Waves Platinum Bundle For Mac OS9/OSX

By Ted Spencer

	Product Points
	Applications: Studio, post production Key Features: Mac, Windows; TDM, RTAS, MAS, Audio Units, VST; 48-bit internal processing; 96 kHz and 192 kHz sampling rates; compressor, equalizers, mastering plug-ins Price: $4,200 Contact: Waves at 865-546-6115, Web Site.

Waves, one of the first third-party plug-in vendors for Digidesign products on the Mac (available in more recent years for numerous other DAWs as well as on the PC), still offers one of the best and most complete product lines of its kind. Waves' plug-ins were the standard by which others were measured nearly 10 years ago and have only grown in number and improved in quality since then.

Since the Platinum Bundle comprises such a huge array of audio processing tools in almost every category, this review will be published into two parts appearing in separate issues of PAR. This month I will cover equalizers, dynamics devices (compressors, limiters, dynamic equalizers, and de-essers), and dithering and latency compensation tools. Next month I will cover delays, reverbs, flanger/phasers, stereo simulators and pitch shifters, as well as metering and spectrum analysis tools.

The Platinum Bundle is designed to work with most popular Windows and Mac DAWs including the latest HD capable systems as well as older 44.1 kHz/48 kHz only ones. For this test I used Pro Tools 5.1.1 and 6.1 (TDM, RTAS and Audio Suite), MOTU Digital Performer 3 and 4 (MAS and TDM) and Emagic Logic Platinum 6 (TDM and Audio Units) under both OSX 10.2.8 and OS 9.2.2.

For hardware, I used a Pro Tools Mix+ system/Apogee Electronics AD8000, a MOTU 2408 MkII and the G4's built in soundcard. It also can be used with Steinberg's VST architecture. For me, being able to switch between two operating systems and three software platforms while maintaining a consistent (and huge) plug-in array makes working with my diverse client base much more effortless.

Features

All the plug-ins share certain basic features and controls. They include the usual undo, bypass, compare, and automation enable buttons, and a standard save-and-load pop-up (Waves also includes proprietary save/load buttons that can access their preset and user libraries). There is also a "flat" button for equalizers that returns all attenuators to zero gain, and an A and B setup button, enabling two different settings to be toggled between. Equalizers have individual bypass buttons for each band, and multi-function devices usually have defeat buttons for each section. A question mark icon opens a PDF manual specific to the plug-in, a very handy feature.

Beginning with the equalizers, there are three basic styles: conventional (called "Q[x]Paragraphic," with x being the number of bands), Renaissance and Linear Phase. They all have the traditional Waves-designed graphic EQ-style appearance, with a horizontal row of slidable grab handles and a line through them that becomes a curve as settings are dialed in. In most cases all the bands have sweepable 20 Hz - 20 kHz ranges, a very broad range of bandwidth ('Q') choices, and selectable peak-and-dip, shelving or high/low-pass filtering modes.

As such, these are among the most flexible and powerful DAW equalizer plug-ins available. The "Q" style can be instantiated as a 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, or 10-band device, labeled Q1, Q2, etc. The Renaissance EQ comes in 2, 4 or 6-band flavors. It differs from the Q10 series mainly in its emulation of certain types of settings available on vintage Pultec equalizers. Pultecs have separate boost and cut controls at low frequencies, and thus can boost on one while cutting on another. This produces a unique type of shelving EQ that can result in a particularly colored or "fat" quality, and is a nice alternative to the more conventional Q series. The lowest and highest bands offer filtering curves in addition to the peak-and-dip and shelving options that the mid bands have.

There are two "Linear Phase" equalizers: Broadband and Lowband. These are primarily intended for mastering. The Linear Phase ('LinEQ') Broadband has five bands plus a bass only band. The upper bands can be set between 281 Hz and 22 kHz, and the lowest band works between 23 Hz and 1 kHz. The low band has shelving, peak-and-dip and filter modes, and the five upper bands have the same plus "resonant" options (similar to the special Renaissance EQ curve) for both shelving and filtering, for a total of nine modes. A dither switch is provided to round off the output to 24-bit since the processing is done internally at 48 bits. A "scale" switch toggles the display between ±12 dB or 30 dB. A "method" button ('normal,' 'accurate' and 'low ripple') theoretically can improve the sound when extreme amounts of EQ is used.

