In regards to Wave Plugin Demo's

Do they really want you to spend more than 30 bucks to try their demos? In regards to the iLok authorization and all? Is there a way around it where I can demo their plugins, and not have to spend 35 bucks?

I've had my issues with Waves ltd, the company, and I have issues with copy protection schemes, but I've never had issues with the Waves plug-ins!

I've had their Gold bundle since it was released, and prior to that the two bundles that morphed into Gold. These are some really killer plug-ins!

The basic compressor and equalizer plug-ins are remarkable for problem solving - they aren't musical like an LA-2 or an Pultec, but they weren't mean to be.

Their Rennaisance plug-ins do have character, tons of it. They are not 1:1 knock-offs of any hardware I'm familiar with, but you can use them in the same manner.

And their effects plugins (multi-tap, doppler, etc) are just amazing. So many parameters you can spend hours creating effects.

If I absolutely had to pick only one plug-in family it would probably be UA, at least this month. But I don't of course, and Waves is right up there with PSP, Kjaerhus, Voxengo, and of course UA.

It is a shame that they are so hung up on copy protection, I agree that asking someone to purchase an iLok just to demo is a bit much, but I've had this argument with them in the past, and their response never wavers... real pros already have iLoks, or should, and if you don't fall into that category then they aren't real worried about you. It's arrogant!

On a positive note, I've not had any issues with the iLok, or Pace in general, since moving to Windows XP - whenever that was.

IF you are really curious I'd just buy the iLok - you'll almost certainly find other uses for it as well.

dmbaer
Too bad I'm just a serious hobbiest with lots of disposable income.  I guess they don't want to deal with that kind of riff-raff.  

Well they don't... and a tiny part of me would love to respect them for that attitude, but the irony of the situation makes that impossible<G>!

I started out in studios while still in high school, when an 8 track studio was really something - even 8 tracks on 1/2" tape! There was a cost of entry into the recording world, and it was steep!

Companies like Waves have so lowered the cost of entry - it's was a long, slow, decrease when it was still all hardware, but with the advent of usable audio editing on a computer, well, game over. And certainly Waves was a major player in the change.

And now they don't want people who aren't 'professionals'? Too funny!

Again, if you have the cash I would recommend trying them out - I can't think of anyone I know that didn't end up buying at least one of the lower end bundles.

In all fairness, over the last 10 years I know lots of folks, myself included, who have refused to use their Waves plug-ins because of some really dumb decisions the company made along the way, but most of us eventually went back when the company tried to make nice, not because we like the company, but because the plug-ins really are good.

You'll get no argument from me or anyone I know about the attitude at Waves ltd. It is better now that it has been for the last 8 - 10 years, but it still needs quite a bit of polish!

That said, once you use them they really are difficult to give up... well some of them anyway. I know of nothing that can completely replace C1, Doppler, Enigma, MondoMod, or SuperTap.

Lately I have been using the UAD Cambridge in places where I used to use Q10. And the PSP 608 and Nitro gave seen more work lately as well. Part of my problem replacing the Waves plug-ins is that I spent so much time using them that I know how to get what I'm after quickly... usually<G>!