Waves Gate Plugin

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Waves Audio has a bunch of plugins designed specifically to save time in the studio when mixing vocals.

For this reason (among other reasons), they’ve become an industry standard, and many people know it.

So in this guide, we’ll go over the best Waves plugins for vocals….

… we’ve done the research so you don’t have to.

Quick answer: when it comes to the plugins Waves offers for mixing vocals, there are so many, and each offer different specified features you can use.

That said, CLA Vocals from Waves Audio is sometimes referred to as the one plugin you can use for vocals if you could only choose one.

Make sure you take a look at the others below for other choices specific for what you might need.

Let’s take a closer look 🙂

Table of Contents

• Waves Vocal Plugins Buying Guide

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Waves Vocal Plugins Buying Guide

Common Types of Vocal Effects

You might be surprised to know how much effects are applied to vocal tracks in your typical pop or rock production…

Although much ado is usually made about “clean” and “natural” vocals, most songs would sound pretty boring if the vocals weren’t unprocessed in some way.

Compression

Compression is one of the most commonly applied vocal effects. This serves to balance out the levels in the audio, preventing the peaks from clipping the circuitry and letting softer sections be heard over the music.

Read more about how to compress vocals.

Equalization

EQ is also frequently applied in order to enhance the tonal character of the vocal. In some cases, dynamic EQ is used to reduce brightness or bottom end in some sections, while boosting the same in others.

Effects

Other effects that may be applied to vocal tracks are reverb, delay, chorusing or doubling, or even distortion or modulation effects. Unless you are going for a harsh industrial vocal delivery however, effects are best applied judiciously, and always in the service of the song.

Read more about mixing vocals.

Why You Need the Right Plug-ins for Mixing Vocals

One of the reasons why you’d need any kind of plug-in is to make certain aspects of your recording stand out above the rest. And since vocals arguably are the most important aspect of a song, it makes it easier for vocals to be heard over the instrumental background if you apply the right effects or dynamics plugin.

Effects may also be applied for creative reasons, as would be the case when going for a special effect, or treating vocals in a genre-specific manner.

Then of course, dynamics processors such as limiters and compressors are used to address specific technical concerns (ie. in order to prevent clipping or to allow of an increase in RMS levels), or for artistic or creative purposes.

Who is Waves Audio?

Not that any introduction is needed… but Waves Audio is an audio software company that makes the industry standard plugins for music production. They’ve worked with a number of prominent people and companies in the audio industry over the years to develop audio tools and modeled emulations of hardware processors. They were even honored with a Technical Grammy Award in 2011 for its “contributions of outstanding technical significance” to the recording field.

However, the objective of this guide is not to “push” Waves plugins. If you check many music production and audio engineering forums, the question as to what Waves plugins are best for vocals always arise…

To settle this once and for all, and to make it easier for those that want to know, we’ve put together a buying guide to instruct you on the best choice to make among Waves Audio’s massive collection.

With that said, let us begin 🙂

The Best Waves Plugins for Vocals

CLA Vocals

CLA Vocals is an all-in-one vocal processing plug-in developed in collaboration Chris Lord-Alge, who is an award-winning engineer. It was designed to aid in vocal mixing using Lord-Alge’s very own effects parameter settings to so that users can produce quality vocal tracks in less time that it would normally take.

Six effects are include in the chain, helping you get your vocal tracks radio-ready with less effort as compared to standard vocal processing. This of it as your “instant Chris Lord-Alge” in a box.

Specs and useful features

• All-in-one vocal processor plug-in
• Developed in collaboration with Chris Lord-Alge
• Combines delay, reverb, and pitch modulation effects
• Tone controls for easy shaping of vocal tracks
• Multiple compression types for more control over dynamics
• Helps you achieve radio-ready sound quickly

User impressions

Like all the CLA plug-ins, CLA Vocals gets high marks from users for its sound and consistently results. For users that need polished, radio-friendly vocals quickly, this has become something of a go-to plug-in.

Although the CLA Vocals can do a great job of prettying up vocals in the majority of cases, some users found that it provides a little less control over certain parameters than they would have liked. While there is no doubt that it can provide all the sweetening that a vocal track needs most of the time, there are instances when a custom effects chain provided superior results.

Bottom-line

The CLA Vocals is pretty hard not to like, especially for its price. For perhaps 90% of all vocal-related processing applications, this could be the only plug-in you will need. For the other 10% of the time however, you might be better off rolling your own vocal processing chain using your DAW’s native plugins. Even so, we can heartily recommend the CLA Vocals as a useful addition to your sonic toolbox.

