iZotope Ozone 12: What’s New in the Mastering Plugin

Noise Harmony
2 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 4 hours ago

iZotope just released Ozone 12, and it’s one of the biggest updates the mastering plugin has seen in a long time. For years, Ozone has been the choice for producers who want a polished, professional sound without needing a studio full of gear or a complicated chain of plugins. With version 12, iZotope isn’t just refining what’s already there, it’s adding tools that actually change how you approach mastering.

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The first thing everyone will be talking about is the new Stem EQ. This module lets you reach into a finished stereo mix and adjust vocals, drums, bass, or “other” instruments separately. In older versions, if your vocal felt buried or the snare lacked snap, you’d usually have to go back to the mix session. Now, Ozone 12 gives you a way to handle those fixes right inside the mastering stage, which is huge for anyone who doesn’t always have access to stems.

Another standout is the Unlimiter. Most people know the pain of working with a mix that’s been crushed by over-compression or heavy limiting. Ozone 11’s Maximizer helped you get tracks louder, but it couldn’t really reverse damage. The Unlimiter is built for that. It restores punch and dynamics to mixes that feel lifeless, almost like hitting “undo” on brickwall limiting.

Bass Control is also new, and it’s aimed directly at one of the hardest parts of mastering: the low end. Instead of stacking EQ, compression, and imaging tools, you now get a focused module that manages punch, sustain, and clarity in the sub and bass ranges. It’s simple to dial in and helps avoid that trial-and-error process of checking your track on a hundred different systems to see if the bass translates.

Of course, Ozone’s classic features aren’t standing still either. The Maximizer now has the new IRC 5 algorithm, which pushes loudness while keeping things clean and transparent. If you’ve been using FabFilter Pro-L2 for loudness, Ozone just got a lot closer to that standard. The Master Assistant has also been reworked. It no longer just spits out the same generic chain every time, it actually adjusts to your track and genre, and you can even decide which modules you want it to use. Beginners still get a quick starting point, but now it feels much more intelligent and easier to shape to your own needs.

Altogether, Ozone 12 isn’t about flashy gimmicks, it’s about making mastering more practical and more forgiving. The Stem EQ means you can fix problems without going back to the mix. The Unlimiter means you can rescue tracks you thought were too far gone. Bass Control means you spend less time second-guessing the low end. And with the upgraded Maximizer and AI assistant, the whole process feels smoother.

The iZotope Ozone 12 is available on Plugin Boutique.

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