really there's someone that can mix without R-VOX? I dont belive it : )


I also use MV2, Abbey Road Plate/Chambers (heavy on cpu but pretty unique), REEL ADT, Brauermotion, Aphex

 

You could do a whole mix (edit: and master) with Waves, they have a lot of unique fx plugins and sound enhancers also.
If you had nothing else, that is all you would really need.

As time goes on I rarely use them, some I should but I just never get to it. Also if you only use like 2 or 3 plugin it can be inefficient.
The purpose of the wrapper is to run many instances.

You can manually remove any plugins after installing the bundle, from Program Files\Waves\Plug_Ins, or there is an alternate way where you can choose your plugin installs, but you need to make a Wave account and use tool.

I think they are good to have handy, but you have to trim it down or use RET tool.
If I had a new computer I am not sure if I would do full install.
The bundle bloats the plugin list with a lot of redundant plugins.

 

Last edited: Feb 21, 2024

I use waves as 'cooler' versions of stock plugins, because they sound good for minor tasks and eat very little CPU (at least the oldest A.K.A. the best)

 

i dont. i stopped installing them a couple years ago.

 

I'd say almost none of them, but some of them I'm so used to that I just... keep using them ‍

The ones I use quite often are the Bass Rider (this one is pretty close to the label of irreplaceable), Abbey Road RS124 (very underrated compressor IMO) and the CLA Compressors.

The ones that I use every now and then are the RCompressor, RBass and MaxxBass (which I consider to be better than its younger brother RBass).

 

for me personally, its just peer pressure. I'm afraid Moby will come over and want to use a Waves plugin and I won't have it and he'll have to use a Fabfilter plugin, and I'm not sure I could endure the shame.

so yeah peer pressure..

for me...

any ways...

 

I think many of the most unnecessary ones in the plugins menu are the mono copies. Some of them you will absolutely never use as mono plugins. It's a holdover from working on lots of stuff in mono, only because of under-resourced systems. Again, you can leave them installed but I want them out of my way in 95% of cases.

If some people are using Acustica, it's the same thing with ZL copies of plugins. Unless you are actually playing through them, there is no reason for them to clog up your menu with (basically duplicates of stuff) which you will never use. There is nothing wrong with having extra stuff installed if you have space. But they have to be out of your way or they are a hinderance to your workflow.

 

DO NOT use the R2R versions of waves if you want to be able to install piecemeal plugins and bundles. The Team V.R. waves releases have for quite a while given the ability of point and shoot installs OFFLINE with the waves central app... And no, the R2R system plugin splattering is NOT "the only working version available"... Been using team V.R.'s for years with no issues - never made an account and never did any ONLINE bullshit with the DAW - therefore I never splatter the production box with a crap-load of unneeded waves stuff. Everything is done OFFLINE after grabbing the installation goodies with your internet machine (your DAW being always OFFLINE)...

Mainly you want to select the SSL4000 (always) and/or the API bundle (if you're into that). If you mix/master and do restoration install the diamond bundle (or gold or platinum) Classic Compressors, and Abbey Road. If you're into the old school waves plugins that have been there since the beginning install the renaissance bundle. If you ever do anything with surround audio install the 360° Surround tools and DTS neural. The rest of the stuff is just fluff and takes up hard drive space... The nice part about the V.R. releases is you CAN install only single plugins if you want. I prefer to install only the needed bundles because I don't want to have to keep rolling out the install image and waves central every five minutes to add another plugin.

 

Last edited: Feb 22, 2024

For me, that's almost exactly it.

Can people name some better replacements? Sure. Does WaveShell suck? Certainly. But they're definitely serviceable, have been around forever (lots of tutorials, famous users to mention tips and tricks), cover a very wide spectrum, compatible all the way back to Direct-X (using older versions, of course), iLok free, and works in legit PT.

If I had to pick one--and only one--bundle which had to be used, Waves would be it. It's the best "one-stop shop" in my opinion. The WaveShell concept, and its versioning issues definitely get a big downvote from me, though--Wave's Achilles Heel, IMHO.

