iZotope RX 7 is audio repair and noise-removal software. Whether you record vocals, video narration, guitar, or a livestream, noise is an unavoidable part of working with audio.
RX 7 removes noise with simple operations and little specialized knowledge, making it particularly useful for YouTubers and livestream creators.
What iZotope RX 7 Can Do
First, listen to this unprocessed sample. I accidentally left the air conditioner running while filming a YouTube video.
Here is the same recording after processing it in RX 7 to remove the air-conditioner noise.
I speak for roughly the first five seconds. The air conditioner behind my voice is noticeably quieter in the processed version.
After about five seconds, I stop speaking. In the original, you can faintly hear the air conditioner and keyboard typing. Those sounds are gone from the processed version.
A sample track was also playing fairly loudly through speakers and leaked into the microphone. RX removed most of that sound as well.
This was only a quick repair and took about two steps.
This is the RX 7 interface.
Click Repair Assistant at the upper right.
Choose Dialogue, Music, or Other, then click Start Analysis.
RX finishes the analysis and presents three versions. Audition them and choose the one you prefer.
For the sample above, I also used Music Rebalance to reduce sounds other than the voice.
That was all it took to remove the noise without specialized knowledge or technique.
The Three RX 7 Editions
RX 7 was available in three editions:
- Elements
- Standard
- Advanced
See the following documentation for a feature comparison.
In broad terms, most work outside professional post-production does not require Advanced. Standard can handle the majority of noise-repair tasks.
Elements was the least expensive edition, priced around ¥10,000 at the time. Even its limited tool set removed more noise than I expected, so it may be sufficient for many users.
Music Rebalance
Music Rebalance, used in the earlier example, became one of my most valuable RX features.
It was not included with Elements but was available in Standard. For an investment of several hundred dollars, it could remove not only faint background noise but also sounds accidentally captured in a recording.
The video contains detailed examples, including reducing vocals to create a karaoke track and removing wind hitting a vehicle.
What Made iZotope RX 7 Advanced Appealing
RX 7 Advanced was the top edition. Its regular price exceeded ¥100,000, and even sale prices of ¥30,000–¥40,000 made it difficult to buy, but its capabilities were impressive.
Dialogue De-reverb was particularly appealing because it could reduce reverberation. Many online videos are recorded with the microphone too far from the speaker, creating excessive room sound. RX 7 Advanced could target that reverberation.
Capturing clean audio during production is always best. When equipment or the location makes that difficult, however, RX 7 Advanced could provide a solution. It might even cost less than replacing an entire microphone setup.
