How To Use iZotope Nectar 3 For Beginners 

Woah woah woah, thanks for the support. I'm always trying to make the best content I can, so it's good to hear that there's out there like you appreciating these tutorials. Thanks again for watching, and hope you stick around!

Those are definitely my favorite parts of the video. Glad it spoke to you. I'm thinking of doing the pep talks for RU-vid shorts or my community posts. I feel like they get a little lost when they are put at the end of a video.

@@ThisIsOnesto do it, you're good at tht

Thanks for the feedback. It's helpful to know that these extra teaching aids are appreciated. I really try to make these videos as effective as possible and for plugins that have a lot of steps I like to try to find ways to make them easy to follow.

Thanks so much Dave! It means a ton that you watched the video to the end. Those producer pep talks were something that I did to just try to encourage people because trying to create is hard. And also thanks for letting me know that you see the hard work behind these videos. I'm always just trying to make them the best I can for anyone who's willing to watch.

You're totally right. I love to put effort into these videos. I feel like I'm always refining each video so they can be the most useful, helpful, and concise music production videos on RU-vid. I really just want to help and inspire others on this channel. So hopefully I can achieve that with each video. Thanks for watching and hope you can stick around to see what else I talk about!

Woah, I'm thrilled that the video was that helpful! Building confidence is so important, and I think this plugin can help a whole lot with that. Thanks for subbing and watching!

nice! thanks for that feedback. music production is one the steepest learning curves. You can spend a lifetime in each song writing stage and still have more to learn, so if you feel intimidated, it's completely normal. iZotope does try to make things easier, but honestly I think it's going to be a lot to take in no matter what. I hope that this video helped get you started, and as the weeks go on, you find yourself growing. And who knows, maybe you'll keep using Nectar or find other ways mix vocals!

Your welcome again! Thanks for all the support and encouragement you've sent my way. I've been playing piano for a very very long time, but started getting into music production since 2017. It's been a lot of work, but a lot of fun! Hope you're doing well!

That's amazing! Nectar 3 is really good for those starting out. I hope you find it helpful, and it give as more confidence. And I'm so happy that you wrote down those action steps. I really think they'll help you feel less lost

Oh cool! Thanks for letting me know. I always wonder if those tips are helpful to anyone else besides me

Thanks for making it to the end, and I really appreciate the support. Happy to offer whatever knowledge I picked up!

Hey thanks! That comment means a lot, seriously. Thanks for seeing something in my channel. A lot of times I have to be reminded that there's something there haha! I don't plan on stopping anytime soon so please stick around and you should be surprised with where this channel goes.

You got it dude! Thanks for watching all the way through!

Thanks for watching and for the feedback! There's definitely a lot to learn and that's ok. But I hope you can still have fun even if things feel overwhelming.

thanks for that feedback, it means a lot to me. I work really hard to make these easy to digest, so I'm glad to hear that it's working.

heeyyyy, thank you for watching! I'm really happy that this video could help.

Nice! So happy this video could help. Thanks for watching!

Woah thanks for the compliment. I love teaching this stuff, glad this video could help

Thanks so much for watching and for the feedback! Means a lot to me.

Thank you so much for watching till the end! I hope next year is the year. We'll have to wait and see!

@@ThisIsOnesto You've got great content that is very helpful for specific people. RU-vid growth these days are all about finding a specific audience. If you are wanting your channel to grow you can focus on a specific niche, such as being an expert on one specific plugin, or one aspect of music production. ...Or you can try to appeal to the masses with really basic tutorials for newbies. Things like "5 tips for Vloggers" "3 Tips for better Gaming Livestreams" etc. It just depends where you want to build your audience. Keep making content and I'm sure it'll take off!

Thanks for saying that friend. Whenever I get support like this it's always like wind in my sails. Thanks again!

Nice! Glad this video could help. The more you use Nectar 3, the more it'll make sense and get better results. Hope you stick with it.

