Waves NLS

Reviews | Waves NLS
86
A
nalogue vs digital has,
without doubt, been the
biggest area of debate for
audio engineers and
producers since the fi rst digital
multi-tracks appeared in the late ’70s.
While digital has certainly won in
the recorder department (if only from a
practical viewpoint), when it comes to
mixing, analogue is still the holy grail.
Owning a large-scale analogue console,
though, is way beyond the means of
most music makers, so what can you do
to compete with the big boys? Until the
arrival of Slate Digital’s Virtual Console
Collection, the answer was probably a
summing mixer – and for some people
that’s still a great solution. If you’re
short of cash, though – or just want to
stay in the box – Waves NLS provides
another answer.
After deciding to build it, Waves
looked for three classic consoles to
model – and what better way to fi nd
them than to ask three famous
engineers for their personal favourites.
Each has been loved and beautifully
maintained by its owner, and as each
engineer knows his console inside out,
who better to say when the modelling
sounds right?
The three consoles are all classic
British designs: Mike Hedges’ EMI
TG12345 was originally in Abbey Road
and was used to record classic albums
such as Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The
Moon; Yoad Nevo’s customised Neve
5116 comes from that highly desirable
late-’70s/early ’80s period; and Mark
‘Spike’ Stent’s SSL 4000G is a true
’80s icon. Between them, these
consoles and their owners have racked
up millions of record sales, so how did
Waves go about capturing the magic?
Plug and play
NLS comes with two basic plugs:
channel and buss. As the controls are
basically the same, let’s walk through
the channel variation as you’ll use that
most. On launch, the plug looks simple
and straightforward. Under the VU
meter(s) are three buttons for selecting
a console. After you’ve chosen whose
studio you want to be in, the rest of the
controls are the same for each.
WHAT IS IT?
A non-linear summing
plug-in that emulates the
signal path of three
classic consoles
CONTACT
Who: Sonic Distribution
Tel: [phone]
Web: www.waves.com
HIGHLIGHTS
1 Very detailed and
accurate emulations
2 Three highly
distinctive-sounding
consoles
3 Excellent range of sounds,
from subtle to extreme
PRICING
TDM
$349
Native
$249
INCLUDES AUDIO
l
Waves NLS | from
$249
With emulations of three highly-regarded analogue
consoles, Waves want to put Non Linear Summing
on everyone’s wishlist. Stuart Bruce investigates
FMU255.rev_waves.indd 86 6/20/12 4:59 PM