iZotope Ozone 12 tutorial: assistant and mastering modules

This tutorial covers iZotope Ozone 12 using the Advanced version, starting with the one-click mastering assistant before moving through manual processing. The presenter plays the loudest section of a mix for analysis, then demonstrates tonal balance, loudness and stereo width controls. He reports mixed results with automatic mastering and recommends adjusting the processing when the track needs it.

The custom assistant example uses a -10 LUFS target, true peak limiting at -1 dB and a 15-second analysis window. Gain compensation lets the presenter compare processed and bypassed audio at similar levels. He repeatedly warns viewers to turn it off before export.

The module walkthrough explains EQ routing, multiband microdynamics and spectral processing. The Maximizer section compares IRC modes on the example track; the presenter prefers IRC5 for that song and describes its processing as multiband. That preference is specific to the demonstration.

Stem processing receives separate attention. The presenter demonstrates targeting vocals, drums or bass, but notes that processing multiple stems through the main chain requires multiple Ozone instances. Stem EQ also provides separate controls for other material. The final section covers reference-track comparisons, MP3 codec previews and dithering, with advice to avoid applying dither in both Ozone and the DAW.