NAMM: WAVES: DBX 160, H-REVERB & BUTCH VIG
23 January 2015
Waves has covered all bases at winter NAMM. There’s the emulation of a classic — the dbx 160; a modern take on a classic effect — the H-Reverb; a signature series from a well-known producer — Butch Vig; and a whole new multi-track recording system — Tracks Live.
The modelled dbx 160 plug-in was designed in collaboration with dbx, and is available for both studio and live use. And while the original unit was mono, the Waves version has taken the liberty to introduce a stereo model with a MS matrix. It also has mix controls for onboard parallel processing, and you can dial in the amount of noise depending on how far back in dbx’s vintage you want to travel.
H-Reverb is based on Finite Impulse Response (FIR) reverberation. It’s convolution-level realism without getting stuck in the same box. It lets you really dig deep into crafting your own reverbs without sticking to the same formulas — so immaculately tailored gated tails, real reverses and more. The H stands for Hybrid, so Waves has also lathered on analogue-modelling section for full post control of your signal, including drive, EQ and compression, with some creative filter sweeps onboard. Works in 5.1 and has a pre-delay BPM sync.
Butch Vig’s first signature series plug-in looks like the innards of a steampunk Big Ben; all gears, dials and rusty colourways. Its designed for vocals with an onboard de-esser, controls like Air and Focus, and levers for balancing between tube-like or solid state-style harmonics.
Tracks Live is 192k-capable multi-track recording software designed for live performance capture. It’s PC and Mac compatible and can easily switch between stereo out and multi-out modes for recording and virtual soundcheck monitoring. It’s got a meter bridge to keep a constant eye on all your tracks at once, and the capability to record hundreds, depending on your CPU and input count.
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