CMJ 25-4 Reviews: Waves Gold 3

Waves, 306 West Depot Avenue, Suite 100, Knoxville, Tennessee 37917, USA; telephone (+1) 865-546-6115; fax (+1) 865-546-8445; electronic mail sales@waves.com; World Wide Web www.waves.com

Reviewed by Juniana Grimm, Lon Schnittgrund, James Harley
Moorhead, Minnesota, USA

Waves has long been a leader in developing signal processors (commonly called plug-ins) for audio editing software. The company has also made excursions into hardware, including the L1 Limiter, which enables the processing to be offloaded from the computer’s CPU. Over the years, Waves has developed an impressive collection of plug-ins, and upgraded versions of most of them are included in the new Version 3.0 Gold Native Bundle (there is another bundle for Digidesign TDM systems).

The new package features resolutions up to 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz sampling rates, with internal processing running at 32 bits. As the “Native” part of the name suggests, these plug-ins do not require any additional hardware to operate. One should be warned, however, that the suggested computer requirements are a minimum; the stronger the horsepower and the greater the RAM, the better the processors will run. Waves “strongly recommends” using a Macintosh G3 or G4 (with at least the L2 backside cache), with 96 MB RAM for multitrack operation. On the PC side, a Pentium 266 MHz with 96 MB RAM is recommended. The plug-ins are compatible with AudioSuite and Realtime AudioSuite (RTAS) programs (Pro Tools), VST (Cubase, etc.), MAS (Digital Performer), and DirectX (for Windows).

Waves Gold includes various equalizers, limiters, and compressors, often packaged together to form composite plug-ins. New to the set is the C4 Multiband Parametric Processor, “with 4-band up and down expansion, limiting, compression, plus dynamic and standard EQ.” The bundle also includes plug-ins for reverberation, including the new Renaissance Reverb, along with “effects”-type processors such as Enigma (a type of phaser), MetaFlanger, SuperTap (delay), Doppler, and MaxxBass. Waves has also added the S1 Stereo Imager, the L1 Ultramaximizer (for dithering), and the PAZ Psychoacoustic Analyzer. Space prevents us from discussing every one of these tools, but a selection of them will be reported on in more detail.

Waves Gold comes with a substantial set of printed manuals. While there are redundancies—the installation instructions and description of the general interface are duplicated for each of the five booklets, for example—the information is often very useful. There are discussions of basic concepts (the different components of reverberation, for example) and specific pointers on using the parameters within each plug-in to achieve certain effects.

The plug-ins are not “dumbed down” for instant use by audio enthusiasts with no knowledge of music or engineering. The Renaissance Reverb, for example, includes settings for Reverb Type, Decorrelation (between channels), Reverb Properties Control (Predelay, Time, Size, Diffusion, Decay), Reverb Levels Controls (Early Reflections, Reverb, Wet/Dry, Gain), Damping Controls (Low Frequency, Low Frequency Ratio, High Frequency, High Frequency Ratio), EQ Controls (Low Frequency, Low Gain, High Frequency, High Gain), and Graph Displays. Whoa! Thankfully, all of the plug-ins have a healthy collection of pre-sets, which can be useful starting points for exploring the possibilities of particular processors along with the manuals. Each plug-in allows two settings to be loaded for A–B comparison, and users may easily store their own settings for later recall or duplication. The graphic interfaces that are supplied with most plug-ins also help users to orient themselves to the particular features of a plug-in (see Figure 1).

We ran the Waves Gold bundle on a 400 MHz G4 with 256 Mb RAM, operating within the environment of Pro Tools 5.1 LE. Installation is straight-forward, the new version simplifying the process by substituting call-and-response verification for awkward dongles. In order to proceed with user verification, it is necessary to register. This can be done through the Waves Web site, or by mail or telephone. In any case, the full bundle is functional as a demo for 14 days.

In Pro Tools, we found that, even with our relatively powerful workstation (or at least it used to seem powerful!), it is pretty easy to stall the CPU by applying a modest number of the more computationally intensive plug-ins (the stereo Renaissance Reverb, for example). One discovers soon enough that whenever multiple applications of the same plug-in are needed, the various tracks should be routed to a sub-master so that the processor can be applied to that track, or stereo pair, alone. One also discovers that there is a major difference between applying the plug-ins in real time and applying them to existing audio “outside time” (as AudioSuite processors).

