Waves has become synonymous with the Digidesign Pro Tools architecture. Waves TDM Bundle ($1000) is a powerful digital signal processing program. What sets Waves plug-ins apart is the WaveShell.
The WaveShell is a software program that acts as a liaison between the application program and the Waves plug-ins. In essence, the program is responsible for loading plug-ins into the host software. This configuration saves processing power. WaveShell allows different plug-ins to be combined on the same DSP chip. In the world of digital audio workstations, DSP power is a finite resource. By using the WaveShell, more mileage can be squeezed out of each DSP chip.
Features/In Use
Waves has taken their most useful applications and packaged them into three different Mac bundles. The TDM bundle works with a Pro Tools Core System; MultiRack is for real-time DSP card processing; and the Native Power pack handles non-DSP processing systems. The highlight of these applications is the easy-to-use interface and the corresponding graphic display. There is enough depth and horsepower to handle the most demanding signal processing chores.
Q10 is the Waves 10 band “paragraphic” equalizer. Center frequency can be adjusted from 16 Hz to 21 kHz. Q values can be set from 0.5 to 100, and there’s 18 dB cut or boost available. There are five filter types: parametric/peaking, high shelving, low shelving, high pass and lowpass. Editing is accomplished by dragging the mouse on the graph or by numerically entering values in the chart.
The L1-Ultramaximizer combines a peak limiter, a level maximizer and a noise shaped dithering process. The peak limiter uses a “lookahead” feature which increases the average signal levels and resolution of the audio file. The S1 is a set of tools designed to enhance and alter stereo images. The program works by expanding (or contracting) the width and spaciousness of the stereo source material. The S1 tools can fix off-center or unbalanced mixes, adjust image placement, expand frequency images and rotate stereo source material. At the heart of this plug-in is a stereo vector display that shows the output positions of the left, center and right audio signals. Also provided is information on sound levels. This is helpful if any balancing adjustments need to be made.
TrueVerb is a reverb processor that combines two separate modules - an Early Reflection simulator and a Room effect emulator. A time response graph controls size, distance, reflections, predelay, reverb tails and all relative levels. The frequency response graph handles the reverb’s frequency ‘contour’, the reverb shelf and room absorption.
The C1 consists of three independent modules: compressor/expander, gate/expander and filter/equalizer. Other features include negative ratios (reverse compression), a lookahead mode, sidechain processing, and a program dependent release.
PAZ (Psychoacoustic Analyzer) is not an audio processor, but rather a psychoacoustic toolkit for analyzing audio. There are three modules: frequency analysis, stereo position display and loudness/peak meter. Through a continuous real-time graph, PAZ shows 52 bands that approximate the ear’s constant-Q critical frequency bands. PAZ is a handy tool for checking mixes, trouble shooting, analyzing sound systems or as a mastering device.
Track Pack Pro is a batch utility for audio files that uses loss-less data compression to aviod degradation of audio quality. Track Pack Pro is optimized for uncompressed or non-limited 44.1 kHz files. It yields best performances on multi-track recorded projects. The program is designed for archiving audio files to conserve disk space and for Internet file transfer.
Summary
With the release of version 2.3, Waves has added AudioSuite functions (file based processing), additional presets, enhanced A/B file support, plug-in caching to speed launch time, a preferences folder and other enhancements. Without question, the Waves TDM Bundle is one essential package for any Pro Tools studio. The applications sound great, are well designed, and certainly do the job. If that is not enough, Waves has reduced the $2,300 price to $1,000. Not bad, considering the total cost of each of these applications would be many, many times the price of the TDM Bundle!