20 Best Waves VST Plugins (2025 UPDATE)

20 Best Waves Plugins For Mixing, Mastering, Producing, Metering & Audio Restoration | integraudio.com

Let’s discuss the 20 best picks from Waves Audio workshop. We also listed one sweet freebie at the end as well!

Waves Audio is one of the most relevant plugin manufacturers in the industry. Their plugins are pretty much a standard for audio engineers and artists all over the globe. Yet, they actively keep improving their techniques and technology to develop tools that can solve any engineer’s everyday problem.

You will find it all sorts of plugins like reverb, saturation, autotune, noise reduction, delay, harmonizer, sampler, EQs and some more! Let’s dive into it.

So in a nutshell, here is the list:

1. Waves SSL EV2 Channel 

2. Waves CR8 Creative Sampler 

3. Waves Harmony

4. Waves CLA Epic 

5. Waves Clarity Vx Pro

6. Waves Abbey Road Saturator

7. Waves BB Tubes

8. Waves Abbey Road RS124 Compressor

9. Waves Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain

10. Waves Nx Germano Studios New York

11. Waves Tune Real-Time

12. Waves Ovox

13. Waves Retro Fi 

14. Waves J37 Tape

15. Waves WLM Plus Loudness Meter

16. Waves F6 Dynamic EQ 

17. Waves Brauer Motion

18. Waves Aural Exciter 

19. Waves Abbey Road Reverb Plates 

20. Waves C6 MultiBand Compressor 

Now let’s dive into more details!

The 20 Best Waves Plugins For Mixing, Mastering & Producing

1. Waves SSL EV2 Channel 

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The SSL EV2 Channel emulates the sound and channel strip of the SSL4000, a classic studio mixing console from the ‘70s.

This plugin is a notorious improvement of the earlier SSL GChannel, released in the early 2010s, and had limited modeling of this famous console.

This plugin portends to be an all-in-one channel strip solution for mixing situations. It includes several signal path possibilities, a preamp, two console EQ emulations, stereo enhancing capabilities, etc. Let’s see more about that in our key features section.

Key Features:

  • Four-in-one solution
  • Modern and analog distortion   
  • EQ types
  • Many Presets
  • Signal paths

Compatibility:

SSL EV2 Channel is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

The SSL EV2 does a terrific job of recreating the sound of the SSL4000. It’s practical to use, and you can find ideal settings in the least amount of time by only moving some knobs here and there. On the other hand, it’s a particularly heavy plugin, so it requires a lot of effort from your CPU on the downside.

2. Waves CR8 Creative Sampler

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The CR8 Creative sampler lets you add any sound, modify it to taste, and turn it into a fast and easy MIDI instrument.

It gives you several parameters that you can use to shape the sound of your sample, modify the envelope, and even gives you editing tools.

This plugin is a gigantic sampler that portends to transform any sound into a fully functional and playable instrument, layer several samples into the same instrument, and mix them within the one instance of the plugin.

Waves CR8 Creative Sampler - 20 Best Waves Plugins For Mixing, Mastering, Producing, Metering & Audio Restoration | integraudio.com

Key Features:

  • Root Button
  • Filters and modulation
  • Sample several layers
  • Different algorithms
  • Mixer

Compatibility:

The CR8 Creative Sampler is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

You can create a unique soundscape with intricate instrument synthesis and several layers.

3. Waves Harmony

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Vocal Harmony is an engine with eight separate voices

This useful voice harmony generator has a simple and beautiful UI with clear controls that are entertaining to experiment with in the recording studio or on stage.

Now let’s talk about what it does for you:

Key Features:

  • Eight voices
  • Pitch correction
  • Harmony Generator
  • Formant shift
  • Built-in effects
  • MIDI controlled

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for macOS 10.15.7, 11.6.5, and 12.4 (64-bit only) and Windows 10 or higher (64-bit only). It runs in VST, VST3, AAX, and AU plugin formats.

Note:

Unfortunately, due to the high-processing nature of the effect, Vocal Harmony can have a substantial impact on CPU utilization, even when it’s a quite good plugin.

4. Waves CLA Epic 

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The name of this plugin comes from the legendary engineer Chris Lord-Alge (U2, Bruce Springsteen, Joe Cocker).

We all know who he is and how his spacious mixes sound. The CLA plugin aims to capture the spacious feel by emulating the reverbs and delays the mix engineer uses, based on his favorite studio gear.

