Mastering is arguably the most important step in the music production process. It’s where your tracks transform from good to great, achieving a polished, radio-ready quality. Waves, a leader in audio plugin technology, offers a range of tools that can elevate your music to a new level. So, let’s explore the top 5 best waves mastering plugins and discover how they can enhance your production workflow.
The Top 5 Best Waves Mastering Plugins
The Waves Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain is a premium mastering plugin modeled after the iconic EMI TG12410 Transfer Console. As such, it combines the vintage analog warmth of Abbey Road Studios recordings with modern digital precision.
Conveniently, this plugin includes many modules for filtering, EQ, compression, and limiting. It also allows you to turn on and off any section you like. So, despite being a classic mastering solution, it’s highly versatile.
That said, such a fantastic plugin may need some time to get used to. That’s especially true for those unfamiliar with working on analog equipment.
Pros
- It emulates the unique sonic characteristics of the original Abbey Road EMI TG12410 Transfer Console.
- The compressor is very transparent, adding glue to your mixes.
- It’s suitable for many musical styles, meeting the different preferences of mastering professionals.
Cons
- The plugin has a slight learning curve, especially for those not used to analog equipment.
Capturing those vibes of analog tapes without the hassle of upkeeping an actual tape machine seemed far from reach. However, this changed with the release of the spectacular Waves Abbey Road J37 Tape plugin.
Our choice of runner-up plugin emulates the legendary J37 4-track tape machine used at Abbey Road Studios. It injects a rich analog tape saturation into the audio mix for the vintage feel of classic tape recordings.
Such a remarkable plugin offers controls for tape speed, saturation, and tape delay. So, whether you want to enhance an individual track or add glue to an entire mix, this plugin is what you need.
Pros
- It adds character and captures the essence of classic hits.
- It includes three different delay types for creative applications.
- It’s affordable and relatively easy to use.
Cons
- It can be CPU intensive
The Waves F6 Floating-Band Dynamic EQ plugin is an achiever in equalization. It features a superb processor that responds dynamically to audio content. It also has six flexible floating bands, easily deployable anywhere in the frequency spectrum.
Such a plugin gives you outstanding control over the audio signal. On top of that, it provides you with an effective toolkit for shaping the sound’s tonal characteristics.
From side chaining and parallel compression to mid-side processing, the plugin’s capabilities are exceptional.
Plus, its compatibility with touchscreen interfaces ensures a user-friendly experience for all users. With zero latency and low CPU usage, the F6 Floating-Band Dynamic EQ is the real deal.
Pros
- The plugin’s solo and sidechain monitoring options per band enhance precision during the shaping process.
- It provides efficient and highly responsive performance because of the low CPU usage.
- It’s versatile to use in different audio scenarios, whether it be individual tracks, mixing, or mastering.
Cons
- Some users may experience a slight learning curve due to the amount of features and controls included.
For peak limiting and level maximization, the Waves L2 Ultramaximizer plugin delivers exceptional precision. Its look-ahead brick wall peak limiting ensures optimal signal integrity, preventing overshoots and distortion.
This popular plugin offers a dynamic range of control, allowing users to switch between manual and automatic release control. As such, it helps users manipulate the release characteristics to their liking.
Furthermore, with Increased Digital Resolution (IDR), the plugin guarantees a high level of detail and transparency in audio reproduction. It also helps achieve pristine audio quality through advanced options, such as bit re-quantization and dither with a 9th-order noise-shaping filter.
Pros
- It supports resolutions up to 24-bit/192kHz for high-fidelity audio production needs.
- It provides mono and stereo components for different applications in many audio scenarios.
- It offers fantastic features on a simple and user-friendly interface.
Cons
- It has limited features compared to other popular mastering limiters and maximizers.
The Waves WLM Plus Loudness Meter is a spectacular solution for loudness monitoring. Designed to meet broadcast and streaming standards, it offers flexible monitoring modes. This includes Momentary, Short-Term, and integrated to provide detailed loudness analysis.
With advanced display options and customizable layouts, users can utilize this excellent plugin for many audio production needs. Additionally, its program and short-term loudness history graphs provide dynamic content insights.
Not only that, but this plugin also comes with a helpful logging and warning system. Such a feature helps alert you when you exceed or fall short of a specific loudness range.
So, whether you work in film, audio, broadcast, or media production, the Waves WLM Plus Loudness Meter should be one of your go-to plugins.
Pros
- Customizable layouts and advanced display options for optimal visibility.
- It allows for real-time loudness measurement during playback as well as offline analysis for pre-recorded audio.
- It includes peak level monitoring with True Peak detection for accurate measurement of audio peaks.
- It offers simple configurations at a reasonable price point.
Cons
- There are no significant drawbacks to this plugin.