Ozone’s versatile EQ allows you to add warmth and character with analog matched filters, or precisely boost and cut frequencies with digital linear phase filters. In version 5, Ozone now offers two versatile EQs for placement within the signal chain. We’ve also added new filter shapes including Flat (Butterworth) low- and high-pass, Brickwall low- and high-pass, and vintage shelf filters.
Key Features
Eight bands of bell, high-pass, low-pass, high-shelf or low-shelf filters
Fully configurable spectrum analyzer with new views that highlight mid/side and stereo spectrums in useful ways
Matching mode lets you use spectrum snapshots of recordings to create automatic EQ curves with an improved intuitive interface
Powerful Mid-Side and Left-Right processing modes give you unprecedented control over the soundstage
Ozone Advanced Exclusives:
Mixed Phase mode allows you to use both linear and analog-style phase filters in one equalizer
Independent Curve Shapes for both analog-style and surgical curves in one equalizer
Frequency and Gain
The green circles mark each of the eight EQ nodes. You can adjust an EQ band by clicking on a node and dragging the crosshairs to change the frequency and gain of the band. You can also use the arrow keys to adjust a selected band, or the Shift key in combination with the arrow keys to adjust in larger increments.
Q/Bandwidth
If you move the mouse over the "handles" on the side of the band, you can adjust the Q or bandwidth of the EQ by dragging with the mouse and widening the band. If you have a wheel mouse, you can use the mouse wheel to widen/narrow a selected band.
Visuals
As you adjust a band you will see two EQ curves. The bright red curve is the composite of all EQ bands while the darker red curve shows the EQ curve of the selected band.
Spectrum Overlay
A spectrum by default is overlaid on the EQ module for visual feedback of the mix. You can turn off the spectrum to conserve CPU or if you just don't want to see it using the Options screen. You can also set options such as average or real time spectrum, show peak spectrum, Mid/Sid difference spectrum, etc. These are available in the Spectrum Options screen.
In the background you'll see the gain scale for the EQ on the right in green. This will change as you zoom the EQ in or out. You'll see the scale for the spectrum along the left in green.
Note: The scales for the EQ and spectrum are different, by design. If they were made to match, you wouldn't see enough of the spectrum for it to be useful. The frequency scale in grey applies to both the EQ and the spectrum.
Selecting Filter Shapes
Ozone provides the ability to set the type or shape of any of the eight EQ nodes. Any node can be a lowshelf, lowpass, bell, highshelf or highpass filter. When in analog mode, or in Ozone 5 Advanced in non-surgical digital mode, a number of new filters are available:
Flat Lowpass/Highpass – These are Butterworth filters; optimized for maximum flatness without ripple or resonance in the passband or stopband.
Brickwall Lowpass/Highpass – These are elliptic filters; optimized for steepness with minimal ripple in the passband and stopband.
Vintage Lowshelf/Highshelf – These high and low shelf filters exhibit a complimentary frequency dip modeled after the renowned Pultec analog equalizer creating a complex slope with one node.
To change the shape select a node and click on the drop down menu in the bottom right or simply right-click the node. To worked in the expanded info view, click on the "+" button.
From this table, you can specify a different filter shape for each node. If you had selected a node in the main screen before opening the expanded screen, that node is shown as selected in the table (i.e. Node 5 has brackets around it, indicating that this was the EQ node that is currently selected).
Note that you can also use the dialog boxes to enter values for the EQ bands directly. You can also disable bands with this table by clicking on the square number box to the left of a band in the table.
Selecting Analog or Digital Curve Shapes
Ozone offers a choice of analog curve shapes, modeled after classic equalizers using IIR filters, or more precise “surgical” shapes reminiscent of digital equalizers using FIR filters. The choice is a matter of subjective taste, although as a guideline the analog shapes provide a classic sound for general mastering, while the digital filters provide more precise control.
Matching EQ
A third EQ mode is the matching mode. This allows you to automatically equalize a mix based on the spectrum or frequency response of another recording. The matching EQ is a digital linear phase EQ, with the ability to use over 8,000 bands of frequencies for very precise matching. For step by step instructions on using the Matching EQ, see here...
As would be expected, the Matching EQ works hand in hand with spectrum snapshots to "borrow" the spectrum of an audio clip and apply it to another.
Post Equalizer
Ozone now includes a second Equalizer for placement anywhere in your signal chain. Balance frequencies after multiband processing or perform Stereo and Mid/Side or Left/Right EQ processing simultaneously all from within Ozone.
Selecting Phase
Ozone now offers filter phase control when in digital mode with three selectable phase modes:
Minimum phase filters that have a transient response similar to analog EQs in that most of the ringing is concentrated after the transient.
Linear phase filters that maintain symmetric response, meaning equal pre- and post-ringing, as is often characteristic of digital EQs.
Mixed phase mode allows each individual band to have a phase response varying between minimum phase (-1), linear phase (0), and maximum phase (+1). Maximum phase filters concentrate all ringing before the transient where it is most audible.
In mixed phase mode the phase response of a given node can be adjusted with vertical handles that appear on a selected node when Mixed phase mode is selected. These behave much like the horizontal handles which affect Q/bandwidth. Alternatively, phase response values may be entered manually in the Show Info table. Different phase responses will often produce quite subtle sonic differences unless you are doing very steep filtering.
Surgical Mode
Ozone now allows you to turn off surgical mode and recreate analog shapes with digital phase response. Surgical mode must be off to use new filters like Vintage High/Low Shelf in digital mode. When surgical mode is off however, you will not be able to make as precise and targeted cuts and boosts.
