iZotope has released Tonal Balance Control 3, a referencing plugin that captures the audio fingerprint of any song from any source and uses it to help you make smarter mixing and mastering decisions.
Getting a mix to translate well across different speakers and listening environments is one of the trickier parts of the production process. Tonal Balance Control 3 gives you more ways to check your work, adding a more flexible reference capture system, three new dedicated meters and deeper Ozone and Neutron integration to an already capable plugin.
The biggest addition in version 3 is the new audio capture flow, which lets you pull a reference target from virtually any source, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or any other online or offline audio. A companion desktop app handles the capture process, while the plugin itself sits in your DAW for real-time metering and comparison as you work. Between the two, you can reference against a specific song, an album or a genre target from iZotope’s built-in library, which has been expanded with dozens of new options built from analysing hundreds of professional tracks.
Catch up on all the latest news here.
Three new dedicated meters broaden what you can actually compare. Vocal balance, dynamics and stereo width now sit alongside the existing low-end crest factor metering, giving you a much clearer picture of how your mix stacks up against a reference across multiple dimensions – not just tonal balance.
Tonal Balance 3 has deepened Ozone and Neutron integration. Captured reference targets can be used directly in Ozone’s Master Assistant or Neutron’s Mix Assistant to guide processing decisions, and both EQs can be connected directly within Tonal Balance Control 3 itself. A built-in hybrid EQ with dynamic nodes means you can make instant adjustments directly on the spectrum without jumping to another plugin. For anyone coming from Tonal Balance Control 2, saved targets can be imported directly into the new Target Library in a few clicks. Tonal Balance Control 3 also arrives alongside iZotope’s Mix & Master Spotlight, a limited-time event offering up to 30% off products including Ozone 12 and Music Production Suite 8, running until 15 April.
For more information, visit izotope.com.
