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2. Transforming sounds with iZotope Iris 2

1 iZotope’s Iris 2 is a powerful spectral synthesiser that can be used to transform even the most mundane sound. We’ve launched Iris in our DAW. Click New in the browser to initialise the patch, then click 1 in the top-right to select the first sample slot for editing.

2 Drag DigitalVox C3.wav (a synthetic choral sample) into the area shown on the left. The spectrogram appears in the large display area. Audition the sound. Note that playing different pitches affects playback length. Pitch Mode is set to Resample – change that to Radius RT.

3 Using the various tools found to the left of the spectral display, we can edit the spectrogram. Choose the Frequency Selection tool to select a few vertical bars in the display. Now audition the sound to hear the results. The change is obvious – our choir has transformed into an icy pad.

4 Use the eraser tool to poke holes in the selections. Between the toolbar and display, you’ll find a vertical slider for adjusting Brush Size. Refine the sound by adjusting loop points and Crossfade Length below the display. Add a bit of echo for a more atmospheric patch.