Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/856624
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y S U M M E R 2 0 1 7 39 Machine learning is the construction of algorithms that can learn from data, and subsequently make predictions on data. Prior to the incorporation of machine learning, we started seeing what's called "Intelligent DSP," which gave us the "adaptive" functionality seen in the RX series. With machine learning, the algorithm is fed examples of something and it learns on its own how to identify the commonalities. In the making of RX6 Advanced, the team fed the algorithm numerous examples of good "clean" dialogue and then fed it examples of bad dialogue, and the software learned to differentiate. The examples are used to teach the algorithm and the algorithm learns on its own. The resulting algorithm would be impossible to code by humans, let alone understand it. Machine learning is the future of computer software and it's exciting to see it incorporated into a product that's used daily by so many audio professionals. The two standout modules in RX6 Advanced are De-rustle and Dialogue Isolate. Both modules are based on machine learning and both perform Introducing Machine Learning b y J o h n W a r r i n M P S E iZotope's RX software has become an indispensable tool for the audio- post professional. While each major version has succeeded in making significant improvements, RX6 makes an incredible leap in functionality with its incorporation of machine learning. Five years ago, iZotope acquired Imagine Research, a developer of intelligent audio analysis technologies. We are now seeing the fruits of that acquisition in products like Neutron and now, RX Advanced. In Neutron, machine learning is used to automatically differentiate between different instruments, so as to make calculated decisions on how to process the audio. In RX Advanced, it's used in two new modules: Dialogue Isolate and De-rustle. iZotope RX6 Advanced: incredible feats of noise reduction. They have profoundly changed the way I mix. Since taking over as the re-recording mixer on Deadliest Catch in March of this year, we'd been heavily using RX5 to clean up dialogue. Several episodes in, RX6 was released, and it quickly became apparent that this was a game changer. Dialogue Isolate now gave me the ability to not only lower the ambient noise floor, but to easily lower the loudness of random metal banging and chaos in the background that was occurring at the same time as the dialogue. I use Dialogue Isolate liberally throughout the show. I do use it pretty lightly though—intelligible dialogue is the main goal here. And as with any other noise-reduction software, there are severe artifacts if you push it hard. The other interesting side effect of Dialogue Isolate though, is that I've found it often actually makes the dialogue sound better when used lightly—getting rid of offending frequencies. In practice, I find myself having to EQ dialogue less when I've run it through Dialogue Isolate.