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10 Best Waves Plugins in 2025
Waves is widely regarded as one of the top companies in the music industry for its mixing and mastering plugins though they have been under scrutiny for their subscription services. But what is so special about Waves plugins is that they received this massive popularity among some of the top professionals as well as upcoming music producers. Short answer: Waves has some of the best plugins when it comes to mixing, mastering, vocals, drums, and more and the best part is, the individual prices are affordable and much less than some of their competitors. While there are some amazing options out there, the Waves product catalog is huge! So if you’re looking for Best Waves plugins across different categories such as vocals, drums, analog modeled plugins or other similar categories, we’ve prepared a curated list for you.
Some of these best Waves plugins have a learning curve but there are plenty of tutorials online to assist you in the process.
What are the best Waves plugins?
Best Waves plugins for vocals
1. Waves Sync Vx
Waves Sync VX is a vocal alignment plugin that automatically syncs the timing and pitch of multiple vocal tracks to lead performance. It helps producers and dialogue editors save time by eliminating the need for manual vocal editing, ensuring tight and professional results.
Some amazing features include multiple reference tracks, real-time processing, and creative pitch adjustments. If you record vocals a lot, you’ll save a ton of time using the Waves Sync Vx. It’s also the latest plugin in the Waves catalog.
Pros
De-clutters multiple vocals quickly
No need for manual audio editing
Great for backing vocals and harmonies
transpose & formant manipulation features
Cons
Can be buggy for some systems as it is a new plugin
Expensive
Price: $129.99 or via Waves Ultimate Subscription
Available on
Waves Tune Real-Time
Waves Tune Real-Time is a pitch correction/tuning plugin that automatically adjusts vocals in real-time (no latency). It offers a range of tuning options, from subtle pitch correction to extreme creative effects for both studio and live settings. You can in fact do the pitch correction via MIDI as well. Overall, the functionality is quite similar to the Antares Auto-Tune plugin.
Waves Tune-Real-Time vs Antares Auto-Tune
While both are pretty great options to tune vocals in real-time, both have some pros and cons. While to some, the Waves Tune Real-Time might sound a bit mechanical, and a bit less cleaner than the Antares. Waves on the other hand is comparatively lighter on the CPU and is an affordable yet extremely close alternative. While we haven’t tried out the Slate Digital’s Meta Tune yet but critics do consider it as one of the best vocal plugins out there.
Pros
Quick automatic pitch correction
No latency
Great Presets
Cons
Might sound a bit mechanical in some use cases
Doesnt sound good when there are big vocal note changes
Price: $129.99 or via Waves Ultimate Subscription
Available on
- H-Delay Hybrid Delay
- SSL E-Channel
- Vocal Bender
- CLA Mixhub
- Silk Vocal
- Abbey Road Studio 3
- Tune
- WLM Plus Loudness Meter
- Silibance
- Renaissance Reverb
Waves Plugin #1 – H-Delay Hybrid Delay
The H-Delay Hybrid Delay is a versatile tool offering a wide range of controls for effects like chorusing, flanging, echo, and more. From vintage to modern sounds, it provides rich quality and lo-fi options with a delay range from 1 to 3500 ms. Users can choose between analog characters or digital fidelity and tailor the tone with sophisticated filtering. With an accessible interface, straightforward controls, and MIDI Learn functionality, it’s a practical choice for sparking creativity and applying dynamic effects effortlessly. To check out H-Delay in action, check out the video tutorial here.
Key Features:
- Rich, smooth sound quality with the option for lo-fi sound character.
- Delays ranging from 1 to 3500 ms, with sync-to-tempo capability.
- Four analog character options or contemporary digital fidelity, sophisticated filtering to tailor the delay’s tone.
- Modulation with sync-to-tempo for chorusing, vibrato effects, and all controls have MIDI Learn for creative control and effects.
Waves Plugin #2 – SSL E-Channel
The SSL E-Channel, part of Solid State Logic’s SL 4000 series, is known for its smooth dynamics and distinctive “black knob” EQ. Developed under SSL’s license, this plugin features a 4-band EQ, dual filters, internal dynamics sidechaining, and is CPU-efficient for handling large multitrack projects. Check out SSL E-Channel in action here.