Thanks so much for watching! Happy to hear that this video was helpful.

You're a legend yourself! Thanks for watching!

Isn't that a great deal! I think the inclusion of Melodyne Essentials is why I chose to buy Nectar in the first place. The best part is that you can now upgrade your Melodyne at a reduced price because you own essentials.

You're welcome x3!

You got it! Thanks for watching it to the end. A lot of people don't do that haha

Oh nice! That's what I love to hear!

Haha thanks man, I wanted to use a GIF from Aladdin there but honestly, I didn't want to mess with Disney. I love your self-portrait series that you've been doing on Instagram. Can't wait to see more and more of those.

Of course! So happy that you found it helpful 🫂

iZotope products can feel like a big ecosystem. I remember when I first discovered them, it took a long while to figure out a workflow that I think is easy and could make sense for others. Glad this video could help!

You're probably right! Haha, I remember having a hard time demonstrating the pitch corrector. I believe I asked my friend to try to sing a little off, but ended singing the song quite well.

Thanks for the support, happy to give what I can to the community

Hey thanks for the support! Glad you liked the video!

Thanks James, glad you're liking them. I'm excited to make more

Of course, glad this can help! Thanks for watching

Thanks for watching! I'm glad the video could help.

I used to tuck those at the end of my videos, but I ended up getting rid of those since viewers would immediately dip out. But really happy to hear you enjoyed it!

Thanks for watching, and I'm glad it was useful for you!

Thanks for watching, it's great that the channel is helping!

You got it! Thanks for watching!

Thanks a ton, glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for the comment! I typically aim for very straight forward videos. I'd rather viewers get what they need as soon as possible so they can get back to making music!

Thanks for watching! Glad this review could be of use.

Heeeeyy, you got it! So happy it could help

@@ThisIsOnesto I've just subscribed! Awesome channel

@@joaopunk1289 Oh nice! Thank so much, I hope I can hear from you again!

Thanks for watching, happy the video could help!

Thanks Mohit! You're in luck. I already have a couple of vids on Neutron 3. Check them out when you get a chance. 6 Best Ways to Use: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RF6m0d5DhKI.html How to use for beginners: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tS6DDEw-yA8.html

You got it, thanks for watching!

Thanks! Glad you found this video helpful

Thanks so much for watching!

Thanks, glad you liked it. Nectar is pretty great!

Thanks for watching!

Hahaha you got it. I feel like plugin tutorials are tough to follow even if the instructor is good. So gotta keep the viewers entertained haha.

Yeah dude, we've been friends for almost 20 years. It's crazy. Oh Brian, he's moving across the street from me

That's a great question. Here's my thoughts. You can definitely place Nectar on all your vocals in a group and do the masking elimination. But what I would suggest is grouping your most important vocal layers, so your main vocal, and harmonies if you have them. For vocals that are in the background or ad lib bits, I wouldn't have them in the masking analysis. When it comes to the masking feature I like to make sure that only my most important vocal layers (and frequencies) are being analyzed.

@@ThisIsOnesto gotcha. Would you also run multiple instances? I have male and female leads and harmonies. So each track has nectar, and the group?

@@DevonSpittleREAL Yeah I would try running multiple instances, especially if the female and male vocals are very different from one another. I don't have much experience running multiple instances of unmasking, but I think I just placed multiple Relays on the groups that were clashing and that seemed to work

That's a great question. There's three quick things I would try. I would first activate the Match button, you can find it in the bottom right corner, just above the width control. Once this is activated, it allows you to hear the results at the same volume as the bypassed result. This helps you make a better comparison and sometimes lowers the volume. The second thing is to check and see if the ALM button is activated, right about the Input Slider on the right side of the plugin. If I'm remembering correctly, this control is supposed to help the vocal be at a consistent level. Imagine someone adjusting the input slider so that the vocal sits at a consistent level. Even though this control exists, I don't really like to use it. I found that it's a little heavy handed, makes my vocal get loud, and makes things sound really compressed (even though it's not compression). Perhaps this control has been improved in a recent update, but I typically avoid using this. The other thing I'd try is simply using the I/O meters and adjusting the output to where the meter is sitting around -6dbs. Hope this helps!

