iZotope RX 11 Review: The Audio Repair Tool Every Producer Needs

TL;DR

iZotope RX 11 adds AI-assisted repair tools that dramatically speed up common tasks like noise removal, de-reverb, and dialogue isolation. The Standard version (£299) is sufficient for most producers. Essential for podcasters, sample-based producers, and anyone recording in imperfect environments.

What's New in RX 11

iZotope has been iterating on RX for over a decade, and version 11 represents the most significant AI integration yet. The headline feature is Repair Assistant — an AI that analyses your audio, identifies problems (noise, clipping, hum, reverb, mouth clicks), and applies appropriate processing automatically.

In our testing, Repair Assistant correctly identified issues about 85% of the time and applied fixes that ranged from good to excellent. It's not replacing the expertise of a skilled audio engineer, but it's dramatically reducing the time required for common repairs. Tasks that used to take 15 minutes of manual processing now take 30 seconds.

The updated Spectral Editor — where you visually edit audio in the frequency domain — has been refined with better selection tools and more precise processing. The De-hum module now handles complex electrical interference that previous versions struggled with.

Why Producers Need Audio Repair Tools

If you record in a bedroom studio, your recordings contain room noise. If you sample from vinyl, there's crackle and hiss. If you record vocals in anything less than a properly treated vocal booth, there's reverb baked into every take.

RX handles all of this. The De-noise module can remove steady-state background noise (air conditioning, computer fans, traffic) without audibly affecting the source audio. The De-reverb module can reduce room reflections to make a bedroom recording sound like it was tracked in a proper studio. The De-click and De-crackle modules are essential for vinyl sampling.

For podcasters, RX is transformative. Mouth De-click removes lip smacks and clicks automatically. Breath Control reduces distracting breaths without removing them entirely. Voice De-noise handles the background noise that's inevitable in non-studio recording environments.

Standard vs Advanced: Which Version?

RX 11 comes in three tiers: Elements (£99), Standard (£299), and Advanced (£999). The price difference is substantial, so choosing the right tier matters.

Elements gives you the basics: De-noise, De-clip, De-hum, and Voice De-noise. It's sufficient for simple cleanup tasks and podcasters with relatively clean recordings.

Standard adds Spectral Editor, De-reverb, Repair Assistant, Dialogue Isolate, and Music Rebalance. For most producers, Standard is the sweet spot — it handles the vast majority of audio repair tasks you'll encounter.

Advanced adds specialised tools for post-production: Ambience Match, ADR alignment, and more granular spectral processing. Unless you're working in film or broadcast post-production, you probably don't need it.

Is It Worth the Investment?

At £299 for Standard, RX 11 isn't cheap. But consider what it replaces: acoustic treatment that would cost thousands, studio hire that adds up over time, and the frustration of recordings that aren't quite good enough because of environmental noise.

If you record in an imperfect environment (which is most of us), RX pays for itself in improved audio quality. If you sample from vinyl or other degraded sources, it's essential. If you produce podcasts, it's the difference between amateur and professional sound.

The AI tools in version 11 make it more accessible than ever. You no longer need to understand spectral editing or frequency-domain processing to get great results — the Repair Assistant handles the technical decisions for you.

Our recommendation: if you're serious about audio quality and you don't have a perfectly treated recording space, iZotope RX is one of the best investments you can make. Start with Standard and upgrade to Advanced only if you find yourself needing the specialised tools.