Key Features:
- Developed with SSL and features the “black knob” EQ created with George Martin.
- Includes a 4-band EQ (2 shelf, 2 parametric) and dual filters.
- Offers internal dynamics sidechaining with a switchable source.
- Features a smooth, soft-knee compressor/limiter and is CPU-efficient for large projects.
Waves Plugin #3 – Vocal Bender
Vocal Bender is a quick and easy solution for real-time vocal manipulation. With zero latency, two simple controls for pitch and formant, and a variety of modulators like LFO and SEQ, this plugin allows you to effortlessly create effects like deep-voiced adlibs, vocal doubles, pitch-shifted leads, and more. Whether you’re in the studio or performing live, Vocal Bender provides a straightforward experience with a ‘Flatten‘ feature for robotic effects, a mix knob for blending, and numerous presets for instant use.
Key Features:
- Real-time monophonic voice manipulation plugin with easy vocal pitch shifting and formant control, zero latency for studio recording and live performance.
- Powerful modulation panel opens up new and exciting possibilities, including LFO, SEQ, Amplitude, and Pitch modulators for deeper effects like vibrato, pitch drops, and sequenced pitching.
- ‘Flatten’ feature for robotic vocal effects, and a mix knob for blending harmonies and doubles on inserts.
- Optimized for voice manipulation, but can also manipulate other sources for sound design, with dozens of presets for instant gratification.
Waves Plugin #4 – CLA Mixhub
The CLA Mixhub made in collaboration with the legendary mix engineer Chris Lord Alge replicates the analog console experience in your DAW, allowing you to mix groups of 8 channels in a single window. With the flexibility to adjust EQ and dynamics across multiple tracks in real-time, CLA MixHub offers an intuitive and efficient workflow. The plugin models every detail of CLA’s console channels, providing 64 channels in 8 convenient ‘buckets’ of 8. Enjoy added flexibility with expandable modules, the ability to switch chain orders, and an extra insert per channel. The CLA Mixhub features sidechaining, the ‘super-gate,’ and the iconic 1176 Bluey dynamics. CLA MixHub Lite ensures light CPU use, and over 240 presets by CLA, Dave Pensado, Greg Wells, and others. Check out CLA Mixhub in action here.
Key Features:
- Models every nuance of Chris Lord-Alge’s personal console channel strips, with the ability to mix up to 64 channels from a single interface.
- Expandable Input, Dynamics, EQ, and Output modules per channel, with the ability to freely switch the chain order and flip between bucket view and single-channel view.
- Input section models Chris Lord-Alge’s console line amp, with an extra insert per channel to add any Waves plugin to the chain, and the dynamics section includes sidechaining, super-gate, and 1176 Bluey.
- Includes CLA MixHub Lite for light CPU consumption, and over 240 presets by Chris Lord-Alge, Dave Pensado, Greg Wells, and more.
Waves Plugin #5 – Silk Vocal
Silk Vocal is a smart EQ and dynamics processor for vocal mixing. This tool tackles resonant frequencies, boominess, harshness, and sibilance, allowing you to achieve a balanced mix. Silk Vocal’s easy-to-use interface accelerates the vocal mixing process, automatically detecting resonances across 2000 analysis bands and providing control over the intensity. Features like male and female voice modes, linear phase processing curves, and adjustable midrange tuning for focused processing are some of the plugin’s greatest assets.
Key Features:
- Smart EQ and dynamics processor specifically designed for vocals, capable of transforming raw vocals to balanced and mixed vocals quickly.
- Removes boominess, harshness, and sibilance from vocals, accelerating vocal mixing and removing guesswork. Includes license for real-time version, Silk Vocal Live.
- Provides seamless and musical dynamics control, with male and female voice modes, linear phase processing curves.
- Features High Pass Filter, Gate, Mix, band solo/bypass, Delta, Speed & Precision controls, as well as adjustable midrange tuning for focused processing.
Waves Plugin #6 – Abbey Road Studio 3
Waves’ Abbey Road Studio 3 brings the iconic Abbey Road Studios mixing experience to your headphones. The plugin uses 3D acoustics modeling, replicating the historic control room with correction EQ curves for 270 headphone models. This ensures a neutral, accurate sound, making it suitable for diverse productions. Whether you prefer near, mid, or far monitors, this innovation provides a realistic studio monitor feel for headphone mixing.
