In this Zane from Simple Green Tech looks at 14 of the best free guitar amp simulator software plugins available in early 2020. These free guitar amp vst plugins range from simple one amp designs to incredible multi-amp simulators. VST (Virtual Studio Technology) is a software plug-in format developed by Steinberg. These plug-ins generally come in one of three types: instruments, audio processors, or midi processors. They are among the most ubiquitous plug-in formats, and are what most people refer to when the term “software plug-in” is discussed.
Waves is a leader in audio plug-ins, so it’s no surprise that their amp modeling plug-in offers exceptionally high quality. To fulfill their vision, Waves collaborated with none other than guitar guru Paul Reed Smith, who brought his favorite boutique and vintage amps to Waves headquarters and offered continuous input and insight during the modeling process. Tube Amplifier Plugin. Tube Amplifier is a VST plugin that applies asymmetric tube triode overdrive to your project. By no means, TubeAmp is the right choice for a beginner as one must be familiar with tube-triode. However, if you’re an experienced music composer, Tube Amplifier will fit your studio perfectly.
Buying an amplifier is essential for playing electric guitars. But getting a good one can be rather expensive. This especially the case if you are a beginner, or if you don’t earn money by playing. You can understand why someone can have problems with throwing a thousand dollars or more.
But there is an alternative to an amplifier. You can get a variety of programs that can simulate an amp, and they will allow you to plug your guitar directly into your PC. While some of these programs are quite expensive, it’s possible to find ones that are free of charge.
One of the best options you can find, and the easiest to use, are standalone programs that can act as a plug-in as well. They can do a variety of things besides just being an amp simulator if you want to properly record your guitar there is an options built-in. Some programs can act as VST (Virtual Studio Technology) for your DAW (more about DAWs later on). If you already have a program, you might want to find just a plug-in that will enhance the DAW you already own, or to help you get the desired sound.
Available on Windows and Mac
Native Instruments offer a great simulation that comes in both free and paid versions. While the design is the same for both, the free version has fewer options when it comes to amps and effects. When it comes to a free version of the program, you will get one amp and one cabinet to use. However, you can use a couple of effect pedals like Ibanez Tubescreamer, for example.
There are also a few delay pedals, as well as equalizers and noise gates. The UI is quite good, and you don’t need to spend hours trying to figure out how to use it. The main idea behind these two versions is that the basic or free program offers only a demo, hoping to get you hooked and getting a full version of the software.
Whichever option you pick, there is no doubt that the program will serve you well, and that you’ll be able to create beautiful music. The paid one, of course, offers so much more when it comes to the choice of equipment.
Available on Windows and Mac
Over the years, AmpliTube gained incredible popularity and not without reason. The design of the program is similar to others where you can customize your experience as you would with a real amplifier.
As you can probably guess, this software comes in several versions as well, but you can get a free plug-in as well. This plug-in will allow you to use AmpliTube 3, as well as 24 models that include nine stomps or pedals, four different amplifiers, three microphones, and two rack effects. It also has a built-in tuner that will allow you to always keep your guitar in key.
One of the best qualities of AmpliTube is that the program is perfect for beginners. You won’t need a degree in engineering to use it, and you can experiment with sounds to find what you love the most. The UI is incredible and it will show you a virtual amp with all the potentiometers and buttons that you can mess around with until you get a tone that you love.
Naturally, you can get a paid version as well that gives you an opportunity to use “real” brands like Orange, Fender, Mesa, and there are even simulations of player’s rigs available. So, if you really want to sound like Jimi Hendrix, you can buy a custom software that will allow you to achieve it in no time.
Available on Windows and Mac
AmpLion works as a standalone program and plug-in. The program is developed by Audified, and if you like it, you can get a pro version as well. As you can probably guess already, there are several options that are not available in the free version, but you can still use it for practicing, recording, composing, and even playing live!
What is interesting about AmpLion is that it gives you an option to use Track Player and play along with your favorite songs and artists. You can also use intelligent metronome, which is something that is perfect for practicing.
AmpLion also allows you to adjust the microphone position while using the simulation, where you can choose the location of the microphone and the distance from the speaker. If you ever tried recording something with a mic and an amplifier, you know how important it can be.
Finally, it gives an impressive amount of customization, and you can find several pedals and cabinets available even in the free version. AmpLion Free offers five-channel tube amp, two cabinets, metronome, audio player, and advance recorder.
Available on Windows and Mac
The company that’s behind this software recently released their second and upgraded version of BIAS amps. If you compare it to the first one, there is so much improvement, and you will get a lot better feel while playing the newer version. It is worth mentioning that there are several versions of this program that you will have to pay, and the price is between $100 and $300. Why is it on the list, you might ask. Well, you can also get a free version of the program, that comes with certain limitations.
But even if you get a demo, it is still an incredible software, that will allow you all kinds of customizations and options to tailor the sound to your needs. Using your virtual amplifier is easy. Based on the version of the software you get, you will have hundreds of different effects and amp simulations. Similarly to the real thing, you can add or remove reverb, gain, loop, and so on.
DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstations might not be the best thing for beginners, due to the complexity of these programs. Some of the programs are designed for audio editing, recording, and such, but they don’t offer an amp simulator you can use to record guitar, but if you find one that does, you won’t have to bother downloading and installing VST plugins.
If you are a beginner and really don’t know anything about DAWs. Here is a video that demonstrates how to playrecord your guitar with Cakewalk DAW. This is just to get you started.
Available only on Windows
Cakewalk is designed by BandLab, and as other products on the list, is free. You can record, edit, mix, master, and almost anything you’ll ever need. The BandLab takes pride in its product, and they claim that this is the most complete package you’ll ever find. While Cakewalk works almost like a demo for the THU, TH3 is a free plug-in for Cakewalk you can try out for yourself. It is quite decent software you can try, and since it is free, it offers you a chance to play with it without worrying about a thing.
