Waves NLS Manuel utilisateur

WAVES

NLS

NON-LINEAR

SUMMER

USER GUIDE

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – Introduction..................................................................... 3

1.1 Welcome..................................................................................................................3

1.2 Product Overview....................................................................................................3

1.3 Concepts and Terminology......................................................................................4

1.4 Components............................................................................................................7

Chapter 2 – Quick Start Guide ........................................................... 8

Chapter 3 – Interface and Controls .................................................. 10

3.1 NLS Channel Interface..........................................................................................10

3.2 NLS Channel Controls...........................................................................................11

3.3 NLS Buss Interface................................................................................................13

3.4 NLS Buss Controls................................................................................................14

3.5 NLS VCA Groups Console Interface.....................................................................16

3.6 NLS - VCA Group Console Controls .....................................................................17

Waves NLS

User Guide

1.5WaveSystem Toolbar...............................................................................................7

Chapter 1 – Introduction

1.1 Welcome

Thank you for choosing Waves! In order to get the most out of your new Waves plugin,

please take a moment to read this user guide.

To install software and manage your licenses, you need to have a free Waves account.

products, renew your Waves Update Plan, participate in bonus programs, and keep up

to date with important information.

We suggest that you become familiar with the Waves Support pages: www.waves.com/

support. There are technical articles about installation, troubleshooting, specifications,

and more. Plus, you’ll find company contact information and Waves Support news.

1.2 Product Overview

Waves, together with three of today’s leading producer/engineers, brings you the

analog summing sound of three legendary consoles

The SSL 4000G belonging to Mark ‘Spike’ Stent (Radiohead, Björk, Muse,

Maroon 5, Madonna).

The EMI TG12345 Mk 4 desk owned by Mike Hedges (The Cure, Siouxsie and

the Banshees, Dido, Faithless, Manic Street Preachers, U2), heard on such

timeless recordings as Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon.

The Neve 5116 console custom-made for Yoad Nevo (Bryan Adams, Pet Shop

Boys, Sugababes, Goldfrapp, Air).

In all, Waves meticulously modeled over 100 individual channels, analyzing and

emulating the distinctive color, character, and behavior of each and every input and

summing bus amp.

One of the great things about the digital environment is also one of its greatest

drawbacks: Its linearity, while utterly transparent, often results in sterile tracks that lack

warmth and harmonic depth. NLS delivers the richness and complexity that only analog

gear has been able to provide—until now.

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1.3 Concepts and Terminology

Analog Console Summing

Ever since the dawn of the digital audio revolution, engineers the world over have tried

to replicate the sound of analog summing, in the box. Many top engineers add an analog

hardware console or summing box to their setup, and route multitrack audio from the

DAW to the analog device, and back again as stereo, in order to get analog summing

coloration.

With that in mind, Waves began exploring the mysteries of analog summing with the

help of Mark ‘Spike’ Stent, who generously lent us his SSL 4000G desk. Our research

suggested that its individual channel preamps, working together with one another in

conjunction with the master buss preamp, are responsible for its indefinable yet highly

desirable sound. Furthermore, we concluded that perceived depth and image—what

we’ve come to know as ‘non-linearity’—are the result of minor differences in frequency

response, harmonic distortion and noise between the channels.

Analog Character

Analog devices produce electrical artifacts that affect frequency response, add

harmonics, cause signal clipping and increase noise. These artifacts, which sound

engineers often consider the ‘character’ of a particular device, result from a combination

of factors such as component grade, technology type (i.e., vacuum tubes vs. transistors),

power supply specifications, equipment casing and other variables. Waves modeled

these artifacts for each individual console channel.

Frequency Response

Depending on the circuit, input signal frequency response varies. Some circuits cut

frequencies; others boost them. This behavior is part of the overall device character, and

should not be confused with user-adjustable EQ.

Harmonics (THD/Total Harmonic Distortion)

THD is low-level distortion based on the levels of the odd and even harmonics of an

input signal, usually at a level much lower than the fundamental level. Normally, each

Waves NLS

User Guide

harmonic is at a lower level than its predecessor, creating a natural decay. THD balance

and decay are circuit dependent, and thus differ from device to device.

Clipping

Clipping is high-level distortion that adds harmonics to the input signal at a level that is

very close to the fundamental level, with each harmonic remaining at a level close to its

predecessor. Clipping occurs when a device such as a preamp is fed with a signal too

strong for it to handle, and the device ‘chops’ the waveform to fit its power limitations.

For example, when a sine wave is driven hot into a preamp, it almost becomes a square

wave.

Noise

Noise occurs in analog devices due to the interaction between the power supply and the

device’s electrical and magnetic shielding properties, resulting in random low level

signals. The noise level defines the dynamic depth of the usable signal, what we call

Signal-to-Noise Ratio or SNR. For example, in a 16-bit audio file, the noise level is -95

dBFS, which translates into 95 dB of depth. In an analog console, where noise is set at

about -80 dBu and the clipping point is 20 dBu, the depth is 100 dB.

Session Setup

Since analog console coloration is created by the console’s individual channel and buss

amplifiers, the NLS includes both Channel and Buss components. To faithfully reproduce

the DAW to analog console (and back again) signal chain and workflow, we recommend

using the NLS in one of two following session setup configurations.

