Brian Walton
Also note if you use more than one computer, Waves is one of the only company that gives you only one single liscence.  I HATE that.  You can author to a USB stick, but then you have to use a USB port just for that.
 
They make pro quality stuff, but I seem to have trouble with them every single time I try to add another one to the collection and the Waves Installer.  They also take a LONG time to scan on startup, so if you buy them, you might want to check the don't scan at startup button and just run it when you add more to the computer.

 
These are exactly the reasons why I don't use Waves plugins anymore!
 
In addition to this: Their installer is a nightmare, it cannot remove one single plugin (e.g. a trial). You have to remove all of them and then reinstall the ones you want! This documents also something about their development quality!
 
 
But for me the worst dislike with Waves plugins applies to their shell solution (for the DAWs there is only the Waves shell plugin visible, the individual plugins are hidden). This causes LONG plugin scan times in every DAW as Brian has mentioned above. And additionally you cannot organize the Waves plugins in folders of your choice like with all other plugins. I am also convinced that some problems with Waves plugins in several DAWs occur because of this exotic shell solution!
 
Another complain about Waves that I have heard on this forum, is their nasty update strategy. First they allure you with great sale prices, but then again and again they force you to pay for updates that do essentially not contain something new!

Not sure how a company forces you to pay for updates. Will waves stop working if you don't pay for the updates?

Kman88
Not sure how a company forces you to pay for updates. Will waves stop working if you don't pay for the updates?

I think the strategy is to get you to buy a incredible deal on one of their plugins for $29, but then installing it hoses the other Waves plugins you had working, so you have to buy the support to make them all work with the latest WaveShell thing they use. I have only one Waves plugin and thought about buying a second one, but since I didn't buy support on the one I already have, decided to blow it off and not get myself into a clusterf*ck over a fire sale priced plugin.  Since then I started using the Linux version of REAPER and totally stopped using the one Waves plugin I have.

the_user_formally_known_as_glennbo
I think the strategy is to get you to buy a incredible deal on one of their plugins for $29, but then installing it hoses the other Waves plugins you had working, so you have to buy the support to make them all work with the latest WaveShell thing they use.

Sorry, but this is simply wrong. You can run Waves v9 and v10 plugins on the same computer without problems so long as they aren’t versions of the same plugin. So no, upgrading some plugins to v10/buying a v10 plugin does not force you to upgrade all your existing v9 plugins.

https://www.waves.com/sup...uently-asked-questions

Generally you are right tlw, you can use plugins of different versions. But on the other hand many users had a mess with it. There was an own thread here on this forum about users' pain trying to use plugins of 2 versions. In the end there were some who dicided to upgrade because of the problems and that's exactly what Waves wanted by making it a bit fuzzy. Also their upgrade invitation per e-mail is quite confusing and pushing.

It's a combo of circumventing pirated software and to keep revenue flowing. I hate "renting" software but that is the trend these days. I purchased a lifetime upgrade to Sonar Platinum just a month or two before the announcement.
 
I've fought with software upgrades in the past so maybe I'm up to the challenge to find out what Waves plugins sound like.
 
I agree that splat provides some great ones and I have them all still. But I'm nostalgic for the Gold bundle which at one time I dreamed about but couldn't afford. Wish me luck. Lol

tlw is correct. V9 and V10 (along with older versions if you still have them and not upgraded) will exist on the same machine.
 
Marled is also correct in that there was some serious issues with V9 and V10 being on the same machine when V10 first came out. It did cause a lot of people here grief. But Waves support worked it out and as far as I know, no one had to pay to get the fix. 
 
Kman88 no the plugin will work as long as you want them to. You won't ever have to pay to upgrade them so they will work. What you pay for is a newer version of the same plugin. And the ability to sell/transfer the plugin if you choose. 
 
Also Kman88, there is not a dud plugin in the Gold bundle. They are all great plugins. I have lots of Waves plugin and don't regret the purchases. Most were made after the prices started going way down. I don't think I paid full price for one single Waves plugin. Money was well spent. Excellent plugins.
 
A little advise Kman88, get the Gold first for $99. That's a no-brainer price. See if you like them and the install/licenses process. Then if you find you want the SSL collection, wait for a sale. It will happen, just give it time and wait for the time to pounce!! That SSL collection is really good. You will hear a difference.
 
And like Mark says in post #8, the CA-2A is just as good as the rest of the emulations anyone has. So if ya got it, stick with it.

So if splat has great plugs, and I also have ozone, what more do I need?
 
One poster says sheps omni channel, another says we already have pro channel.
 
So another way to ask, what is the one waves plugin you use that you couldn't live without?
 
I'm trying to buy the right bundle(s) and single(s) and keep under $200. But the diamond bundle is tempting at $249. But is the money better spent on gold and ssl 4000? And that one other wave plug you just can't live without.
 
Thanks,
 
Kevin
 

As for the original question regarding quality, you'll hear very few complaints about Waves products. Aside from a few UI issues over the years, they have been remarkably reliable. In terms of audio quality they are as good as anything out there.
 
The problem with Waves isn't with quality, but rather their business practices. After three separate occasions when my Waves plugins abruptly stopped working and essentially accused my of being a thief, and (at that time) there was zero support available without a WUP contract, I abandoned Waves.
 
Once upon a time, Waves offered unique products that had no comparable substitutes. The good news is that that is no longer the case. These days folks can easily equip their toolkits with everything they need without Waves.
 
Assuming, of course, that one's bag of tricks is actually incomplete to begin with. I would argue that with X2 you already have everything you need, all of excellent quality, with just one notable exception: X2 lacked a really good limiter. Get yourself a copy of Ozone Advanced from iZotope and you'll be set.

I really love the sound of Kramer Master Tape on my drum buss. I use it on every song I record. To say I couldn't live without it? Nah... I can't say that. I think any waves plugin has an equivalent or better made by many other companies.