" Someday business schools will use Waves as a case study on how destroy your company by disrespecting your customers. "
Byron Dickens
BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency.
I have a bunch of their plug-ins, and they're great.
That said, as the previous poster indicated, their customer service leaves a whole lot to be desired. Lots of hidden upcharges, almost impossible to transfer your licenses if you get a new computer, etc.
So far I haven't encountered any nightmare scenarios myself, but I've talked to enough people who have to be aware they exist. But as I said, they are great plug-ins as far as the functionality and doing what they say they'll do. Quite a few of them are "go-to" plugins for me.
If so, which ones and what do you specifically like about them?
Their SSL G-Masterbus compressor lives on my master bus.
No serious compression, just a 2/1 ratio and a high threshold, 2db of compression at most, never more and almost inaudible. But it does something with the low-end that I like.
And even when it's called a 'Masterbus compressor', I use it here and there for vocals.
No idea how it compares to more expensive versions of the same compressor, but I got it (almost) for free and like what it does.
I own a couple of the Waves plugins. The one I use the most is Vocal Rider. Which works just like someone riding the fader up and down on the vocal track. I also have the Bass Rider but don't use it at all. The Vocal Rider can be had for under $30 on sale. If I remember right I had to pay for a upgrade to a newer OS at one point which I am sure you will find plenty of negative comments from waves users.
BIAB 2024 Ultrapack- Studio One Pro 6.5 Windows 10
Their products are good, and I use a number of them.
But... their sales tactics leave a lot to be desired.
Waves is well know for having running non-stop "sales", with "lowest price ever" meaning it's the same "lowest price ever" that it was last time.
They also constantly push their upgrade plans. This is mostly an issue for Mac users, since Windows often has excellent backwards compatibility between versions. Mac users, not so much. So you either buy into the upgrade plan, or re-purchase the products when an upgrade breaks the old plugins.
A couple of months back Waves announced without warning they were switching to a subscription-only model.
Glossing over many, many details, this did not go well.
Waves eventually backpedaled, but many users thought the way that Waves chose to do this showed a willingness to throw many long-time users under the bus simply to maximize profits.
That said, they have many excellent plugins. For example, they just announced a neural network based de-reverberation.
Waves plugs don,t work in real band! I know i tried rob!
Correct - Waves uses a "shell" plugin, which is one single DLL file that masquerades itself as multiple different plugins, and quite a few programs don't support that. Band-in-a-Box does, however RealBand and PowerTracks do not.
As for Waves plugins themself, I quite like the Renaissance Compressor, though I typically use it for expansion rather than compression.
Add updated printing options, enhanced tracks settings, smoother use of MGU and SGU (BB files) within PowerTracks, and more with the latest PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 update!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!
The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!
There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.
If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.
We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!
Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.
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