waves plugins

If I understand/hear it right, it’s a bit of analog emulation (like some saturation when you drive input, comp, band gain, etc). But probably the bigger factor is the workflow- the q and band ranges, parameters of the comp, stuff like that were honed over a long period of time in analog form, so supposedly they work really well in digital form too. There’s no reason a stock eq wouldn’t do just as good a job, but the workflow has an effect on the sound I think, even if there’s no analog emulation going on.
 
But probably the bigger factor is the workflow- the q and band ranges, parameters of the comp, stuff like that were honed over a long period of time in analog form, so supposedly they work really well in digital form too. There’s no reason a stock eq wouldn’t do just as good a job, but the workflow has an effect on the sound I think, even if there’s no analog emulation going on.

My thinking as well. It seems most intended for those looking for that predictable result using an 'industry standard' tool. You can accomplish the same sound by ear using other tools, but it would take you longer if the goal is to match the curves used, saturation, etc exactly. I see most of these as gimmicky, since the effect isn't anything new to the music world. I do however really like the smooth compression I get from the waves Puigchild plugin, using it to help bring up some detail and presence on a mix. I'm sure I've gotten close in approximation using another, modern compressor like C6 or V-comp (speaking strictly in terms of other waves plugins).
 
My understanding is that when they are doing the modeling they work to include how the actual equipment reacts including asymmetrical and nonlinear behavior that only occurs when you have different parts of analog equipment's various circuits and controls operating. For instance changing the Q on one frequency may create a different curve shape than the same Q setting at a different frequency and vice versa. Or the way a HW compressors circuitry causes differences in tonal response at different thresholds/ratios etc. I believe they are using impulse response and circuit analysis in conjunction on most of these types of emulations as neither alone can tell the whole story(*within the limits of digital tech). AFAIK the heavy lifting is in the algorithms used for modeling. Once you've got that working the way you want it's just a matter of plugging in your numbers and compiling. If the modeling algorithm is well done the emulation should be also
 
I go back and forth on emulations and pure digital, I really like the grit you get from boosting mids on the ssl eq for example, but like the r-channel is so fast to dial in a good vocal sometimes I just do that and move on. But most of my choices are based on what I think might be more fun to use at the time, this is a hobby for me after all. :)
 
There's clearly two different things being discussed here....

-- How the plugin is generated from analog equipment, in order to effectively and accurately emulate

-- Whether the same 'effect' can be achieved using other plugins

Although one relates to the other (to understand the final outcome), they are otherwise exclusive.

I still posit you do not need to use the emulated plugin to get the same results, but it would require quite a bit of work dialing in the right settings (on probably a variety of multiple other plugins) to get a match. To accomplish this you would, as mentioned, need to know exactly what is 'going on' in the original analog equipment to know exactly how it accomplishes its output with all variables taken into consideration, which ultimately means it's likely easier to just get the emulated plugin if you want the sound to match [time, and possibly money, saver]
 
There is something called PluginDoctor that shows what is going on with a plugin, so you can maybe easily duplicate an EQ curve for example. I just loaded the Waves API in it, and without any signal passing through it the graph shows a 2.5db boost/shelf at 5k to 20k, so there is a boost in low end on it, and then another very slight (.5db) bell curve at 14k to 17k. The harmonic analysis shows a spike at 50hz. This could be 60 cycle hum of them trying to emulate analog.

This is the kind of thing I was wondering. Is each plugin a fancy interface with it's own EQ curve? I compared it to the PuigChild and it gave it's own EQ curve, etc. I don't have the SSL, so I can't compare that one. I think all Waves (and others) do is create different EQ curves and then package them in a fancy interface. I can duplicate that same curve with the DAW's EQ. Am I missing something magical about the plugins or is that accurate?

I attached images so you can see the graphs.


API.jpgwaves puigchild.jpg
 
Going with Pinky- you could get the same sound but it would be more work. As for matching the eq curve I don't think just matching a static curve would be the same as the dynamic curve when an audio file gets processed by the algorithm real time with changes from the base settings. I could be completely wrong but just from my listening experiences that's my opinion. Like a microphone freq response graph, there's a lot of little stuff that doesn't show up in these broad plots but can be clearly heard by the ear.
 
That’s a cool tool nola. I think another aspect they try to emulate is saturation. If they’re doing that, it should show as harmonics that grow with the level when you run a sin wave through. Maybe at like 100Hz.
 
That’s a cool tool nola. I think another aspect they try to emulate is saturation. If they’re doing that, it should show as harmonics that grow with the level when you run a sin wave through. Maybe at like 100Hz.

Yeah, it shows the harmonics, oscilloscope, and dynamics as well. Try the demo and run plugins through it. You can even demo both plugin doctor and any waves plugin you're interested in to see what it's doing before you buy it. If the main thing is work flow, though, then maybe some of the channel strips make sense for that alone.
 
The extra payment is only if you want to upgrade. I do disagree that you need to pay for upgrades in general. But, you still can use your plugins.
 
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