Available only on Windows
Another great software you can try if you are looking for something heavier is Magix with Vandal SE. Here, you will have a variety of crunch tones, drives, and other effects that are perfect for any heavy metal or rock lovers out there. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t use it on clean as well. It works great for both singles and humbuckers as well. Magix is great for both beginners and more advanced players, and you can check it out on the link above.
Now, things get a bit more complicated if you are looking for a VST for your DAW only. This means that you already have (or plan to have) a Digital Audio Workstation, and there are so many incredible programs available. While the best ones are usually quite costly like Steinberg’s Cubase, there are some you can download for free as I mentioned in the section before.
You can use either Cakewalk that is available for Windows, or Tracktion T7 that’s available for both Windows and Mac. After you downloaded and installed your DAW, you will need to download and install the VST plugin.
If you opted for Cakewalk, which is free, you can follow the link below to see how to install and add VST plugins into it. This will allow you to have both DAW and VST that you can use for free.
Available on Windows and Mac
Blue Cat is a free simulation plug-in for your DAW, which can be great if you are looking for more variations to your guitar sound. Since this program is free, you can easily download it, and check it out for yourself. The design is easy to use, and it works as a demo to their Axiom program. You will get a taste of their popular amps. There are three amps available and you can use them regardless of your music taste. Settings for each of the three amps allow you to use anything from clean and soft guitar sound to crunchy heavier sounds for rock lovers. As with a real amp, you can experiment with potentiometers to make something that’s perfect for you.
Available on Windows and Mac
Boogex is a rather interesting program. While it has a similar function to the others on the list, the design is a lot different. Here, you won’t have a visual representation of an amplifier, but you will still have an option to customize your sound. Where Boogex shines is with low and medium settings for gain. You can still play it with higher gain, but the sound will be a lot less clear. However, this might be appealing to some players anyway. Higher gain settings are a lot more fizzy and compressed.
There are also a lot of built-in impulse responses, and you can add different loaders as well. /kpop-compresser-plugin-vst.html. Voxengo also made sure that you have an impressive selection of amplifiers, cabinets, and even microphones.
The quality of this software lies in variations and changes you can try out. Almost anything is possible, and you can try both smooth jazz sound and heavy metal drive. The latency is almost zero, which means that you can use it for real-time processing.
Finally, the program won’t be a trouble for your CPU, and you can even add additional cabinet speaker impulses.
Available on Windows and Mac
The main thing about Ignite amps is they are completely free to use. Their product covers both tube amps and solid-state ones. If you were wondering about how it works, the technology is based on analog modeling and derives systems of nonlinear differential equations. The entire software is based on C++, and more importantly, it’s free.
You can also get a plug-in for the majority of DAWs or Digital Audio Workstations, and you can play, record, and test it as much as you like.
Among the amp plug-ins, you can get are Libra, Emissary, The Anvil, NadIR, and many more. While it might not sound as impressive as having a Fender, these simulations are incredible, and you can adjust and customize them as much as you desire. These plug-ins have different purposes, and you can find ones designed for mixing, jamming, simulations of tube amps, solid-state, and so much more.
Available on Windows and Mac
Another exciting thing you can try is one of the LePou plugins. These are designed to simulate one several popular amps. You can find, for example, a hybrid guitar amp, which is a solid-state amp with tubes in the preamp. Furthermore, there is a preamp simulator, as well as a variety of cabinets.
The best thing about these plugins is that they are free of charge, and you can download them whenever you desire. Most of these are quite good and give you an option to further customize the sound. All you have to do is try a few and see which one suits your style and taste.
Available on Windows and Mac
If you are looking for a more classic, vintage style, Kuassa might have a perfect thing for you. Their amp software, Amplifikation, allows you to experience the best of the bygone era, and enjoy traditional bluesy rock style. Like many other entries on the list, there is a lite version that is completely free and allows you to try out their product.
Lacie backup software mac os x. Lite offers an amplifier that sounds like a combination of Marshall and Peavey amps. Naturally, you can use gain if you are looking for a harder music genre, but you can play it clean as well. The simulation is able to perfectly capture that late seventies sound, and if you are looking for something like this, Kuassa might be the best choice.
Kuassa also offers a couple of pedals that you can take free of charge, like equalizer and noise-gate, and you can always check their paid models if you want something more.
Available on Windows and Mac
If the seventies are too recent for you, Shattered Glass might have a product you’ll like. Their amp simulator is based on Fender’s Tweed Champ, which is arguably one of the best amps from the fifties. The original inspiration is 5W, all-tube amp. What is interesting here is the option to adjust the level of feedback.
There is also a mod to the real circuit and it includes grip stopper resistors. You can also use a plug-in that can be oversampled up to eight times.
Interestingly, the volume on the amp simulator can go all the way to twelve, just like on the original amp. It’s a nice detail which tweed lovers will undoubtedly appreciate.
Available on Windows and Mac
This software comes from TSE Audio, and it is definitely worth your attention. As some of the previous examples on the list, you can find a demo or free version that is a stripped version of the original program. Some of the functionalities will be unavailable, but you will still get a very clear idea of what they have to offer.
X50 V2 is rather versatile, and you can get anything from a crisp clean tone, all the way to heavy metal distortion. But even if you get a free version, you will still be able to use a tuner, equalizer, delay, phaser, reverb, and several distortion pedals.
But one of the main qualities of the software is simplicity. You will notice from the start that the program is rather intuitive and easy to use. you won’t need an expensive PC to run the X50 V2. Furthermore, a demo version is available for both platforms, and you can download it and check system requirements in the link below.
Available on Windows and Mac
If you are a heavy metal player, there is a chance that you are not satisfied with some of the entries on the list. Finding an amplifier that has a good distortion can be challenging, especially if we talk about software simulations. Ignite designed NRR-1, and the program was created for Cristiano Trionfera. Trionfera is currently playing with an Italian symphonic death metal band, and NRR-1 is quite similar to the original amp he used.
This program offers three channels: clean, rhythm, and lead. Each of the channels has its own separate controls, and you can choose between mono and stereo processing support. It also allows you to use preset management systems as well as bank import and export functions.