The result is a plugin with Chris Lord-Alge’s go-to delay and reverb settings, which he uses in various combinations in each of his mixes.

Likewise, you can combine all the available four delays and reverbs in one instance of this plugin to get the renowned sound of the mix engineer. Let’s have a closer look at the plugin’s various features to get more familiar with it.

Key Features:

  • Four Delay Types
  • Four Reverb Types
  • Modulation
  • Blend

The faders at the bottom of the interface let you control the amount of each type of delay and reverb in your track. Similarly, you can also send the output of each delay to a specific reverb, which then goes out to the output.

This routing is called serial routing. However, by clicking on OUT in the routing section of the delay modules, you can create parallel routing as well. Next to the OUT button, the small value box controls how much of the delay is being sent to the main output and the rest to the reverb selected above.

Compatibility:

CLA Epic is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

If you are a fan of classic rock and roll sounds with epic spaces, you will love what this plugin has to offer. This plugin is described as a “super-suite” of reverbs and delays designed with Chris Lord-Alge, and we must agree. It features four kinds of reverbs and delays, each with its own set of controls, blend, and route mode.

5. Waves Clarity Vx Pro

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With this noise reduction plugin, you can get rid of the most complicated noises with the least amount of artifacts.

Clarity VX Pro is Waves Audio’s latest and most advanced noise reduction plugin that automatically cleans up vocals with the best quality and the least artifacts. This plugin uses neural networks to attenuate background noise and keep your primary signal intact.

Clarity VX Pro includes a smaller version, Clarity VX, which is more automatic and lighter on your CPU usage. This plugin is very adaptable to different situations and noises and can achieve extreme amounts of reduction seamlessly.

Key Features:

  • Multiband noise reduction
  • Neural Networks
  • Ambiance keeping
  • Fast results
  • Clarity VX

Compatibility:

Clarity VX Pro is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats

Note:

Great tool for podcasters, film editors, and video editors. These are fast-paced environments where you’d likely need to clean up recordings on a regular basis.

6. Waves Abbey Road Saturator

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The Abbey Road Saturator plugin is a saturator with a crossover that models tube and solid state distortion.

Waves made this plugin by recreating Abbey Road’s saturation chain. With the AR Saturator, you have control over its tone, distortion type, and behavior, being able to split the frequency spectrum and determine what frequencies you want to distort.

The Abbey Road Saturator is a solution to dull instruments and vocals, and its tonal flexibility lets you get even better results in a blink of an eye. Regardless of what you use it on, AR Saturator can take you to the correct settings in less than a minute with its simple graphic interface and layout, making it self-explaining and intuitive.

Key Features:

  • Mid/side-focused processing
  • Compander section
  • Saturation section
  • Tonal control
  • Flexibility

Compatibility:

Abbey Road Saturator is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

It’s versatile, and practical because of its crossover and tonal controls. It delivers great quality and can bring to life almost anything that might come your way. It’s not as heavy as other Abbey Road plugins, which allows anyone to use it regardless of your computer specs.

7. Waves BB Tubes

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Waves BB Tubes is a plugin designed to emulate the sound of tube amplifiers known for their warm, rich tone.

The plugin can add character and warmth to various audio sources, including guitar, bass, and vocals, and can create a sense of space and depth in a mix due to the harmonics it adds. It has controls like Beauty and Beast, pre and post-saturation, sensitivity, a dry/wet mix knob, a transformer, and more.

Key Features:

  • Presets
  • Modes
  • Flexibility
  • Transformer switch

Compatibility:

The plugin is available in VST, AU, and AAX formats, making it compatible with various digital audio workstations (DAWs) and operating systems, such as Windows and Mac.

Note:

Whether you’re looking to add warmth to a guitar recording or add depth and richness to a vocal, this plugin would be a great choice!

8. Waves Abbey Road RS124 Compressor

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This compressor can make your tracks sound better by just loading it!

The RS124 is a classic custom-made compressor from Abbey Road Studios that was created when they were modifying the components of the Altec 436B as an attempt to replicate the American sound. This plugin is meant for use on individual tracks in a mix but sounds pretty good on full mixes.

It’s also super simple and makes an solution to bring excitement to any track or bus.

