Waves eMotion LV1 Software Mixer Review
When Waves debuted their eMotion LV1 software-based mixer in early 2016, some people were surprised that company known primarily for plug-ins would take such a large step into such a different market. In hindsight, it really wasn’t such a big leap. Waves has 25+ years of audio software savvy and user interface design, with more recent forays into hardware I/O, DSP and audio networking. Thanks to MultiRack, Waves plug-ins had long since moved out of the studio and into live rigs. All the pieces were in place.
Today, Waves eMotion LV1 is many revisions into its lifecycle and is being actively used on big-name tours and in permanent venues worldwide. What makes it so compelling? In short, it offers powerful mixing features and great sound in a tiny package. Groups travelling with LV1 have extra space in the truck and setup time to spare. Venues can install an espresso machine where their previous digital mixer once sat.
LV1 is available in three versions with 64 inputs ($1,699), 32 inputs ($1,499) or 16 inputs ($1,299). All offer a 32-bit mix engine and sample rates up to 96 kHz. All are decked out with the full complement of busses, auxes, DCAs, mute groups and routing one would expect to find on a $50,000 digital mixer. Every LV1 channel, buss and aux can have up to eight plug-ins applied.
Like a Waves plug-in purchase, buying LV1 gets you software only. You have to add the hardware, which consists of (at the minimum) a PC or Mac computer system, I/O and DSP. A Waves SoundGrid DSP server is a given, but there are other options for I/O and networking protocols including MADI and console interfaces for Midas, Yamaha and Behringer. Waves has numerous bundles available that include LV1, a DSP server, digital audio networking interfaces, analog I/O and plug-ins.
Computer requirements for LV1 are relatively modest, as the computer is mainly handling the user interface and metering. What you won’t want to skimp on is the displays. You can operate the mixer with reasonable efficiency on one monitor, but at least two large touchscreens is definitely the way to go (LV1 will support up to four displays). Two displays in a side-by-side arrangement works well, though many engineers prefer a “stacked” monitor setup. Waves even offers a package that includes two stacked touchscreen displays and a computer in a compact, travel-ready case.
Spread across two large touch monitors, LV1 makes for an engaging, unique mixing experience. The minimalistic interface feels more space station than mix station, and I expected to miss hardware faders far more than I actually did. Mixing on LV1 is, quite simply, a lot of fun. It’s like mixing on a big heads-up display. Waves already has a virtual studio monitoring environment with headphones. What’s next for LV1--mixing with virtual reality goggles?
The mixer’s interface is intuitive and easy to use, with very effective use of color and other visual cues. Six main mixer views divide up the mixing duties logically, with each view offering multiple layers to control what you see on the screen. You can drag a view from one monitor to the other to create a layout that makes sense for you. Once you have things laid out the way you like, you can save the whole configuration as a session. Inside a session are scenes, over with LV1 gives you a great deal of control for saving and recalling.
Contributing greatly to the power of the LV1 are the bundled eMo plug-ins, which include eMo F2 filter, Q4 equalizer and D5 dynamics. More than just pretty to look at, these plug-ins offer tremendous control and excellent sound. Though users will sprinkle their favorite Waves plug-ins across the LV1, the included eMo plug-ins are certainly not throw-aways. The eMo D5 plug-in holds its own with many dedicated compressor plug-ins. In an ironic reversal, these plug-ins designed for live mixing have actually found their way into many studios.
The eMo plug-ins are also integrated into the LV1 interface and metering in a way that other plug-ins are not. Whereas you can tweak other plug-ins only from their dedicated interface, eMo plug-ins appear in the default channel strip view and layer modes. Swap out the eMo EQ for a different EQ plug-in, for example, and the channel strip EQ area goes dark. With some effort, Waves could map relevant controls and metering from certain other plug-ins (especially compressors) into the channel strip. I hope they do.
Control over parameters (especially virtual knobs) is a usually challenge with touch screens. Per the norm, LV1 allows you to touch a knob and slide your finger up and down to adjust it. This works OK some of the time, but it’s often too fiddly and imprecise. LV1 changes the game by placing a long horizontal slider at the bottom of most screens. This slider controls the selected parameter over a very large area of adjustment. Coarse or fine changes are both easy and predictable. Bravo, Waves.
Not every aspect of the LV1 interface is so refined. Some scrollbars are too small (in the patch/routing window, for example), making it difficult to scroll without bumping controls. Many Waves plug-ins lack an on/off or bypass control, so you have to toggle them with a smallish button on the channel’s effects rack. I often missed the button when I tapped. Much better would be a large, universal bypass button right on the plug-in interface screen. Also on the wish list is an Android tablet or iPad control app. I have to imagine one is in the works. A Waves representative says it is possible to control the LV1 with a tablet using VNC (Virtual Network Control), but admits it’s currently not a perfect solution.
Plug-ins Galore
The LV1 software is the interface you touch, but the DSP server is doing the real work to keep the bits flowing. Knowing that budgets and channel counts vary, Waves offers three SoundGrid servers to power the party: Impact ($700), One ($1,400) and Extreme ($2,500). Processing power increases with price, and only the latter two are recommended for an LV1 system. Routing audio data around takes minimal resources--it’s the plug-ins that tax the server.
Ahhh--plug-ins. There’s no denying that having access to Waves plug-ins is a huge selling point for the LV1, and every modern soundperson knows the only thing better than a bunch of plug-ins is more plug-ins. This leads to the obvious question: how many of LV1’s eight-per-channel plug-in slots can you actually load up? The answer depends on the complexity of the plug-ins and the power of the server. Using Waves Hybrid plug-ins as an example, the middle-of-the-pack Server One can run 412 Hybrid Delay plug-ins, 144 Hybrid EQs or just 14 Hybrid Reverbs (at 44.1 kHz). That’s quite a spread.
A better benchmark is to examine how much a typical LV1 setup taxes the server. Server One runs at about 50% capacity with the standard complement of three EMO plug-ins enabled across 64 input channels and all auxes and busses. That leaves half the DSP for other plug-ins, which could be 28 dbx 160 compressors, or 250 SSL E-channels, or 95 Vitamin enhancers, or 70 C6 multiband compressors (for example). Cut those numbers by about 40% for the Impact server, add about 25% for the Extreme server. If you apply them carefully, the LV1 will host a lot of plug-ins.
The Sound of Waves
All this spiffy tech wouldn’t amount to much if the LV1 didn’t sound good. Turns out LV1 sounds fantastic. The headroom and clarity are notable, as is the fullness. LV1 has a head-start on achieving an analog vibe right out of the box, but it really nails it with the right plug-ins. Add the Waves NLS Non-Linear Summer, SSL Channel, Kramer Master Tape or similar and you’re in rich analog heaven.
The a-la-carte approach to building a mixing system may be daunting to some, and there’s no question that LV1 presents a multitude of decisions (and purchases). The shopping list includes LV1, a computer, touchscreen monitors, Ethernet switch and cabling, SoundGrid server, MADI interface, stage box (analog I/O), additional plug-ins and optional control surface. Waves LV1 bundles are available for everything but the computers, monitors and stage box. Quick math puts the price tag of a viable 32-channel LV1 system around $8,000. Considering the power of such a system, that’s a very reasonable figure.
There’s much more to cover with LV1 than we have space for here, but the overall theme is clear: LV1 represents a significant step forward in digital mixing. It’s compact, flexible, modular, powerful, intuitive, and it sounds great. If your church or touring group has the means, this is one mixer you need to experience for yourself.
