In my previous Bundles of Waves plugins post, I wrote that, even though I have tried a number of Waves audio plugins over the years, I have 9 favourites:
- H-Comp Hybrid Compressor ($179)
- H-EQ Hybrid Equalizer ($179)
- H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb ($349)
- H-Delay Hybrid Delay ($179)
- Bass Rider ($99)
- Vocal Rider ($249)
- L2 Ultramaximizer ($299)
- Dorrough Stereo ($199)
- WLM Plus Loudness Meter ($399)
Unfortunately, buying them would cost me $2,131 which is waaaaayyyyy too expensive.
The Waves website
Fortunately, Waves regularly offer deals on its website. On 19 April 2017, I discover this incredible deal there. All prices are slashed:
My favoured 9 plugins would today cost $420.05 (Rs 14,865) instead of $2131 (regular price). This is a massive 80% discount!!! But it is still a bit expensive for me. I decided to wait a bit.
Cyber Monday Deal
On 29 November 2017, I found out about the massive Cyber Monday Deal, still on Waves’ website:
There is now a phenomenal discount of $1807.75 off the regular price. My 9 favorites today only cost $323.25 (Rs 11298.23). Still a bit expensive. Skipped again.
Plugin Discounts
On 19 June 2018, I finally discover that a lot of people buy Waves plugins from Plugin Discounts which offers some of the best deals on the planet. I take the decision to always use such websites in the future and to only buy plugins if they are less or equal to $29 each. Here is what I finally bought today:
I got the Waves WLM Plus Loudness Meter at $24.36 (94% discount, which is amazing!), the Waves Dorrough Stereo Meter at $32.76 (which is more than $29 I know but which I had to get in my first Waves purchase ever because I am so reliant on it when mixing, 84% discount) and the Waves H-Series consisting of H-Reverb, H-Delay, H-EQ and H-Comp. The bundle cost me $72.07 which means that each individual plugin is less then $29 and the discount is a staggering 92%. In total, I paid $129.19 (Rs 4515.45) for 6 plugins.
What remains now is the L2 Ultramaximizer which I use on my main bus to make sure that there is no clipping. Right now, I am quite far from making final mixes or mastering so I can wait a bit for the L2 to become available, either on Waves’ website or at Plugin Discounts, at $29. Right now, it is available at $69 which is too much.
As for Vocal and Bass Rider, I can wait as I am not recording vocals or bass these days. Only electronic sounds, baby ;-)
The remaining plugins
On 24 Jun 2018, I got Center at $24.36 on Plugin Discounts.
On 28 Jun 2018, I got Vocal Rider at $29 on Waves’ website. It was slightly cheaper on Plugin Discounts but, for some reason, my credit card was not working there.
On 04 Jul 2018, I got Bass Rider and the SSL G-Master Buss Compressor (which I didn’t intend to buy but which is excellent to glue a mix) on Waves’ website. Each cost $29 but with the Waves discount for the 2nd plugin it was more like $25.38 each.
On 11 Jul 2018 after reading a lot, I bought Waves Tune at $24.36 on Plugin Discounts. I have used it only once since to tune Anya’s and Kyan’s voices while they were singing Where’s the Revolution by Depeche Mode and it is a fantastic plugin. It is transparent and makes voices twice better.
On 16 Jul 2018, I got the Vitamin Sonic Enhancer and took the plunge for the Scheps Omni Channel. Both costs $29 but more like $25.38 with the discount on Waves’ website. I had no intention to get a channel strip. After all, I already own a compressor and an EQ. But I only had to use the Omni Channel once to realise how good it was. I used it to tame a bassline (albeit with Bass Rider before it) and the resulting sound was amazingly good. The only plugin I intend to buy now is the L2 Ultramaximizer.
On 26 Jul 2018, I finally bought the L2 Ultramaximizer on the Waves website at $29.00. I’m done.