Demonstration

Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter

The Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter is modeled after the original Aphex hardware processing unit. Developed in association with Aphex, the plug-in does a good job at capturing the character of the original hardware device, adding presence and brilliance to even the dullest audio. The Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter is equally suited to vocal and instrumental tracks, making them stand out in a mix without the need for excessive EQing.

Specs and useful features

• Modeled after original tube-powered hardware processor
• Developed in association with Aphex
• Adds brightness, vibrancy and depth to audio
• Increases presence without increasing levels
• Suitable for vocals as well as instrumental tracks
• Mix and AX modes for insert or send configurations

User impressions

Users that have experience with both the original Aphex hardware unit and the Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter mostly have nice things to say about the plug-in. Although it can handle most any type of audio pumped through it, the plug-in has an especially attractive quality on vocals. In fact, most users that have used the Aural Exciter for vocal processing simply refuse to mix or master a track without it, citing the wonderfully ‘present’ sheen it provides.

Bottom-line

The Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter is one of those plug-ins that can be easy to overuse f you’re not careful, simply because it just sounds so good. With its ability to add life and vibrancy to even the dullest tracks, it is just way too tempting to slather it all over everything, resulting in a harsh and brittle sound. If you can manage to use the plug-in in moderation, it could be quite a potent ingredient in your recipe for vocal perfection.

Demonstration

Vocal Rider

The Vocal Rider is a vocal and dialog leveling plug-in that adjusts the level of vocal tracks automatically. It has the ability to limit the dynamic range of audio without introducing artifacts, so it saves considerable time and effort in mixing down vocals and making them stand out in a mix.

The Vocal Rider also allows for the drawing of the slider adjustments into an automation track in the DAW, enabling finer control over the level.

A Live component with Spill control is also included, which detects and processes just the vocal part alone without affecting the music or background audio.

Specs and useful features

• Automatic vocal and dialog leveling
• Automation of vocal parts speeds up mixing
• Writable to automation track for fine tuning
• Real-time processing
• Zero latency and no need for pre-scanning
• Vocal Rider Live component

User impressions

If there is one thing about the Vocal Rider that makes users almost fanatical about it, simplicity would have to be it. Many users are absolutely smitten with how easy it is to automatically control vocal levels with the plug-in, citing its great value as a timesaver in the studio.

The Vocal Rider is especially popular among those that want the dynamic limiting effect of compression without the artifacts that compressors can sometimes leech into the sound. For these users, the Vocal Rider is a more transparent and natural-sounding solution that often negates the need for a separate compressor.

Bottom-line

The Vocal Rider is such an amazingly simple plug-in in concept that you have to wonder why no one else has ever thought of it before. For the price, you simply can’t do better than this plug-in if you are after natural and musical volume leveling.

Demonstration

Renaissance Vox

One of the most powerful and versatile compressors in the Waves product line, the Renaissance Vox has been optimized specifically for processing vocals.

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The controls you get for compression, gating and expansion, limiting, and level maximization are simple yet effect.

With this plug-in, producing polished-sounding vocals can be done with minimal effort.

Specs and useful features

• Combination compressors, gate, limiter, and level maximizer plug-in
• Soft-knee compression
• Auto make-up gain
• Gentle downward expander for gating noise
• Optimized for vocals
• Peak hold indicators for instant visual feedback on signal peaks
• Clip-Guard Output Limiter prevents clipping

User impressions

The Renaissance Vox has quite a surprising number of devotees, with lots of audio engineer forum users referring this as their go-to choice, which is all the more remarkable considering how long it has been around. The plug-in clearly appeals to those that live by the tenet: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

In any case, most of the complimentary reviews of the Renaissance Vox make mention of its utter simplicity and straightforwardness, which is especially impressive given the amount of control available. For many users, the plug-in suffices for most vocal processing applications, with the added benefit of usability for a variety of instrumental tracks.

Bottom-line

The Renaissance Vox is another time saving plug-in that makes quick work of producing polished and radio-ready vocal tracks. If there is anything negative that can be said about it, it is that it sometimes imparts a sort of metallic quality to the top end. But even this can be seen as a unique, distinctive, and not-wholly-undesirable characteristic. In any case, the Renaissance Vox is well worth adding to your plug-in tool chest, even if you already have a bunch of other compressor plug-ins.

Demonstration

Renaissance Compressor

This a multi-purpose compressor that is equally effective on individual tracks as it is on entire mixes, the Renaissance Compressor also works remarkably well on vocals.

“Warm” and “present” are among its most defining sonic characteristics, yet it can be as transparent as you need it to be for natural vocal treatment.