Yeah no problem, for nectar I just place that on my vocal tracks. Since it’s geared for vocals, that’s where it goes. For Neutron, I like to place that on instrument groups or on individual tracks. If it’s something like a group of percussion or chords, I’ll place Neutron on the group or bus. For something like a lead or bass I’ll place Neutron on the track itself. However I won’t place Neutron on tracks with one-shots or sounds that just make a quick appearance, I won’t use Neutron to help save on CPU. And then if you plan on using Visual Mixer, that’s something you put on the master. Another iZotope plugin you put on the master is Ozone, but if you don’t have it, don’t worry about it.

hey, thanks for saying that, it means a ton.

Woah, that's super low for Nectar 3 Plus. Thanks for sharing that PSA.

Well you're about to be had again. I'm filming some more pep talks this week

I totally get the confusion because it is pretty confusing. Here's what I could find. The diff between Nectar 3 and Nectar 3 plus is that nectar 3 plus has a automatic key detection in the Pitch Module (kind of nice), advanced unmasking controls (this is a good improvement), and it includes RX 8 Breath control and Relay 1.1 (Breath control is great). Now Nectar Pro has everything Nectar 3 Plus has but with "an even smarter vocal assistant". I don't have the pro version so I can't speak much about it. And Nectar Pro is only available in the pro membrship. It seems like iZotope is really pushing their pro membership, which is how you get access to nectar pro and other pro products. If you own izotope products already, I would recommend holding off on the pro membership until their pro products offer a bit more. Right now the diff between pro and the non-membership izotope products now isn't enough for me to feel like I'm missing out.

@@ThisIsOnesto Thank you for your thoughts, and help!. I am venturing back into the audio post production side after an absence and have been looking at some tools to pick up. Right now I am mostly doing corporate work and was looking at getting the RX Post Production Suite 5, or at minimum, the RX8 Advance and picking up Nectar Pro as a stand alone. Still figuring everything out. Your channel is helping!

@@Justin_Allen so glad to hear, good luck on your future plans!

@@ThisIsOnesto I actually just found the difference. from isotopes site: "What is "PRO"? The “Pro” label indicates the subscription version of an iZotope product. “Pro” products will be receiving additional features and updates over time, which will be available to you as long as you subscribe." Again, thanks!

@@Justin_Allen thanks so much for finding that info. That makes a lot of sense. So it depends how important always staying up to date is. I did see that iZotope does offer sales on the membership so it'll be best to buy it then. I think there's one right now?

Hey Michael, great hearing from you again, and thanks for the feedback. There's a few important reasons why I choose to use that text in the top right. First is that it helps the viewer know what step I'm talking about in case they get lost for a moment. I find that when I watch longer tutorials I can sometimes forget what exactly I'm learning. Or if I skip around, it's hard to know what I'm learning at a given point. The other reason is because those notes are important things that I forgot to mention during the taping. If I could remember and deliver everything perfectly I probably wouldn't need those notes. I find that when I'm in the middle of editing I often realize that I forgot to mention an important tip, so those notes give me the chance to make sure I'm sharing the best knowledge I know on a topic. I do understand that it can be distracting, and that's something you brought up last time, and I was glad you did. One change I did in response was to keep those notes up for at least 8 seconds. Sometimes they are up for about 15 seconds to give the viewer plenty of time to read it. Before I only had them up for a few seconds but your feedback helped me see that they should be up for much longer so thank you for that! And when it comes to my face in the corner, I kind of like keeping it there. I think it allows the tutorial to remain personal. And by keeping things organized, I hope my face feels integrated into the tutorial. And I do get that sometimes the DAW window can get small which is why I make sure to zoom into plugins or wherever is most important to look. That way, if someone is watching on a phone, they are able to see the details clearly. Thanks again for your feedback Michael. I always value it. It keeps me thinking of ways to improve the channel 🫂.

