Hi Pat. I've used Izotope Ozone for almost twenty years. I tried Alloy at one point because it was like Ozone one each channel but with much less CPU impact. I have not tried Neutron, however. It seems to have overlap with a DAW, although the interface looks very helpful. I'm following your thread.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
At some time in the past, I picked up Neutron3 Elements and Neutron3 visual Mixer. Back when Isotope was literally giving these apps away. I quickly learned the the entire Elements line of products were worth what I had paid, nothing. I never got any serious work done with these apps. Way too limited. Only gave you 3 options and then set the AI in motion to do the rest.
But in the case of Nektar3 I bought the full package (do you remember when they accidently sold it for $29?). I snapped it up. Then I knew how powerful the full versions of the package can be. So I suspect Neutron 4 -the full package, could be very powerful. I have Ozone8 and 9, but only the give away Elements. Currently I use Ozone 5 (an older but full package) which is great for me.
I agree Dan, free and cheapware promo products do tend to be of limited value. Having said that, Izotope's product line, especially Ozone, is widely used and respected in the music community.
I just noticed that a Black Friday deal is available for Neutron 4... which, when coupled with loyalty pricing (crossgrade from any other izotope product) puts the price at $99. Considering the non-sale price for people who don't own other izotope products is well over $200, I see this as a good price for one of their flagship products.
I do have Ozone 9, but its for mastering a finished mix. Neutron is for addressing the problems related to mixing tracks, which is where I generally bog down. The demo videos show solutions for all the problems I have, and for some I'm too dumb to know I have.
At that price, I'll take a chance. Will report back if I have strong opinions about it one way or another.
well... not much to report because starting with neutron4 and Ozone 10, izotope only supports VST3, and apparently RB doesn't use VST3. At least, I can't get it to load.
(hoping that BIAB 2023 adds support for VST3)
Speaking of which, I was hoping to see an announcement by now.
So no VST3 in BIAB or RB 2023. You will have to use neutron4 and Ozone 10, in the DAW. So tell us about that. I recently lost my Ozone 5 and am in need of updated Isotope products.
VST3 in RB .. takes a third party effort but many have found joy (thanks to the other Bob, Bob Calver for the link) Not optimal (as in PGMusic supporting VST3) but a workaround ..
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
VST3 in RB .. takes a third party effort but many have found joy (thanks to the other Bob, Bob Calver for the link) Not optimal (as in PGMusic supporting VST3) but a workaround ..
Thanks Bob! I'll check it out!
My workaround was to buy another DAW that does support VST3... FLSTudio. I've been fascinated by it since it was just a MIDI program with a peculiar interface. Downloaded it many times to demo it, but the interface was just too weird for me. In the early days it had no main menu , you just had to watch tutorials to divine the way it worked.
They must have gotten complaints because the current version makes more sense. It has menus, and basically works like most other DAWs.
I have isotope neutron but don’t use it as I am not recording live Instruments (which is where I think it specialises). I use nectar for vocals and ozone for mastering.
The masking feature alone is IMO worth the price of admission. It so readily allows you to eliminate sonic conflicts, e.g., bass and kick; guitar and piano, etc. I love open simple clean mixes and it really supports that. I also find a lot of the bass and drum kit component presets helpful.
Bud
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! A few of our videos are here on our website: https://www.janiceandbud.com/our-music.html
The masking feature alone is IMO worth the price of admission. It so readily allows you to eliminate sonic conflicts, e.g., bass and kick; guitar and piano, etc. I love open simple clean mixes and it really supports that. I also find a lot of the bass and drum kit component presets helpful.
I picked up Neutron 4 a while back but the learning curve is steep. But today I figured out how to use a reference vocal from a youtube video. OMG, this changes everything for me. See Before (Without Reference) and After (with Reference)
zplane recently interviewed Peter Gannon, the founder and creator of Band-in-a-Box, about the software's early days, what sets it apart from AI, how zplane's audio algorithms are used in Band-in-a-Box, and more!
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Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
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Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
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