Key Features:

  • Sidechain high-pass filter
  • Super fuse switch
  • Auto-hold
  • Cutter and studio modes
  • It just sounds good

Compatibility:

Abbey Road RS124 Compressor is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

The Abbey Road RS124 Compressor honors an impeccable classic by carefully recreating the reaction of the original unit. This is not the kind of compressor to use for subtleties, although it can be pretty subtle on its own, it’s better to use it for its color and particular sound to get the best out of it.

9. Waves Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain

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This plugin is an emulation of a well-known console employed in every Abbey Road Studios’ mastering process from the early 70s and even today.

The name TG Mastering Chain comes from the EMI TG12410 Transfer Console it emulates. You can use it in any stage of music production to give it the console’s transistor-based sound. There are five stages in the plugin the audio passes through. Let’s talk about them in brief.

The screenshot below shows the five modules: an input module, a tone control, a limiter, a filter, and an output module. The tone module is a four-band EQ with five pre-selected frequencies and filter shapes. Similarly, the limiter has three options for its dynamic processing, ranging from soft compression to hard limiting.

Furthermore, like all Waves products, it comes in four components: mono/stereo live and non-live. The live components are latency-free, whereas the non-live components have linear-phase and oversampling.

Key Features:

  • Customizable
  • Mastering Grade Filters
  • Stereo Processing
  • Analog Elements

Compatibility:

Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

The sound is distinct and familiar to anyone who’s listened to albums like the renowned Dark Side of the Moon. The plugin also comes with a separate metering plugin, which “communicates” with the main plugin on any track, displaying in/out peaks and gain reduction.

10. Waves Nx Germano Studios New York

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With this plugin, you’ll have a high-level studio monitoring room inside of your headphones.

NX Germano Studios New York is a solution for the stereo field perception issue that arises when mixing with headphones.

The thing is that when you work with headphones, because the source is so close to your ears, it affects your perception of the stereo field, and that’s why most headphone mixes don’t have the depth and dimension that monitor mixes have.

Because of this big problem with our perception, Waves recreated a room from the so-called “hit factory” to improve your monitoring and make better decisions when mixing and mastering. Let’s see how it solves this problem.

Waves Nx Germano Studios New York - 20 Best Waves Plugins For Mixing, Mastering, Producing, Metering & Audio Restoration | integraudio.com

Key Features:

  • Three sets of monitors
  • Headphone EQ
  • Manual head modeling 
  • Head tracking
  • Ambiance control

Compatibility:

NX Germano Studios New York is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

NX Germano Studios New York does a great job emulating an ideally treated mixing room and giving you a solid perception of what you’re hearing. As a result, this is an solid plugin for mixing and mastering your tracks. It has three sets of monitors and a headphone EQ.

On the downside, it’s not for you if you have a low-end computer because it’s cumbersome on your CPU.

11. Waves Tune Real-Time

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Tune Real-Time aims to sound neutral and natural, provided you dial in the proper settings.

The first step in this plugin is to select the right scale notes using the global settings at the bottom of the interface or using the buttons above the keyboard. Next, choose the range of your voice, which helps the software hear your voice better.

Finally, make adjustments to the upper section of the interface by selecting how fast or aggressively you want the correction to happen and so on.

Key Features:

  • Formant Correction
  • Correction Customization
  • Natural Vibrato

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

Tune Real-Time is an autotune plugin that aims to keep the voice sounding natural using pitch glide and intelligent vibrato handling.

Of course, it will not make your singer reach the prowess of Frank Sinatra, with flawless vibrato and ultimate control, but Tune Real-Time will keep the voice in pitch and perfectly usable.

12. Waves Ovox

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Ovox is Waves’ voice processor and synth engine, capable of reproducing esteemed classics and intricate modern sounds.

As with traditional vocoders, Ovox uses a modulator signal to modulate another sound. In this case, the modulator is, of course, a human voice. However, it doesn’t stop there – Ovox uses multiple engines, built-in synths, pitch correction, doubling, auto harmonization, and even chord building to open a whole new world of vocal processing.

In addition, Ovox has many tone controls and filters to create highly effective results. For instance, mixing sibilance along with the carrier output results in a much more natural-sounding effect. And finally, you can further shape your sound by adding effects and modulators at the bottom of the interface.