For everyone looking for a digital version of his amplifier from 2009, this will be an incredible option. You can find more info on the link, and you can try it for yourself if you are into a heavier sound.
Available only on Windows
SimulAnalog Guitar Suite is a free program that offers a variety of amplifiers and pedals. While it is not as polished as some others from the list, there is no paid version. This means that you will get the whole product, and you won’t be tempted to invest if your goal was to experiment on your computer.
Furthermore, the software comes only in the 32-bit version, which might be a deal-breaker for some. However, the sound that you can create using this program is well worth the trouble. The plugins you can find here offer two amplifiers, Fender Twin from 1969 and Marshall JCM9000 Dual Reverb.
When it comes to effects, there are Boss DS-1 and SD-1, incredible TubeScreamer, Univox Univibe which is for modulations, and a phaser based on Oberheim PS-1. As you can see, the options for pedals and amps are rather impressive, and they are able to cover a plethora of genres. With this equipment, you’ll be able to play anything from blues to heavy metal.
Available on Windows and Mac
Black Rooster designed Cypress TT-15 that is incredible for all the metal lovers out there. As with other entries on the list. Finding a good drive or distortion for hard rock or metal is not easy, and most VST will give you an unsatisfying tone. However, Cypress can be quite good if you know how to use it. The settings for this VST are amazing, and it allows you to create a lot of incredible tones that work amazingly with heavy riffs.
Cypress is good for both lead and rhythm sounds, and you can use a variety of effects like delay. The amp is a solid-state, and it has three knobs for tone, gain, and volume. While it would be amazing if they offered a treble, mid, bass, as well, we can’t really complain since it is free.
Available on Windows and Mac
The main idea behind Tone Deluxe by Lost in 70s is to create a full analog tube amplifier. What is interesting here is that Tone Deluxe completes everything from preamp to the cabinets. If you are into tube amps, you’d love to hear that it simulates ECC83 and EL34 tubes. You can also reduce the signal processing time which will create a more pleasurable experience.
This software also offers two channels, one for clean and other for high gain. You can also use two spring reverbs, and five cabinet models. While the program is not great for metal, it works incredibly with rock, blues, hard rock, and other softer genres.
Available on Windows and Mac
Nick Crow Lab offers 8505 Lead that’s available for both Windows and Mac. The main quality of 8505 is the variety of tones you can get from it. The amp simulation comes with several knobs you can use. The first one is gain, and you can choose anything from heavy metal to soft rock. There is also an option to adjust lows, mids, and highs, which is something that other amps simulations are lacking. For anyone looking for heavier sounds, 8505 is an incredible option.
Nick Crow Labs also offer a 7170 amp simulation, as well as a couple of other amps, pedals, and effects you can test. As with other entries, the entire Nick Crow plug-in pack is free to use, and you can check it on the link above.
Available Windows and Mac
ReValver by Audio Media Research is actually a Peavey amp simulator, and it is incredible. If you ever played a Peavey amp, this is something you need to check as soon as possible. Naturally, the software is backed up by Peavey, and there are so many effects and options you can try out. One of the exciting options is to adjust the microphone position, as well as reverbs and many other options.
You’ll be surprised by how many adjustments are available from different amps and effects to tubes and speakers. If you are looking for great software that offers a variety of effects and simulations, ReValver might be the thing to check. You can also add as many stompboxes as you want, and all of the effects sound quite good. At first glance, it seems that there is no limit to what ReValver can do. Peavey and AMR decided to show everyone how you should create an amp simulator, and they really managed to set a new standard.
Playing an electric guitar without an amplifier might be challenging but it is far from impossible. There are so many companies developing software that will allow you to play your guitar using a computer. Most of these apps are available for both Mac and Windows, and the only thing you’ll need to do is plug in your guitar, and start playing.
If you were wondering about price, most of the software companies offer free and paid versions, and you can try them both. Free software is usually a stripped version of a paid program, and you won’t have as many options. However, you can still play your guitar and create music without spending a dime if you don’t want to.
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Waves is a popular plugin company, so all their plugins are great, but you may be wondering what the best Waves plugins are. There are over 200 Waves plugins and a lot of them are essential in creating a solid mix. Keep reading to find out what the top 25 must-have Waves plugins are that are available in 2020.
A one-stop channel strip
The Scheps Omni Channel, designed by the award-winning mix engineer Andrew Scheps, is a top-rated, extremely flexible channel strip unlike ones you have used before. It was made to work with Andrew’s combinations of EQ, compression, saturation, and more to create a great sounding signal chain without having to pull up a bunch of different plugins.
Oftentimes channel strips are based on vintage mixers, but that can mean that you are limited to having all your songs being connected to a certain sonic color. Modular channel strips do not limit you to a certain coloration, but they oftentimes do not mesh together in a cohesive way. This is not the case with Scheps Omni Channel. Andrew Scheps took the best of vintage channel strips and the best of modular strips, certain combinations, and turned them into one channel strip, the Scheps Omni Channel.
Scheps Omni Channel has six modules: Pre, Compression, EQ, DS2, Gate, and a slot for a Waves plugin of your choice. With the Pre module, you can add in analog saturation to color your signal as well as filters. The Compression module allows you to compress and expand your signal, and the EQ module has a 4 band EQ to sculpt your sound. DS2 is a de-esser that takes care of plosives as well as harsh frequencies, and the Gate module allows you to expand and gate the signal but also adjust the amount of noise reduction happening. Waves also provides some presets for the plugin if you need to focus on one module more than the others.
The Scheps Omni Channel really is a great channel strip plugin. Compared to other channel strips, this one makes audio sound extremely cohesive and it does not seem like anything sticks out in a way that’s sonically unpleasant.
I have used it on vocals, guitar, and even some drums, and it sounds amazing. The coloration options are very handy for adding some different character to audio depending on the genre you are making. Everything is easy to use and the interface is very straightforward. You are missing out if you have not used this VST before; it is a definite must-have Waves plugin.