@@ThisIsOnesto just wanted to add, that i feel you are right on taking these decisions. Only thing i would suggest ist keeping the notes even longer on, as i was n´t able to read them whole a couple times, cause i hat to also pay attention to what you were showing at the same time. Keep it up! your channel is apparently growing much faster now - and rightfully so!

Great question. As wonderful as iZotope is, the pricing on their products can get a little confusing at times. Here's what I would do. iZotope seems like they always have a big sale going on, which means, never buy anything from them at full price. For example, right now Nectar 3 Plus is on sale for $79 USD, which I think is a great price, which definitely beats Splice's rent-to-own (I think rent-to-own is great for plugins that hardly go on sale). When it comes to the iZotope membership, I think it's great for professionals who have some extra cash, and never want to think about buying the next version. I don't do the membership, because I'd rather pay for the product once, rather than every month. Since you're new to producing, I would recommend buying Nectar 3 Plus on sale (like right now for instance). Try it out, and get familiar with it. And Black Friday is coming up which means, iZotope is going to discount everything by a significant amount. So if you're enjoying what nectar can do, then maybe check out ozone (for mastering) or neutron (for mixing). Both are solid plugins. And usually, if you already have a iZotope product, you'll get a "Customer Loyalty Discount" (a deeper discount) which usually can apply to individual products or their music production bundle, which comes with practically everything they make. Sorry for the lengthy answer, must want to make sure I can help you the best that I can.

@@ThisIsOnesto thank you for your amazing answer. ☺️

@@jimmyjay977 of course, just trying to help 🫂

@@ThisIsOnesto is there any plug-in that helps you with gain staging? I’m struggling with my shure sm7b. 😕

@@jimmyjay977 just to clarify, are you talking about how to increase the input of the sm7b to your audio interface? Or how to get the output of the sm7b to sound level and consistent?

it is! here's the full list of compatible daws: Logic Pro, Ableton Live 9.7 - 11, Pro Tools 2021, Cubase 10.5 - 11, FL Studio 20, Studio One 5, Reason 11, REAPER 6, Bitwig Studio 3.

I would add visual mixer to your master bus. I made a video talking about visual mixer, so be sure to check that out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jtLWS8bNptE.html

@@ThisIsOnesto thank you love your vids 💪🏾💯

@@ThisIsOnesto can you add plug in. When you use the visual mixer

@@nickygacha1800 yeah you can still use the plugin and visual mixer at the same time. I like to place visual mixer on the master bus. I think it makes the most sense there.

Hey thanks for watching and asking this question. I think this answer will help. iZotope is an audio software company that makes all kinds of plugins that are compatible with most DAWs (digital audio workstation, like Logic, Ableton, Bitwig, Reaper, Pro Tools), they're really good by the way. So as you're using a DAW like Logic or Ableton, you can open up an izotope plugin to help you perform a certain task like mixing, mastering, or creative effects. Hope that helps!

Thanks for watching. Right now I'm living in LA.

Hey what's up

@@ThisIsOnesto do you do private lessons?

@@rgue5509 Thanks for asking this, it means a lot. Right now I'm not offering private lessons. Between my full-time job, this channel, and my family, I just can't take on private lessons. I hope to one day, if this channel ever becomes my full-time work. I hope though that my videos can continue to help you become a better music maker. Thanks again for watching and supporting the channel.

@@ThisIsOnesto np thanks for the great vids

You are 100% correct.

I wish I were! That'd be the ultimate claim to fame.

Sorry to hear all that. I wish I could control the volume of commercials, especially if they're much louder than the video. I bet that's super annoying for everyone. And although you didn't watch the rest of the video, I hope that what you did see offered something useful for you.