Waves has introduced the Jack Joseph Puig Collection, a collection of audio plug-ins based on some of the most sought-after vintage pieces of gear in audio history.

“As time goes by, there are fewer and fewer examples of these heirloom processors for artists, engineers or producers to have access to,” stated Jack Joseph Puig. “Not every studio or engineer has had the luxury that I have had to be in the same creative space as some of these magnificent pieces of equipment. The three vintage processors that Waves and I have modeled are reference standard pieces of what that particular processor is supposed to sound and feel like.”

Description:

Legendary among audio aficionados for his extensive collection of exceptional, hand-picked vintage outboard gear, Puig not only shared his knowledge and expertise on these devices, but he also gave Waves exclusive access to model his most prized processors.

Working in Puig’s personal recording space, located at Los Angeles’ Ocean Way Recording Studios, Waves’ R&D team painstakingly analyzed and modeled each processor’s attribute, replicating its sound and behavior to the point where the software was virtually indistinguishable from hardware. Puig became an indispensable part of the development process, greatly assisting the Waves team by testing and fine tuning the software models of his hardware, as well as contributing an extensive library of his personal presets.

The PuigChild 660 & 670 Compressor/Limiter

Throughout the vinyl era, the original Fairchild stereo 670 compressor and its mono counterpart, the 660, were ubiquitous. From the recording studio to the record lathe, the Fairchild was renowned for its advanced compression techniques and incomparable sound. With the PuigChild 660 & 670 Compressor/Limiter, Waves has captured every distinctive nuance of Jack Joseph Puig’s Fairchild 670, along with every detail of its rich harmonic complexity. Key features include: Lateral Vertical Mode (MS Compression) for Optimal Stereo Imaging; Linked & Unlinked Modes; Digidesign Icon Support; Up to 24-bit 192 kHz Resolution; Mono and Stereo Components; TDM, RTAS, VST, AU support; PC and Mac Compatibility.

Key controls include: Input Gain -20 to 0; Threshold 0 to 10 (0.1 steps); Time Constant 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; On/Off; Mains Off, 50Hz, 60Hz; Link Left/Right, Linked, Lateral/Vertical; Output -18dB to 18dB (0.1 steps).

The PuigTec EQP-1A Program Equalizer

The Pultec EQP-1A is renowned for its warm and round low frequency equalization and its beautiful high frequency boost; it also has the unique ability to boost and cut the same frequencies simultaneously, thereby creating a resonant shelf. Conceived and created for broadband equalization, the original EQP-1A features four low boost/cut frequencies, three high-cut frequencies and seven HF boost points, along with a bandwidth control for shaping the high boost curve. Waves’ PuigTec EQP-1A is a remarkable replication of Jack Joseph Puig’s original handcrafted unit, heard on dozens of popular recordings from artists including Weezer, The Black Crowes and Panic at the Disco.

Key features include: Unique resonant low shelf boost; Digidesign Icon support; Up to 24-bit, 96-kHz resolution; Mono and Stereo components; TDM, RTAS, VST, AU support; PC and Mac compatibility.

Key controls include: Low Band Boost 0 to 11 (18 dB boost, 0.1 steps); Low Band Attenuation 0 to 11 (18 dB cut, 0.1 steps); Low Band Frequency 20Hz, 30Hz, 60Hz, 100Hz; High Bell Boost 0 to 11 (18 dB boost, 0.1 steps); High Bell Bandwidth (Q) 0 to 11 (0=sharp 11=wide, 0.1 steps); High Bell Frequency 3kHz, 4kHz, 5kHz, 8kHz, 10kHz, 12kHz, 16kHz; High Shelf Attenuation 0 to 11 (18 dB cut, 0.1 steps); High Shelf Frequency (Atten Sel) 5kHz, 10kHz, 20kHz; In/Out; Output -18dB to 18dB (0.1 steps); Mains Off, 50 Hz, 60 Hz.