When working with these plug-ins, it is crucial to decide how each processor needs to be applied in order to preserve the greatest processing efficiency. If you are recording direct-to-disk and you want to use a limiter to prevent the signal from peaking, for example, then you must apply the plug-in as a real-time processor. (You may also apply the plug-in on an auxiliary “send.”) Or, if you need to exert dynamic control over plug-in parameters, you would also need to draw on the real-time capability of the plug-ins. This process is straight-forward in Waves; the parameters are selected for automation, the track is put into Write Mode, and the trajectories can then be recorded. They can also be edited afterward. If, however, you want to process existing audio, or apply a non-dynamic effect (or at least unchanging effect in terms of plug-in parameters) to your soundfile, then you can do it in AudioSuite, or non-real-time, mode. (Efficiency strategies may need to be different when using Waves in other editing environments.)

As a general observation, the audio quality of the Waves plug-ins is high. The sounds are clear, and reverb “tails” and other such artifacts have very little, if any, of the “cheap” digitized sonority common to inexpensive digital signal processors. What follows are discussions of particular plug-ins.

Renaissance Reverb, TrueVerb
The Renaissance Reverb parameters have already been noted. It has also been noted that this plug-in, which works with a stereo “space” whether the source file is mono or stereo, is computationally intensive. Running a couple of these in real-time mode made our computer conk out. The sound, though, is rich and clean, and the user has a great deal of control over a whole range of controlling elements. The presets provide a good collection of “rooms” to serve as starting points for creating powerful reverberation effects that can be very natural sounding or highly contrived.

The TrueVerb plug-in is also quite sophisticated, but presents a much lighter load to the CPU. The Time Response Controls include: Dimension, Room Size, Distance, Link (links Reverb, Room, and PreDelay), Balance, Decay Time, PreDelay, and Density. The Time Response Graph gives a visual representation of these parameters, and the values can be adjusted graphically as well as numerically. The Frequency Response Controls (again available in graphic form) include: RevShelf (high-frequency shelving filter), ERAbsorb (absorption rate of early reflections), Freq (sets the “corner” of the shelving filter as well as the absorption control), and Reverb Damping (four controls for setting Low and High Frequency Damping Ratios along with the “corner” frequency settings for each). There is also an Input/Output Section, for adjusting InputGain, and toggling controls for Direct, Early Reflection, and Reverb levels.

The manual includes an in-depth tutorial for working with TrueVerb, and discusses more sophisticated applications such as combining different TrueVerb plug-ins in series. Both TrueVerb and Renaissance Reverb are high-quality processors for adding reflections and “room” to digital audio.

C4 Multiband Parametric Processor
Waves has produced a whole collection of processors that combine elements of compression, limiting, and/or equalizing. The L1 Limiter is a basic single-purpose unit, though the +L1 Ultramaximizer adds the proprietary IDR dithering and noise-shaping tools, and it does a great job of maximizing your bits (using the Ultra noise-shaping setting, in fact, enhances the high frequency components to such an extent that our files crackled mightily when played back in another editor after processing). The C1 Parametric Compander is more sophisticated in adding dynamic release functions (shorter release times for fast transients, etc.) and a gate. There is also a look-ahead filtering function which enables specific frequency regions to be selected for processing rather than the whole signal. The DeEsser plug-in duplicates what could be done with the C1, but the interface is simpler, for just concentrating on toning down high frequencies. The Q10 Paragraphic EQ units provide up to 10 bands of equalizing capability (the Q4 is a scaled-down version of the same thing), with the center frequencies, bandwidth/slope (Q), and gain able to be adjusted either graphically or using the numerical buttons. The Renaissance Equalizer and Compressor aim at “vintage” sound quality, so are different in degree rather than type.