Mid-Side and Left/Right Support
Stereo/Left-Right/Mid-side: This button allows you to switch between "stereo" processing, the new “Left/Right” processing, and "Mid/Side" processing. When "Stereo" is selected, the Ozone module will perform basic stereo signal processing. When "Mid/Side" is selected, the center and spatial information may be processed independently. When “L/R” is selected, the left and right channels may be processed independently.
Colors
To make it easier to distinguish between Mid and Side modes, the EQ curve for Mid will show up in the mid color, and the EQ curve for Side will show up in the side color. Mid is presented as orange, and Side is presented as dark blue. If the Mid channel is selected, we'll show the Side EQ curve faintly in the background, and vice-versa.
To distinguish between Left and Right modes, the EQ curve for Left channel will show up in the left color, and the EQ curve for Right channel will show up in the right color. Left is presented as light green, and Right is presented as turquoise. If the Left channel is selected, we'll show the Right channel EQ curve faintly in the background, and vice-versa.
These colors are also featured in the table of EQ nodes and their settings.
Note: In all cases of Mid-Side and Left-Right processing, you have the same filter controls available as the rest of the EQ module.
To learn about the new Mid-Side Processing controls, see here...
Example using "Mid" Processing in Ozone EQ
Select Mid-Side mode in the EQ module and Click "Mid" to reveal an orange EQ curve. Then click the small "s" to solo the Mid channel. When you play an audio file in this mode, you will only hear the content assigned to the center of your soundstage, which is typically your lead vocal (other lead instruments, etc). Now select an EQ node around 1kHz and boost the orange EQ curve about 6dB. This frequency specific boost at 1kHz will only be applied to the center of your soundstage and can bring up the lead vocal in the mix without affecting the other instruments or the stereo separation of the entire frequency range.
Example using "Side" Processing in Ozone EQ
Select Mid-Side mode in the EQ module and Click "Side" to reveal a blue EQ curve. Click the small "s" to solo the Side channel. When you play an audio file in this mode, you will only hear the content at the edges of your soundstage which is typically reverb tails or instruments that are panned to an extreme side. Now select an EQ node around 6kHz and boost the blue EQ curve about 6dB. This frequency specific boost at 6kHz will only be applied to the edges of your soundstage. The effect when applied will result in greater stereo widening and a richer fuller sound.
Example using "Left/Right" Processing in Ozone EQ
Select Left/Right mode in the EQ module and Click "Right" to reveal a turquoise EQ curve. Click the small "s" to solo the Right channel. When you play an audio file in this mode, you will only hear the content on the right side of your soundstage. Now select an EQ node around 8kHz and cut the turquoise EQ curve about 1dB with a Q value of around 6. This frequency specific cut at 8kHz will only be applied to the right side of your soundstage. For example, this can be useful if the sound of a high-hat is too bright only in the right channel of the stereo signal. Independent equalization in the left and right channels should be very subtle though in order not to offset the stereo image.
Amount Control
The amount control for the EQ module is a quick and easy way to increase or decrease the amount of equalization added or effect the bandwidth of a filter. This is not a simple wet/dry control, as the amount control intelligently changes the EQ's internal parameters when the level is increased or decreased. The resulting effect of the amount slider is displayed by a yellow curve in the main edit window.
The Alt-Solo Feature
If you hold down the Alt key and click on the spectrum, you have an "audio magnifying glass" that lets you hear only the frequencies that are under the mouse cursor, without affecting your actual EQ settings. This is useful for pinpointing the location of a frequency in the mix without changing your actual EQ bands. Releasing the mouse button returns the sound to the actual EQ. You can set the default bandwidth of this filter in the Options screen under "Alt-Solo Filter Q" or simply use your mouse's scroll wheel. Once you've pinpointed a particular frequency using the Alt-Solo feature, double-click that area to activate a new node in that exact location.
Additional Mastering Tips using Ozone's Paragraphic EQ
1. The Paragraphic EQs scales are now freely zoomable and scrollable, allowing you to focus on a specific frequency and dynamic range. While hovering over the dB meter on the right of the spectrum, you may use your mouse wheel to zoom in on a more focused dynamic range, then click and drag to scroll the dB scales. Additionally, while hovering over the frequency scales at the bottom of the spectrum, you may use your mouse wheel to zoom in on a particular frequency then click and drag to scroll the scales.
2. If you hold down the Shift key and drag an EQ band, the EQ band will be "locked" in the direction that you're dragging. So if you just want to change the gain without affecting the frequency (or vice-versa) just hold the Shift Key while you drag.
3. If you hold down the Ctrl key under Windows or the Command key under OS X, you can click and select multiple bands. Once selected, you can adjust them as a group by clicking and dragging on the first band you selected in the group.
4. If you'd rather use numbers as opposed to visual EQ bands, clicking on the "+" button gives you a table view of the EQ band settings. You can enter values for the EQ bands directly in this table. You can also disable bands with this table by clicking on the square box to the left of a band.
5. If you've chosen to display an averaging spectrum or a peak hold spectrum (using the Spectrum Options screen) you can reset the peak hold or the averaging by clicking on the spectrum.
6. Right click on the spectrum to bring up an options dialog to control the spectrum display.
Component Equalizer Plug-in
If you are using Ozone 5 Advanced you will also have the ability to instantiate Ozone 5's Equalizer module as an individual component plug-in. Ozone 5 Advanced includes component plug-ins for all six of Ozone's modules complete with all the same features as the module within Ozone. Any module presets saved within Ozone will open within the component plug-ins' module preset system.