The PuigTec MEQ-5

The distinctive tonal characteristics of the MEQ-5 have made the original Pultec hardware a mainstay at high-end studios for decades. The midrange PuigTec MEQ-5 and the broadband PuigTec EQP-1A together constitute one of the best-known equalization chains in audio history.

Key features include: Digidesign Icon support; Up to 24-bit, 96-kHz resolution; Mono and Stereo components; TDM, RTAS, VST, AU support; PC and Mac compatibility.

Key controls include: Low Mid Frequency 200Hz, 300Hz, 500Hz, 700Hz, 1000Hz; Low Mid Peak 0 to 11 (10dB boost, 0.1 steps); Mid Frequency 200Hz, 300Hz, 500Hz, 700Hz,1000Hz, 1.5kHz, 2kHz, 3kHz,4kHz, 5kHz, 7kHz; Mid Dip 0 to 11 (10dB cut, 0.1 steps); High Mid Frequency 1.5kHz, 2kHz, 3kHz, 4kHz, 5kHz; High Mid Peak 0 to 11 (10dB boost 0.1 steps); In/Out; Output -18dB to 18dB (0.1 steps); Mains Off, 50 Hz, 60 Hz.

The JJP Collection is currently available separately as well as part of the Waves Mercury bundle.

I’ve kind of got a thing for cheap guitar effects – they usually sound pretty awesome on synths and cost almost nothing because guitarists buy them by the score.

Waves Audio’s iGTR Personal Guitar Processor puts the GTR family’s guitar amp and effects sounds into a snack-sized device. It offers a variety of Virtual Amps, variable-speed Modulation Effects and Ambience Effects.

The three Virtual Amps (Warm, Normal, and Bright) employ dial-adjustable drive, making possible a huge range of sounds and styles, from smooth jazz to aggressive metal overdrive. Modulation Effects include Phaser, Tremolo, and Wah, with dial-controlled modulation speed, while Ambience Effects further enhance the sound with Reverb, Chorus, and Delay.

The iGTR Personal Guitar Processor from Waves will be available January 2008 with a MSRP of $100.00.

2006 NAMM Preview

Z-Noise is not just a more precise version of X-Noise — it’s based on a new algorithm that reconceptualizes the way noise is treated. Z-Noise’s breakthrough features include dynamic noise profiling, innovative transient preservation and increased low frequency resolution.

Other noise reduction systems are limited by the restrictions of traditional band split methods. These limitations lead to smeared audio images that lack crispness and clarity. Z-Noise employs a brand new, “more musical” algorithm, which, according to Waves, delivers unparalleled low-frequency resolution and unsurpassed time sensitivity.

Z-Noise includes an array of features that make it ideal for removing tape hiss, ground hum and computer noise. It gives users the power to shape their results with pinpoint accuracy, using a familiar 5-band EQ interface. Real-time operation means audio engineers can fine tune the Z-Noise parameters and hear their changes on the fly. Plus, it features advanced adjustable transient detection and enhancement which removes noise while retaining all the power and punch of the source recordings. Z-Noise features an exclusive Extract mode as well as an innovative Adaptive mode which specializes in reducing noise that changes over time.

More information is available at the Waves site.

Waves

GTR 1.0 for Windows has been tested and certified for proper operation under Pro Tools 7, while GTR 1.1 for Mac OS X makes GTR Pro Tools 7-compatible on Mac. Pro Tools 7 users can download the new Mac installer by visiting download.waves.com. Users of other hosts supported in 1.0 should continue using 1.0.

Designed and developed over a two year period in association with Paul Reed Smith, founder of PRS Guitars, the critically acclaimed Waves GTR is a virtual system that emulates popular guitar amplifiers and effects while allowing the user to plug their guitar directly into a digital audio workstation. With 7 virtual amps, 23 stomp effects and a hardware impedance and level-matching interface, the GTR system puts the world’s best amplifiers, cabinets, microphones and effects at the user’s fingertips.

Waves GTR is compatible with both Native and TDM systems and includes the Waves/PRS hardware interface, Waves Amp software and Waves Stomp software all in one package. U.S. MSRP for Waves GTR is $600 Native, $1,200 TDM.

