iZotope RX

What is iZotope RX?

iZotope RX is a desktop audio repair suite that uses machine learning to remove noise, clicks, hum, clipping, reverb and other problems from recorded sound. It runs as a standalone editor and as plugins inside your DAW or video editor.

RX 12 is the current version, released on 29 April 2026 according to Sound on Sound, and it replaces RX 11. It comes in three editions: Elements for quick fixes, Standard for music and podcast restoration, and Advanced for film and TV post-production with more than 50 tools. The editor shows audio as a spectrogram, so you can see a cough, siren or phone buzz and paint it out instead of cutting the whole section.

Ownership has changed during 2026. iZotope sat inside Native Instruments, which inMusic took over, and Boris FX announced on 2 July 2026 that it had acquired iZotope as a separate business unit. Boris FX says existing licences, subscriptions and support continue, and the Native Instruments store still listed RX 12 editions at the time of writing.

Key Features

Repair Assistant and the new Stems View matter most, because one diagnoses problems for beginners while the other lets experienced editors fix each part of a mix separately.

• Repair Assistant: This module listens to a clip, detects issues such as noise or clipping, and suggests a processing chain. Every edition includes it, so Elements buyers get guided repairs without learning each module first.
• Dialogue Isolate: The tool separates speech from background sound such as traffic, crowds or music beds. It is part of Standard and Advanced, and RX 12 ships improved neural networks for cleaner separation on difficult location recordings.
• Scene Rebalance: This Advanced-only module splits a finished film or TV mix into dialogue, music and effects. Editors can then change each level or make detailed fixes in seconds, which helps when original stems are missing.
• Stems View: Available in Standard and Advanced, this view shows separated stems from Dialogue Isolate, Music Rebalance or Scene Rebalance. You apply any RX tool to one stem and then recombine the parts into a single file.
• De-bleed and Breath Control: Both modules were rebuilt with machine learning for RX 12. De-bleed now works as a real-time plugin, reducing headphone spill or other instruments leaking into a vocal or instrument microphone.
• Spectral Recovery and Ambience Match: These Advanced tools restore lost high frequencies in band-limited audio, such as phone or video call recordings, and copy room tone across edits. Post teams use them to make patched dialogue sound consistent.

Pros

Repair quality is why audio engineers keep RX installed: its spectral editor and trained models fix problems that ordinary noise gates and EQ cannot touch.

• Fixes difficult audio: Machine-learning modules separate speech, music and effects with more control than most simple noise removers. Dialogue editors and podcast producers can rescue takes that would otherwise need re-recording or expensive ADR sessions.
• Visual spectral editing: The spectrogram display lets you select a single cough, chair squeak or phone ring by eye. Removing only that event keeps the surrounding performance intact, which suits music and dialogue alike.
• Three price points: Elements at $99 covers common fixes, while Standard and Advanced add deeper tools. Hobbyists can start small and upgrade later instead of paying for a full post-production suite on day one.
• Works inside major hosts: Plugins come in AU, AAX, AAX AudioSuite, VST3 and ARA formats. You can repair clips inside Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Cubase or Studio One without exporting files first.
• Local processing: RX runs on your own Mac or Windows machine rather than in a browser. Sensitive interviews, unreleased music and client dialogue stay on your drives, which helps with confidentiality agreements.

Cons

Cost at the top end is the main catch, because the Advanced edition with Scene Rebalance and Spectral Recovery is listed at $1,399.

• Expensive Advanced tier: The most useful post-production modules sit only in Advanced at $1,399. Freelancers should check loyalty and upgrade offers, since iZotope shows lower prices to signed-in owners of earlier versions.
• Steep learning curve: Advanced holds more than 50 modules with many parameters each. New users often over-process audio and create artefacts, so learning each tool through tutorials takes real time.
• Elements is limited: The entry edition offers six plugins and no Dialogue Isolate or spectral repair. Podcasters with heavy background noise usually need Standard, which costs four times as much.
• Desktop only: RX supports macOS and Windows but has no Linux, browser or mobile version. Creators who edit on Chromebooks or phones need an online cleaner such as Adobe Podcast instead.
• Ownership uncertainty: Boris FX bought iZotope in July 2026 after the inMusic and Native Instruments changes. Buyers cannot yet tell how sales channels, bundles or account systems will change over the next releases.

