However, it’s unfair to pigeonhole this as solely for those of the 808 persuasions as Ozone 9 is surgical in ways that are almost hard to believe. It’s found a particularly febrile audience with trap producers who discovered that iZotope’s interest in the low end matches their own big and boomy taste. With this update, all 17 years of iZotope’s experience is on display and Ozone is ubiquitous in some genres. This new model assists customers in navigating often confusing and expensive pricing strategies and has become a viable option for many these past few years. It’s worth bearing in mind that there are recently available options such as Splice’s rent-to-own model which helps make the jump that much smoother. However, the impact on our wallet almost always affects consumer psychology. 15 modules now come with the Advanced version Ozone 9 delivers 15 modules where FabFilter includes just four plugins and it’s not simply a case of quantity over quality. Comparatively, it’s priced well to competitors such as the evergreen FabFilters Mastering bundle. It’s true that Ozone 9 is a significant acquisition at $499, for the Advanced version, but you do get a lot for your investment – a whopping 15 modules.

There will be many who are reading who balk at the idea of an expensive upgrade, especially as Ozone 8 was released just two years ago.

Let’s, however, address one major concern as there has been substantial discussion around the price.

It utilises a large chunk of technology that powers their other plugins and continues the company drive to be the market leader for all-in-one products. It’s therefore of little surprise that they’ve now turned their attention to Ozone 9.

It’s been a little over two years since Ozone 8 came to market and in that time iZotope has continued to develop other plugins in their roster, notably Nectar and Neutron. Released just two years after Ozone 8, is it time to update the adage “we’ll fix it in the mix” to “we’ll fix it in the master?” Up next on the test bench is iZotope’s Ozone 9.

Ozone mastering assistant