Waves release trio of plugins
Infected Mushroom and Andrew Scheps mix tools, and an electric piano
Audio legends Waves show us why they’re the biggest name in plugins, with not one but three new releases.
First, a collaboration with their countrymen, Israeli psytrance-turned-EDM-experimentalists Infected Mushroom. Pusher is a multiband enhancer and limiter/clipper that squirts the duo’s “secret mixing sauce” all over your tracks. The Low enhancement section can be tuned to a frequency or note, and Waves reckon it’s ideal for making kick and bass pop through. Mid and treble enhancement come via the Body and High knobs, while Stereo Image widens the top end. If you want to excite dynamics across the board, crank the Magic dial. Finally, you can pump up the level with the Push control, which offers clipping and limiting methods. In VST/AU/AAX formats, it’s $49.
Pusher’s main competition, though, could be from Waves’ other big release, Scheps Parallel Particles. This plugin encapsulates the four fave mix tricks of top producer/ engineer Andrew Scheps’ (RHCP, Adele, Metallica, Jay Z, and tons more), with an interface that looks more like a futuristic tunnel racer than a piece of audio software.
To conjure up sub frequencies, crank the Sub dial. Air does the same for the top end, creating “innovative resonances that do not exist in your source”. Bite “controls the front ends of the notes”, so we guess it’s a transient shaper of some kind, though they say it affects release too. Thick is the final process, smoothing midrange to solidify the signal’s body – Waves compare the result to that of moving the mic closer. Formats include VST/AU/AAX, and it’s $129.
Finally, Electric 88. No videogame graphics this time, this one is a multisampled “road-worn” electric piano. So, there are audible tonal changes from key to key, which Waves say gives it real personality and true 70s funk/soul vibes. Additions include a Formant control, tremolo, autopan, phaser, chorus, reverb, compressor and amp sim. It’s priced $69 and is VST/AU/AAX/standalone.
URL www.waves.com