Specs and useful features

• Two compression modes: Vintage Opto and modern Electro
• Internal brickwall limiting prevents clipping
• Auto Release Control (ARC) allows increase of RMS levels
• Double precision bit resolution processing
• Up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution
• Mono and stereo components

User impressions

The Renaissance Compressor seems to attract an equal number of users that praise it for its transparency and those that rave over its distinctive sonic character. Perhaps it is a testament to how versatile it is that people of seemingly different tastes and priorities keep finding uses for this venerable plug-in. As it is, this particular Waves classic is a favorite for vocal processing, but it can quickly switch roles and deliver punchy drum, bass, guitar, and piano tracks at the drop of a hat.

Bottom-line

There is a good reason why the Waves Renaissance Compressor still makes it to compressor plug-in rundowns years after it was released. Even with so many excellent plug-ins littering the market, the Renaissance Compressor still manages to command attention with its ability to be as transparent or as squashed as needed.

Now, you don’t necessarily want this to be the only compressor you have in your collection, and you definitely don’t want to pump all your audio tracks through it as a matter of course. But we would be lying if we said that the Renaissance Compressor didn’t have a place in every studio engineer’s arsenal.

Demonstration

Renaissance DeEsser

As we mentioned in the de-esser plugin guide, the Renaissance DeEsser is one of the best at reducing and eliminating the sibilant “ess” and “shh” sounds that can ruin a great vocal take.

Its ability to reduce unwanted high frequencies while preserving the audio quality is quite good, as it’s an accurate de-essing technology can handle sibilance in male and female vocals.

Specs and useful features

• Simple and effective removal of harsh sibilance from vocal tracks
• Ideally suited for recording, mixing, live sound, and broadcast
• Frequency-dependent dynamics control preserves original sound
• Simple adaptive threshold
• Adjustable gain reduction
• Phase compensated crossover reduces artifacts
• Audio and side-chain monitoring

User impressions

Most users of the Renaissance DeEsser have nothing but good things to say about this supremely useful plug-in. Cleanliness and transparency are among its most frequently-praised characteristics, although many users also attest to its ability to nuke sibilance aggressively without thrashing the source audio.

Some users did complain about the absence of an attenuation meter. Others felt that the graph doesn’t do an adequate job of displaying how much of the audio is being treated. Nevertheless, reviews are generally favorable for the Renaissance DeEsser. Many users even rely on it exclusively, even with many other de-esser plug-ins available on the market.

Bottom-line

In terms of quality, ease of use, and consistency, Renaissance DeEsser is classic Waves through and through. You simply can’t beat a classic, and this one definitely fits into that category. A very effective vocal de-esser that can also work wonders on cymbals, guitars, and other high frequency tracks, the Renaissance DeEsser is an essential add on to your set of studio goodies.

Demonstration

Waves Doubler

The simply-named, Doubler adds a doubling effect to source audio, making it sound bigger, wider, and more present in a mix. This particular plug-in more too, offering delay and pitch modulation effects as well. The Doubler is both a unique effects processor and a time-saver in the studio, negating the need for traditional double-tracking in most cases.

Specs and useful features

• Double-tracking and chorus capabilities
• Adds shimmer and presence
• Produces 1980s-style harmonizing and pitch detune effects
• Automatic vocal doubling
• Two-voice and four-voice capabilities

User impressions

Ease of use and efficiency are pretty much the most mentioned characteristics of the Waves Doubler, and it’s easy to see why. Making short work of turning even the most pedestrian solo vocals into angelic choirs, the Doubler is frequently praised for the ability to thicken and widen vocal tracks without introducing phasing.

Many users especially appreciate how much time they save in the studio by not having to record multiple vocal tracks. That being said, some users did feel that actually recording as many vocal takes as needed provides better results.

Bottom-line

The Doubler is a great way to add depth, width, and ambience to your vocal tracks. Although this won’t substitute for a meticulously-recorded array of vocalists–or even one or two vocalists recording multiple takes–it does have some charm and flavor of its own. Besides, for the price, you not only get a very capable vocal doubler, but a distinctive sounding plug-in that widens up most any sound source nicely.

Demonstration

Final thoughts – Which to Get?

Most of these plug-ins are so different from each other that it would be pointless to say which one is the “best.”

Suffice it to say, each one brings its own unique set of qualities to the table, and each could potentially find use in a studio setting.

That said, the CLA Vocals has to be mentioned as top choice for its convenient and extremely useful blend of multiple signal processors in one unit. There is also no denying how quickly and easily it can enable you to crank out radio-ready vocal tracks. For that reason alone, we would have to give the CLA Vocals top marks.