Taking automation out of the production process
If you are like me and you absolutely hate automating vocal levels, you need Vocal Rider. It is one of the most popular plugins from Waves, and understandably so. Vocal Rider does exactly like the name sounds: it rides the volume level of the vocals to keep it even. And it does all this without coloring the signal.
If you were to try to even it out with compression, for example, you’d get some coloration and quite possibly a heavily squashed signal. That’s not something you want, but automation isn’t exactly fun either. Vocal Rider takes out the guesswork and does it all for you.
The layout of Vocal Rider is simple. There are three sliders. One is the actual vocal rider slider, one is the output level, and the other is the range slider. The range slider is what you use to set the average level that your vocals need to be at in relation to the rest of the mix. Once you have set that, if you need to boost the output volume, you do that with the output slider. In the meantime, the rider slider detects the levels of your incoming audio and instantly changes the volume to match the volume that’s within your selected range.
Vocal Rider also works extremely well for live vocals, so if you do live mixing you can easily add it to your workflow. If I were to pinpoint a certain genre that this plugin would be best for, I’d say it is the best Waves plugin for rap vocals due to the frequent need of automation on rap vocals.
Vocal Rider saves so much time and keeps you from getting frustrated with changing automation and sitting in front of the computer for hours trying to get it right. Forget about manually automating your vocals and just get Vocal Rider from Waves.
A classic preamp and EQ combo
Another great plugin designed by the world-renowned Andrew Scheps, the Waves Scheps 73 is a 3-band EQ and mic preamp module modeled on the classic 1073 console. The Scheps 73’s EQ is so closely modeled after the 1073 that it emulates its behavior with lots of precision.
The specs of the EQ include a fixed 12 kHz high frequency band, switchable low and midrange bands with cut and boost controls for each, and a high-pass filter with a ratio of 18 dB per octave. A 10 kHz midrange band is also made to be operable in the plugin, although it was made to be operated on the 1078 channel strip. Saturation (controlled by the drive knob) is modeled after the 1073’s saturation and captures all of the harmonic details and sonic characteristics of the 1073. It sounds extremely authentic and warm.
Other features include the ability to monitor the stereo channel, mono channel, and left and right channels separately. You can also EQ the mid and side channels with this plugin. If you do like coloration and want a very warm, rich, full sounding vocal or instrument, use the Scheps 73 and you will be beyond satisfied.
Achieve the Abbey Road sound with ease
Abbey Road TG is a modular mastering chain plugin modeled after the EMI TG12410 transfer console used in all of Abbey Road’s mastering suites. The TG Mastering Chain is made out of modules (or cassettes) just like the original console. Included is: an input module, tone (EQ) module, compressor and limiter module, filter module, and a VAL module incorporated into the output module.
Except for the input and output modules, they can be swapped around to create custom mastering chains and switched on and off. They can also be used individually or mixed and matched if you do not want to use all of them together.
The compressor and limiter module offers two colorations, original and modern. Original is an aggressive and ‘dirty’ type of compression and modern is one that was designed by Waves to help you retain the highest quality of audio while keeping the loudness.
The TG Mastering Chain has proven to be a flexible plugin while retaining the classic Abbey Road sound found on many popular albums or giving it a bit of a new flavor with the more modern sounding compressor option. The flexibility continues even more, as you can process signals in stereo, duo, or mid/side, and monitor the signal in stereo, mono, left, right, and mid/side if you need to. There is also a live performance mode, so if you want to do live mastering as everything is coming through the system, you can do that with ease and not have to worry about latency.
If you have found that mastering with plugins from companies like iZotope or UAD just do not match the final sound you are trying to achieve, take the best Waves plugin for mastering, the TG Mastering Chain, for a spin.
A slice of the world’s greatest hit making machine
The SSL E-Channel is another amazing-sounding channel strip modeled after the Solid State Logic 4000 series console. The sections included in this plugin are equalization and dynamics. On the equalization side of the plugin, it is based on the renowned Black Knob equalizer that was developed with the legendary producer George Martin in the 80s. The equalization section features a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter, and a parametric EQ with four bands.
The dynamics section gives you a compressor and limiter with a soft knee, and an expander and gate that was modeled after the Solid State Logic LS611E. Staying true to the original design, the compressor/limiter and expander/gate can be placed before or after the equalization section to make your signal chain flow just how you want it.
The SSL E-Channel also has a button for turning the analog sound on and off, so depending on how you want your sound to come out, you can use that button to get the classic SSL sound or bypass it for a more modern sound.
The SSL E-Channel is especially good for drums and makes them hit really hard, so I suggest you use it primarily for your percussive elements, but it is a great plugin for really any element of a song.
EQ and compression with surgical precision
The F6 Floating-Band Dynamic EQ is one of the best dynamic EQs Waves has to offer, in my opinion. With the F6 Dynamic EQ, you get a dynamic EQ with 6 floating bands for parametric EQing, plenty of advanced EQ controls as well as compression and expansion controls per band.
Mid/side processing is available to help you carve out even more space in the mix, and you also get to view everything on a real-time frequency analyzer with adjustable resolution and reaction speed, pre and post EQ, note and amplitude display, and sidechain options.
The F6 is ideal for solving problems. Not only can it be used for equalization and compression, but it can also be used for de-essing. The F6 Dynamic EQ lets you focus on problem spots and only treat them when the problems arise in those areas. F6 is extremely precise and Waves made it while keeping in mind that details matter, so the EQ’s settings are so sensitive that you can precisely specify when a certain frequency will be boosted, cut, expanded, or compressed.
More specifics on the EQ include variable EQ shapes, overlapping bands, and threshold sensitive EQ settings. The interface of the plugin is modern and simple even with so many knobs, buttons, and options. F6 is a great dynamic EQ.
A tone you can’t get anywhere else
The Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter is an exciter plugin that was modeled on one of the few tube powered units ever made. If you are not sure what an exciter does, it is basically a saturation plugin but instead of adding low end distortion, it adds it in the high end.
