Dedicated to providing clear, honest, expert insight into the world of Waves audio plugins; each review written by a working audio professional.
Waves has been around for more than thirty years. In 1992 they introduced the first digital audio plugin: the Q10 Paragraphic EQ, and since then their plugins have found their way into studios all over the world. Some are based on classic hardware, some are collaborations with well-known engineers, and others are entirely original designs. With such a huge catalogue, it’s not always obvious which ones are genuinely useful, which ones overlap, and which ones might not be worth the investment. That’s where we come in.
This site is only about Waves. We’ve chosen to go deep on one of the most established names in audio, and explore their catalogue in detail.
Our reviews are written by people who work in sound for a living; they come from day-to-day experience in studios and sessions, using plugins like these to solve problems and shape mixes.
And we’re completely independent. We don’t have any sponsorships, commercial ties, or behind-the-scenes connections with Waves. Everything you’ll find here is based on first-hand use and our own professional judgement.
Our reviews aren’t just feature lists or reworded manuals. We look at how a plugin feels and sounds in practice: what it does well, where it might fall short, and whether it’s something you’ll keep reaching for in the long term.
That often means digging into the history – the hardware it might be modelled on, or the design choices behind it. Other times it’s about exploring practical applications: is it a problem-solver, a creative tool, or both? Sometimes we go deep into the technical side; other times we touch on audio theory or mixing approaches. The plugin itself usually dictates the path the review takes.
Our aim is to make Waves plugins easier to understand and use. Audio can look complicated from the outside, but part of our job as engineers has always been to strip away the mystery and make things clearer. Whether you’re new to mixing or a seasoned pro, we hope you’ll find these reviews both useful and inspiring.
More than anything, we want this site to be somewhere you can trust – and maybe somewhere you’ll end up spending longer than you expected, exploring reviews and the audio conversations that naturally spring up around them.
We’re glad you’re here. Whether you came looking for advice on a single plugin, wanted to compare Waves to another brand, or just enjoy diving into the world of audio, we hope you get something valuable from what you read.
Enjoy the site – and happy mixing!