Both the Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter and the Vocal Rider stand in a class of their own, but for different reasons. The Aural Exciter is at the very least a modern-day classic, with its tone enhancing qualities having become essential for vocal polishing.

The Vocal Rider for its part does what most other compressors are unable to do so simply and so elegantly: control dynamic levels without adding nasty artifacts. Going solely by that, the Vocal Rider deserves special mention.

As for the Renaissance Compressor and the Renaissance Vox, both of these are quite capable plug-ins that will stand proudly with the rest of your audio processing tools. Even though they have been around for a number of years, there is life in these old dogs yet!

Finally, the Renaissance DeEsser–and certainly the Doubler–might not be quite as essential as all the other plug-ins mentioned. Nevertheless, they do have their uses, and at the price they are going for these days, it would be silly not to at least consider them if you are eager to have a full suite of vocal processing tools at your disposal.

Waves plugins have been an industry standard for a great many years.

The vast majority, if not all, iconic producers use at least a few of the waves plugins in their mixes and they have become industry standard for pop music production.

If you listen to any even slightly commercial music, chances are waves plugins and effects were used to mix and master the track.

So in light of their ongoing sales, we’ve decided to assemble what we believe to be the best waves plugins currently available.

If you’re busy, the table below summarizes our findings:

Note: The prices described above are as of date of publish and can change.

It’s also worth noting that waves just released their new FLEX program, which allows you to rent-to-own your favorite waves plugins.

This means that instead of paying the full fee upfront, you can choose to pay monthly until you fully own it.

The programs start at 9.99$/month and can be cancelled at any time, so if the price of some of these plugins is prohibitive, definitively check out flex:

It’s a subjective list to be sure, so I invite you to share your best Waves plugins as well in the comments section. Now, in no particular order, here they are:

Waves F6 Floating-Band Dynamic EQ Review- Intuitive EQ for all levels

One of the most recent releases from Waves is the F6 Floating-Band Dynamic EQ. The first thing I noticed about it was the immaculate interface with various parameter knobs along the bottom. But it goes far beyond just being eye candy, this is a truly flexible and high quality dynamic EQ.

Each of its 6 bands can be either a hi/low shelf or bell and have independent controls for frequency band, Q, gain, range, threshold, attack and release.

The range control is unique because it compresses or expands depending on the position of the knob. Turning the knob left will compress the signal, while turning it to the right will expand the signal.

The F6 can be used in either mono, stereo or mid-side mode as well so you could throw it on a bus or even on your master chain.

Personally I wish it had a frequency spectrum, but I guess you can’t have everything. Maybe we’ll see it in a future update perhaps?

At any rate, it’s still a fantastic tool to have at your disposal.

Waves Center Review- A simple solution for a complicated issue

I’ve been using Center on every mix since I bought it. It allows you to enhance the stereo width of your mix by blending the hi-end/low-end levels of your signal between the sides and the center.

You can also blend the transients to the sides or center of your mix to add punch.

Center is a one trick pony, but it’s the best plugin I’ve found for easily adding focus and punch to busses and overall mixes. It’s extremely easy to use and once you start using it, it’ll become an indispensable tool in your arsenal.

Waves SSL E-Channel– A classic SSL Logic 4000 emulator

The iconic SSL E-Channel has been around for as long as I can remember and probably needs no introduction.

A couple of weeks ago I was one of the lucky folks that caught this baby being sold separate from the bundle of plugins it’s normally included in and it was a great find let me tell you.

Based on the Solid State Logic 4000-Series analogue consoles, the SSL E-Channel features the same all-discrete design and Class A, VCA chip as its hardware counterpart.

Additionally it has a 4-band parametric equalization section, Hi Pass/Low Pass Filters and a dynamics sectionwith a compressor/limiter as well as an expander/gate.

The equalization section is based on the Black Knob equalizer developed with celebrated producer, George Martin in 1983. As on the original hardware, the dynamics section can be placed pre or post EQ via the (CH. OUT.) button.

Automatic gain make-up, calculated from the Ratio and Threshold settings, is applied to maintain a steady output level.

Upon trying it out on a drum bus, I noticed a warm analog sound and it gave my drums a noticeable punch which I’ve read the SSL E-Channel is famous for.

The generous number of presets offer a great starting point with contributions from Grammy Award Winning audio engineers and mixing gurus such as Dave Pensado and Chris Lord-Alge.

Here’s a great video from Graham Cochrane showing how to turn your computer into a virtual SSL console by instantiating the E-Channel on every track of your mix:

CLA-2A Compressor/Limiter– The rockers compressor

Another household name for any experienced producer.