The original Aphex Aural Exciter has an extremely distinct sound and so does the Waves Aphex Vintage Exciter. The exciter adds brightness, presence, vibrance, and depth without increasing volume. It slightly colors the audio signal with those high-frequency harmonics, which makes it perfect for vocals as well as instruments.
In the interface, you will see several knobs. One is for the excitement mode, one is for picking what signal the meter reads and delivers, another is for input volume, one is for the wet/dry mix, another is for the output volume, and there’s also a section for applying a low cut and adding some analog noise to the signal. This exciter plugin is great to use while mixing or even in the mastering process, and it provides an awesome tone that is hard to replicate with other plugins. Check it out.
Abbey Road style double tracking and lush delay
The Waves/Abbey Road Reel ADT is a plugin that emulates Abbey Road Studios’ process of Artificial Double Tracking. The double tracking effect became an essential sound that Abbey Road Studios used when mixing for The Beatles. Reel ADT gets you a lush-sounding delay and variations in pitch as well as tape saturation.
Reel ADT sounds super authentic to a real tape machine with all the fluttering and other tape noises, and it really does sound like there are multiple takes playing as if it really was double tracked.
This plugin does more than double track emulation though – it can do other tape effects like flanging and phasing. You can choose between different tape sounds depending on the source you use, and there’s a drive control and a pan control for each source path so you can make it as wide as you want it or leave it more narrow sounding to get almost a simulated room reverb sound.
Everything is MIDI-assignable, so you can control it with a MIDI controller, but you can also control it manually or set it to process audio automatically. Reel ADT can also be used in live shows since it has extremely low latency.
If you want a double tracked sound but do not have time to manually double track your audio, or if you want a special-sounding delay effect and other delay plugins do not seem to cut it, Reel ADT is a plugin worth trying. It is a huge time saver and you can get some really cool, unforgettable panoramic sounds and a ton of character out of it.
An Abbey Road tape saturation masterpiece
Another essential Waves plugin that sounds fantastic is the J37 Tape. It is a tape saturation plugin modeled after the tape machine at Abbey Road Studios that was used to record so many modern hits as well as popular tracks from the 60s.
This thing is packed with controls to sculpt the sound of the tape. Tape speed, bias, noise, saturation, wow and flutter are all adjustable controls. While the J37 has its own character and flavor, three other oxide tape formulas have been modeled and can be used instead of the J37’s sound. Each formula has a unique frequency response and harmonic distortion.
Adding onto all of this, the J37 Tape plugin also has a built-in tape delay module with different delay types, sync, and low-pass and high-pass filters to add to the warm tones you get from the saturation. The plugin is extremely warm and models the analog software to a T.
I have never heard such a realistic sounding plugin and that makes the J37 Tape one of my favorite Waves plugins for sure. Try it out, it might become yours too!
Add some extra oomph to your music
Waves Vitamin Sonic Enhancer is essentially a compressor, EQ, and saturator all in one. If we’re going to get technical, it is a multi-band harmonic enhancer that can be used to shape the tone of your songs by mixing an enhanced version with the original signal. If you do not want to mess around with tone shaping plugins like EQ, compression, and saturation to get the tone you want, you should try Vitamin.
Vitamin has no latency, so if you are a mix engineer in the studio or a mix engineer for a live show, you will be able to use the plugin with no problem. Ideally you should use Vitamin Sonic Enhancer on a track insert or a bus. Instantly you can get a warm result that also brightens your output audio without having to mess with a bunch of different plugins.
Vitamin Sonic Enhancer certainly does not take the place of EQs, compressors, and saturators, but it is a really handy plugin if you want to save time or if you cannot achieve a certain goal for tone when you have used EQs, compressors, and other plugins. With a few pushes of a slider you can get more punchiness, smoother dynamics, enhance harmonics, and make the stereo field wider.
You can use Vitamin in mono or stereo mode when using the EQ sliders in the plugin, and when you have it in stereo mode you can change the width of each of the individual five bands to make room for more in the mix. Vitamin is great on vocals, guitars, synths, drums, and also is great if used when mastering a full song.
Vitamin Sonic Enhancer is easily an essential Waves plugin and I strongly suggest you check it out if you want to save time, resources, and add a little extra oomph to your music.
Huge, beautiful reverbs at your fingertips
The Abbey Road Chambers plugin is the fastest way to get absolutely beautiful-sounding reverbs in the style of Abbey Road Studio’s echo chamber, featuring the STEED (send tape echo echo delay) technique.
The plugin recreates the same sonic characters from their echo chamber to create reverbs, delays, and other spatial effects they used on so many records. Abbey Road Chambers helps you achieve the echos from Abbey Road’s Studio Two chamber and even models the crisp, clear recording abilities due to their use of the Neumann KM 53 microphones and Altec 605 speaker. To sculpt the reverbs and delays even further, included is a high and low-pass filter from EMI as well as an EMI presence EQ.
As I mentioned, Abbey Road Chambers includes a recreation of their STEED setup. STEED was a system that split the signal and created a feedback loop that would go through their mixing console, through a tape delay, through two EQ filters, and to the chamber and back. It gives you a gorgeous-sounding reverb like nothing you have heard before and it is something you have got to listen to in order to understand just how much it stretches the chambers’ sonic qualities.
Abbey Road Chambers also includes two other spaces as a bonus: their Mirror Room and the Stone Room from Olympic Studios in London. This gives you so much more creative freedom.
Using Abbey Road Chambers is easy, you can send your tracks to the chamber, mirror room, or stone room, isolate the STEED setup effect, or combine both. The plugin opens up a whole world of hybrid reverbs, delays, and more. ARC is an amazing plugin that would be best used if you make atmospheric music or have a lot of lush, experimental sounds that need to be pushed through a wide open stereo field.