Bass frequencies tend to suffer more from the audible effects of phase shift, so Waves added a separate Linear Phase Lowband plug-in. It is a three-band equalizer dedicated to low frequencies only. Its design and appearance are otherwise identical to the LinEQ Broadband. Its two lower bands range from 11 Hz to 600 Hz, and the upper band from 35 Hz to 600 Hz.

Also within the equalization realm are the MaxxBass and RenaissanceBass processors. These generate additional low frequency harmonics from existing bass energy. RenBass is the simpler of the two, sporting only three controls: frequency (32 Hz - 256 Hz), intensity (±24 dB), which can also be used to generate copious amounts of harmonic distortion, and output (0 dB to -30 dB). MaxxBass lacks the intensity/distortion and output level sliders, but adds an input level control, an "original bass" slider (adds or subtracts LF information without adding harmonic content), and a MaxxBass slider that determines the level of the added harmonics. It also has three curves, at 6 dB, 12 dB and 24 dB per octave to shape the generated harmonics, and a mini-compressor to tame the dynamics of them. Lastly, three buttons choose between "Audio," "MaxxBass" and "Original Bass" to be sent to the monitor, enabling the user to hear exactly what is being added.

In terms of compressors, there are two basic styles: C1 and Renaissance. C1 has four sub-types: compressor only, gate-only, compressor with side chain equalizer, and compressor/gate combined, also including side chain EQ. Since the latter incorporates all the features of the others, I will use it to describe the entire group. The compressor section has two level displays; the first shows compression or expansion and the second shows input level and the threshold setting, indicated by a triangular slider. Threshold is also displayed numerically on a button, which is accompanied by other display/buttons for ratio, attack, release, program dependent release, makeup gain (output level), low reference control (varies output level depending on compression settings), side chain in/out, and a bypass button.

The gate section also has two level displays showing gating activity and input level/threshold, and display/buttons for attack and release, a gate/expander toggle, gate open and close thresholds, hold time, side chain, and bypass buttons. To the right side is another display window that shows both gating and compression activity graphically on a rectangular grid with the horizontal scale being input and the vertical being output. At the bottom left of the window is the side chain equalizer, a single-band shelving or peak-and-dip type with a red line displaying the EQ setting and a blue line displaying what part of the band will be less affected by the compressor as a result of the EQ. It also contains a "look ahead" button, which enables the compressor to react more cleanly to transient peaks. To the right is a master output level slider and monitor buttons for listening to the whole signal or just the side chain.

The RenComp, like the vintage pieces it emulates, is a much simpler device, and exists in only one basic form. It has sliders for attack, release, threshold, ratio and output, and buttons for auto/manual release, electro or optical sensing emulation and "warm/smooth" (warm adds low frequencies as compression increases, smooth does not).

There were two limiter choices, L1 and L2 but a third, L3, has been added as a free download at the Waves Web site. The primary difference is that L1 is a (near) real-time processor intended for managing peaks in program material and L2 is a high latency device meant for mastering (also available separately or as part of the 'Masters' bundle). The controls for each are nearly identical; a threshold slider that also determines gain (lowering the threshold increases limiting and gain simultaneously), an "out ceiling" slider that sets peak output level, an attenuation display with a numeric readout, and a release slider. Only the L1 has input level sliders and only the L2 has an ARC (automatic release) button. They both have built in dither sections, with the L1 offering 8-bit, 12-bit, 16-bit, 20-bit and 24-bit options, where the L2 has 16-bit, 18-bit, 20-bit, 22-bit and 24-bit choices. Both have choices of Type 1 or Type 2 dither as well as moderate, normal or ultra noise shaping options. Dither is a topic that is beyond the scope of this review, but to oversimplify it, whenever the bit rate of a signal is reduced (24 to 16 for an audio CD for example), dither should be added.

