How can I lower iZotope Ozone’s CPU and latency usage?

For better live playback, there are some adjustments you can make lower Ozone’s CPU and latency needs:

Ozone’s high-performance DSP settings include:

“Digital” and “Matching” mode, in the Paragraphic EQ module
“Room” mode, in the Mastering Reverb module
“Digital” mode, for the multi-band Crossover
These settings are new to Ozone 3, and have been designed for greater fidelity in mastering and mixdowns. Because you may want to hear these high-performance effects during playback, we’ve made it possible to adjust the latency and CPU they use. If you enter Ozone’s Options screen, and examine the “EQ/Reverb/XOver” panel, you will be able to change the buffer sizes used by each of these effects.

In general, lowering these buffer sizes will lower the latency required for the effect, but cause a slight jump in CPU needs. Raising buffer sizes will do just the opposite: raise latency needs, but lower CPU cost. It’s worth exploring these ranges to find values that work best on your system.

You can also try switching to other available DSP modes during playback:

Set the Paragraphic EQ module to “Analog” mode.
Set the Mastering Reverb Module to “Plate” mode.
Enter the Multiband Exciter Module. Right-click (PC) or ctrl-click (OS X) on the mini-spectrum display at top, enter the Crossover Options, and set the Crossover Mode to “Analog.”
Please feel free to switch back to Ozone’s high-performance DSP when you mix down.

If you don’t need stereo output when previewing, try enabling “Process as Mono” in your plug-in Options screen, under the General tab. This can cut CPU usage by up to 50%. Please note that switching Ozone’s output to Mono will bypass the Stereo Imager effect. Also, remeber to disable “Process as Mono” when you mix down.

Using fewer bands for multiband effects can save significant CPU. To change the number of bands, right-click (or control-click, on OS X) on the band’s mini-spectrum.

You can disable your plug-in’s animations and grahpical activity from the Options panel. Select the General tab on the Options screen, and look under the Graphics heading. Uncheck Enable Animations to disable animated controls, and uncheck Enable Meters to disable your plug-in’s graphical meters.

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