Legendary plate reverbs
Easily the best Waves reverb plugin is Abbey Road Reverb Plates. Waves modeled four legendary plates from Abbey Road Studios – ones that were even used by the Beatles and Pink Floyd.
A little behind their reverb setup: the plate reverbs were originally set up to complement their echo chambers. Drive amps were specially designed to keep noise to a minimum for three of the plates, while the last one was fully valve powered. This allowed for a huge variation of sonic qualities and characteristics in the reverbs. Waves has modeled that in a plugin and now you get to use and enjoy the modeled harmonic distortion and even the behaviors of the plates.
The plugin allows you to set input volume, select a plate (plates A through D), set the damper level, and typical reverb controls you’d find on any reverb plugin, like pre-delay and the dry/wet mix. An analog knob as well as a drive knob is available to use and there’s also an EQ section included to take care of harsh frequencies or muddiness. These reverbs sound so good, and you can get a ton of different tones out of them, whether you want something lush, dark, bright, or rich.
Smooth, latency-free live vocal tuning
It cannot be denied that auto tune is used in pretty much every song these days. Even if it is not noticeable, it is likely that at least a little bit was used on the vocals of a recent song. Waves Tune Real-Time is a plugin that ensures that the vocalist is on key, so they do not have to worry and instead they can focus on giving a great performance.
If you are familiar with Antares Autotune, Waves Tune Real-Time is pretty much the same thing. Waves Tune Real-Time was made for live performances, but can be used during pre-production, tracking, and mixing. Since it was made for live performances especially, it has no latency and out of tune notes are instantly corrected as soon as they leave the singer’s mouth.
The algorithms used in Waves Tune Real-Time ensure that the vocalist’s vocal sound won’t be changed at all, unlike other autotune plugins (Antares, for example) that add extra brightness to the vocal signal. Waves Tune Real-Time is ideal for subtle vocal pitch correction (or the hard-tuned T-Pain effect) and gives you vocals that are ready to go in literally no time.
The plugin’s design is very intuitive and easy to navigate. You can control the vocal range, scale, specific notes to fix or avoid, the sensitivity of the plugin, and you can even tune the vibrato without messing up its natural movement, which is something that not many plugins do right.
Waves Tune Real-Time is also MIDI compatible, so you can make the plugin follow a melody set in advance or in real time if you do not know the scale or key of the song. Waves Tune Real-Time is easily one of the most ideal and intuitive vocal tuning plugins out there.
Manual pitch correction made easy
If you want the power of Waves Tune Real-Time but do not want a live program to retune the vocals and would prefer to do it yourself in your DAW, Waves Tune is the plugin you need.
If you are familiar with Melodyne by Celemony, Waves Tune is pretty similar to that. Waves Tune is set up to give you precise vocal retuning with ease. The plugin has a ton of pitch shaping and pitch transforming tools, a timeline, a piano roll to further ensure you are matching the vocals to the correct notes, and an intuitive pitch editor.
Using Waves Tune is easy, all you have to do is apply it to a track with vocals or a monophonic instrument, and drag the notes that need tuning to the correct spot that correlates with the piano roll on the pitch editor. You can set the speed of the retuned audio, length of the note transitions, and more to get things sounding just right. Like Waves Tune Real-Time, you are able to retune vibrato without taking away the wavering qualities or changing the speed of it.
Waves Tune sounds great and does not degrade your voice or add any extra tones or formants to your processed vocals. Get Waves Tune if you prefer to process and retune vocals after they’ve been recorded. If you do not have a preference, just get Waves Tune Real Time.
The absolute best analog Waves compressor
The SSL G-Master Buss Compressor plugin is based on the world-renowned master buss compressor on the Solid State Logic 4000 G console. Waves has captured the sound of the console’s input and twin VCA gain reduction amp design.
The SSL G-Master Buss Compressor plugin is ideal for gluing tracks together, so it will especially shine in a mastering chain or just on the master channel in your DAW. The plugin is also awesome for adding punchiness to drums, taming dynamics of a piano, or just tightening up a final mix.
The layout is very simple: you have all your major controls that you’d find on any compressor. There’s a threshold knob, an attack knob, a release knob, a ratio knob, and a make up gain knob. You can also turn off the analog sound if you choose to do so. Additionally, the plugin comes with presets by the famous engineer Chris Lord-Alge, so if you need some inspiration or a head start, you can use those.
While it is not an ideal compressor for every single instrument and there are other popular compressors out there that are made by Waves, the SSL G-Master Buss Compressor is easily the best Waves compressor in my opinion. It sounds so much like the real thing, and it does not add any type of harsh coloring in the lower or upper frequencies or give it any muddiness or negative characteristics.
It does what it is supposed to: glues together tracks. I use it on every one of my songs in the master channel, and honestly, you should too. Sadly, there are no free Waves plugins, but I wish this one was free, so that everyone could get a taste of it.
Deep reverb tails with crisp air
H-Reverb is a newer hybrid reverb plugin powered by Finite Impulse Response technology, or FIR. FIR gives extremely rich reverbs, gives more air to your tracks, and helps your instruments and vocals to sit perfectly in the mix.
New technologies open new creative horizons. The FIR technology allows you to customize the decay envelope of the reverb beyond linear forms, which means that you will get gated, real reverse, and dense reverb that does not add muddiness to your mix. With H-Reverb, you also get a drive control that gives the signal a bit more analog saturation.
On top of that, you get a ton of presets created by the music industry’s best mix engineers and presets inspired by classic reverb units, so if you need a starting point, you will have some strong ones.
The interface of H-Reverb is one of the more detailed reverb GUIs I have seen. Aside from the typical reverb controls (attack and release, pre-delay, size, wet and dry signal), there are modules for the decay envelope, LFO, input echoes, output echoes, modulation, and EQ and dynamics.
This type of technology and flexibility in a reverb plugin is something unheard of until now. By putting together classic reverb concepts with modern features and controls, H-Reverb has become one of the ultimate modern reverb plugins from Waves.