A DVD is available which includes a video that details the GTR’s features, a brief explanation of the Guitar Interface by Paul Reed Smith, and demo GTR software. Customers may visit www.waves.com and fill out the request form to have the DVD mailed to them. Waves is also launching a dedicated GTR website at www.wavesGTR.com.

Waves Ltd

MaxxBCL incorporates three of Waves’ well-known audio processors in a sturdy 2U rack-mount configuration: MaxxBass enhancer (which features a second-generation algorithm used in the company’s Renaissance Bass); Renaissance Compressor; and L2 Ultramaximizer limiter. All processing is performed in a 48-bit end-to-end path.

MaxxBass uses psychoacoustic principles to generate harmonics that add bass sound without adding bass frequencies, allowing listeners to hear bass lower than physically present. The dynamics of the original bass are duplicated in these harmonics, resulting in a very natural-sounding bass enhancement. The MaxxBass harmonics and the original bass can be mixed in any proportion at the output.

This allows mastering and post production engineers to create audio that translates well to consumer systems of varying size and capability by creating a “second level” of bass sound specifically aimed at small systems. Used in this way, the original content of the low frequency spectrum is retained, while MaxxBass is dialed in to generate harmonics that actually allow listeners to hear the lower notes, even on small systems. In addition, MaxxBass is ideal for adding deep and warm low end to archived music that lacks the powerful bass expected today.

The Renaissance Compressor provides the classic sound of analog compression, adding warmth and control to full mixes, vocals and instruments alike. Two compression modes are offered: ‘Opto’, which models a vintage optically driven compression system; and ‘Electro’, a modern-sounding compressor implementation. Full control of threshold, ratio and attack are included, along with Waves’ ARC™ (Automatic Release Control) that tailors the release time to the input signal, reacting in a way similar to the human ear, and dramatically increasing overall RMS level without sacrificing clarity or introducing artifacts. The Renaissance Compressor is also capable of low-level compression/expansion.

The L2 Ultramaximizer limiter, heard on countless hit recordings and soundtracks, has a very fast overshoot-free response that puts the sound up-front with astonishing transparency. The first Waves hardware L2 Ultramaximizer unit became a standard piece of gear in the best mastering and post facilities because of its ability to significantly increase signal level without introducing audible artifacts. In addition, the L2’s converters’ performance was equal to the best dedicated converters on the market. Now the MaxxBCL goes further, retaining the signature L2 algorithm and adding new converters that offer even better performance.

MaxxBCL features analog (both balanced and unbalanced) and digital inputs and outputs, the latter including both AES-EBU and S/PDIF capabilities at sample rates up to 96 kHz, allowing flexible analog and digital format conversion at the highest possible quality. Independent input and output level matching is provided in six steps from 9 to 24 dBu, with 12 additional 1 dB steps of level trim per channel available on the front panel. The input trim rotary switch is based on 1% resistor networks. Transformer-coupled analog I/O (with Jensen transformers on the input) is provided and the unit features a dynamic range of 125 dB. Post-requantization processing is supplied by Waves’ IDR (Increased Digital Resolution) dither system, which includes 9th order noise shaping to minimize audible noise while dithering to 16- or 24-bit output. The unit features a backlit panel and precision metering.

Waves MaxxBCL is now available with a U.S. MSRP of $3200.

Waves Ltd

“We’re challenging the status quo by offering more products, better samples, and far more control over the sound than our competitors — all with the pristine sonic quality for which Waves is known,” commented Waves CEO Gilad Keren.

Waves first entered the convolution reverb market with the IR-1, the only sampling reverb to offer traditional reverb controls that affect the impulse response sample itself rather than just filtering the resulting sound. This approach retains the sample’s signature sound but allows much more flexible use than with conventional convolution reverbs. IR-360 is now the first surround sound convolution reverb to offer this control, and both IR-360 and IR-1 Version 2 now include newly added controls for even greater customization.

