Are newer versions of izotope denoiser less CPU hungry?

[tonomud]

Been using the izotope RX3 denoiser in projects for several years. Working on a longer-form project right now. Have a couple of different DP files...they're each in the 1hr range length. Only 4-6 tracks on each, but I'm needing to use 3-4 instances of rx3 denoiser in the project because different tracks have different noise profiles that aren't easily fixed using a single instance of rx3.

Anyway, two things going on:

1. CPU usage is pretty high even when playhead is stopped. Right now, with just the mixing board and sequence window active (no plugin windows are open), the processing monitor is redlining pretty consistently, and Mac OS X activity monitor is showing about 200% of CPU utilized (of total of 800% available). Playback can take a second to start when the spacebar is pressed. Also the playhead can sometimes get ahead of the corresponding sound actually playing. Makes it difficult for precise edits. Each instance of the RX3 plugin is set to "C" level of quality. I understand that uses more CPU than the "A" or "B" levels. Bouncing mixes from these projects happens in just slightly faster than realtime, which is a real hassle when you're talking about an hour long program.

2. The other thing that seems to happen with tracks that use the RX3 plugin is that sometimes fades do not get rendered out in bounced audio and will instead get cut off. I have seen this behavior in shorter songs as well. And I'll have to freeze a track, then apply the RX3 to the frozen track and then bounce. I'm trying to avoid that process for this project if it can be avoided...that would mean maybe 8 hours of bouncing/freezing time, each time I need to output a copy of the project for review or import into the video editing program.

I should note that I've changed computers several times in the past 1.5 years, and I've seen this behavior on all of them. So I don't think it's necessarily an isolated glitch that follows me around, because I normally do a full reinstall of everything instead of using migration assistant.

At any rate, I'm wondering whether any of you folks have had similar issues, and what you've tried to resolve them. Should I buy a newer RX denoiser? Upgrade DP to 9? Run RX3 at "A" level quality settings? Freeze tracks? Something else?

[daniel.sneed]

Not sure to bring great help, but:
- I never use RX in real time, offline only. That is to say: *apply plugin* (DP audio menu), which builds a new sounbite and a new sounfile.
I set the noise profile thru selecting a small *silent* part of the soundbite, then *learn* noise, then apply with higher quality setting.
- I get some bounce errors (missing fades, missing MIDI notes, missing audio, ...) whenever any processor-hog plug is present in my large mixes (many tracks, many plugs).
- in mastering step, I get no error while bouncing a single stereo track, even if a processor-hog plug is present on master fader track (Ozone, ...)

[tonomud]

thanks...yeah, I do that same method for helping RX3 learn the noise. Works very well, doesn't it?

It's somewhat reassuring to hear that you get this same behavior with other resource-hungry plugins. I have just always run everything in real time, though I suppose in this case it should speed up bounces significantly if I run RX3 in non real time mode.

[HCMarkus]

I always use RX non-realtime, too.

[mikehalloran]

3 was better than 2, 4 was better than 3. 5 is no worse as far as I can tell.

The key to using RX plugins is to use them first in the chain—get rid of the noise first. Then close the GUI and let them work in the background. With RX 2, this was critical. With subsequent versions, this is a very good idea.

[tonomud]

ok, so I've made a copy of one of the projects in question, bypassed all the realtime instances of rx3 in the project, and using the "apply plugin" option have applied RX3 with copied settings from the other instances. Now, not that I need to do so at this point, but if I wanted to go back and tweak an RX3 setting and re-apply the plugin, is there a way to make that adjustment? Or by applying the plugin, have I baked in the effect?

The other question...when plugins are applied this way...I assume the effect is applied to the audio file, which puts it in the signal chain before any of the other plugins or gain is applied?

But, wow, what a huge difference in bounce time. We're talking 1 minute to bounce an hour long project vs just a shade under realtime (so, a bit under an hour) to process when the plugins are applied in realtime.

[mikehalloran]

Do not have any other plugin GUI open when tweaking RX.

[tonomud]

thanks, but that's my question...how do I tweak RX once I've selected the track, clicked "apply plugin" and clicked "apply"? DP processes the audio with RX settings I specify. If I want to tweak RX settings at that point, where do I go to pull up the RX GUI?

[HCMarkus]

I do it outside of DP, then bring the audio back to DP and "Move to Original Timestamp". Convoluted? Perhaps. But it works every time.

[mikehalloran]

thanks, but that's my question...how do I tweak RX once I've selected the track, clicked "apply plugin" and clicked "apply"? DP processes the audio with RX settings I specify. If I want to tweak RX settings at that point, where do I go to pull up the RX GUI?