The new addition to the bundle is the C4 Multiband Parametric Processor (see Figure 2). This plug-in provides four bands of adjustable compression/expansion, making it possible to adjust the spectral balance of the audio with a fair degree of finesse, and is obviously of great benefit as a mastering tool. The C4 runs at 48-bit double-precision resolution, automatically dithering to 24 bits at its output. Waves has tried to create phase-compensated crossovers to achieve flat frequency response at nominal levels. It is very difficult to hear any distortion at the crossover points, even when the neighboring regions are being processed quite differently. This is one more plug-in that eats up the processing power, though, so its use should be judicious.

Each band in the C4 has independent settings for Threshold, Gain, Range, Attack, and Release. In order to check your audio, you can solo or bypass particular regions, a utility we found very useful. Another valuable feature is the Master controls, so that overall thresholds, for example, can be adjusted with one control, preserving the differences between the four bands. The Master Release control enables different modes to be set, including the Auto-Release Control (ARC), which is a proprietary look-ahead algorithm for optimizing release times for different types of material (faster- or slower-decaying transients). The Behavior control switches between Opto (modeling opto-coupled compressors that use light-sensitive resistors), which has the characteristic of operating more slowly as the level returns to zero, and Electro, which is the opposite, so that the compressor responds more quickly as the level returns to zero (and which, by extension, has slower response times at higher levels). It takes some experimentation to decide which of these settings works best; the difference is noticeable, certainly. The Knee Control affects the “edges” of the compression/EQ bands. Finally, the Output Control enables the audio to be boosted overall, if that is what is desired, or reined in. If you are wanting to boost the low end, for example, the overall output may need to be brought down slightly to compensate. You can always run the output through the +L1 Maximizer to make sure the sound is at its maximal level.

Doppler
The Doppler plug-in is ideal for creating moving distance effects for almost any desired audio application. In my experience with it, I found it useful both for obtaining a true Doppler effect and simply for creating spatial panning/distance effects. The controls are pleasantly straight-forward and easy to work with (see Figure 3). I didn't need to read the manual to get started, though when I finally did, it was also pleasantly straight-forward and helpful. Clearly displayed are variables for Start-time and End-time, allowing for proper temporal scaling to the audio segment, along with Curve, Center-time, and Pitch to more finely adjust the "path" of the sound. This trajectory may also be adjusted visually by simply clicking and dragging the start, end, and center points on the sound-field graph.

Fine tuning is done by adjusting the Gain, Pan, Pitch, Air Damp, and Reverb (including Time and Brightness controls) settings. These allow the user to control the overall volume of the audio segment, the amount of change in the left/right audio field (as well as the direction it flows), the amount of high end that is lost to "distance," and how far away the sound travels. I found that even the slightest adjustment of these controls can create very subtle, but extremely effective coloration that would add energy to any mix. With different combinations of these variables, it is possible to create anything from a voice slowly coming straight toward you in a cold room to a train whizzing by three feet away at 80 mph on a hot day! And with the wide array of presets that come with the plug-in, new effects may be created with a few clicks of the mouse.

PAZ Psychoacoustic Analyzer
The Psychoacoustic Analyzer is a useful tool once you have started mixing down or mastering your project. It can be used to get a good look at the overall picture of the audio. The Stereo Position Display (SPD) indicates the stereo energy in the mix, showing a finer detail than would be apparent from your ears alone (see Figure 4). This feature may aid in creating a good stereo balance. The Frequency Window provides a real-time display of the frequency content of the audio. The default setting of 52 bands, from 40 Hz, emulates the perceptual characteristics of the human ear. It can be set to go as low as 10 Hz, and can reflect A-, B-, or C-weighted hearing curves (it will track peak or RMS values).

Although the Analyzer does not allow you to change anything in the audio directly, it does present different ways to see where the mix may be improved. It may not be a necessity for everyone, but the ability to view various important details of the audio is an attractive feature. The only significant drawback is that, for fast response times, one is counseled to have only a single graphic display open at a time. It would be nice to be able to track the different parameters at the same time.