The setting of each environmental parameter can generally be varied from 0.25 to 4 times its natural value. For example, the user can vary the RT60 (reverberation time) of an actual sampled space, and change the size of that space. There are options to shape the decay envelope to suit the application, change the reverb density, analyze the frequency response and derive the room nodes, use de-correlation to optimize the stereophonic character of the reverb, and add gain and pre-delay to each portion of the reverb curve, among other controls. Exclusive filtering techniques enable the damping to be precisely controlled, while a 4-band parametric EQ allows tone adjustment of the reverberation.

A new feature now lets IR-360 and IR-1 Version 2 users capture the sound of acoustic spaces and hardware devices by playing an included sweep signal into an acoustic space or through an outboard processor and recording the result. The software then lets users import the recording to create a custom impulse response that’s ready to use.

Samples of actual environments in the newly expanded library employ a unique combination of microphone array, including ORTF, and Soundfield microphones mounted on a computer-controlled turntable, for accuracy and realism. Venues included well-known spaces such as the Sydney Opera House, Rome’s Santa Cecilia Concert Hall, Manhattan’s Birdland jazz club, and many more. Each was sampled from multiple locations, at 96 kHz and 32-bit floating point for maximum resolution, dynamic range, and SNR.

The IR-360

IR-360, initially available only in HTDM format, offers surround sound capabilities by adding extra modules to IR-1, so that authorization of a system for IR-360 also allows operation of IR-1 alone. Configurations available include mono and stereo to 5-channel Discrete Surround (doing 4 or 5 convolutions); mono to 5-channel Sound Field (3 convolutions); efficient stereo to 5-channel Sound Field (3 convolutions); and full stereo to 5-channel Sound Field (6 convolutions).

In addition, two surround-to-surround options — Sound Field Surround to Surround (6 convolutions) and Efficient Discrete Surround to Surround (4 convolutions) employ mixdown techniques to deliver the maximum practical benefit and efficiency. Both components offer 5 to 5 and 5.1 to 5.1 with LFE passed to the output without additional processing.

The IR-1 Version 2

IR-1 has been upgraded to Version 2, with both HTDM and Native versions. Among other new features, Version 2 offers a Convolution Start Control, allowing users to trim the beginning of a sample to eliminate unwanted predelay; an ER (Early Reflections) Buildup Control for adjusting the buildup slope of early reflections to control the attack sound of the transients; and a Dry Gain Mode that offers adjustment of the wet and dry signal gains separately instead of mixing between them as with the traditional dry/wet control.

The IR-L

The entry level plug-in is IR-L, which uses the same convolution engine and samples but with a more basic feature set. It can be upgraded to either the IR-1 or IR-360. IR-L is available in two versions: Native and HTDM. Controls include Reverb Time with a ratio of 1:0.25; Convolution Start/Length controls; Direct in/out; Global pre-delay to all IR components; Latency display and Dry delay; Dry/wet control; Crosstalk; Output; and graphical display of IR properties.

In addition to the new releases, Waves is debuting a set of IR libraries on DVD, with improved sound and additional miking options as well as surround versions for most sampled venues. A new library preset handling system will organize presets dynamically by scanning the preset folder and developing menu contents based on its findings. Existing and old IR libraries will be supported.

www.Acoustics.net

In conjunction with the product line expansion, Waves unveiled a new web site, http://www.Acoustics.net, which will enable users to upload, download and exchange IRs they have created along with providing access to papers and other information on the technology behind the system. The site will act as a repository for the captured impulse responses of historic and important acoustic environments, preserving them for posterity as originally proposed by the late Michael Gerzon at an AES forum almost 30 years ago (several Waves products and technologies employ research by Michael Gerzon, such as Ambisonics). In addition, Professor Angelo Farina of the University of Parma, Italy, has been deeply involved in this technology, contributing his vast experience in sampling acoustics to the IR development team.

Waves Ltd.

The L3 Peak Limiter begins by using a linear-phase crossover with user-definable frequencies to divide the audio into five bands without phase distortion between bands. The signal then enters the patent-pending Peak Limiter Mixer employing psychoacoustics to maximize headroom use, intelligently determining how much attenuation to apply in each band. The result is maximum loudness and minimum intermodulation, without losing brick-wall limiting — all controlled with a simple master threshold parameter.