AudioTrack and Renaissance Channel each combine EQ and compression in one plug-in with streamlined feature sets. Audio Track combines a Q4 style equalizer with a simplified C1 style compressor (threshold, ratio, attack and release controls only), and a gate/expander (threshold, attack, release and floor controls). One pair of displays covers both the compressor and gate's input level/attenuation duties, and there is an output display and level slider. RenChannel's EQ section is largely similar except for its inclusion of Pultec-style curves. The compressor and gate sections, while similar to AudioTrack's, do add a few niceties such as the ability to route the EQ section pre or post compressor, and separate side chain filters for both the compressor and gate. The compressor can be set to RComp or RVox modes for general purpose or vocal oriented use, and the gate can be switched to an expander.

De-essers also come in standard and Renaissance varieties. The standard one is simplest, offering only threshold, frequency and peak/shelving controls (there's also a wideband mode that turns it into a conventional compressor), and a monitor button for hearing only the side chain. The Renaissance De-esser adds a range control that determines how much attenuation is applied once the threshold is exceeded, and sports a graphic display with curves showing the affected frequency ranges and a shaded zone indicating the amount of attenuation.

Another related category is dynamic EQ: equalizers that change their boost or cut amounts continuously depending on the frequency and level of the signal. The C4 and Linear Phase Multiband ('LinMB') dynamic equalizers perform similarly except that the LinMB is a high latency member of the mastering family (part of the Masters Bundle). Controls for each are generally similar, with the LinMB having five bands instead of four on the C4, and additional buttons for dither, auto makeup gain, "adaptive" which alters threshold of certain bands automatically based on the behavior of others, and a trim button which automatically sets overall gain to the highest unclipped level. They both have auto/manual release, electro/optical and variable knee controls to color the character of the effect, and an output slider and meter. "Master" slider/buttons vary a given parameter (such as attack) for all bands at once.

Finally, a simple dither plug-in, "IDR" offers no frills 16-bit or 20-bit dither, and various "DLA" plug-ins offer either delay for matching channels to others that are delayed by plug-ins, or device-specific ones like C1-DLA that compensate for signal delays caused by lookahead modes. None of these compensates for plug-in induced latency by advancing the signal however. That still must be done manually on most DAWs.

In Use

I've used the Platinum Bundle extensively on every project I've done over the last year including the original score for the Academy Award nominated film, American Splendor (recorded and mixed entirely in Digital Performer, and using Waves plug-ins exclusively), Got You On My Mind, an eclectic jazz/pop album by virtuoso harmonica player William Galison and singer Madeleine Peyroux, Blood Red Moon, a pop/rock album by talented newcomer JD Duvall, and many others. To characterize these wonderful audio tools as "indispensable" would be an understatement.

Starting once again with equalizers, the flexibility of the Q10 "family" alone would probably make it my default choice on my system (I also have Focusrite, Sony Oxford and many others), but its smooth, clean-yet-warm tone seals the deal. Certainly other EQs have their place; the Oxford in particular can be outstanding on drums, and the Focusrite has a very clear, smooth quality. But the Q10's 10 great sounding, full range paragraphic bands in one relatively low-DSP intensive "box" with a superb display interface is tough competition. While no software EQ I've ever used can do what certain hardware units can (I have a variety of new and vintage units for that), the Q10 can do everything from ultra-wideband soundscaping to minute surgical tweaks with exceptional ease, and in 10 places at once. I simply love this plug-in.

The Renaissance EQ may not get as many "at bats" in my studio as the Q series does, but it is a specialized tool that decidedly has its place, and the Pultec style curves really do work as advertised. Very unique tonal effects can be dialed up with them, and it is usually my first choice on electric guitars and keyboards.

The Linear Phase Broadband and Lowband EQs are intended as mastering tools, and are optimized for that application. While high latency (and a tendency to click when certain settings are changed) makes them less suitable for multitrack music projects, the tradeoffs are largely irrelevant in mastering. Conventional equalizers, whether analog or digital, inevitably cause phase shift, which can color the sound in a sometimes undesirable way. Waves' solution is to use varying amounts of delay to cancel whatever phase shift is induced. The result is an exceptionally neutral sounding EQ that is ideal for situations where you only want EQ, and not a change in tone character. The price is signal delay and DSP consumption, but neither matters; usually only a single stereo track is involved, or at most a handful of stems. Similarly, the LinEQ Lowband is great for tweaking the bottom end without losing any of the tightness and focus of the original signal.

