Northstar is M Media Audio's mastering console. Nine sections share one window: three EQ banks, three compressors, low and high translation, saturation, stereo tools, and a true-peak limiter with Set Level. Dual, Mid, and Side can run at the same time. Each bank has a high-pass, four parametric bands, and a low-pass. FET, VCA, and Vari-Mu can be ordered six ways, with a parallel mix on each. Set Level moves the output toward a target from −24 to −5 LUFS and stops within 0.25 LU. The ceiling defaults to −1 dBTP.
The launch price is $59 through 4 October 2026, then $99, sold from the M Media Audio page. The licence is perpetual, with three activations. Formats are VST3 on Windows 10/11, macOS 11 or later, and Linux, plus AU on macOS. Linux needs libsodium and is confirmed in REAPER and Bitwig. There is no AAX build. Latency is about 474 samples with the limiter on, and 3 samples with it off.
Put it last on a stereo master and feed peaks around −6 dBFS, which is the gain staging on the product page. Level-matched bypass keeps a louder pass from winning the comparison. Twenty-eight presets are starting points, and loading one leaves the bypass switches and Input Trim alone.
Use Ozone 12 Advanced when you need a 20-module suite, listed at €549 on that card, on macOS or Windows. Use Pro-L 2 when the only remaining job is a true-peak limiter at $199, including AAX. Use bx_masterdesk when you want the other one-window desk, listed at $299 on its card. The longer breakdown is the Northstar first look.