Not all of the tools work as a plugin—those must be used in standalone. Many only use RX that way but I am not one of them.

For the ones that work as a plug, it's like any other. open it and adjust the controls. You can automate them but I don't see the point. With Denoise, I let it learn the noise, save and then it's set.

Otherwise, I'm not really understanding your question. There are many YouTube videos on this.

The only problem is that, with any other plugin windows open, the windows are likely to freeze. Clicking the box that closes the GUI window fixes this, even in RX 2, the most resource hungry version of all. Not really an issue in Ozone 4 and 5.

[tonomud]

Mike, you seem to be referring to the option to change plugin behavior to pre-gen, rather than running it in realtime. that's not what I'm referring to.

select some soundbites in a sequence. Go to the "audio" menu, select "apply plugin". Select a plugin, tweak settings, then click "apply". That particular set of settings for that plugin has been applied to the selected audio. Now, my question is whether I can open that plugin menu again (just like we would with a realtime or pre-gen plugin) change the settings and have those settings re-applied to the audio. Or, if by performing the "apply plugin", I've "baked" those changes into the audio. That's my question. And if such a workflow were possible, I'd be one happy camper.

I know RX has a standalone mode that I could use to process my audio, but I'd prefer to keep everything in DP so I don't have to round trip between apps. The Apply plugin route works great, but if I can't later tweak the plugin settings, I'll just have to use it selectively and be aware that I need to be sure that I'm done tweaking and am ready to finalize my settings with no turning back.

[mikehalloran]

Mike, you seem to be referring to the option to change plugin behavior to pre-gen, rather than running it in realtime. that's not what I'm referring to.

I'm sorry but that statement shows you don't understand how it works. I find it intuitive and easy and don't know how to explain it any better.

I use it in real time. 100%. Denoise is an important part of my business when I do audio restoration. You can open the window and tweak it if you must but that's not necessary. If you do, it must be the only plugin GUI open or your screen might freeze.

Izotope and others have made excellent YouTube videos on how to use RX 3. Well worth the time.

You can update to RX 5 for $87 at AudioDeluxe or $99 direct. Other resellers may have different prices. It has more tools and a lower CPU hit. RX 3 was pretty good and I've had no reason to redo most tracks that I did with it. I currently use 5 Advanced. If I only had one plugin suite, that would be it.

https://www.izotope.com/en/products/rep ... rison.html

[daniel.sneed]

Not in my studio right now, so the exact words may be somewhat different, but I hope you get the idea:
- in S.E. (Sequence Editor), select a small silent part of the soundbite (noise alone with no music)
- in DP audio menu chose apply plugin, chose RX
- in RX window chose learn
- in S.E., select the whole soundbite
- in RX window, click *preview*
- tweak to your heart content by listening to the processed sound (repeating ad nauseum)
- when you are pleased with effect, click *apply*
- a new soundbite is created and set in place in S.E., AFAICR, the original soundfile remains in project audio folder
- in case you are not fully satisfied with the processed file sitting in the project mix, you just click undo in DP and repeat the whole process, with a different tweaking.

I agree, that's not totally intuitive, but it's totally efficient, though.

[HCMarkus]

Thanks to Mike's heads up, I just upgraded RX1 to 5 for under $90 at Audiodeluxe.com.

I like Daniel's step by step instructions, too. Be trying 'em out soon.

[mikehalloran]

I do it more simply by treating it as a straight plugin.

1. In the Mixer, click on the first plugin slot, and select Izotope RX then, in this case, the Denoise tab.

A. Click on Adaptive. hit Play and see if that does the trick. Listen. If good, close the GUI. You're done.

The noises I chase rarely (ok, never) respond to Adaptive.

or

2. Set it to Manual, find a silent spot on the recording and click Learn. Stop after I have captured some noise but before any recorded audio begins.

3. Rewind. Play. Check to see if the recording is quiet enough. If not, play with the sliders to see if that helps.

4. When done, close the GUI.

Since I now have Advanced, each of the plugins now has its own window. I use Denoise in the first slot, Dehum in the second if I need it.

I did find an old project with RX 3 Advanced that I opened in DP 9.12 so I could check my workflow. I know I have one or two with RX 3 but don't recall which ones they were.

BTW, RX Advanced includes a copy of the standard, combined RX plugins panel. Unlike 2 and 1, the latest builds of 3 still work with MacOS Sierra and DP 9.12.