Musik Hack introduce Master Plan 2

Mastering plug-in treated to ground-up rebuild

With a few plug-in releases now under their belt, Musik Hack have revisited their debut offering and kitted it out with a whole host of new features and improvements. Master Plan 2 represents a complete rebuild of the company's popular all-in-one mastering processor, and is said to refine every part of the original while sticking to the formula that helped make it so popular.

Drawing on co-founder Stan Greene's experience as a mix and mastering engineer, the plug-in brings together a range of processes designed to help users add the finishing touches to their tracks. It combines an array of dynamic processing and tone-shaping tools with comprehensive metering and stereo-width adjustment, and despite packing in a healthy selection of processing sections, boasts an intuitive interface that ensures the plug-in remains quick and easy to use. We were certainly impressed when we reviewed the original, and it's found its way into the tool kits of Grammy-winning engineers, mixers and producers whose credits include artists such as Post Malone, Drake, Doja Cat, Shaboozey, SZA, Ludacris and Usher.

Whats New? Master Plan has gained a whole host of new features, along with significant updates and enhancements for its existing tools. Here's an overview of what's changed in the latest version:

Limiter 2.0

More Loudness, Same Punch: A redesigned limiting architecture uses advanced waveform-shape preservation techniques to achieve greater loudness while maintaining transients, low-frequency integrity and the original character of the mix.

Presence Circuit: Add more bite' or soften the feel of the limiter with two different frequency-adaptive release algorithms.

Body Control: Bring quieter elements forward to increase perceived density and loudness.

Fine-Tuned Glue Compression: More control over exactly how much compression is applied to a mix.

Improved True Peak: A new and improved True Peak circuit with greater transparency and more usable loudness.

New Sound-Shaping Tools

Targeted Saturation: Blend between four flavours' of saturation, including the signature Thick circuit, and target the effect where it is needed while introducing minimal phase distortion.

Glow: A new circuit that adds cohesion and helps the whole mix feel more connected.

Aura: Dial Master Plans signature colour' up or down.

Silk: Analogue-inspired high-frequency saturation for added sheen' and air'.

Auto-Input-Levelling: Automatically sets the mix to the optimal input level.

Low Latency Mode: Switches all of the plug-in's processing sections to low-latency versions for live tracking and performance.

Refined Core Processing

Custom-Refined EQ: Low, Mid and High EQ sections refined for highly accurate phase and frequency response (often referred to as natural phase ).

Overhauled Multipressor: Redesigned crossover for near-linear phase performance without pre-ringing.

Dynamic Calm: New dynamic resonance-suppressing filters tame harshness and buildup with unique filters designed to minimise phase distortion during movement.

Tape Intensity: Independent control of both the amount and flavour' of Tape saturation.

Advanced Anti-Aliasing: A hybrid architecture combines oversampling with Antiderivative Antialiasing (ADAA) to reduce unwanted aliasing in non-linear processing, eliminating the need for ADAA compensation filters.

Latency-Compensated Bypass: More accurate A/B comparisons.

LUFS-Matched Unity: Automatic level matching when comparing processed and unprocessed signals.

And More!

Optimal Loudness Meter: A new intelligent loudness analysis system evaluates the musical content of a mix in real time, helping users identify the ideal loudness range for their master. A dynamic visual indicator shows when the signal is safely within range, approaching its optimal loudness, or being pushed into excessive limiting.

Meter Overhaul: New Gain, Spectral, EQ and Imaging views show what Master Plan is doing to the mix in real time, including a difference meter that shows exactly how much gain and saturation are being added. Users who prefer to trust their ears can switch the visuals off entirely.

Reference Track Comparison: Drop in a reference track and compare it directly against the master without leaving the plug-in. Automatic beat detection makes looping sections fast and easy.

Snapshots: Save up to three different Master Plan settings and automate between them, so the verse, chorus, bridge or any other section can have its own master treatment. Or, use them to blind-test master variations.

Overhauled UI & Settings: Theme colours, light and dark modes and deeper workflow options.

Legacy Mode: The complete Master Plan 1 signal chain remains available at any time for users who love the original.

Master Plan 2 pairs a completely overhauled signal chain with powerful new controls and an entirely new workflow, giving users more ways to finish a record without compromising the mix that got them there. We wanted to give users more control while keeping the process of finishing a master as simple as possible. - Sam Fischmann, Co-Founder, Musik Hack

Compatibility Master Plan 2 is supported on PCs running Windows 10 and above, and Macs running macOS 11 or higher. VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available.

Pricing & Availability Master Plan 2 is available now, and is currently (29 October 2026) being offered at an introductory price of $179, reduced from its full cost of $249. It's also available via Musik Hack's Rent-to-Own plan, where it can be obtained for 12 monthly instalments of $15. Users of the original version can upgrade for $60, or $5/month on the Rent-to-Own plan.

www.musikhack.com/products/masterplan

LINK:	https://www.soundonsound.com/news/musik-hack-introduce-master-plan-2...
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