Review: Waves Element
Rather than producing yet another flavourless kitchen-sink subtractive synth, Waves has actually limited the options in Element to create a real instrument.
12 February 2013
Review: Robert Clark
It’s probably fair to say that the release of Waves’ Element synth plug-in has been met with a bit of cynicism in the marketplace. And understandably so: the shelves are flooded with virtual subtractive synths at the moment. Products such as the LennarDigital’s Sylenth 1, Native Instruments’ Massive, u-he’s Diva and Ace offerings and Arturia’s V Collection, to name just a few, are all out there competing for our attention (well, our dollars), so why would Waves bother? It’s a good question, but I think there is a legitimate answer and I wouldn’t write the Element off straightaway.
THE RATIONALE
The 20 year-old plug-in empire proudly lists Yoad Nevo (of Air, Goldfrapp and Pet Shop Boys fame) as the developer-in-chief of the Element, which goes a long way in explaining its architecture. The features are clearly designed by a guy who does a lot of producing and knows what counts at the end of the day. This is a soft-synth that brings the most essential components to the foreground, makes them highly responsive, and dispenses with everything else. There aren’t any buried menus, quirky extras or pop-out modules. It’s all right in front of you and if you can’t see it, well it ain’t there.
THE OSCILLATORS
So perhaps it’s no surprise that you only have two oscillators to play with. This may be too few for some, but Nevo probably didn’t want the clutter, or to have to hide more oscillators underneath a toggle menu like some other virtual synths. What it may lack in extra oscillators, it makes up in powerful controls. Waves have chosen what to include and where to place them quite carefully it seems. The pulse width modulator is a good example. Not all of its competitors have this option so easily accessible, but when you play with the Element’s PWM dial located directly underneath the waveform options, you realise just how useful it is. It’s so quick and easy to get rich variation in the texture of your square wave tone, which is extremely handy when you’re trying to find the right sound for a lead or bass line. And on that note: sine, frequency and phase modulation are all available to tweak right alongside the oscillators; no need to fiddle around under the hood there either.
In terms of its sound, Waves didn’t seek to model this virtual instrument on any legacy hardware. What they have done is use their trademark ‘Virtual Voltage’ technology to simulate the analogue process itself. There are so many variables at play when it comes to comparing the sound of synths — virtual or otherwise — so making comparisons is a bit redundant, but I can say that, in my experience, the quality of tone is impressive in that there is a nice depth, an evenness across the spectrum and a genuinely ‘analogue-like’ responsiveness to manipulation.
EFFECTS AND EQ
Sound-designers of a more experimental bent may baulk at the fact that you can’t choose the colour of your noise (white only) or the waveform of your sub oscillator (triangle only). Similarly, the effects options are just your traditional ones — namely chorus, reverb, distortion and crusher — and they only offer a single, non-negotiable ‘type’. However, the effects they produce are certainly dynamic and rich. There’s also a delay parameter that offers a choice in rhythm (independently left and/or right), mix and feedback. The EQ is limited to four bands with a high pass and low pass filter situated underneath. I never felt short-changed by this, though. The filters in the EQ are so responsive that you really feel like you’re getting an authentic answer to every inquisitive tweak of the dial.
NEED TO KNOW
MODULATION
You have eight sends within the Modulation Matrix to play with, where you can route your signal from, or to, any of the four variable LFOs, or anywhere else within the synth. You also have a third, assignable envelope you can insert into your signal chain via the matrix. And that’s the extent of your modulation options — nothing special. Something else you can assign in the matrix, though, is the step arpeggiator/sequencer, which is located in a strip at the bottom of the synth. Again, there is nothing revolutionary or unexpected here, but it’s well laid out and intuitive to use. While it certainly appears basic, every option you do have in the sequencer is there for a good reason and is instantly useful. Take the ‘swing’ paddle below the ‘gate’ and ‘step’ controls for instance. Making it so prominent and accessible means I’m more likely to use it, and as just a small hint of swing can turn a run-of-the-mill riff or bass line into something that feels ‘alive,’ that seems like a smart move — and very useful for someone in the music-writing zone.
DAW INTEGRATION
I would expect the Element to easily and effectively work within my DAW, given Waves’ history/reputation, and I wasn’t disappointed. MIDI control worked very well. Creating automation envelopes in my Logic session for any of the Element’s parameters, including each of the 16 steps in the sequencer, was surprisingly easy. They’re all listed in a drop-down menu in automation mode, which is supposed to be the case for many plug-ins but really isn’t. So that impressed me. Right clicking on any of the dials or buttons within the Element interface also gives you the option to MIDI ‘learn’ so you can assign them to your own controllers, and this worked without a glitch as well.
THE VERDICT
So why did Waves bother? I think because they could make a quality product that does actually stand out — believe it or not. Its niche is that it’s an instrument that does a few things really, really well. So when you’re creating you can be efficient and effective with your tweaks instead of getting bogged down and losing your flow. Of course, if you’re a passionate synth programmer who loves to innovate and experiment, I wouldn’t go for the Element; you’ll be frustrated with the lack of options. But for those who like to get in the zone of creating music without fiddling too much, or if you’re new to subtractive synthesis and want somewhere to start, I’d certainly take a look at it.
RESPONSES