Short Notes
The S1 Stereo Imager is an interesting tool for enhancing stereo effects rather than creating new ones as with the Doppler plug-in. Its basic aim, according to the manual, is “to readjust the stereo level-balance of a mix.” The controls include Width, which can widen (or narrow) the stereo image, even beyond the range of the loudspeakers (not overly convincing to our ears, though the processor does not introduce phasing effects, at least). The Shuffle works in conjunction with the Frequency control to widen the lower range in reference to the higher frequencies. The other controls include Asymmetry, to adjust the relative level of left and right sounds, and Rotation, for adjusting the centering of the entire stereo image. Input mode can be switched between Left-Right (LR) and Mid-Side (MS) for concentrating on specific imaging effects (or for converting audio recorded using an MS microphone set-up to LR). This utility includes polarity switches, a useful tool for checking phasing issues.

MaxxBass is an interesting plug-in that works off of the psychoacoustic phenomenon of “missing fundamental,” whereby the sound of the fundamental is created in our ears on the basis of strong presence of the harmonics above it. This processor injects energy into the harmonics in the region above a defined bass region. If you boost these harmonics and lower the level of the bass region, the low frequencies will come through even on sound systems that lack a strong low end. We found that MaxxBass calls for careful adjustment, and it is critical to listen to the audio over the loudspeakers (or comparable) for which the sounds are intended.

We did not work too intensively with the UltraPitch plug-in, which is designed for pitch-shifting and harmonizing melodic tracks. This is one of the more complex processors of the bundle, with tools for pitch detection, formant shifting, time stretching, multiplying voices, and so forth. The MetaFlanger and Enigma plug-ins are flexible tools for creating phasing-type effects, with a whole range of tools for controling the processing.

Conclusion
With a list price of US$ 1,299, the Waves Gold bundle is not inexpensive. It is, however, an extremely powerful collection of signal processors. For the budget-conscious, Waves has packaged slimmer bundles (the Renaissance set, for example, which includes its Equalizer, Compressor, and Reverb plug-ins), and some of the releases are available individually. The orientation of the plug-ins is toward the audio engineer rather than the composer (in contrast to, for example, GRM Tools), but these processors contain enough detailed parametrical controls (and automation) that creative applications are quite feasible and even inviting.