 

I stopped using Waves 5 years ago, I do not miss it, there was too much of everything

 

usually i have waves on my every project. i find most of their plugins are easily replaceable though

the ones i think i'd have a harder time trying to replace are
Center, MV2, and Abbey Road Vinyl

of those three i only use on a regular basis MV2 (which is great, but i find it expendable)

 

Got rid of Waves moons ago, but their Clarity Vx Pro is really great one, can't think of anything essential there, even RBass have great alternative, Denise Audio Bass XXL. Dunno, I really don't miss anything from them, even that odd one Trans-X that do some nice things on plucky bass-es can be had in Melda land.

 

I agree! I don’t think any other plugin does what the Aphex Exciter does. I find it indispensable on dull-sounding vocal tracks. I love the Waves Abbey Roads series too, and the Kramer goodies. Actually, I really like a lot f the old Waves classics too. The old ones are easy to use, dependable, and super lite on resources. The H series are all really nice too. I use the SSL Bus comp on almost every single project I work on.

 

same. i remember when i literally had just started learning to record so that i could record my own demos. around 2018ish. waves plugins were my very first plugins aside from the slate digital subscription recommended to me by a friend. i was so new to this whole world i even PAID a guy from facebook marketplace like $50 usd for a k'd waves bundle not knowing he was literally just selling me an r2r release probably from the sister site lol... man i really thought i was slick.

but yea, i look at waves kindof like the default "everybody's first plugin bundle". like if there was a noob producer toolkit, waves plugins would be near the top of that list just under the standard "focusrite scarlett solo interface" haha.

not saying there aren't some gems in there or that they aren't useful, especially when starting out bc of the ease of access and just the general breadth of their catalog (i mean i'm sure u could literally fully mix a full band project just with waves plugs) but now that i'm several years in and have leveled up many times in disernment of quality and have a dense plugin library full of uad and neural dsp and all the high tier goodies i just can't remember the last time i opened my waves folder on a project..

i should probably delete them...

 

Ehh, I still use it professionally since I bought Mercury a year ago...
Been tapping into Fabfilter also, since I bought their Mastering bundle.
Gotta get the bills paid somehow! (screw Pro Tools, lol.)

 

Answering the real cuestión..
Because they do the job... Quick for work, they have the stereo/mono versión (i think that all dev should do this) low, almost nothing latency, and are Resource friendly.

Here's My list.
Renaissance plugins.
Cla 2a, 76.
C4, C6.
L1, L3.
Maxxbass, Submarine.
Apex, vitamin.
Ovox, Bender.
SSL channels, SSLComp.
Silk.
Puigtec, puigchild.

Edit: i forget NLS, and mixhub

 

Last edited: Feb 22, 2024

I stopped downloading the huge multi-gigabit selection years ago. The only thing I found I would ever be useing was H-Reverb. But after years of working with my brilliant psychiatrist, the world renowned and legend in his own time, Dr.Wolfgang Andareas Modart PhD, he crafted my individualized therapy to break Waves (see what I did there?) from it's death lock stranglehold from around my fragile psyche. Borrowing heavily from One Flew Over The Cookoo's Nest, A Clockwork Orange, the vast, formidable catalog of Weight Watchers television commercials and a shamonic Ayahuasca journey to The Amazon, Dr. Modart finally helped heal me my crippling affliction/addiction. Contracting Malaria while journeying in the Amazon jungle was even worth it as I discovered that the mosquito is actually my spirit animal.

 

Using them since DX NPP Powerpack 1999. They're f***g great!

 

Despite my username, this is a huge no-no for me.

 

Waves Renaissance series is still pretty good. Irreplaceable? No.

Waves RBass is still my favourite tool for bass enhancing. Tried some of the other offerings like Unfiltered Audio Bass-Mint, but they don't come close (or better: they work differently).

Waves analog emulations are typically not too accurate, I would rather use Overloud, UAD etc. for that. Generally speaking: most DAW stock plugins these days are at least as good as your typical Waves plugin.

Also, for reasons of conscience I won't buy anything from Waves in the forseeable future, until we see a peaceful solution and ceasefire in the region. No disrespect to those dudes, they were pioneers in the audio plugin field and released many classic plugins that we all used and loved at a time.

 

Last edited: Feb 22, 2024