Key Features:

  • An Instrument
  • Auto Note Mapping
  • Modulators
  • Effects

It has seven built-in effects: AutoPan, Chorus, Compressor, Delay, Distortion, and Reverb. They are built to be simplistic and offer only two controls other than a mix knob. You can insert up to five effects in an instance of the plugin in any order. There are also several “flavors” in each effect like hall, plate, room, etc., variety for the reverb.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

It features several modulators, effects, dual engines, and midi out, making it an immensely versatile tool. From creating Daft Punk-inspired vocals to controlling a virtual instrument using your voice, just about anything is possible in this plugin.

13. Waves Retro Fi

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Retro Fi brings to the table a complete recollection of analog sounds, noises, distortions, and effects.

This plugin presents itself as the ultimate analog device with over 60 different noises and textures, over 200 artist presets, an era-specific styler, and a perfectly easy-to-follow signal chain, making for an impressive creative tool to achieve this type of sound.

Key Features:

  • Device Section
  • Space section
  • Noise section
  • Filters

You get High-pass and Low-pass filters with a broad frequency range. For example, the HP filter goes from 30 Hz to 1.5 kHz. The LPF, on the other hand, starts at 20 kHz and goes back to 1500 Hz.

  • Good looking and easy

Retro Fi’s graphic interface is straightforward to use and follow. It guides you from the beginning letting you know what each control sounds like with very descriptive labels, not to mention it looks pretty cool.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

One stand out feature of this plugin is its smart noise generator because it adapts itself to the signal instead of sounding like a loop.

14. Waves J37 Tape

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If you are after tape sound for your mix, give J37 a try.

The J37 portends to be a precise model of the original piece of gear into which several legendary albums were recorded and printed. With this tape saturator, you’ll be able to color your mixes, tracks, or groups with tape saturation and add exciting and distinctive delay effects.

This is one of the many tape machine plugins out there. If you want to know more about tape machine plugins, how to use them, and what’s available, click here to see the list.

Key Features:

  • Tape types
  • Delay section
  • Modeled tracks
  • Wow and Flutter

You can set the rate and depth of both wow and flutter effects, which are small pitch (wow) and amplitude (flutter) variations that occurred with tape machines. This can help you create excitement on a track by adding a subtle bounce effect or some fascinating character with a subtle flange.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

J37 Tape Saturator is terrific to add warmth and color to your tracks and mixes. Differently from other tape saturation models and even from Waves’ catalog, this is also an plugin to get creative and achieve interesting and unique textures.

15. Waves WLM Plus Loudness Meter

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Are you in need of all in one metering plugin? Check this one out.

WLM Plus solves the problem of measuring and adapting loudness levels for different platforms. WLM Plus is an all-in-one solution for measuring, metering, and correcting loudness for all different platforms. It has a level warning feature, extended short-term, long-term, and peak readings, and is fully compliant with all EBU, ITU, and ATSC specs.

Waves developed this plugin to make it easier for content creators and post-production houses to match the specifications for final audio deliverables in films, TV, games, and broadcast quickly, efficiently, and accurately.

Key Features:

  • True peak limiter
  • Automation warning
  • Unders/overs display
  • Smart trim
  • Up to the standards

The WLM Plus meter is fully compliant with the current ITU, EBU, and ATSC standards for broadcast, games, films, and movie trailers and gives you precise and comprehensive monitoring of each parameter within these standards. 

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

WLM Plus is an nice solution to loudness metering because it’s convenient, easy to use, and has a bunch of presets to help you get started.

In addition, its True Peak limiter is crystal-clean, which is a great feature of this plugin since it’s entirely transparent and doesn’t over-compress your signal or alter the sound of your mix.

16. Waves F6 Dynamic EQ

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F6 by Waves is designed to be as intuitive as modern EQs can go.

You can use the graphical view to position your frequency band and adjust the threshold and range to control (or compress) the frequency. As with any parametric EQ, you can also define how precise or broad the shape of your filter is. Furthermore, the frequency spectrum in the background is handy for identifying problematic areas.

Key Features:

  • Six Bands
  • Filters

Other than the bands, there are two filters in the plugin: a high-pass and a low-pass. As with the bands, you can enable or disable each filter as you need. The high-pass filter can be set from 16 Hz to 1 kHz, whereas the low-pass can be set from 1 kHz to 20 kHz. The slope of both the filters ranges from 6 to 24 dB per octave.

  • Stereo Processing
  • External Sidechain

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

Instead of treating a frequency one time and leaving it there for the entire track, dynamic EQs only engage when a certain threshold is reached. Waves F6 is a fabulous instance of such a plugin capable of performing even the most precise manipulation.