Flexible multiband compression
Similar to the C4 Multiband Compressor from Waves, the C6 is an even better model of the well-loved C4 with a few more exciting features. The C6 is a popular favorite among mix engineers and is not a plugin to pass up.
The C6 Multiband Compressor is great for expanding, compressing, limiting, and fixing problems that span through a whole frequency band, but can also be awesome for de-essing, controlling plosives, and fixing problem frequencies with surgical precision.
The C6 has six bands, four normal crossover bands and two floating bands for high and low shelving and cutting. Something that’s not in the C4 that is in the C6 is a sidechain feature. With all that it can do, the C6 is a complete powerhouse and that makes it one of the best Waves plugins for vocals, but it is also fantastic on instruments too.
The C6 has a dynamic EQ and the sidechain feature is specific to each band, so if you only want to control a certain portion of frequencies (for example control the higher frequencies on the beginning of a snare drum hit and leave the low end untouched), it is very easy to do that.
I like to slap the C6 on vocals, drums, and guitars to control any harsh frequencies I find that are a nuisance to my ears. The C6 is really great at controlling and shaping sounds while fixing very specific frequency problems. If you wanted to, you could use it as an all-in-one type plugin; I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that, but it definitely could be done and it would sound great.
Three legendary consoles in one plugin
The NLS Non-Linear Summer is easily one of the best Waves plugins for mixing. NLS is essentially three consoles coming together as one plugin. The consoles featured are the SSL 4000 G (the Spike), the EMI TG12345 Mk4 (the Mike), and the Neve 5116s (the Nevo).
The Non-Linear Summer consists of the NLS channels of the three consoles and the NLS busses to match. Waves modeled over 100 channels over all three consoles to fully capture the magical color, character, and behavior of each input and buss amp. NLS Non-Linear Summer has a ton of richness, depth, and a ton of harmonic qualities that make it seem like you have used the physical hardware of the consoles themselves to record and mix.
The NLS channels are set up with a drive knob and a VCA knob. You can turn the microphone on and off and also add analog noise to bring even more character to the signal. The NLS Non-Linear Summer is a sonic piece of art.
A Grammy Award-winning piano in VST form
The Grand Rhapsody Piano plugin from Waves was sampled from the Fazioli F228 grand piano from Metropolis Studios in London. The Fazioli F228 is an Italian piano made with the same type of wood that Antonio Stradivari made his famous violins from. The tone wood gives the piano a deep bass, rich resonance, and a bright, clear tone that make it extremely famed.
The samples of the Fazioli F228 were recorded at Metropolis Studios with 8 different pairs of microphones (from the Neumann U 87 to the Shure SM57) and preamps and converters of the highest-quality, so you are getting the best sound reproduction possible.
The Grand Rhapsody is great for a variety of genres, from pop to electronic to jazz. The Grand Rhapsody Piano plugin allows you to blend up to 3 microphone pairs and choose the position they’re in. You can control how much of the pedal and resonance are mixed into the overall sound of the piano, and you can incorporate Waves’ high-quality EQs, compressors, limiters, delays, and reverb with the signal, so you do not have to have a dry piano sound.
The plugin can be used in your DAW or standalone, and is MIDI compatible. Although I have not used this piano plugin much myself, it is one that deserves a lot more attention than it gets. It is incredibly warm and rich and just sounds absolutely beautiful. Make sure you check out our picks for the best piano VST plugins in 2020.
Punchy compression with snappy attack
The CLA-76 is another best-selling compressor bundle that also has a limiter feature. The CLA-76 was inspired by two famous analog compressors, the UREI/Universal Audio 1176 Blue Stripe and 1176 Blackface, called Bluey and Blacky by Waves.
As per usual, on both models of the compressor, you get your typical attack and release knobs, and your input and output controls. A ratio control is also included, but there is a button labeled ‘all’ that models the original compressor’s explosive ratio mode that made it famous in the first place for its insanely powerful drum sounds.
Because of this, the obvious go-to instruments for this plugin to be used with are drums and percussive instruments, but the CLA-76 is also great for vocals and guitar. It smooths out vocals and brings them forward in the mix with ease, and solves tons of dynamics problems that oftentimes aren’t solved with other compressors.
Using this compressor is an absolute dream, and the different models carry a slightly different sonic character, so you will find that there is some pleasing coloration when using them. With the capability of having a super-fast attack and smooth release, as well as rich preamp distortion modeling, the CLA-76 is a prized plugin that every producer should have in their arsenal.
Rich reel-to-reel tape saturation
Kramer Master Tape is a plugin modeled on a reel-to-reel tape machine, designed with help from Eddie Kramer. Kramer Master Tape gives your songs a richness and warmth through real analog tape saturation and breathes new life into what was previously boring and static.
The plugin looks like a real tape deck and is set up with knobs that control tape speed, record level, playback level, flux, wow/flutter, and noise. The Kramer Master Tape is ideal for rock, dance, and many other genres and comes with built-in slap and feedback delay to help facilitate that.
Whether you are using it for recording, mixing, or mastering the Kramer Master Tape plugin sounds great no matter the application. I like to use it with vocals and piano to give them a slightly wobbly effect and add the perfect amount of saturation to keep them sounding rich and full if the mix is busy and they get lost in it.
Tape saturation is a plugin that is starting to become more popular, and if you like the vintage sound it adds and the full, warm quality it brings to recordings, get Kramer Master Tape and see how it holds up against modern tape saturation. Kramer Master Tape does not disappoint.
Smooth, subtle compression
The CLA-2A is a compressor that was modeled on a legendary tube compressor. As far as I know, this is the only compression plugin by Waves that has this quality to it. The CLA-2A accurately reproduces the smooth, frequency dependent behaviors that the tube compressor also had, which make it a popular choice for mixing vocals, guitar, and bass.
While the plugin is extremely nice-sounding when used on guitar and bass, it really shines on vocals, especially on slow songs. Because of its smooth approach to signal processing, vocals sound buttery and rich while being subtly controlled by the compression. The plugin is a great choice when recording R&B or jazz but also can hold its own with pop and rock songs that need just a little compression.