Key Features:
- Delivers studio monitor sound and feel with EQ correction for 270 headphones.
- Developed with Abbey Road Studios, offering classic near, mid, or far monitor options.
- Ensures headphone mixes translate well to speakers, ideal for team projects.
- Features optional head tracking for immersive, accurate sound across all productions.
Waves Plugin #7 – Tune
Waves Tune is your go-to for pitch correction that goes beyond fixing mistakes. It offers flexibility, allowing you to experiment with your vocal range and techniques. Whether you need precise correction or want to add pitch effects to instruments, Waves Tune lets you control parameters like correction speed and vibrato synthesis. It’s a practical tool for preserving the authenticity of your performance while enhancing your sound.
Key Features:
- Real-time vocal tuning for confident studio or live performances.
- Offers transparent pitch correction or creative “T-Pain” effects with ultra-low latency.
- Features advanced formant correction and natural vibrato preservation.
- Easy, fast interface with MIDI control, optimized for studio and live use, and SoundGrid-compatible.
Waves Plugin #8 – WLM Plus Loudness Meter
The WLM Plus Loudness Meter is a tool for ensuring compliance with ITU, EBU, and ATSC specifications. It offers practical features like a peak limiter and gain trim for adjusting levels, supporting various formats and providing essential readings such as True Peak and LUFS. With a user-friendly interface and customizable options, WLM Plus is a reliable choice for creators seeking precision and quality in their audio output across different media platforms.
Key Features:
- Complies with streaming platform standards, offering True Peak readings to prevent transcoding distortion.
- Delivers momentary, short-term, and long-term LUFS readings, along with LU for dynamic range accuracy.
- Features a True Peak limiter and gain trim for precise output control.
- Offers 5 momentary scales, 5 weightings, and custom high-pass/low-pass pre-filtering options.
Waves Plugin #9 – Silibance
Sibilance is an advanced de-esser that reduces unwanted “ess” and “shh” sounds in vocals without affecting other elements. It maintains the original tone, duration, and resonance of the human voice, making it ideal for vocals, dialogue, voiceovers, and podcasts. The plugin features Organic ReSynthesis for brightness retention, a variable frequency range, an informative graph for de-essing visualization, and a flexible detection mode. With a zero-latency version included, Sibilance is also suitable for live performances.
Key Features:
- Organic ReSynthesis preserves brightness while removing harshness, maintaining the original vocal tone even with heavy de-essing.
- Offers a variable frequency range for de-essing, from wide to split-band.
- Features an informative graph displaying de-essing activity and amount.
- Includes a zero-latency version for live performance, with variable detection modes for transients or longer ess sounds.
Waves Plugin #10 – Renaissance Reverb
Renaissance Reverb updates classic digital reverb with a smoother tone and 12 reverb types, including halls, chambers, and plates. It features an advanced early reflection system, a straightforward interface with touch control, dual-band EQ, custom damping controls, and 265 presets from top mix engineers. This plugin offers a practical blend of vintage sound and modern versatility for customizable, realistic reverb effects.
Key Features:
- Offers a selection of halls, chambers, plates, and 9 other reverb types.
- Advanced early reflection system enhances realism and depth.
- Features an easy-to-use interface with multipoint touch control.
- Includes dual-band EQ for reverb tail, custom damping controls, and 265 presets from top mix engineers.
FAQ:
Q: Are Waves plugins always on sale?
A. Yes, Waves Plugins are usually on sale. Though the discount varies from time to time.
Q: Are Waves plugins CPU-intensive?
A. Some Waves plugins can use significant CPU, especially the Renaissance plug-ins which model analog hardware. Users should bounce instrument tracks with Waves FX to conserve CPU. The company offers a one-year warranty if technical issues arise.
Q: What makes Waves plugins unique?
A. Waves is known for obsessively modeling iconic analog gear used in classic recordings down to component levels. This gives producers the historical sounds behind countless hit albums directly inside the box. Their plugins also sound killer on modern production styles.
Tags: Best Waves Plugins, Waves Plugin Sale, Waves Tune-Real Time,
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