MaxxBass has become a well-worn tool in my studio, surprisingly most often in mastering. It's great for adding fatness to overly thin mixes without the peakiness or erratic response of some equalizers. RenaissanceBass is like MaxxBass on steroids. It's not as useful in mastering since it imparts much more of its own character to the sound, but if you're looking for a wilder, more revved up bass enhancement, try it.

For years I was never happy with any of the software compressors I had, whether real-time or hard disk-based, and I had tried nearly all of them. A veil of un-transparency over the sound was always the problem, and despite my best efforts I could never make them as satisfactory as many of the hardware devices I was accustomed to. That is, until I tried the RenaissanceCompressor. With its default settings; auto-release (ARC) on, "Electro" and "Warm" left untouched, and with appropriate attack time, ratio and threshold settings dialed in, I found the RenComp to be the most transparent software compressors I've ever tried, and fully satisfactory for many critical applications including vocals, acoustic guitar (a tough customer even for hardware compressors), and even some mastering applications. In comparison, to my ear, the C1 lacks a bit of transparency in some compression applications. I use it often for its gating features though, which are excellent. This is not to condemn the C1 as a compressor - no other plug-in I've tried can compete with RenComp for transparency either.

The L1 limiter works extremely well for light to moderate peak limiting in real-time, multitrack projects. If you want lots of peak limiting, L2 is the only way to go. Since its primary purpose is mastering (using it in a multitrack session would require compensation for its considerable latency), I'll discuss its use in that setting.

I've used L2 on every single mastering session I've done since I've had it, and it's superb. While it's unfortunate that today's CD mastering trend is toward louder (and thus more extremely 'crushed') levels (try listening to a 10+ year old CD next to a new one), everyone's doing it, so we're forced to make the best of it. L2 is the best, and its hardware counterpart (Waves makes the L2 as a rackmount processor as well) is standard issue in almost every high end mastering facility in the world. Either version can deliver amazing amounts of peak limiting without undesirable artifacts, thanks mostly to the magic of Waves' phase compensation wizardry and its excellent auto-release algorithm.

The combination plug-ins, AudioTrack and RenaissanceChannel, each offer great power in one compact device. AudioTrack is particularly notable for its remarkably low DSP consumption - only a tiny bit more than a Q10, for example. While I have the same reservations about the sound of its compressor section as I do with the C1, there are many cases where the compression is satisfactory, and having the EQ and gate thrown in for (almost) free DSP-wise is very compelling. RenChannel's compressor is likewise not as transparent as its RenComp big brother, but it offers a number of additional features that may tip the balance in its favor over AudioTrack. It does however, "cost" slightly more DSP than a RenComp and a RenEQ 6 combined on my Mix+ rig, with the latter combination being preferable to me for most applications.

The two de-essers have similar DSP tradeoffs, but this time the RenDeEsser is a better "value". While the standard de-esser does a good job and takes less than half the processing power of the Ren version, the latter gets the nod for all but the most DSP-starved scenarios. Its ability to control threshold and HF attenuation separately, as well as a somewhat cleaner sound make it a better choice, and an excellent de-esser by any standard.

The dynamic equalizers, C4 and Linear Phase Multiband are both excellent, with tracking vs. mastering distinctions similar to the Q10 and LinEQ. They both enable precise control of frequency response irregularities in program material within user-defined spectral ranges by reacting to peaks (or valleys) within them with compensatory EQ cuts (or boosts). Not every anomaly can be fixed, but many a popping "p", squeaking acoustic guitar or other delinquent frequency can be tamed quite nicely. The key difference between the two is, again,

the high latency and exceptional transparency of the LinMB, making it the better mastering tool of the two.

Summary

I will leave most of my summary for the end of the second installment next month, but my enthusiasm should be self-evident; the Waves Platinum Bundle is a tour-de-force effort by a company that has proven its excellence time and time again.

Ted Spencer, based in New York City, has been a studio owner and engineer for over 25 years. He specializes in recording, mixing and mastering albums and film scores.