The CLA-2A is the compressor of choice for many top notch producers and for good reason.

Works great for bass, guitars, and vocals, though it’s an extremely versatile compressor / limiter. It has a slower release than some of its competitors which gives it its signature sound.

Comes with Chris Lord-Alge’s (Rolling Stones, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, etc) presets. We’d recommend having a look at his Signature Series, which contains 6 great plugins.

Best Waves Noise Gate Plugin

Brauer Motion– Auto-panner for the masses

Another recent release from Waves, Brauer Motion is an innovative circular auto-panner that moves an audio signal within the two- or three-dimensional spacebetween the listener and the loudspeaker.

It was created in close cooperation with Grammy Award winning mix engineer, Michael Brauer and combines his signature panning methods with Waves’ plugin engineering expertise.

The whole idea behind this plugin is for the end user to be creative with movement on instruments and vocals in your mixes and there are a generous amount of parameters to achieve this.

The GUI alone makes me want to tweak and see what kind of unusual movement I can get from my synths.

I haven’t gotten a chance to play around with this one yet, but I can tell there are a bunch of creative uses for Brauer Motion.

Waves Audio Plugins

Here’s a demonstration from Michael Brauer showcasing how this great plugin works along with a few creative tips:

Kramer Master Tape– Vintage tape machine emulator

Kramer Master Tape is an emulation of a rare ¼” reel-to-reel vintage tape machine. I haven’t seen any mention of which tape machine it models, but this plugin is surprisingly flexible and can be used for a variety of tasks.

It has adjustable parameters for wow & flutter, tape speed, bias, flux and noise. You would normally add a plugin like this when you need to eliminate some of the harshness that digital signals generate, making the mix sound cleaner.

While Kramer Master Tape delay excels at that, it also can be used for delay throws, slapback delay and noise saturation.

A good alternative to the Kramer Master Tape is the h delay, which is a great hybrid solution that works great on those old school sounding tracks. Check out the h delay user guide here.

The preamp section on the bottom left of the interface has adjustable knobs for input (RECORD LEVEL) and output (PLAYBACK LEVEL).

These knobs can be linked so that turning one knob will affect the other, so you can really dial in how much signal you want coming in while taming the output level.

Waves Gate Plugin

Try using this on virtually any channel and go through the presets. Listen to what it does to the signal and tweak to your liking. I’m pretty sure you’ll be pleased with the results.

This is one of the best plugins to achieve a clean mix, and is surprisingly easy to use.

Abbey Road Plugin Collection– The iconic beatles bundle

Lastly, if you’re undecided and looking for a complete solution of plugins, the abbey road studios plugin collection might be what you’re looking for.

It contains emulations of the studios’ REDD and TG12345 consoles, the RS56 Passive EQ, J37 Tape, Reel ADT, the King’s Microphones, and Abbey Road’s echo chambers and reverb plates.

One of the highlight of this pack is the signature signal chain, available with just a few clicks.

As the name suggests, this is a great set of plugins to emulate the classic beatles sound, recorded in Abbey Road.

It’s a bit pricier, but still a great deal when compared to the cost of buying the individual plugins.

There’s also currently a massive sale going on (over 70% off) so definitely worth checking, in our opinion.

Scheps Omni Channel

Legendary engineer Andrew Scheps (Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Adele, Jay Z, Metallica) partnered with Waves to produce a series of plugins, of which the channel strip is probably our favorite.

If you can afford only one plugin, we’d suggest going for this one, as it delivers most of the important elements in the mix- EQ, compression, and gating.

It is comprised of 6 modules:

1. Pre module- 3 kinds of analog saturation.
2. Compression module – Choose from 3 compressors: fast, slow and smooth. Plus A Wet/Dry control.
3. EQmodule: 4-band equalizer.
4. DS2 module.
5. Gate module: Threshold, attack and release. Plus maximum noise reduction.
6. Insert slot: Add any extra Waves plugin, including another instance of the Scheps Omni Channel.

Our tip: Use the saturation on the pre-channel to add energy to vocals and leads without adding too much noise to the sound.

Final Thoughts

The above listed plugins are a great starting point to make the most out of the waves eco system for mixing and mastering your tracks.

Alsa Noise Gate Plugin

If you’re interested in trying out waves, head out to their website and start a free trial.

Waves Compressors

The list is in no way complete and could have also easily included their vocal rider, the j37 tape delay, and their g-master plugin, but we decided to keep this post short and sweet.

Waves Gate Plugin App

Got any more recommendations? Feel free to leave a comment, we’d love to hear them!