in any time you've started Audacity. I found (with 1.3.13 at any rate) that if I used a VST plugin more then about 3 times, on the 4 run it would crash the entire program. That and it won't preview sound in real time were my two beefs with the pair together.

Best of luck.

[rigpimp]

I normally resample first but for the first run through Audacity I ran R8Brain Pro last for some reason.  Thanks for your help.  +T  I give this a whirl!

[rigpimp]

This is the current workflow I have come up with for Audacity and Ozone.  I still need to figure out "compression" and/or "find peak levels".  My final volume sounds low to me for some reason.  I think that I can use Ozone for compression but mostly use it for dithering exclusively. 

Input or comments are welcome...

1) Resample 24/48 master to 24/44.1 with R8BrainPro
2) Open File #1 (mic pair) in Audacity: File|Open... (CTRL O)
3) Import File #2 (soundboard pair): File|Import|Audio... (CTRL+SHIFT+ I)
4) Open Mixer board: (VIEW|MIXER BOARD)
5) Align file sets to sync (if needed) using sideways arrow icon (<-->) to drag file back and forth and line up peaks.
6) Play file sets together.    (listen for NO ECHO, and check a few points beginning, middle and end)
7) Mute one source or the other on Mixer board to make sure the unmuted files sound ideal together.  Adjust according to my preferences
8 ) Mix all four channels (stereo x 2) together into a single stereo track: TRACKS|MIX AND RENDER
9) Open Ozone VST, choose appropriate settings, and select OK: EFFECTS|IZOTOPE, INC:IZOTOPE OZONE 4
10) Export final file: FILE:EXPORT...

Split and FLAC using CD Wave or label and spit using Audacity (which I am still figuring out)

[page]

This is the current workflow I have come up with for Audacity and Ozone.  I still need to figure out "compression" and/or "find peak levels".  My final volume sounds low to me for some reason.  I think that I can use Ozone for compression but mostly use it for dithering exclusively. 

Input or comments are welcome...

1) Resample 24/48 master to 24/44.1 with R8BrainPro
2) Open File #1 (mic pair) in Audacity: File|Open... (CTRL O)
3) Import File #2 (soundboard pair): File|Import|Audio... (CTRL+SHIFT+ I)
4) Open Mixer board: (VIEW|MIXER BOARD)
5) Align file sets to sync (if needed) using sideways arrow icon (<-->) to drag file back and forth and line up peaks.
6) Play file sets together.    (listen for NO ECHO, and check a few points beginning, middle and end)
7) Mute one source or the other on Mixer board to make sure the unmuted files sound ideal together.  Adjust according to my preferences
8 ) Mix all four channels (stereo x 2) together into a single stereo track: TRACKS|MIX AND RENDER
9) Open Ozone VST, choose appropriate settings, and select OK: EFFECTS|IZOTOPE, INC:IZOTOPE OZONE 4
10) Export final file: FILE:EXPORT...

Split and FLAC using CD Wave or label and spit using Audacity (which I am still figuring out)

thats basically it. If you're only dithering, you can use Audacity's "Amplify" function to determine the max peak volume.

So what you can do then is:

after step 8:
9) Use Amplify function to determine how much headroom is left (write number down).
10) Use Ozone and add slightly less than your max to the input gain in Ozone (presuming you aren't doing positive EQ or compression with band gain that results in a net positive). Use Dither.
11) Check the amplify function again to ensure no overages and it ended where you'd expect.

[chinariderstl]

Marking thread. 

[Brian Skalinder]

FWIW, I've always saved resample and dither for my last two operations, which would move your #1 after #8:

2) Open File #1 (mic pair) in Audacity: File|Open... (CTRL O)
3) Import File #2 (soundboard pair): File|Import|Audio... (CTRL+SHIFT+ I)
4) Open Mixer board: (VIEW|MIXER BOARD)
5) Align file sets to sync (if needed) using sideways arrow icon (<-->) to drag file back and forth and line up peaks.
6) Play file sets together.    (listen for NO ECHO, and check a few points beginning, middle and end)
7) Mute one source or the other on Mixer board to make sure the unmuted files sound ideal together.  Adjust according to my preferences
8 ) Mix all four channels (stereo x 2) together into a single stereo track: TRACKS|MIX AND RENDER
1) Resample 24/48 master to 24/44.1 with R8BrainPro
9) Open Ozone VST, choose appropriate settings, and select OK: EFFECTS|IZOTOPE, INC:IZOTOPE OZONE 4
10) Export final file: FILE:EXPORT...

[page]

FWIW, I've always saved resample and dither for my last two operations, which would move your #1 after #8:

true, but with Audacity in the mix, he'd have to dither twice, once to get to r8brain, and a second time after the ozone processing. It's a choice of lesser evils; resample too early, or dither twice. Pros and cons to each I guess.

[Brian Skalinder]

true, but with Audacity in the mix, he'd have to dither twice, once to get to r8brain, and a second time after the ozone processing. It's a choice of lesser evils; resample too early, or dither twice. Pros and cons to each I guess.

Ahhh...I get it.  It's been a while since I used Audacity.  Could've sworn you can mixdown to 32bfp, but I must be remembering wrong.  Thanks for the clarification, page.

[page]

true, but with Audacity in the mix, he'd have to dither twice, once to get to r8brain, and a second time after the ozone processing. It's a choice of lesser evils; resample too early, or dither twice. Pros and cons to each I guess.

Ahhh...I get it.  It's been a while since I used Audacity.  Could've sworn you can mixdown to 32bfp, but I must be remembering wrong.  Thanks for the clarification, page.

I think you're able to. I'm not familiar enough with r8brain to know if it would accept the 32bit files Audacity generates or not, so I was going for the dither at 24.

#teamblindleadingblind