Who is Using iZotope RX?

Film and television dialogue editors are the core audience, and iZotope’s site quotes Academy Award winning sound designer Mark Mangini alongside music producers Chris Lake and A-Trak.

• Post-production editors: Dialogue and re-recording mixers clean location sound and rebalance mixes. Advanced tools such as Scene Rebalance and Ambience Match target this work.
• Music producers and engineers: Studio users remove bleed, breaths, clicks and hum from tracks. Music Rebalance also lets them adjust vocals or drums inside a stereo file.
• Podcasters and video creators: Independent creators use Elements or Standard to remove room noise and echo. Repair Assistant suggests settings for spoken-word recordings.
• Archivists and restorers: Audio restoration specialists repair vinyl crackle, tape hiss and clipped transfers. Spectral Recovery helps with band-limited historic or phone recordings.

Pricing

iZotope RX 12 is a one-off purchase priced at $99, $399 or $1,399 depending on edition, with a free trial of Advanced (official iZotope and Native Instruments prices, October 2026).

Futurepedia still lists $49, $299 and $799, which look like older or sale figures and do not match the current official list prices.

Disclaimer: iZotope often runs sales and loyalty discounts, and ownership moved to Boris FX in 2026, so the price at checkout may differ from these list figures.

What Makes iZotope RX Unique?

Stem-level repair is RX 12’s clearest differentiator: Scene Rebalance and Stems View let you split a finished mix into dialogue, music and effects, fix one part, then recombine it. Most noise removal apps treat the file as a single layer.

The second difference is the depth of the spectral editor combined with plugin access in every major DAW. Online cleaners are quicker for a single podcast episode, but they do not give frame-accurate visual edits, AudioSuite processing in Pro Tools or multichannel support for film work.

Compatibilities and Integrations

Plugin hosts are where RX connects to your workflow, with AU, AAX, AAX AudioSuite, VST3 and ARA versions supplied alongside the standalone editor.

• Operating systems: iZotope lists macOS Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe on Intel and Apple silicon, plus Windows 10 and 11. Only 64-bit hosts are supported.
• DAWs: The official page names Logic Pro 12, Pro Tools 2025, Ableton Live 12, Cubase 15 and Studio One 7. Other hosts that load VST3 or AU should also work.
• Pro Tools workflow: AAX AudioSuite versions process clips directly in Pro Tools. RX Connect sends selected audio to the standalone editor and back.
• Audio formats: The suite handles sample rates from 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz. Advanced adds multichannel processing for surround post-production.

iZotope RX Tutorials

A first cleanup with RX takes six steps, starting with Repair Assistant and moving on to individual modules as your ear improves.

1. Download the trial or your purchased edition and authorise it with your account.
2. Open your audio file in the RX standalone editor, or load an RX plugin in your DAW.
3. Run Repair Assistant to detect noise, clicks, hum or clipping and preview its suggested chain.
4. Use the spectrogram to select isolated events, such as a cough, and remove them with Spectral Repair.
5. In Standard or Advanced, open Stems View to treat dialogue or music separately before recombining.
6. Compare before and after at matched volume, then export or commit the repair in your host.

How We Rated It

RX scores 4.2 out of 5 because its repair quality is excellent, while the $1,399 Advanced price and steep learning curve pull the total down.

Summary

iZotope RX remains the reference tool for serious audio repair, best suited to post-production editors, music engineers and restorers who need precise control. Podcasters and video creators can get most of the benefit from Elements or Standard. The main limitation is cost, since the most capable modules sit in the $1,399 Advanced edition, and the 2026 move to Boris FX adds some uncertainty. We rate its accuracy and feature depth very highly but mark it down for price and complexity. Use the free Advanced trial on your own worst recordings before choosing an edition, so you only pay for the tools you actually need.