Ask anyone with a digital audio recording background about Waves plug-ins, and you'll likely get a smile and a hearty endorsement. Waves plug-ins are among the best-and most expensive-audio effects out there. In addition to creating new and useful plug-ins, Waves' meticulous approach to modeling every aspect of vintage hardware has earned them many fans in high-end studio circles. Waves has partnered with many of these top recording and mixing pros to create signature plug-in bundles that deliver unmatched character. In short, Waves' plug-ins are positively drool-worthy.
If you're recording with ProTools or Logic or SONAR or any number of other digital audio platforms, Waves plug-ins are as close as a credit card transaction and a five-minute download. If you labor in the live sound world, however, all those juicy plug-ins were the stuff of futile dreams. Now live sound engineers have MultiRack ($620 list), which is designed to take Waves audio plug-ins from the studio to the live venue. This means you can use models of the best hardware effects on the planet live (as well as plug-ins with no hardware equivalent), without filling racks full of expensive gear.
MultiRack requires just a Mac or PC laptop, an audio interface and Waves plug-ins. The software is essentially a lean-and-mean "host" for the plug-ins, one designed to run the effects with as much efficiency and stability as possible. MultiRack allows you to run as many instances of plug-ins as your computer can handle, which should be dozens for most newer laptops.
In MultiRack, plug-ins are dropped in series fashion into virtual "racks." Each rack can hold up to eight plug-ins, and the software allows up to 64 racks. You can do the math to figure out that should be plenty of plug-ins for any user.. The rack overview shows you all your racks, color-coded by groups if you've set them up. Indicators show at a glance if racks are enabled and if any clipping is occurring. Double-clicking on a rack opens the rack view, which shows individual plug-ins, input and output meters and clip indicators. Double-clicking on any plug-in opens its editing interface. From this view, you can click any effect in the rack to edit its parameters.
Rack It Up (Virtually)
Racks come in three varieties: mono, stereo and mono in/stereo out. Configuring your racks requires some forethought, as well as a clear understanding of your audio interface. The more inputs and outputs your interface has, the more flexibility you'll have with your virtual racks.
A higher-end FireWire interface can sport up to eight analog inputs and outputs. You could allocate those to four mono inserts and two stereo sends (or a similar combination). Need more I/O? You can add additional converters to the LightPipe ports on many interfaces, or run a second FireWire or USB interface. Options abound, and you'll likely need them if you hope to use all the plug-ins your computer will run.
MultiRack stores the configuration of all your racks as a session. In most cases, you'll use just one session for a concert or service. Each session can have up to a thousand snapshots to change effects parameters. Though a snapshot can't add or remove plug-ins or racks, it can enable or disable individual plug-ins and racks. For example: if you want the lead vocal to pass through compressor A for one song and compressor B for another, you would drop both plug-ins into the same rack and use a snapshot to enable one at a time. With MultiRack's recall safe mode, individual effects (or whole racks) can be protected from changes when snapshots are recalled. This is a great feature, especially if you have some rack or plug-in configurations that stay unchanged through a whole show.
Mousing around is fine during setup, but most folks will want something a little more immediate during a show. MultiRack supports external MIDI controllers of all shapes and sizes, and has several helpful features for getting controllers properly assigned to plug-in parameters. You can control any plug-in parameter by MIDI, as well as trigger snapshots remotely. It's important to understand that MIDI control works for only one plug-in at a time (the selected plug-in); you can't have continuous timeline-style automation across your racks. Instead, MultiRack users must rely on snapshots to make their automated changes. This snapshot approach should integrate nicely with systems already using automation for digital mixers and lighting controllers.
In Use
Waves takes software piracy seriously, and uses a USB hardware key for copy protection. The install process looks something like this: purchase an iLok key, register with the iLok site, install the iLok software, register with Waves, tell Waves about your iLok account, transfer and install the licenses, download and install the Waves software-whew! Isn't there an easier way?
Once all the installation hoops have been hopped, MultiRack is a breeze to use. Most people will be able to skip the manual for all but the most obscure functions, which is a sign of well-designed software. The interface is colorful without being flashy, a wise choice for a processor-intensive application. Stability and efficiency are far more important.
The issue of stability is one not to be taken lightly. Many live sound engineers have a distrust of computers, and for good reason. They can imagine the chaos if a laptop responsible for crucial effects suddenly decides to go belly-up during a show. Hardware just feels more reliable. Nobody ever had a hardware reverb unit start a virus scan and stop passing audio.
I used to share those fears, until I performed for two years with a laptop as a key member of a worship band. It reliably churned out backing tracks, loops and a click, and never once crashed or embarrassed us. Likewise, MultiRack never once even hiccupped during testing. The application feels rock-solid, and I'd wager scant few crashes are the fault of MultiRack (audio drivers are the more likely culprit). If you configure your computer properly for a processor-intensive audio application, MultiRack should serve you reliably.
It's important to remember that all analog computer interfaces introduce latency (delay) into the signal, and MultiRack is at the mercy of these interfaces. MultiRack introduces no additional latency, but even the tightest audio drivers will add a few milliseconds of delay to the signal. While this delay won't be noticeable for front-of-house applications, it could be unnerving for performers if plug-in effects are returned to floor wedge or in-ear monitors. Folks with digital mixers and the correct digital I/O can eliminate this latency altogether by running audio to and from MultiRack in the digital realm.
The only things I wish for with MultiRack are a simpler installation/registration process and the ability to run plug-ins from other manufacturers. These concerns are not show-stoppers.
MultiRack represents a financial commitment beyond its $600 price tag, on the order of at least $3,000 to get a burly computer, capable audio interface, software and Waves plug-ins. But when one considers the sheer processing power, control and top-studio quality this brings to any live sound application, Waves clearly has a winner on their hands with MultiRack.
Company: WavesProduct: MultiRack Live Effects Plug-in HostPhone: (865) 909-9200 ext. 2Website: www.waves.comList Price: $620
