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iZotope Ozone 12 adds new machine learning modules and a more musician-friendly AI assistant ‘Unlocking the impossible without compromising on creative control’.

US developer iZotope first introduced its machine learning-powered ‘assistant’ feature to its Ozone and Neutron applications all the way back in 2017. This smart analysis feature works by analysing your incoming audio and suggesting a mixing or mastering preset specifically designed to suit the source material.

This assistant tech is one of the key areas to receive an upgrade in the latest version of iZotope’s Ozone mastering suite. In Ozone 12, the Master Assistant will still suggest settings, but now allows for more creative guidance from the user. The new interface now has options to specify modules, dictate LUFS targets and select from a variety of genre presets, allowing you to shape the Assistant’s suggestions around your specific tastes and intentions.

According to iZotope, Master Assistant is intended to ‘guide, not decide’ and is designed to “assist and inspire artists, unlocking the impossible without compromising on creative control.”

There’s more to Ozone 12 than just the Master Assistant though. The update also introduces a trio of new modules to work with.

The first of these is Stem EQ, which makes use of stem separation algorithms in order to individually EQ the vocal, bass, drum and instrument elements of a stereo audio file. Next up is Bass Control, which uses machine learning to intelligently refine and control low-end frequencies.

The final new module is another machine learning-powered tool named Unlimiter. This is designed to restore transients and dynamic range to overly compressed audio files.

Ozone 12 also adds a new IRC 5 mode to its Maximizer module, which iZotope claims “delivers outstanding loudness and clarity without the usual tradeoffs like pumping or distortion.”

Ozone 12 is out now in three tiers – Elements, Standard and Advanced – which contain varying assortments of modules and are priced at £55/$55, £209/$219 and £479/$499 respectively. You can compare the different versions at iZotope website.

The latest version of Ozone is also available as part of iZotope’s Music Production Suite, which also includes iZotope’s Neutron, Nectar and RX applications, the Catalyst Series effects, Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig, and more. That bundle is priced at £769/$799.

Head to the iZotope site for more info and to try a free demo.

Native Instruments today announced the release of the 2.0 firmware version for Kontrol S-Series MK3 keyboards. The update adds deeper DAW integration and enhanced accessibility for blind and visually impaired users.

Kontrol S-Series MK3 now offers a unified plugin view, letting you load and tweak both NKS and non-NKS plugins directly from the keyboard for seamless navigation and full parameter control.

The firmware 2.0 release adds plugin and extended control for the following five DAWs:

• Ableton Live: Ableton Instrument Racks are now displayed as container plugins that can be expanded or collapsed from the keyboard. Up to 16 macros per Rack can be controlled directly from the MK3. Customize plugin mappings via ‘Configure Mode’.
• Logic Pro: Up to 8 Logic Smart Controls are automatically mapped
• Cubase: Customize plugin mappings with the Cubase Remote Control Editor
• Bitwig Studio: Bitwig Browser / preset navigation, named pages, and fully customisable mappings via ‘remote controls’ are available in Bitwig Studio. Furthermore, there’s an extensive library of user contributed pre-mapped plugins available on the NI forum. See also Bitwig controller extension doc.
• Digital Performer: Preset navigation

Support for Pro Tools, FL Studio, Studio One, and Reaper are planned in the coming months

Accessibility Helper Support

Additionally, this firmware update introduces support for Native Instruments’ redesigned Accessibility Helper application, offering improved support for blind and visually impaired users, such as:

• Voice Feedback: Descriptions of all physical buttons, encoders, and navigation can be read out loud by the Kontrol MK3.
• Training Mode: All buttons and controls can be read out loud without triggering them, helping musicians learn the layout of the keyboard.
• DAW Integration: All new firmware 2.0 features are fully accessible, making non-NKS parameter control accessible for the first time.
• Hardware Synth Support: By loading a MIDI template onto Kontrol S-series MK3 and using the Accessibility Helper, hardware synth parameters are spoken aloud, providing an industry-first accessibility path for outboard gear.
• OS Integration: The feature respects language, speed, and other system speech settings from operating system accessibility preferences.

Kontrol S-Series MK3 owners can update their hardware in Native Access in the Updates tab, via the Hardware Connection Service.

New from iZotope comes an innovative multi-effects plugin that marks the next addition to its Catalyst series, a collection of easy-to-use plugins designed to help you quickly solve mix problems and remain in the creative flow.

Intriguingly, FXEQ allows users to “paint” reverb, delay, lo-fi and other effects directly onto sounds using an intuitive EQ-style interface, unlocking creative flexibility and sidestepping the “complex plugin routing and endless plugin stacks” required to achieve a similar effect.

In total, there are five creative effects on board, each with multiple modes and two central controls. Each effect module runs through its own six-band parametric EQ with four shapes and adjustable Q, giving you targeted control over its application across the frequency spectrum.

Those five effects are: Saturate, Reverb, Delay, Modulate, and Lo-Fi, with all of them accessible and tweakable through Catalyst’s familiar EQ-style interface.

FXEQ’s Saturation module offers eight saturation modes designed to give your sounds “weight, bite and fizz”, while the Reverb module features three distinct reverb algorithms, covering Hall, Plate and Chamber modes.

The plugin’s Modulate module brings chorus, flanger, phaser and doubler modes to the table, while Delay delivers four delay types spanning Classic, Reverse, Crunch and Modulation, complemented by Time and Feedback controls. Finally, a Lo-Fi effect recreates the nostalgic tones of vinyl, cassette, tape and radio.

All five of FXEQ’s modules has its own parallel signal path, processing the input signal independently before the results are combined and passed through a global zero-latency limiter at the output stage.

Compatible with macOS and Windows and available in AAX/AU/VST3 formats, iZotope’s FXEQ is priced at $49/£49. Find out more at iZotope site.