iZotope has launched Photon, the company’s first software release since it was acquired by Boris FX in July, following the sale of iZotope’s former parent company Native Instruments to InMusic.
A stem separation tool that’s available as both a standalone app and an ARA plugin, Photon is equipped with 12 custom-trained machine learning models for stem splitting and audio repair that run locally on your computer’s GPU.
Models onboard include a music separation model that splits mixed tracks into stems for Voice, Bass, Drums and Other, and a drum separation model that can separate mixed drum recordings into Kick, Snare, Hi-hat, Toms and Cymbals. A dedicated voice model splits a recording into Voice and Music stems, quickly lifting out an acapella for sampling or remixing purposes.
You also get a variety of models geared towards post-production: Voice Restore enhances speech and cleans up noise in spoken recordings, while a handful of additional models are optimized for reducing specific types of environmental noise in both indoor and outdoor recordings. Finally, the Cinema model can separate audio and video files into dialogue, music and sound effects.
The plugin’s clean and simple interface shows a layered waveform with each stem represented in a different colour; here you can preview audio, adjust levels, and solo and mute each stem before exporting. New and updated models can be downloaded in the Model Manager window without reinstalling the software.
As mentioned, Photon runs as a standalone app or an ARA plugin in compatible DAWs, making it possible to separate stems offline on the DAW’s timeline. Stems can be exported in WAV, FLAC and MP3 formats.
While iZotope’s RX 12 audio restoration software and Ozone 12 mastering suite both feature stem separation functionality, Photon is the first dedicated stem separation tool that we’ve seen from iZotope. We’re told that the models powering Photon were developed in collaboration with the Boris FX team following the acquisition.
“Whether you’re cooking up a remix, adjusting the kick volume, exporting a quick acapella, untangling multiple speakers in a podcast or interview, or cleaning up spoken word, Photon delivers,” reads a press release from iZotope. “Choose your model, let the magic happen, export, and you’re done.”
iZotope Photon is available now for macOS and Windows. It's priced at $349 but is currently discounted at $259 until Dec 7, and there's a subscription option available priced at $19/mo or $119/year. Crossgrade pricing is also on offer for those that own RX Elements, RX Standard and RX Advanced.
