iZotope Tonal Balance Control 3 Review: New Features, EQ, and Target Curves Explained

The latest version of iZotope Tonal Balance Control is here, with a host of new features for analysing and controlling your song. These include new genre and sub-genre reference targets, extra meters for more in-depth analysis, a built-in hybrid EQ and much more. 

Tonal Balance Control has been widely used by mixing and mastering engineers for referencing and monitoring their tracks since its release in 2017. It is a highly accurate and customizable way to check your mixes and masters against professionally-mastered, genre-based target curves, giving you a quick way to balance your song against reference tracks and monitor the overall balance of energy across the frequency spectrum. 

With TBC3, iZotope has upgraded the monitoring tools and provided a much wider range of target curves. It’s now more precise and versatile than ever. But is it worth the upgrade? This article will look at the new features, expanded target library, improved compatibility with other iZotope plugins, pros and cons to help you decide if TBC3 should be your go-to mixing and mastering reference tool.

What’s New?

	What it is	Key Features	Best For
Expanded Target Library	Dozens of new genre and sub-genre target curves	Mainstream genres like Indie Pop, Hip-Hop and EDM, as well as more niche genres like Future Bass, Hyperpop and LoFi	Making sure your song has a similar energy to the most popular songs in your genre
Standalone Desktop App	A standalone app for capturing targets from any audio source	Capture button for easy recording and referencing	Quickly referencing any song or audio track from Spotify, Apple Music and more
DAW Target Capture	The ability to save your own songs as a target for future reference	Simple way to capture and save your own target curves	Consistency across tracks, especially for EPs and albums
Extra Meters	New monitoring tools for more precise analysis	Vocal Balance, Dynamics and Stereo Width meters for quickly checking the balance of your song	Making sure every aspect of your song is balanced
Target Blender	Combine any two target curves for a new custom profile	Percentage weighting for precise combinations	Blending two references to find the sweet spot in the middle
Built-in EQ	New EQ overlaid on the main interface	Hybrid-EQ with a wide range of shapes, plus dynamic controls	Making quick adjustments to match your song to the target profile
Quick Import from TBC2	Simple import of references from the previous version	Use your whole TBC2 library within TBC3	Using your favourite target curves without having to remake them

Target Library

The target library is a selection of reference curves that cover a range of popular genres: Alt Rock, Ambient, Classic Hip-Hop, Classic Rock, Country, Dance Pop, Drum & Bass, Dubstep, EDM, Electropop, Folk, Future Bass, Hip-Hop, House, Hyperpop, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jazz, K-Pop/ J-Pop, Latin Pop, LoFi, Metal, Orchestral, Pop, Pop Country, Post Rock, Punk Rock, Reaggaeton, Reggae, RnB/ Soul, Rock, Techno, Trap and Vocal Jazz.

There is also a generic All-Purpose curve (pictured below) that emphasises bass and low-mid frequencies. These cover a good range of genres and styles, and the blender option improves this, making it easy to select two targets and morph between them for a more customized curve. For TBC2 users, the quick import option is a simple way to use the profiles that you’re used to, which can also be blended with any of the other curves.

Desktop App and DAW Capture

One of the most powerful features in TBC3 is the standalone desktop app, which lets you capture audio from any source and use it as a target curve. Doing so transforms the plugin from a generic, genre-dependent spectral analyser into a highly accurate tool for matching your song to any reference track. Most engineers use a reference track to make sure their song matches the balance and energy of similar songs, and this feature makes that task much easier. 

DAW capture is another key addition, allowing you to use your own songs as references. This is incredibly useful for consistency across songs, particularly if you’re working on a multi-song project and need the levels to remain consistent to better immerse the listener and avoid distracting shifts in tone.

Extra Meters

The three new meters (Vocal Balance, Dynamics and Stereo Width) are a big improvement in TBC3, taking it beyond a spectral analysis plugin and showing you the other keys ways in which your song can be measured against the reference track. Vocals are often the focal point of the song, so it’s key to get the balance right. Dynamics show how your song changes in loudness and energy across a track, and Stereo Width brings a song to life by making it 3D and immersive. The ability to see how your song measures up against the reference in these key metrics is a big improvement for monitoring the overall balance of your track.

Built-in EQ and iZotope Plugin Control

Another improvement that comes with TBC3 is the ability to react to the information it gives you without leaving the plugin. The EQ is overlaid onto the main visualiser (pictured below), so you can make tonal adjustments instantly, and then monitor how they affect the balance in real time. It includes all of the quality-of-life features you’d expect from an iZotope EQ, with different bell, shelf and high/ low pass shapes, precise controls for frequency, gain and Q, and the option to make the band dynamic.

This feature also allows you to control other iZotope EQs inside your project. This pairs perfectly in mixing and mastering sessions with the Ozone suite, meaning you can use TBC3 alongside Ozone as a monitoring plugin for precise changes and a quicker workflow.

Is it worth the upgrade?

TBC3 comes with a strong selection of new features. The most impactful change is the new meters, which elevate it from a purely spectral analyser into a more rounded and versatile reference tool. It’s a great concept, and can be really helpful for artists working in untreated rooms or with lower-quality gear by showing them the song’s balance without bias. The built-in EQ and communication with other iZotope EQs is handy, but there is a danger in trying to fix a track with EQ alone. It also risks mixing with your eyes over your ears, which can lead to generic, uninspired results and formulaic mixing. 

If TBC2 is already a big part of your workflow, I’d highly recommend getting the upgrade. TBC3 is more versatile, more detailed and provides a faster workflow. I’d also recommend that home producers and artists give it a try, as it can be really useful for understanding how your song fits into genre and style conventions. If you already have a preferred monitoring tool, there’s not too much that sets TBC3 apart, but it’s definitely worth checking out, especially for DIY artists and mixing/ mastering engineers.

Price: $129.00

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