Combine that with its modern interface with a frequency spectrum, and you have a winner.

17. Waves Brauer Motion 

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Designed with mix engineer Michael Brauer, this plugin adds depth and movement to your mix.

Brauer Motion is an auto-panner that moves an audio signal in 2D and 3D space using several complex processors under the hood.

It comes with two panners in the stereo component (one panner in the mono component). You can control various settings per panner to give your sound unique movement styles, including rhythmic, swirly, and step patterns.

Key Features:

  • Trigger Mechanisms

There are six modes of how the auto-panner behaves after being triggered:

Off mode doesn’t use any trigger mechanism. It moves the signal continuously.

Simple mode uses a threshold to start the panner and doesn’t stop until you stop it using the stop button.

One Shot mode also uses a threshold to start the panner, but it stops by itself once the path is completed. If the threshold is still breached, it makes repeats the cycle until the threshold is not exceeded.

Re-trigger mode uses the threshold to start and stop, which can be used for rhythmic effects.

S-Trig Reverse mode starts movement when the threshold is passed and reverses back to the start point when the audio isn’t over the threshold.

A to B mode positions the audio at the A position first, and when the threshold is breached, the signal jump to B. This process goes back and forth.

  • Ultimate Movements

For even more complex results, you can use the mechanisms listed above with an external side-chain input as well. You can also sync the panning to your tempo, let it run free, or even pan the audio in a stationary position. Furthermore, you can select the shape in which the signal moves, including sine, triangle, sawtooth, and square shapes.

  • Motion Filter
  • Dynamics Controls

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

It makes great stereo motion with multiple complex modulations, filtration, and so on.

18. Waves Aphex Aural Exciter

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Aphex adds something to your mix that no EQ in the world will never do. Actually, that’s what Exciters do for us right?

It adds sheen and clarity to audio by adding controlled distortion to the high-frequency content. Similarly, it also adds the original hardware character thanks to the emulated tube-based signal chain.

It’s generally a good idea to add a smaller amount of excitement on multiple tracks so the high-frequency content can add up without sounding exhausting.

The interface of this plugin features the standard parameters you’d expect from an exciter, but Waves also provides a Mode knob, which controls how the signal chain flows in a virtual console. If you wish to learn more about this plugin or find more exciters, have a look at this list.

Key Features:

  • Authentic Sound

The most significant advantage this plugin has is the detailed work in capturing the Aphex sound. Waves have emulated each stage of the plugin in various configurations to ensure complete reproduction of the original sound. The result is a fully authentic sound reminiscent of many famous artists like James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt.

  • Extensive Modeling

The plugin lets you select various configuration methods possible to achieve the abovementioned level of authenticity. Since the plugin is a tube-based exciter, each configuration presents a different character. So, we suggest trying each Mode and listening for the subtle difference they bring before settling on the one you like.

  • Noise Section

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

This plugin is from the most effective plugins you will find. Let me explain – you need to color your sound to add life to it, and this plugin does it. You can be complete beginner and just with few tweaks add color to your tracks, buses and yes mastering also.

In fact, it’s probably the most used plugin on mastering I would say. You add it on master, listen to it few times with Aphex, and you just keep it there, because it never exaggerate the sound in some unnatural way as you can easily hear with EQs.

It has all the functionalities you’d expect and even more because of the various variations of the signal chain. Similarly, keeping the analog noise optional and adjustable gives this plugin authenticity and usability in modern, digital music.

19. Waves Abbey Road Reverb Plates

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You can make unique reverb for your tracks with this plugin.

Waves modeled all of the four plate chambers from Abbey Road Studios, which have been used on the most iconic albums in music since 1957. These plate chambers were initially installed to complement the fixed reverberation times of the studio’s echo chambers.

With this plugin, you will have the ability to use Abbey Road’s legendary plate reverbs and control the amount, distortion, damping, and tone of the plate. Abbey Road Reverb Plates is a tremendously powerful analog reverb, perfectly suitable for a massive-sounding drum room or a heavenly vocal part.

Key Features:

  • Four plates
  • Reverb EQ
  • Distortion
  • Straightforward interface

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

Abbey Road Reverb Plates is a analog reverb plugin that recreates some of the most iconic plate reverb chambers and brings them right into your tracks.