1. As a virtual summing box or summing console: The NLS Channel is inserted on the

last insert of the DAW audio tracks, like a direct out routed to an analog console. The

NLS Buss is placed on the first insert of the master track (or any other buss), just as the

stereo return would be routed from the analog console back to the DAW.

2. To simulate console preamp coloration: The NLS Channel is placed on the first insert

of your DAW audio tracks, and the NLS Buss can then be inserted at any point on the

buss or master track.

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The NLS automatically ensures channel variation by loading a different channel model

for each instance of the NLS Channel component, chosen from the pool of 32 modeled

channels per console.

VCA Groups

In the analog world, VCA is an acronym for Voltage Controlled Amplifier. On many

analog consoles, there is a physical distance between channels that makes it difficult to

move them simultaneously. Therefore, many consoles are equipped with VCA group

faders which are used to control the output amplifiers of multiple channels.

In the NLS plugin, VCA stands for Virtual Control Aggregator which, similar to its analog

counterpart, provides simultaneous control over multiple NLS Channel instances. For

easy access, the NLS VCA Groups Console can be opened from any NLS instance.

Each NLS instance must be assigned, from within its GUI, to a VCA Group. Please note:

VCA Group Consoles do not process your signal in any way; rather, they serve as

remote control surfaces for groups of NLS instances.

Presets

There are 32 channels and master buss presets per Studio console. User presets are

comprised of two parts: one for the Channel or Buss section, and one for the VCA

Groups Console section. Each section may be loaded independently using the Waves

preset system; they may not be loaded independently using your host’s preset system.

NLS Channel components open different modeled presets for each instance. However, if

a channel instance is duplicated, the same model will be duplicated as well. Therefore,

we recommend that each NLS Channel instance is opened directly from your DAW drop-

down menu, or using the shortcuts described below.

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1.4 Components

WaveShell technology enables us to split Waves processors into smaller plugins, which

we call components. Having a choice of components for a particular processor gives

you the flexibility to choose the configuration best suited to your material.

Waves NLS includes two components each in two channel configurations:

NLS Channel Mono

NLS Channel Stereo

NLS Buss Mono

NLS Buss Stereo

All NLS components have IRXUVDPSOHVRI latency.

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1.5 WaveSystem Toolbar

Use the bar at the top of the plugin to save and load presets, compare settings, undo

and redo steps, and resize the plugin. To learn more, click the icon at the upper-right

corner of the window and open the WaveSystem Guide.

Chapter 2 – Quick Start Guide

As a starting point, we recommend using the NLS in one of the two configurations

described above.

Quick Start

Open the NLS Channel at the last insert point on every track.

Open the NLS Buss on your master or other buss.

VCA Group Usage

By default, all NLS instances are assigned to VCA Group 1.

For global control over all NLS instances in the session, open the VCA Group Console

via one of the Channel or Buss instances.

Set the VCA Group Drive which affects all instances in the group.

Set the VCA Group Trim, if required.

Select the VCA Group Studio setting. Selecting INDIV leaves each NLS instance with

its selected Studio setting; selecting SPIKE, MIKE or NEVO changes all NLS

instances in the group to the selected Studio.

Set the VCA Group Noise, if required.

Advanced VCA Group Usage

Set all NLS Channel instances on drum tracks (for example) to VCA 1.

Set all NLS Channel instances on guitar tracks (for example) to VCA 2.

Set all NLS Channel instances on vocal tracks (for example) to VCA 3, and so on.

Set all NLS Buss instances to VCA 8.

Open the VCA Groups Console.

Using the VCA Tab, rename the groups according to their assignments by

double-clicking on the text field, typing the new name, and clicking Enter: Grp1

renamed to Drums (for example), Grp 2 renamed to Guitars (for example), etc.

Open the VCA Groups Console in the Master track NLS instance, and turn on

Auto, enabling VCA write/read automation.

Use the VCA Groups Console as your main stem control.

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Host-Specific Shortcuts

Pro Tools

To create multiple plugin instances for the entire session:

Hold Alt/Option + select NLS on a Mono track.

Hold Alt/Option + select NLS on a Stereo track*.

To create multiple plugin instances for selected tracks

Select multiple channels.

Hold Shift + Alt/Option + select NLS on a Mono track.

Hold Shift + Alt/Option + select NLS on a Stereo track*.

*This is to ensure that Stereo tracks receive NLS stereo components rather than two

NLS mono components (multi-mono).

Setting NLS VCA Groups for Grouped Tracks

Create Pro Tools Edit/Mix groups.

In the Group menu, select Modify Groups, open the Globals tab, and check the

Control box next to the Insert point (a or j) where NLS will be instantiated.

Instantiate NLS for the Pro Tools group.

Open one NLS instance and assign the NLS VCA group; this selection will be

duplicated to all NLS instances in the Pro Tools group.

Cubase / Nuendo

To create multiple plugin instances for selected tracks:

Select multiple channels.

Hold Alt/Option + Shift and insert NLS on the first channel.

Logic

To create multiple plugin instances for selected tracks:

Select multiple channels.

Insert NLS on one of the Mono tracks in the selection.

Insert NLS on one of the Stereo tracks in the selection.

Waves NLS

User Guide

Chapter 3 – Interface and Controls

NLS graphic user interface comprises three elements, the Channel controls, the Buss

controls, and the VCA Group Console section available as a Tab in the Channel

instances or as a foldable GUI extension in the Buss instances.

3.1 NLS Channel Interface

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