	Vol. 25 Issue 4 Reviews	Reviews > Multimedia > Waves Gold
	Waves Gold Native Bundle Version 3.0
	Waves, 306 West Depot Avenue, Suite 100, Knoxville, Tennessee 37917, USA; telephone (+1) 865-546-6115; fax (+1) 865-546-8445; electronic mail sales@waves.com; World Wide Web www.waves.com Reviewed by Juniana Grimm, Lon Schnittgrund, James Harley Moorhead, Minnesota, USA Waves has long been a leader in developing signal processors (commonly called plug-ins) for audio editing software. The company has also made excursions into hardware, including the L1 Limiter, which enables the processing to be offloaded from the computer’s CPU. Over the years, Waves has developed an impressive collection of plug-ins, and upgraded versions of most of them are included in the new Version 3.0 Gold Native Bundle (there is another bundle for Digidesign TDM systems). The new package features resolutions up to 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz sampling rates, with internal processing running at 32 bits. As the “Native” part of the name suggests, these plug-ins do not require any additional hardware to operate. One should be warned, however, that the suggested computer requirements are a minimum; the stronger the horsepower and the greater the RAM, the better the processors will run. Waves “strongly recommends” using a Macintosh G3 or G4 (with at least the L2 backside cache), with 96 MB RAM for multitrack operation. On the PC side, a Pentium 266 MHz with 96 MB RAM is recommended. The plug-ins are compatible with AudioSuite and Realtime AudioSuite (RTAS) programs (Pro Tools), VST (Cubase, etc.), MAS (Digital Performer), and DirectX (for Windows). Waves Gold includes various equalizers, limiters, and compressors, often packaged together to form composite plug-ins. New to the set is the C4 Multiband Parametric Processor, “with 4-band up and down expansion, limiting, compression, plus dynamic and standard EQ.” The bundle also includes plug-ins for reverberation, including the new Renaissance Reverb, along with “effects”-type processors such as Enigma (a type of phaser), MetaFlanger, SuperTap (delay), Doppler, and MaxxBass. Waves has also added the S1 Stereo Imager, the L1 Ultramaximizer (for dithering), and the PAZ Psychoacoustic Analyzer. Space prevents us from discussing every one of these tools, but a selection of them will be reported on in more detail. Waves Gold comes with a substantial set of printed manuals. While there are redundancies—the installation instructions and description of the general interface are duplicated for each of the five booklets, for example—the information is often very useful. There are discussions of basic concepts (the different components of reverberation, for example) and specific pointers on using the parameters within each plug-in to achieve certain effects. The plug-ins are not “dumbed down” for instant use by audio enthusiasts with no knowledge of music or engineering. The Renaissance Reverb, for example, includes settings for Reverb Type, Decorrelation (between channels), Reverb Properties Control (Predelay, Time, Size, Diffusion, Decay), Reverb Levels Controls (Early Reflections, Reverb, Wet/Dry, Gain), Damping Controls (Low Frequency, Low Frequency Ratio, High Frequency, High Frequency Ratio), EQ Controls (Low Frequency, Low Gain, High Frequency, High Gain), and Graph Displays. Whoa! Thankfully, all of the plug-ins have a healthy collection of pre-sets, which can be useful starting points for exploring the possibilities of particular processors along with the manuals. Each plug-in allows two settings to be loaded for A–B comparison, and users may easily store their own settings for later recall or duplication. The graphic interfaces that are supplied with most plug-ins also help users to orient themselves to the particular features of a plug-in (see Figure 1). We ran the Waves Gold bundle on a 400 MHz G4 with 256 Mb RAM, operating within the environment of Pro Tools 5.1 LE. Installation is straight-forward, the new version simplifying the process by substituting call-and-response verification for awkward dongles. In order to proceed with user verification, it is necessary to register. This can be done through the Waves Web site, or by mail or telephone. In any case, the full bundle is functional as a demo for 14 days. In Pro Tools, we found that, even with our relatively powerful workstation (or at least it used to seem powerful!), it is pretty easy to stall the CPU by applying a modest number of the more computationally intensive plug-ins (the stereo Renaissance Reverb, for example). One discovers soon enough that whenever multiple applications of the same plug-in are needed, the various tracks should be routed to a sub-master so that the processor can be applied to that track, or stereo pair, alone. One also discovers that there is a major difference between applying the plug-ins in real time and applying them to existing audio “outside time” (as AudioSuite processors). When working with these plug-ins, it is crucial to decide how each processor needs to be applied in order to preserve the greatest processing efficiency. If you are recording direct-to-disk and you want to use a limiter to prevent the signal from peaking, for example, then you must apply the plug-in as a real-time processor. (You may also apply the plug-in on an auxiliary “send.”) Or, if you need to exert dynamic control over plug-in parameters, you would also need to draw on the real-time capability of the plug-ins. This process is straight-forward in Waves; the parameters are selected for automation, the track is put into Write Mode, and the trajectories can then be recorded. They can also be edited afterward. If, however, you want to process existing audio, or apply a non-dynamic effect (or at least