Waves NLS User manual

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
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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.
Sign up at www.waves.com. With a Waves account you can keep track of your
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
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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.
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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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