Hey everybody, welcome back to HomeRecordingMadeEasy.com and my YouTube channel! Today, I’m excited to delve into my top five favorite Waves plugins. These are the plugins I find myself using on just about every mix, whether it’s fully digital or a hybrid setup. Waves offers an impressive suite of tools, and these five have become indispensable in my workflow.

With this guide, musicians and audio engineers aiming to enhance their mixing and mastering skills will discover why these plugins deserve a place in your toolkit. Let’s dive in!

Why Waves Plugins?

Waves plugins have been instrumental in shaping many modern audio productions. Their selection is vast, tailored for every level of mixing and mastering needs. Despite having access to Waves' complete plugins suite through their subscription plan, these five continually stand out due to their reliability and efficiency. Let’s explore each one.

1. CLA Epic

The CLA Epic plugin is a true game-changer. Designed to emulate Chris Lord-Alge’s hardware effect chain, this plugin combines delay and reverb seamlessly into a single unit. If you’ve seen his workflow videos, you'll know he uses delays and reverbs organized into eight stereo groups on his SSL console, and CLA Epic replicates this setup beautifully.

Features:

• Four Delays & Reverbs: Includes Tape, Throw, Slap, and Crowd delays, plus Plate, Room, Hall, and Space reverbs.

• Intuitive Routing: Allows you to route delays into reverbs, providing creative mixing possibilities.

• Useful Presets: Great user presets that seldom need tweaking, simplifying the mixing process.

“The CLA Epic could be the last reverb-delay plugin you ever need to buy.”

Personal Tips:

I often use the plugin as an insert rather than a send, controlling the wet/dry mix knob to fine-tune the effect's intensity. It’s perfect for vocals and complex mixes, offering simplicity and depth.

2. RBass

The RBass plugin has been around for years, yet remains a vital tool. Known as a secret weapon for enhancing low-end frequencies, it's indispensable for ensuring your music translates well across different listening environments, from studio monitors to earbuds.

Features:

• Bass Enhancement: Optimizes kick drums and bass guitars for smaller speakers and adverse listening conditions.

• Intuitive Controls: Preset settings often work wonders without any modifications.

Use Cases:

Drop RBass on a bass track for instant improvement. It thickens and rounds the sound, ensuring your bass presence is felt even on less capable audio systems.

3. SSL EV2 Channel

The SSL EV2 Channel is an updated version of Waves’ popular SSL channel strip. The sophisticated visuals and accurate modeling of the classic console make it a go-to channel strip for many engineers.

Features:

• Classic Sound: Emulates the SSL console’s sound, providing a familiar and powerful tool for mixing.

• GUI & Features: Enhanced graphics make it user-friendly, while maintaining high sonic fidelity.

This channel strip is excellent whether working in a fully digital environment or hybrid setup. I trust it to deliver that distinct SSL sound I love.

4. Brauer Motion

This Brauer Motion plugin brings your mixes to life with its dynamic panning capabilities. It's like an auto-panner on steroids, designed to transform static tracks into dynamic soundscapes.

Features:

• Advanced Panning Controls: Offers circular and linear motions, enhancing depth and movement within a mix.

• Preset Magic: Offers a variety of presets crafted by leading engineers like Greg Wells and Dave Pensado.

Creative Use:

Ideal for use on keyboards, acoustic guitars, or any instrument that benefits from added spatial dynamics. I often start with a preset and make minor tweaks to fit the track's needs.

5. Waves Curve Equator

Waves' Curve Equator plugin is designed to manage and tame harsh frequencies easily. It’s somewhat similar to Soothe 2 but with the added benefit of an AI learning function for automatic adjustments.

Features:

• AI Enhanced: Automatically detects and offers solutions for harshness and resonant frequencies.

• User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies the workflow with intuitive controls.

It’s especially useful for managing harsh sounds in guitars, vocals, or cymbals. The AI suggestions often provide a solid starting point that requires little additional tweaking.

Bonus Plugin: Waves Sync VX

The newly released Waves Sync VX is an ARA plugin tailored for vocal alignment. It’s a fantastic tool for ensuring tight vocal harmonies and perfectly synchronized double tracks.

Features:

• Precision Alignment: Offers simple and effective ways to lock vocal tracks in place.

• Ease of Use: Surpassingly intuitive compared to other similar plugins like VocalAlign.

Highly recommended for anyone dealing with complex vocal stacks.

Conclusion

There you have it—my top five (plus one bonus!) Waves plugins that have become staples in my mixing routine. Whether you’re enhancing your low end with RBass or creating lush vocal effects with CLA Epic, these plugins bring a wealth of possibilities to your audio engineering projects.

Join the Conversation

What's missing from this list? I’d love to hear which Waves plugins you swear by. Let me know in the comments below! And if you'd like more in-depth tutorials on any of these plugins, just give a shout.

Finally, don't forget to visit HomeRecordingMadeEasy.com for a free $99 mixing course. Newcomers can use the code YOUTUBE25 for 25% off any course.

Thank you for engaging with this article and happy mixing!