In comparison to other compressors, the CLA-2A does not color the signal, which is something that is a benefit if you are already using a channel strip that adds color or saturation to the signal.
The interface is ridiculously easy to navigate through, as it has only two knobs: one for gain and another for peak reduction. There is also a sidechain frequency filter in the limiter side of this compressor, which has the same gain and peak reduction controls as the compressor side does. This brilliant plugin comes with a bunch of presets to get you started on your CLA-2A journey, one that you will greatly enjoy.
The classic Abbey Road channel strip
Waves and Abbey Road Studios have come together to model the famous console, the EMI TG12345, in plugin form. This legendary console was used on records from the Beatles and Pink Floyd.
The channel strip includes some of the most important elements of the console, including the preamp, the EQ module (that consists of a bass band, a treble EQ band, and a presence EQ band), a spreader to widen the stereo signal, and the crisp sounding compressor/limiter combo.
Along with the preamp and tone controls, the plugin offers routing options rather than allowing you to move the modules around to where you need them in the signal chain. Modern features have been added to some of the modules to allow for more modern mixing techniques including a high pass filter on the compressor sidechain, and a drive control. There is little to no latency on the channel strip, so you can easily use it for live performances as well as studio use without timing problems occurring.
The EMI TG12345 gives your songs a crisp, bright, and rich sound just like the original console no matter what it is being used for, and the unforgettable tone delivered by Abbey Road Studios is sure to turn heads.
Noise suppression and gating
If you are forced to record in areas where there’s a lot of background noise or if you often get bleed from your headphones while recording, the Waves NS1 Noise Suppressor is a plugin you should have in your arsenal.
The NS1 Noise Suppressor is a wickedly intuitive plugin that intelligently differentiates between noise, dialog, and musical qualities. NS1 analyzes your input audio signal and eliminates background noise while bringing dialog, singing, or an instrument forward in the signal.
The interface is super easy to navigate as it only has one slider to remove noise. While NS1 Noise Suppressor isn’t a fix-all for your background noise problems, it does extremely well at managing it. Unfortunately it won’t get rid of any electromagnetic field feedback or humming that’s coming through your microphone and into the plugin since it would be up front with your voice, but it does a great job at background noise, which is what it is supposed to take care of.
NS1 Noise Suppressor does not work like a noise gate, although if your background noise is loud enough and your slider is down quite a ways, you will get a gate-like effect, which will likely mess up your main audio signal.
Make sure to remember that if you do a lot of noise suppression, since it reduces the signal and tries to filter out the frequencies of the background noise, you’ll want to put an EQ and possibly even a compressor after NS1 in your signal chain to make up for any lost harmonics
If your signal isn’t super heavily-laden with noise, NS1 Noise Suppressor should react smoothly and solve your noise problem in no time without taking away much of the sonic character. The plugin has a more analog sound so it may slightly color the signal going into it, although it shouldn’t be much. NS1 is great for many uses, whether you are doing a quick noise suppression fix or taking your time with it and using it delicately.
Paul Reed Smith guitar amps
If you play guitar, you have almost definitely heard of Paul Reed Smith. In the day and age where amp and cabinet modeling is becoming more and more popular, Waves was right on trend and created a plugin to satisfy guitarists into digital amp and cab modeling for their guitars.
PRS SuperModels is a plugin that models three Paul Reed Smith guitar amps: the PRS Archon, the PRS Dallas, and the PRS Blue Sierra/V9. With PRS SuperModels, you get outstanding tones right out of the box, and the amp models are insanely accurate to the real hardware amps.
Waves modeled every piece of circuitry and every tube to get every last detail of the sound right. The Paul Reed Smith Archon amp is ideal for bright, lush cleans or overdrive. If you really push the limits of the amp, you get a great sounding distortion out of it. The gain on it is incredibly lush, which makes the Archon perfect for playing lead or a crunchy rhythm while also supplying a pristine clean channel for all genres.
The Paul Reed Smith Blue Sierra/V9 is an extremely rare amp that has now morphed into what we know as the PRS J-MOD 100 amp. The Blue Sierra/V9 is reminiscent of boutique American amps and is perfect for clean sounds and overdriven tones with not too much gain. You can get a really huge, wide sound out of this amp that sounds amazing to the ears without having to do much tweaking.
The Paul Reed Smith Dallas is modeled after an all tube design that gives out sounds from classic American amps with reverb. It is easily the most classic-sounding amp that lets you play huge cleans and plenty of overdriven tones with reverb that sounds natural no matter how far you push it. The lows are very solid and do not get too muddy, the highs are crisp, and the midrange tones of this amp are rich and full-sounding.
PRS SuperModels includes eight different speaker cabinets captured by Paul Reed Smith’s own personal mics and preamps. The plugin also has a latency fix technology that solves any latency issues between the signal coming from your guitar and the signal reaching the cabinet. The perceived volume is balanced when using multiple cabinets. You do not have to worry about clicking around in the plugin and instead you can just play, either in your DAW or in standalone mode.
Since this is a plugin, there are some added features you won’t find in the hardware, including a tone booster, a sensitive digital guitar tuner, and a noise gate to keep input feedback at bay when you’re not playing and keep output feedback from occurring. With a creator like Paul Reed Smith, the PRS SuperModels plugin is sure to suit your playing for any genre and sound amazing the whole time.
Even though the best Waves plugins debate is subjective based on things like your needs and the genre of music you are making or producing, we all know one thing: that Waves VSTs are easily some of the absolute best. I strongly recommend that you go to the Waves website and take a look at what they have to offer there. They may be a bit expensive but they have sales a lot of the time, and really none of their plugins are worth passing up. Stay tuned for more Waves plugin reviews in the future!
Jordan is a music producer, content creator, writer, and session musician. He has been producing music and engineering live performances for over 7 years. He is an experienced guitarist and enjoys listening to and playing many different genres of music.