iZotope Tonal Balance version 3...What makes it worth $99 over version 2?

Tonal Balance V3 was announced today. The new features seem skimpy. What am I missing to make it worth the $99 upgrade price?

I'm sort of miffed that I just upgraded my Music Production Suite 8 late last year for about $240.

$99 seems like a rude "loyalty" deal.

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Jeremy_NI

@nightjar This was added to the page: https://www.izotope.com/en/products/tonal-balance-control-3/features.html#compare

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PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/50344/izotope-tonal-balance-version-3-what-makes-it-worth-99-over-version-2

I don't know what else is the difference but if you upgrade from Music Production Suite 8 to Music Production Suite 8.5 then the Tonal Balance V3 looks as if included. What's your upgrade price on that ?

Else then maybe you can ask N.I. Support (all) if they can throw you a nice deal ? The worst that can happen is that they say no…

Kymeia

I have MPS 8 but the Tonal Balance plugin is one I have never used, can't see the point of it really

nightjar

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/258731#Comment_258731

The upgrade price from MPS 8 to MPS 8.5 is the same $99.

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/258733#Comment_258733

Agreed. Have tried several times to get this into my workflow and it simply ends up not being essential enough to invest more time in

And my “loyalty” price is 139.00 CDN.

Will just leave it at that

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/258738#Comment_258738

As I wrote earlier then I do not know what else is new in Music Production Suite 8.5 compared to Music Production Suite 8. But if there is more new and it is usable then to me then the MPS upgrade sounds more attractive. 🤔

But then on the other hand then if you have no or little use for it then why bother…

nightjar

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/258733#Comment_258733

Exactly! Tonal Balance is not one of the "biggies" within the MPS bundle. Asking $99 to upgrade this one "second tier" part of the bundle seems rude to me.

Jeremy_NI

The upgrade price for Tonal Balance Control 3 reflects the research behind new technology and features, like the standalone audio capture app, integrated EQ, expanded genre selection and frequency curves, target blending, and the new Leveled View.

While we try to keep our prices competitive, we believe the value of these new tools justifies the current pricing. That said, we completely understand that every producer has different budget needs, and it is up to the user to decide what works best for their specific workflow.

nightjar

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/258849#Comment_258849

So help me out.. Usually when iZotope releases an updated version of a product, the marketing highlights a comparison with the previous version… "New Features!" and such.

For the release of TB3, I can not find any clear comparison presented by iZotope of all the important differences of TB3 vs TB 2.

Please offer this clear information to help users decide if the upgrade is worth it. I do NOT want to waste time goofing with a free trial without knowing this first.

Make the clear and complete comparison list please.

nightjar

So help me out.. Usually when iZotope releases an updated version of a product, the marketing highlights a comparison with the previous version… "New Features!" and such.

For the release of TB3, I can not find any clear comparison presented by iZotope of all the important differences of TB3 vs TB 2.

Please offer this clear information to help users decide if the upgrade is worth it. I do NOT want to waste time goofing with a free trial without knowing this first.

Make the clear and complete comparison list please.

Vocalpoint

"Make the clear and complete comparison list please."

Start here:

Introducing Tonal Balance Control 3, all-in-one referencing for every mix and master | iZotope

And here:

Tonal Balance Control 3 Features

nightjar

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/258855#Comment_258855

I generally only take the time to watch videos if something in text has intrigued me enough.

iZotope/NI marketing has dropped the ball in clearly indicating the new features in the text of TBC3 introduction.

There may very well be enough new stuff in TB3 to intrigue me. But make it immediately clear in the opening paragraphs of product introduction.

Marketing fail…

Edit:

I just found a "What's New" list buried in a link to a future AMA discussion:

For those of you who already know and love Tonal Balance Control, this version has grown from an essential referencing tool to an all-in-one mix guide.
So, what's new?
Audio capture from anywhere: Use the new standalone desktop app to pull references from any audio on your computer – including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube
30+ genre targets: Compare against dozens of new styles, or use the Target Blender to create custom references
3 new meters: See the full story of your sound with new Vocal Balance, Dynamics, and Stereo Width
Built-in Hybrid EQ: Make quick tonal tweaks to bridge the gap against your references

This list should have been part of the product introduction text

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/258856#Comment_258856

Respectfully - if you are not interested in the product - fair enough - don't buy it.

No need to justify your position.

But all this:

Was front and center in the email that I received yesterday…

nightjar

Nope…. that email did not indicate those were new features vs Version 2

Are they all new features?

Marketing fail.

Someone needs to edit the marking copy in the introductory text and use the word NEW where appropriate.

Jeremy_NI

Well, actually there is a lot of new stuff in TBC3 if you compare to TBC2:

New! Target Library | Explore dozens of new genre targets built from analyzing hundreds of pro tracks. Search, filter, and favorite your targets for easy access.
New! Standalone Desktop App | Capture targets and visualize the balance of any audio on your computer, including from Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
New! DAW Target Capture | Instantly turn audio in your DAW into new targets. Save a track’s profile after mastering and easily compare tracks across an album.
New! Extra Meters | Compare your track to even more aspects of your favorite references with 3 new meters – Vocal Balance, Dynamics, and Stereo Width.
New! Target Blender | Design a custom reference profile by combining any two targets in your library, with percentage weighting for the exact blend you need.
New! Leveled View | A brand-new view for the main tonal balance meter. Easily see exactly where and how your audio strays from the target’s tonal balance.
New! Built-In Hybrid EQ | Make instant adjustments directly on the spectrum with a built-in EQ and dynamic nodes. A powerful combo with the new Leveled View.
New! Quick Import from TBC2 | Got some favorite targets saved in Tonal Balance Control 2? Import them directly into your Target Library in just a few clicks.

@nightjar Not sure if it's enough for you to justify the price. there is also a 10 day trial if you want to compare.

It is true that a comparison/what's new section would be handy to highlight this. We've forwarded that to the responsible team.

Kymeia

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/258862#Comment_258862

I still don’t really see what it is adding to the suite, yes some of these are new to Tonal Balance Control but you can capture audio and EQ it already using either Audiolens import into Ozone and Neutron or IPC with Ozone/Neutron or Nectar EQ so why add another app and EQ to do that?

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