In addition, the PLMixer automatically controls the gain relationship between the bands, eliminating the need for an overall wideband limiter to catch overshoots. A unique Priority Control allows control of the relative amount of limiting in each band, providing extensive adjustment of the tonal character of the L3, while also producing classic brick-wall limiting. Each band can also be boosted or attenuated by up to 12 dB in addition to limiting, functioning effectively as a linear phase equalizer placed in front of the limiter. This feature makes the L3 an ideal mastering finalizer.

Additional functionality enables the L3 to take on a different character according to the application, including the emulation of classic limiters. The Separation control adjusts the relative independence of each band to change tone, while the Master Release alters the L3’s ARC (Adaptive Release Control), offering the tonal options of Warm, Scaled, Aggressive and Manual. The L3’s feature-rich set is completed by Waves critically acclaimed dither and noise shaping capabilities, providing the highest perceived sound quality after quantization and multiple DSP operations.

Two versions of the L3 are available: the Multimaximizer provides full functionality, while the Ultramaximizer uses the same PLMixer technology along with a more basic feature set.

Both versions of the L3 are available together for $1200 for TDM or $600 for Native (MSRP). However, registered Diamond Bundle users currently covered by the Waves Update Plan (WUP) will receive both Ultramaximizer and Multimaximizer free of charge, while registered Platinum Bundle users who are covered by WUP will receive the L3 Ultramaximizer at no charge.

System Requirements

• On the Macintosh, the L3 requires a G4 running at 867 MHz, 512MB RAM and 800 x 600 display resolution, or better;
• On Windows XP or 2000, a 1GHz P3 or Athlon XP or better is required with 512MB RAM and 600 x 800 display.

TDM and RTAS are supported on both platforms, as well as Audio Units, VST and MAS on the Mac and DirectX and VST on Windows. Full compatibility lists and system requirements, along with more detailed descriptions of the L3 are available from http://www.waves.com.

• Tempo Sync – Four plug-ins have been upgraded with a new feature of automatic tempo sync. The plug-ins are: Enigma, MetaFlanger, MondoMod and SuperTap. The new functionality enables those plug-ins to lock to the host application’s tempo and tie the relevant controls to that externally controlled tempo. For more support information click here.
• Morphoder MIDI Control – Morphoder, part of the Transform bundle, now becomes a true virtual instrument. In all supported host applications you will be able to assign a MIDI track output to an open instance of the Morphoder and play its internal carrier from a MIDI track using recorded MIDI data or live playback from a MIDI controller.
• Waves 360° Bundle for Windows – The Waves 360° Surround Tools Bundle is now available for ProTools TDM running on Windows.
• Waves 360° Bundle – Native – On both Mac & PC TDM systems, the Waves 360° Bundle now supports Native processing, running as RTAS & HTDM.
• HTDM Support – All Waves TDM plug-ins now support Digidesign’s HTDM architecture, enabling Native processing while maintaining important TDM functionalities such as changing a track’s number of outputs (mono ->stereo, mono/stereo ->surround), inserting a plug-in on Aux and/or Master tracks and more.
  Note! – ProTools TDM 6.4cs4 update is required for HTDM support http://www.digidesign.com/download/cs/
• HD Accel Support for Windows – Digidesign’s new HD Accel hardware is now supported for Windows.
• 96kHz Support On HD Accel – Several plug-ins are now supported at 96kHz sample rate on Digidesign’s new HD Accel DSP cards.
• The enhanced plug-ins are: C4, SuperTap*, Morphoder, LinMB, LinEQ (Broadband Mono component only). * SuperTap is now also supported up to 192khz in Native process.
• Digi 002 and Command/8 Control Surface support – All Waves plug-ins are now officially mapped to Digidesign’s Digi 002 and Command|8 control surfaces.
• Automatic Delay Compensation support for Pro Tools – All Waves plug-ins are adapted to support the new Automatic Delay Compensation feature in ProTools 6.4