What can I use to get a bigger sound?

Question

Hello. I'm new to this group and to the range of products on offer here. Can anyone recommend which software would be best suited for improving the audio quality of some tracks that I recorded back in 1999. I simply want to make them sound more dynamic then what they currently are. Maybe increase bass and treble levels in certain places… I basically want to give the audio more 'punch'. It would be nice if I could look at the audio file and concentrate the modifications to certain points along the waveform to give the effect I want to hear. Is there a specific iZotope product that will allow me to do this??

PoorFellow · Accepted Answer

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/51070/what-can-i-use-to-get-a-bigger-sound

It sounds to me as if you could possibly use Ozone 12 Standard.  (more on the iZotope product page) There is also an Ozone 12 Elements but probably it does not have enough for you.  There is a compare page here.

Also then I am not sure but I think that you can download a trial here when logged in on the site  : iZotope product trial downloads.   Plus here is a link to :  iZotope Product Manuals & Documentation

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JesterMgee · Accepted Answer

Not that i'd recommend it as it's more for people who know what they need but I use Steinberg WaveLab to process and 'master' tracks tho I am far from a mastering engineer. It's a high end audio editor specifically for processing audio files and mastering but to get the most out of it you kind of need a little knowledge to use the meters, plugins (of which you will need some half decent compressors and EQs but the choice is up to you).

Ozone can make things better sounding but also can make things worse as it tries to solve everything in a single box and inexperienced users will usually just flip through a few presets until something sounds good to them, issue is usually you play it on another system and it somehow seems to sound even worse than it did before you did anything and then you are in a rabbit hole where you start fixing one thing and then something else sounds off.

However it's not magic and will depend on the source material. Typically you want to mix your track to about 90% of the way there before trying to polish further, mixing/mastering in a decent application with good plugins will get you maybe to about 96% of the way and that extra 4% is usually where experience and knowledge comes in and what artists pay a professional to get but that last 4% is like the blue stuff in Breaking Bad vs Street gear…  If you are looking to release something, that would be where you want to go but if it is just for yourself and to use as a demo, 95% is pretty good but don't expect Ozone alone to fix everything.