M Media Audio Releases Northstar Mastering Console Plugin (VST3 & AU)

The useful part

M Media Audio has released Northstar, a flagship plugin that brings tonal shaping, dynamics, color, stereo control and final loudness into one window for Windows, macOS and Linux. Put it last on your mix bus, bring in the tools your record needs and hear the result as you work. Three EQ banks shape the full stereo signal, the center and the sides independently.

How it works

• Low and High Translation dynamically reduce bands that push too far forward, while an HF Limiter, three saturation characters, stereo controls and a true-peak limiter complete the signal path.
• The EQ display shows live PRE and POST spectra alongside your filter curve and an optional reference spectrum.
• Level-Matched Bypass makes a fair comparison with your untouched mix, while LUFS, true-peak and LRA readouts show where the record is landing.
• Choose a loudness target, press Set Level and Northstar adjusts gain using its measured output as the music plays.
• Every processing section has its own power switch, and the controls start neutral.

What to take from it

You can build a sound one move at a time or begin with one of 28 factory presets. Pricing & Availability Northstar is available as VST3 for Windows, macOS and Linux, and AU for macOS. The free demo runs the full plugin with brief audio silences every 30 seconds.

Details worth keeping

FET, VCA and Vari-Mu compressors offer six processing orders. The built-in player lets you hear a finished track at a matched loudness. A/B holds two complete control states when you want to compare directions.