Am I? Two days later, on 28 Jul 2018, I got the F6 Floating-Band Dynamic EQ on Waves website at $21.75. A dynamic EQ is an EQ where cut or boost are made only if a signal crosses a certain threshold. One example of use is when trying to EQ a harsh cymbal. If a normal EQ is used, then high frequencies will be cut throughout. With a dynamic EQ, the cut will be made when the cymbal is really loud (and this happens only momentarily). A dynamic EQ is similar to a multiband compressor but it is much easier to use. That’s why I didn’t get a C6…
On 28 Oct 2018, I took the plunge and got Brauer Motion, a circular stereo auto-panner designed with Michael Brauer who mixes Coldplay. It cost $26.91. It’s a fun plugin which makes sounds move in space. I intend to use it on some sounds from the past (sampled from my Kawai K4 maybe) which lack movement.
On 24 Nov 2018, Waves gave me Sibilance for free. It’s a vocal de-esser with excellent quality.
24 Jan 2019 is going to remain a great day. I finally took the plunge and purchased the four CLA Classic Compressors. I paid $69 and I got the CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter, the CLA-3A Compressor / Limiter and the CLA-76 Compressor / Limiter (in two variants, Blacky and Bluey). These four compressors are considered true classics by audio engineers the world over. In the coming months, I intend to learn how to use them properly.
On 21 Jun 2019, I purchased Bass Fingers, a virtual instrument emulating a bass guitar being played with the finger (instead of being slapped). Cost me $24.50 and it’s fantastic to lay down authentic and realistic-sounding basslines. I could never play a bass guitar but, with Bass Fingers, I can try being one with my master keyboard.
On 30 Nov 2019, I got Berzerk Distortion for free and it’s dope. With it, I can have wild, deranged, creative distortion. To be honest, I am not much of a distortion guy but, when needed, it sure comes handy.
On 09 Dec 2019, I upgraded my Dorrough Stereo to Dorrough Surround (which includes Dorrough Stereo) for free. Having more plugins without having to pay is nice, even though I can’t see myself mixing in surround soon. I’m still struggling in stereo.
On 2 April 2020, thanks to the fact that I already owned the SSL G-Master Buss Compressor, Waves allowed me to upgrade to the SSL 4000 Collection bundle for just $74. This means that I now own the SSL E-Channel, the SSL G-Channel and the SSL G-Equalizer as well. All of them are plugins which have earned rave reviews for nearly perfectly emulating a real SSL 4000 console (which, in addition to costing an arm and a leg, is used by the very best including Chris Lord-Alge).
Finally, on 9 April 2020, I bought the LoAir subharmonic generator plugin (it has two adjustable low-frequency processors for shaping the ultra-low end) and the J37 tape saturation plugin (which emulates the very machine used to record many of the greatest masterpieces in modern music at Abbey Road Studios). I became eligible for one free plugin and I opted for the API 550A and API 550B EQ. The idea was for me to be able to use the CLA compressors together with the API EQs and get a kind of vintage channel strip.
Conclusion
I’m happy with my Waves collection. I now have the API 550, Bass Fingers, Bass Rider, Berzerk Distortion, Brauer Motion, Center, CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter, CLA-3A Compressor / Limiter, CLA-76 Blacky Compressor / Limiter, CLA-76 Bluey Compressor / Limiter, Dorrough Stereo, Dorrough Surround, F6 Floating-Band Dynamic EQ, H-Comp Hybrid Compressor, H-Delay Hybrid Delay, H-EQ Hybrid Equalizer, H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb, J37 Tape, L2 Ultramaximizer, LoAir, Scheps Omni Channel, Sibilance, SSL E-Channel, SSL G-Channel, SSL G-Equalizer, SSL G-Master Buss Compressor, Vitamin Sonic Enhancer, Vocal Rider, Waves Tune and WLM Plus Loudness Meter.
And, now that I think of it, this allows me to have multiple setups: one based on SSL plugins (+ reverb and delay), one based on the CLA compressors with the API equalizers and one based on the Scheps Omni Channel.
Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool.
Or, rather: indeed, indeed, indeed, indeed, indeed.