Waves Center
User Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 – Introduction....................................................................................................3
1.1 Welcome..................................................................................................................3
1.2 Product Overview....................................................................................................3
1.3 Concepts and Terminology......................................................................................4
Chapter 2 – Quickstart Guide............................................................................................5
Chapter 3 – Interface and Controls...................................................................................6
3.1 Interface...................................................................................................................6
3.2 Controls...................................................................................................................7
3.3 WaveSystem Toolbar..............................................................................................10
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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
Ideal for final mixes and mastering, Waves Center is an innovative new processor that
separates phantom Center content from Side (L/R) content. With Center, you can zero
in on the phantom center and bring out or bring down the vocals without affecting
everything else. Perfect for post-production engineers and DJs as well, Center lets you
reposition, isolate, and even eliminate elements of your mix.
Using a unique dynamic engine which considers the amplitude, frequency, and time
envelope of stereo sources, Center gives you the power to radically re-balance your
spatial imagery. Adjustable punch, high frequency, and low frequency controls let you
focus on Center or Side elements.
Waves Center is ideal for a wide range of audio applications:
Post-Production
Enhance dialog or narration
Control the ambience/reverb of stereo location recordings
Improve mono compatibility
Mixing and Mastering
Bring out the lead vocals in a finished mix
Re-image stereo drum overheads
Balance stereo recordings of individual or groups of acoustic instruments
Widen or narrow the stereo spread
DJ
Remo
Remove instrumental tracks for remixes and mash-ups
Manipulate samples and drum loops
ve vocals for karaoke
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1.3 Concepts and Terminology
Waves Center Technology
Waves Center employs a unique dynamic engine which considers the amplitude,
frequency, and time envelope of stereo sources,
Sides (Left/Right) signal split.
Waves Center uses a detector that looks for those elements of the stereo signal whose
left and right
time and frequency properties are eq
known as the ‘Phantom Center.’ The detected signal is extracted from the original
stereo input and routed to a discrete internal bus. This “Center” signal is then remixed
back with the “Sides”, using the fader controls.
Center (or ‘phantom center’) is a mono signal
and frequency properties.
Sides is a st
ereo signal
containing all Left / Right content whose time and
frequency properties are NOT equal..
Waves Center offers Low, High and Punch controls for fine-tuning the frequency- and
time-detection process.
providing a program-based Center and
ual. These elements comprise what is
containing eq
ual Left / Right time
Phantom Center
Since the early days of stereo, the ‘phantom center’ phenomenon has been used to
define the center spatial image reproduced by a pair of speakers or head
phones. Certain
elements, including vocals, dialog, bass guitar, bass drum, snare, and solo instruments,
can usually be heard in the phantom center. Waves Center enables you to re-mix the
phantom Center elements with the Sides content.
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Chapter 2 – Quickstart Guide
• Load Waves Center on a stereo track.
•
Use the Center and Sides faders to adjust their balance. For example, to
down lead vocals, slide the Center fader downwar
The Center meter indicates when center content
•
• Use the High control to balance high frequency content between the Center and
Sides. For example,
you can move the high freq
mics by repositioning it to the sides.
• Use the Low control to balance low frequency content between the Center and
Sides. For example, afte
r lowering vocal levels by mo
downwards, lost low frequency content can be restored by turning the Low
control toward the Sides.
Use the Punch control to adjust the spread of transient conte
•
Center and Sides. For e
xample, afte
r lowering vocal levels by mo
fader downwards, lost transient information can be restored by turning the Punch
control toward the Sides.
Adjust the ov
•
erall gain by using the Master gain control.
ds.
is detected.
uency content of overhead drum
ving the Center fader
nt between the
ving the Center
trim
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Chapter 3 – Interface and Controls
3.1 Interface
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3.2 Controls
Low controls balance of
Range
0 - 100 (0=Center)
High controls balance of
Range
0 - 100 (0=Center)
low frequency content between the Center and Sides.
high frequency content between the Center and Sides.
Punch controls the spre
ad of transient content b
etween the Center and Sides, affecting
the center detection and the center detection meter.
Range
0 - 100 (0=Center)
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Master Gain controls th
Range
+6dB to -24dB
e overall ster
eo gain.
Center controls the Cen
Range
+6dB to Off
ter gain.
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Sides controls the Sides gain.
Range
+6dB to Off
Output Meters
display the stereo ou
Range
0 dBFS to -36 dBFS
tput after processing
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.
Center Detection Meter
Displays the detected Center conten
Center gain, High, and Low settings.
t of the stereo source, post-Punch control, pre-
(Center detection is affected by the Punch control
setting.)
A mono input will disp
Right channels will di
lay a full Center meter, while different program material in Left and
splay an empty Center meter.
3.3 WaveSystem Toolbar
Use the bar at the top of the plugin to save and load presets
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.
, compare settings, undo
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