The Waves Legacy
Waves has been renowned for their work in making some of the most timeless plugins. Since 1992, this company has been a staple in studios across the world, so here’s my pick for the top 5 eq’s from waves.
1. Req 6
My favorite eq when it comes time to make surgical cuts, but I also love too boost with this eq for a nice and colorful sound.
Few eq’s capture the tone and the smoothness of this 6-band equalizer, or at least in my opinion.
The cuts never sound hollow and the boosts never too much, and so for me this makes it my most used eq.
2. Puigtech Eq Emulations
The sound of the puigtech is full and beefy, due to the nature of the hardware it‘s emulated after.
Less of a surgical eq and more of a paintbrush, this eq is meant to help paint a picture with broad strokes that help it sound full and crisp.
3. Api Emulations
Api has been a leader is American Sonics for many years now, and there’s a reason why.
It’s warm and punchy tone helps make the source material pop out and have a place in the overall song.
The mid range push is perfect for pretty much anything that needs a little boost to help it stand in front.
4. SSL Channel Strip
The ssl console is a staple in any multi-million dollar studio, going all the way back to 1969.
This channel strips comes packed with many features, but the eq alone is something to admire.
Being a parametric eq similar to the req6, it gives you the flexibility to choose exactly what frequencies you want and how narrow you want the band.
5. Q10
the waves q10 is aimed at transparency and true to source sound.
While not only adding no character at all and keep the sound as clean as possible, it also lets you narrow your band to extremely low numbers and get as surgical as you need.
The Verdict
An eq, is an eq, is an eq.
At the end of the day an equalizer was meant to help you shape frequencies and get the exact sound you want.
Waves has some good options for beginners and even some experienced engineers to use, and they continue to innovate everyday, so find that eq that’s right for you and make that next radio record!