iZotope has released the latest version of their audio repair toolkit, with some new features and tools included to help you remove hum, hiss, pops, and any other unwanted noise from your audio. RX 2 and RX 2 Advanced both function as standalone editors, as well as a collection of plugins for your DAW. While the first iteration of the program impressed reviewers from Mix Magazine and got high ratings from Musicradar.com, the RX 2 package – with its updated algorithms and features – is attracting new praise.
Sonic Scoop test drives the RX 2 package in four scenarios with audio samples here. They test out how the improved Declick and new Decrackle modules work on vinyl recordings, as well as the ability to select audio using freehand for quicker editing. While the tools don’t always erase all traces of hiss or clipping, RX 2 is still a powerful and useful program according to Markkus Rovito:
“For sure, one of the more seemingly magical RX 2 functions is the seamless removal not only of clicks and noise, but of entire isolated sounds. In the studio, this might mean taking out an unfortunate cell phone ring during the perfect take or silencing a siren from an outdoor recording…
RX 2 sticks with iZotope’s consistent tradition of delivering high audio quality and impressive processing results in an interface that’s a pleasure to deal with.”
Electronic Musician had similarly positive results with the program, especially the Spectral Repair feature:
“…One way in which it totally shines is with finger squeaks on acoustic guitar tracks. Select the squeak, use the Attenuate option, hit process, and boom, the squeak is eliminated or significantly reduced. I just used it on an acoustic rhythm guitar track that had some very short clicky clips on it. This time I used the Replace option (see screenshots). And, again, it worked perfectly. The glitch was gone.”
Over at Audio News Room, RX 2 also received high marks (check out this review for lots of audio ‘before and after’ examples), with extra points for the spectrograph display, as well as the ability to erase hum and buzz from noisy tracks.
If your audio has issues, iZotope’s RX toolkit is favored by many as their go-to application for precise treatment of trouble spots. The RX 2 package sells for $349, while power users can utilize additional features and 3rd party plugin support for $1199. To see how it stacks up against other audio repair programs, check out this thorough round-up of the competitors from Mix Online, including SoundSoap, DNS One, and Sonnox Restore. –Mike Bauer
Link to Sonic Scoop article.
Link to EM article.
Link to Audio News Room article.
Link to Mix Online article.