20. Waves C6 MultiBand Compressor

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Based on one of their most commonly used classic plugins, C4, this plugin adds to the legacy and presents fresh innovation to the multi-band plugins.

The Waves C6 is a multi-band compressor fit for any usage, from broad sonic shaping to surgical editing. Similarly, it also works well as a live de-esser because of its low latency performance. There are four traditional bands and two dynamic EQ-style bands called “floating bands.” Each band can be set to function as a compressor or an expander.

Key Features:

  • Bands Linking
  • Floating Bands
  • Side-Chain

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.13.6 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, AAX, and RTAS formats.

Note:

Even if you already have a multi-band compressor, the C6’s unique dynamic EQ-styled floating bands alongside the four regular bands make this plugin versatile.

Furthermore, we also laud the inclusion of multiple components/versions for providing side-chaining features per band. Overall, it feels like there isn’t a use case where this plugin wouldn’t benefit.

Best Free Waves Plugin 

Waves StudioRack

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StudioRack, Waves’ plugin chainer, benefits die-hard Waves enthusiasts because it can host plugins from other manufacturers.

StudioRack is a plugin utility originally launched in 2014 by Waves and recently upgraded to allow users to create chains of plugins. The goal is to view them as a unified whole rather than a collection of unrelated plugins.

A processing chain for the vocals or the percussion bus is required. Alternatively, you may build a multi-effects rack to simultaneously process delay, reverb, and pitch shifting. StudioRack is perfect for projects like these.

Key Features:

  • Interface
  • Parallel Processing

Multiband channels can be separated using the plugin, supporting as many as five separate frequency bands per instance. It’s now possible to make your multiband plugins with this method.

In addition, you can use the bands to apply different plugins, such as a distortion effect to the highs and a saturation effect to the midrange. You can fine-tune the crossover point by adjusting the frequency difference between the channels, though there is no graphical representation of this information.

In the same way, you may adjust the volume and stereo balance independently for each.

  • Macros
  • More Processing Power

You can use as many plugins as you like while mixing intensive sessions without worrying about crashing your computer. StudioRack facilitates the migration of plugin processing from a local PC to a high-powered SoundGrid DSP server whenever you’re ready to switch.

You can offload all of the plugins in a given StudioRack channel’s chain with a single mouse click. StudioRack can be used with only your computer or with DSP offload via SoundGrid, depending on your needs and preferences. Find out how to use StudioRack in a SoundGrid environment.

Compatibility:

The OS requirements for this plugin are Windows 7 or higher for PC and macOS 10.9 or higher for Mac. It comes in VST/RTAS/AU/AAX formats and supports 32 and 64 bit systems.

Note:

If you use many digital audio workstations, SudioRack is a good tool for coming up with chain mix ideas that you can easily transfer between them. The plugin’s multi-band capabilities make it even more potent, and its stereo imaging functionality, which works even without loaded plugins, helps the system conserve resources. Thanks to Waves for providing StudioRack at no cost to the public.

Bonus:

Waves Lil Tube

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The Waves Lil Tube plugin is an audio plugin that emulates the sound of a tube amplifier.

It can be used to add warmth and character to audio recordings, such as guitar or vocals. The plugin features a simple user interface and allows you to adjust the amount of “tube drive” and other parameters to achieve the desired sound. It is compatible with most digital audio workstations (DAWs) and can be used in various production and mixing scenarios.

Key Features:

  • Output Level

This parameter allows you to adjust the overall output level of the plugin, which can be useful for matching the level of the processed audio with the unprocessed audio. You can set it between -18 and +18 decibels.

  • Tube Drive Control
  • Mix
  • Sensitivity switch

The plugin has a three-way sensitivity switch, also known as a Drive switch, which controls how the plugin responds to the input signal. The sensitivity switch allows you to adjust the amount of “tube saturation” or distortion applied to the audio, depending on the level of your input signal. You can set it between Soft, Normal, and High.

Compatibility:

The Waves Lil Tube plugin is compatible with most digital audio workstations (DAWs) and can be used on various production setups. It is available in various formats, such as VST, VST3, AU, AAX Native, and SoundGrid.

Note:

The user-friendly interface with easy-to-use controls and high-quality sound processing algorithms that accurately emulate the sound of a tube amplifier make this plugin a versatile and easy-to-use tool for adding warmth and character to audio recordings. It can be used on a wide range of audio sources, such as vocals, guitars, drums, and more.

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