Creative Sauce’s Secret Weapon: Tonal Balance Control 3 Gets the Sparky Treatment

Mike from Creative Sauce doesn’t mess about—he opens by declaring Tonal Balance Control his go-to plugin for every project. He’s not just hyping it; he calls it his “secret weapon” and makes it clear this isn’t some throwaway utility, but a core part of his mixing arsenal. The focus is on how the plugin turns the old-school reference track trick into a visual, actionable process, especially handy when your ears are fried from too many late-night sessions.

The video wastes no time showing off the target curve display, which isn’t just a static line but a range you’re meant to hit. Mike demonstrates how you can load up different genre presets—rock, generic, whatever—and instantly see where your mix sits. No more blind guesswork or endless A/Bing. If your mix lands in the zone, you’re golden. If not, you know exactly where to tweak. It’s a proper street weapon for anyone who wants to get pro results without the faff.

Now we get into the meat: Tonal Balance Control 3’s new built-in EQ. Mike explains how you used to have to juggle multiple plugins or link up with other iZotope EQs, but now you can just tweak frequencies right inside the plugin. No more plugin window spaghetti—just grab a band and go. The dynamic EQ is a nice touch, especially for taming that unruly low end that always seems to betray you when you play your mix on someone else’s system.

But it’s not just about EQ. The plugin’s visual aids are next-level: low end crest factor, vocal balance, dynamics, and stereo width meters. These aren’t just pretty lights—they actually help you spot problems before they become disasters. Mike calls out how the new extra meters and display modes make it even easier to see what’s going on, whether you want a fine-grained view or just a quick check across four frequency bands. It’s all about making your workflow faster and your mixes tighter.

Here’s where things get spicy. Mike shows off the ability to capture your own reference curves—just play your track, hit capture, and you’ve got a custom target for future projects. It’s dead simple, and you can name and save as many as you like. There’s even a standalone version now, so you can grab curves from Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you find your sonic inspiration. No more excuses for not knowing what a pro mix should look like.

The real kicker is the new blend feature. You can morph between two target curves—say, alt rock and country—and dial in the exact vibe you want. It’s like having a genre blender at your fingertips. Mike makes it look easy, but the creative potential here is massive. If you’re chasing a hybrid sound or just want to experiment, this feature alone could justify the upgrade.

Mike hammers home the point that visual feedback is a lifesaver, especially when your ears are shot. The plugin’s displays let you see exactly where your mix is sitting in relation to your target—no more flying blind. He points out that the visual aids are especially useful for catching issues you’d miss after hours in the bunker, like a vocal that’s too buried or a mix that’s gone mono by accident.

It’s not just about pretty graphs; it’s about confidence. When you see your mix hugging the target curve, you know you’re in the right ballpark. And if you’re off, you know exactly where to fix it. For anyone who’s ever second-guessed a mix at 2am, this kind of visual clarity is worth its weight in gold. But let’s be real: you’ll want to watch the video to see these meters in action—words don’t do the moving parts justice.