unchanging effect in terms of plug-in parameters) to your soundfile, then you can do it in AudioSuite, or non-real-time, mode. (Efficiency strategies may need to be different when using Waves in other editing environments.) As a general observation, the audio quality of the Waves plug-ins is high. The sounds are clear, and reverb “tails” and other such artifacts have very little, if any, of the “cheap” digitized sonority common to inexpensive digital signal processors. What follows are discussions of particular plug-ins. Renaissance Reverb, TrueVerb The Renaissance Reverb parameters have already been noted. It has also been noted that this plug-in, which works with a stereo “space” whether the source file is mono or stereo, is computationally intensive. Running a couple of these in real-time mode made our computer conk out. The sound, though, is rich and clean, and the user has a great deal of control over a whole range of controlling elements. The presets provide a good collection of “rooms” to serve as starting points for creating powerful reverberation effects that can be very natural sounding or highly contrived. The TrueVerb plug-in is also quite sophisticated, but presents a much lighter load to the CPU. The Time Response Controls include: Dimension, Room Size, Distance, Link (links Reverb, Room, and PreDelay), Balance, Decay Time, PreDelay, and Density. The Time Response Graph gives a visual representation of these parameters, and the values can be adjusted graphically as well as numerically. The Frequency Response Controls (again available in graphic form) include: RevShelf (high-frequency shelving filter), ERAbsorb (absorption rate of early reflections), Freq (sets the “corner” of the shelving filter as well as the absorption control), and Reverb Damping (four controls for setting Low and High Frequency Damping Ratios along with the “corner” frequency settings for each). There is also an Input/Output Section, for adjusting InputGain, and toggling controls for Direct, Early Reflection, and Reverb levels. The manual includes an in-depth tutorial for working with TrueVerb, and discusses more sophisticated applications such as combining different TrueVerb plug-ins in series. Both TrueVerb and Renaissance Reverb are high-quality processors for adding reflections and “room” to digital audio. C4 Multiband Parametric Processor Waves has produced a whole collection of processors that combine elements of compression, limiting, and/or equalizing. The L1 Limiter is a basic single-purpose unit, though the +L1 Ultramaximizer adds the proprietary IDR dithering and noise-shaping tools, and it does a great job of maximizing your bits (using the Ultra noise-shaping setting, in fact, enhances the high frequency components to such an extent that our files crackled mightily when played back in another editor after processing). The C1 Parametric Compander is more sophisticated in adding dynamic release functions (shorter release times for fast transients, etc.) and a gate. There is also a look-ahead filtering function which enables specific frequency regions to be selected for processing rather than the whole signal. The DeEsser plug-in duplicates what could be done with the C1, but the interface is simpler, for just concentrating on toning down high frequencies. The Q10 Paragraphic EQ units provide up to 10 bands of equalizing capability (the Q4 is a scaled-down version of the same thing), with the center frequencies, bandwidth/slope (Q), and gain able to be adjusted either graphically or using the numerical buttons. The Renaissance Equalizer and Compressor aim at “vintage” sound quality, so are different in degree rather than type. The new addition to the bundle is the C4 Multiband Parametric Processor (see Figure 2). This plug-in provides four bands of adjustable compression/expansion, making it possible to adjust the spectral balance of the audio with a fair degree of finesse, and is obviously of great benefit as a mastering tool. The C4 runs at 48-bit double-precision resolution, automatically dithering to 24 bits at its output. Waves has tried to create phase-compensated crossovers to achieve flat frequency response at nominal levels. It is very difficult to hear any distortion at the crossover points, even when the neighboring regions are being processed quite differently. This is one more plug-in that eats up the processing power, though, so its use should be judicious. Each band in the C4 has independent settings for Threshold, Gain, Range, Attack, and Release. In order to check your audio, you can solo or bypass particular regions, a utility we found very useful. Another valuable feature is the Master controls, so that overall thresholds, for example, can be adjusted with one control, preserving the differences between the four bands. The Master Release control enables different modes to be set, including the Auto-Release Control (ARC), which is a proprietary look-ahead algorithm for optimizing release times for different types of material (faster- or slower-decaying transients). The Behavior control switches between Opto (modeling opto-coupled compressors that use light-sensitive resistors), which has the characteristic of operating more slowly as the level returns to zero, and Electro, which is the opposite, so that the compressor responds more quickly as the level returns to zero (and which, by extension, has slower response times at higher levels). It takes some experimentation to decide which of these settings works best; the difference is noticeable, certainly. The Knee Control affects the “edges” of the compression/EQ bands. Finally, the Output Control enables the audio to be boosted overall, if that is what is desired, or reined in. If you are wanting to boost the low end, for example, the overall