Waves / Abbey Road Studios | RS56 passive EQ

A passive equalizer with powerful sound-shaping capabilities, the RS56 Universal Tone Control was originally introduced in the early 1950s and used in Abbey Road Studios to prepare recordings for the record-lathe, as part of the process we now know as “mastering.” Later, Abbey Road’s pop engineers began using the RS56 for studio recordings because of its abilities to dramatically manipulate sound – unlike the basic treble and bass EQs found on the mixing consoles of the time. This earned it the nickname “The Curve Bender.”

Waves and Abbey Road Studios have faithfully recreated the unique magic of the RS56, using advanced circuit modeling techniques based on the original schematics. Like its hardware predecessor, the Waves: Abbey Road RS56 passive EQ plugin features three bands with four selectable center frequencies for each and six different filter types, plus independent or linked control over the left and right channels. The result is an extraordinary equalizer that is as effective today as it was when it was created over half a century ago.
 
http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=12265

Carl, I caught that too. Sux to be a Mercury user and not necessarily get "everything". Why do I get REDD but not RS56?
 
I thought I got the King's Microphones too. Apparently not.
 
Looks like Waves is changing their sales strategy??!!??

bapu
Carl, I caught that too. Sux to be a Mercury user and not necessarily get "everything". Why do I get REDD but not RS56?
 
I thought I got the King's Microphones too. Apparently not.
 
Looks like Waves is changing their sales strategy??!!??

It's probably licensing or royalties agreements between Waves & Abbey Road Studios, similar to King's or the SSL bundle..
I did contact Waves & voiced my opinion, not that it will do much good...Not going purchase esp. if there's an added WUP fee involved like SSL..

carl

bapu
Carl, I caught that too. Sux to be a Mercury user and not necessarily get "everything". Why do I get REDD but not RS56?
 
I thought I got the King's Microphones too. Apparently not.
 
Looks like Waves is changing their sales strategy??!!??

It's probably licensing or royalties agreements between Waves & Abbey Road Studios, similar to King's or the SSL bundle..
I did contact Waves & voiced my opinion, not that it will do much good...Not going purchase esp. if there's an added WUP fee involved like SSL..

Carl, AFAIK being a Mercury owner (and The SSL suite) I only have to pay one WUP (the max of course). Seems **if** I got the King's mic and RS56 I'd be covered, but who the heck really knows.

Well, at least Waves provided an explanation, even if it wasn't what you wanted to hear.

Does the world need another EQ?

Trying the demo & have to say it's a very nice eq. Softube Grand Channel  is equally as nice but if the fiasco with iLok continues I may quit using that dongle altogether after all these years.
These Waves+Abbey Road collabs (REDD) are turning out pretty well. 

Yes, it's nice. I never used the one in Kontakt though.

Truckermusic

yorolpal
I rather have the King's telephones anyway.  Or better yet...his xylophones!
 
Or his knee bone connected to his shin bone connected to his ankle bone.
 
Or an ice cream cone. 

 
Well.....I guess it's better than being Tommy Two Tone sitting on a park bench all alone
Even if he was sitting quietly eating his ice cream cone....

I played drums on some tracks on Tommy Tutone's second album.  I grew up with their keyboardist Steve LeGassick in Santa Barbara.  Nice guys.  
 
Rimshot
 

Mines working but I did have a few problems. I can see the writing on the wall. I just surrendered Melodyne & will use the computer activation.
I have 10 licenses left on it & will probably retire them, wait & see if any of the devs take the Waves / PluginAlliance route or simply sell off.
If I was losing income, say in a studio, for hire or live use I would be very upset.
We'll see but I sure won't be purchasing any new software that needs an iLok.

iLok's always been a touchy subject anyway, like bringing up politics or religion at a dinner party.

backwoods
I know what you're saying but when you've put out a few fires in your time this is nothing. Use other plugs- borrow someone elses iLok and work when he/she isn't for a few days/nights etc. Instead- people (who I don't actually think are professionals at all, just gearslutzaholics) go and make multiple whining posts on the internet- it's bizarre to me. p.s. sorry to veer off topic.

Hey buddy, I'm also sorry for going off-topic here, but I'm afraid you've severely underestimated the scope of the problems with iLok right now.  I've been following this story closely over the past ten days, from the moment I couldn't get the new iLok client to work on my own PC, and it's an epic fiasco of the sort that hasn't happened in years.  Ever hear of Kris Sharma?  It seems he's one of the many, many, professionals who have been caught up in this mess -- he apparently posted on the GS profile page of a PACE official trying to get help for his broken iLok, mentioning that his clients for the week included the Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, and Arcade Fire.  If they aren't big time, I don't know who is.
Anyone using ProTools is especially vulnerable to problems with iLok right now.  That's nearly all pro studios.  Not having your plugins is one thing (difficult to work on projects that already have them embedded, though), but being without your DAW means game over for a lot of folks.  Many people have lost income and clients over this.  The legal ramifications don't bode well for the future of PACE.
 
The president of PACE finally posted on GS yesterday to apologize, but hasn't said much about what he'll do to make things right.  He just said he's going to change things.  I'm not optimistic that PACE can pull off the complete turnaround necessary to restore credibility, though.  They've handled this episode in such a shockingly inept way that it's hard to fathom that they'll ever recover.  A lot of people, myself included, will no longer purchase iLok-protected products until (a) this mess is completely cleaned up; and (b) PACE either completely transforms itself and its business practices or hands the entire iLok infrastructure over to a truly professional organization.  The status quo is just too risky to accept, IMHO.
 
Anyway, here's some on-topic content:  I've been demoing the new Waves EQ, and it's got some serious mojo (sorry for the cliché) unlike any other EQ I've tried.  It does some lovely things to vocals particularly, and handles the low end so nicely -- boosting a kick drum, for example, just gives added oomph without making it sound boomy or flabby.  This is a trait very uncommon among EQs in my experience.  I do plan to purchase this plugin.  Bravo, Waves!
 
Cheers,
Eddie