iZotope, Inc. RX Elements: Audio Repair Plug-in

I could not download the software so I could not try it….

I had done a lot of recording from vinyl over the years and sadly many of the recordings have clipping. I am so thankful I found out about izotope RX 6 Elements. I am Mac based and the software works seamlessly and doesn’t take up a whole lot CPU. What I love is you can listen to your modifications as you apply them making it possible to make subtle adjustments to your sound. Wish I could afford RX 7, which would be a complete solution for me, but for working with vinyl recordings Elements is the link I was missing. Also must note, their Support is first class!

I got iZotope RX7 Elements at a great price, too good to ignore. I’m working on a short film and some of the audio was recorded so low that background hiss is a big problem. I tried using EQ and precise level controls to deal with the hiss, but mostly have been discouraged with the results.

Then I got iZotope RX7 Elements and it is not only highly effective at removing hiss, it is super easy to use. I loaded it and clicked on the things that seemed obvious to me, and the resulting audio was MUCH better than what I had started with.

iZotope RX7 Elements will work with WAV and MP3 files, as well as a couple other audio standards. I can also load a video clip into RX7 Elements, and the software will strip away the video and process the audio. That is exactly what I wanted the software to do, so it is perfect for my use.

I have iZotope RX7 Elements loaded as a standalone program on my editing computer, as well as loaded as a plug-in for Adobe Premier CC. RX7 Elements works fine in both applications. However, Adobe Premier CC has excellent built-in audio processing tools that are as good (if not better) than iZotope RX7 Elements. If you edit video with Adobe Premier CC, you won’t need iZotope RX7 Elements. I’m editing my short film on Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve, so the standalone version of iZotope RX7 Elements is quickly becoming a lifesaver for me. (In case you wondered, I started editing the short film well before I had Adobe Premier.)

So far, I use iZotope RX7 Elements only for removing hiss in dialog tracks. It can also remove hiss from music, and also has de-click, de-hum and de-clip processes. This last one says it will take a track that is distorted and make it clean again. I have not tried any of these others, and have used only the de-hisser at this point.

The photo with this review shows the dialog box that I get when I’m de-hissing a track. Other than pushing the Reduction (dB) slider to 16, I have not touched any of the settings. In just a couple clicks, it really cleans up hiss.

Edit: I’ve now used iZotope RX7 a few times to improve the sound of vinyl records that I recorded digitally from a turntable. The raw recording made lots of clicks and pops, which iZotope RX7 cleaned up nicely. I also used the software’s “de-hum” capability to reduce hum, and I also used its “normalization” feature to set the digitized tracks to the correct level. Another feature I use is the ability to trim tracks — so far, everything has worked well, but trimming tracks was a little tricky figuring it out.

I got iZotope RX7 Elements at a great price that was a one-day ultra-bargain. At the regular price, I don’t think I would have bought it without realizing just how good it is. However, if you can get iZotope RX7 Elements at a good discount, then it becomes a no-brainer. It is REALLY effective at removing hiss from dialog tracks.