output may need to be brought down slightly to compensate. You can always run the output through the +L1 Maximizer to make sure the sound is at its maximal level. Doppler The Doppler plug-in is ideal for creating moving distance effects for almost any desired audio application. In my experience with it, I found it useful both for obtaining a true Doppler effect and simply for creating spatial panning/distance effects. The controls are pleasantly straight-forward and easy to work with (see Figure 3). I didn't need to read the manual to get started, though when I finally did, it was also pleasantly straight-forward and helpful. Clearly displayed are variables for Start-time and End-time, allowing for proper temporal scaling to the audio segment, along with Curve, Center-time, and Pitch to more finely adjust the "path" of the sound. This trajectory may also be adjusted visually by simply clicking and dragging the start, end, and center points on the sound-field graph. Fine tuning is done by adjusting the Gain, Pan, Pitch, Air Damp, and Reverb (including Time and Brightness controls) settings. These allow the user to control the overall volume of the audio segment, the amount of change in the left/right audio field (as well as the direction it flows), the amount of high end that is lost to "distance," and how far away the sound travels. I found that even the slightest adjustment of these controls can create very subtle, but extremely effective coloration that would add energy to any mix. With different combinations of these variables, it is possible to create anything from a voice slowly coming straight toward you in a cold room to a train whizzing by three feet away at 80 mph on a hot day! And with the wide array of presets that come with the plug-in, new effects may be created with a few clicks of the mouse. PAZ Psychoacoustic Analyzer The Psychoacoustic Analyzer is a useful tool once you have started mixing down or mastering your project. It can be used to get a good look at the overall picture of the audio. The Stereo Position Display (SPD) indicates the stereo energy in the mix, showing a finer detail than would be apparent from your ears alone (see Figure 4). This feature may aid in creating a good stereo balance. The Frequency Window provides a real-time display of the frequency content of the audio. The default setting of 52 bands, from 40 Hz, emulates the perceptual characteristics of the human ear. It can be set to go as low as 10 Hz, and can reflect A-, B-, or C-weighted hearing curves (it will track peak or RMS values). Although the Analyzer does not allow you to change anything in the audio directly, it does present different ways to see where the mix may be improved. It may not be a necessity for everyone, but the ability to view various important details of the audio is an attractive feature. The only significant drawback is that, for fast response times, one is counseled to have only a single graphic display open at a time. It would be nice to be able to track the different parameters at the same time. Short Notes The S1 Stereo Imager is an interesting tool for enhancing stereo effects rather than creating new ones as with the Doppler plug-in. Its basic aim, according to the manual, is “to readjust the stereo level-balance of a mix.” The controls include Width, which can widen (or narrow) the stereo image, even beyond the range of the loudspeakers (not overly convincing to our ears, though the processor does not introduce phasing effects, at least). The Shuffle works in conjunction with the Frequency control to widen the lower range in reference to the higher frequencies. The other controls include Asymmetry, to adjust the relative level of left and right sounds, and Rotation, for adjusting the centering of the entire stereo image. Input mode can be switched between Left-Right (LR) and Mid-Side (MS) for concentrating on specific imaging effects (or for converting audio recorded using an MS microphone set-up to LR). This utility includes polarity switches, a useful tool for checking phasing issues. MaxxBass is an interesting plug-in that works off of the psychoacoustic phenomenon of “missing fundamental,” whereby the sound of the fundamental is created in our ears on the basis of strong presence of the harmonics above it. This processor injects energy into the harmonics in the region above a defined bass region. If you boost these harmonics and lower the level of the bass region, the low frequencies will come through even on sound systems that lack a strong low end. We found that MaxxBass calls for careful adjustment, and it is critical to listen to the audio over the loudspeakers (or comparable) for which the sounds are intended. We did not work too intensively with the UltraPitch plug-in, which is designed for pitch-shifting and harmonizing melodic tracks. This is one of the more complex processors of the bundle, with tools for pitch detection, formant shifting, time stretching, multiplying voices, and so forth. The MetaFlanger and Enigma plug-ins are flexible tools for creating phasing-type effects, with a whole range of tools for controling the processing. Conclusion With a list price of US$ 1,299, the Waves Gold bundle is not inexpensive. It is, however, an extremely powerful collection of signal processors. For the budget-conscious, Waves has packaged slimmer bundles (the Renaissance set, for example, which includes its Equalizer, Compressor, and Reverb plug-ins), and some of the releases are available individually. The orientation of the plug-ins is toward the audio engineer rather than the composer (in contrast to, for example, GRM Tools), but these processors contain enough detailed parametrical controls (and automation) that creative applications are quite feasible and even inviting.