Waves Audio MultiRack User Guide
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WAVES
MultiRack
USER GUIDE
V9.80
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Table of Contents
1.
! Overview .................................................................................................................................. 3!
2.! Create a New Session and Choose Plugin Version ................................................................ 3!
3.! Adding New Racks and Setting Their Audio Signal Flow ....................................................... 4!
4.! The Rack Control Strip ............................................................................................................ 6!
5.! Selecting Racks and Plugi ns and Using Keystroke Commands .............................................. 7!
6.! Input and Output Sections ..................................................................................................... 10!
7.! Adding Plugins to a Rack ...................................................................................................... 11!
8.! View Modes ........................................................................................................................... 12!
9.! System Monitor Window (MultiRack SoundGrid Only) ......................................................... 14!
10.! WaveSystem Toolbar Buttons ............................................................................................... 15!
11.! Setting Up a Sidechain .......................................................................................................... 17!
12.! Group Properties Window: Organization and Latency Alignment ......................................... 18!
13.! Snapshot Pane: Automating Your Racks .............................................................................. 21!
14.! Dugan Automixer ................................................................................................................... 26!
15.! Remote Control ..................................................................................................................... 29!
Integrated Remote Control from the Console ....................................................................... 29!
Setting Up Your MIDI Environment for Remote Control ....................................................... 29!
How to Use MultiR ack with a MIDI Controller ...................................................................... 30!
The Controller Strip ............................................................................................................... 30!
Assigning Hardware Control with the Remote Controller Editor ........................................... 31!
Assigning Hardware Controllers to the Navigation Tools ...................................................... 33!
Remotely Triggering Snapshots ............................................................................................ 33!
16.! Hot Plugins ............................................................................................................................ 35!
17.! Global Tempo (BPM) ............................................................................................................. 37!
18.! Rescan Present Licenses (Edit Menu) .................................................................................. 37!
19.! Recovering from an Unexpected Error .................................................................................. 38!
20.! Show Mode ............................................................................................................................ 38!
21.! MultiRack Keyboard Shortcuts .............................................................................................. 39!
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1. Overview
MultiRack is a host platform for Waves audio processing plugins, designed especially for live
sound applications. It provides a software equivalent to outboard hardware processing racks, and
signal flow to and from your console is similar to what you’re accustomed to with traditional
hardware racks. MultiRack allows you to program Snapshots, so you can seamlessly change
plugin settings between or even during songs.
Here are some flowchart examples of MultiRack connections:
2. Create a New Session and Choose Plugin Version
A Session is a collection of Racks, each of which contains plugin processors. It holds the
“architecture” of your setup (input an d output routing, Rack count and order, which plugins and
their order and etc.), as well as Rack I/O levels and plugin settings. Normally, a Session will
contain the setup for an entire show, while Snapshots are used to change plugin parameters
between or within songs.
MultiRack will initially open the Session Templates window. Choose a template from the list or
open a blank session. MultiRack will then open to the most recent Session.
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3. Adding New Racks and Setting Their Audio Signal Flow
The first step in building a MultiRack processing setup is to add empty Racks. Click on the Rack
space that says Click to Add Rack.
This will reveal a dialogue box allowing you to specify how many Racks you want to add, as well
as what type of Racks (Mono, Stereo, Mono-to-Stereo, or Surround). Don’t worry ab out making
the wrong choice; you can always change this setting later.
Checking the Auto-Route Racks option assigns input and output channels to all of the added
Racks consecutively, starting from the highest currently available channel.
Now you’ll see one or more empty Racks. Define the audio input and output channels of each
Rack by clicking on the left (input) and right (output) side rails of the interface. The Audio I/O
pull-down menu will open. Channels you have routed to MultiRack in the Connection window
will appear in the Input I/O menu. Channels you have routed from MultiRack will appear in the
Output I/O menu per the I/O device you are using and the connections you have made in the
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Connections window. Set the channel(s) for both input (left side rail) and output (right side rail)
for each of the Ra cks you’ve created.
If you have not done so in the Add Rack dialog, then you can use the Auto-Route All Racks
option in the Audio menu to automatically assign consecutive inputs and outputs to all Racks.
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4. The Rack Control Strip
At the top of each Rack is a status bar that you use to control, name and assign processing
groups. The control strip has the following windows and buttons:
On/Off
Disables a Rack and removes it from CPU processing. Mutes all signals
routed to the Rack. Turning off an unneeded Rack results in better CPU
management of the system.
In/Out
Disables the Rack’s plugins and passes the signal directly from Rack input
to Rack output. Typically used for “before and after” comparison or to
bypass processing.
Mute
Silences the Rack, but doesn’t remove it from CPU processing. Muting is
performed on the Rack’s input to allow reverb tails and delay taps to fade
gracefully.
Rack Name
The user-defined name of the Rack. Double-click to enter a new name or in
Rack view use the pull-down menu to open another Rack.
Group Name
Refers to the name of the processing group, if any, to which the Rack has
been assigned. Use the pull-down menu to assign the Rack to another
processing group.
Sidechain (input)
Lists all available inputs. Use the pull-down menu to select the input you
intend to use as sidechain to any of the plugins inserted in this Rack. All
sidechain-capable plugins inserted in this Rack share the same input. Note
that it is possible to use a mono sidechain signal in a stereo Rack
Sidechain (monitor)
Press this button to listen to the sidechain signal. Sidechain is monitored
through the Rac k’s output.
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5. Selecting Racks and Plugins and Using Keystroke
Commands
You can copy, paste, delete, duplicate, and perform other operations on a Rack or Racks you
have selected.
• To select a Rack, click on any empty area of the Rack.
• To select multiple adjacent Racks, click on a Rack, then Shift+Click on the last Rack of
the group you want to select.
• To select multiple non-adjacent Racks, Ctrl/Cmd+Click on several Racks.
Right-click on the top part of a selected Rack and you will see a pull-down menu that offers
several functions:
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Active(On)
Turns Rack on/off, disabling and removing it from the CPU. This is useful
for greater CPU efficiency when a Rack is not needed.
Bypass
Disables the Rack’s plugin processing and passes the signal from Rack
input to Rack output.
Mute
Mutes the entire Rack’s input, but doesn’t remove plugins from CPU, thus
allowing reverb tails to complete.
Cut Rack(s)
Cuts the Rack and its contents and places them in the computer’s
clipboard.
Copy Rack(s)
Copies the Rack and its contents into the computer’s clipboard.
Paste Rack(s)
Pastes the Rack, including its content and state.
Duplicate Rack(s)
Creates a copy of the Rack, including its content and state.
Delete Rack(s)
Deletes the Rack. Racks below this Rack will move upward.
Global Paste Rack
Copies the Rack’s parameters from the recalled Snapshot and pastes
them into the selected Snapshots when “Global Paste” is selected in the
Snapshot Pane. For example, if your singer has a cold and you need to EQ
the vocals differently, Global Paste allows you to change specific settings,
and then embed these parameter changes into all of the Snapshots you’ve
made, rather than having to adjust each Snapshot separately. The Global
Paste function is discussed in detail in the “Snapshots” section of this
manual.
Recall Safe
Places the selected Rack or plugin into a “safe” mode that protects it from
Snapshot recalls. Recall Safe Racks or Plugins are unaffected by all
Snapshot recalls.
Group
Presents a list of available processing groups from which to choose.
Switch Rack type
Allows you to change the Rack configuration (mono, stereo, mono-tostereo).
Latency
Displays the Rack’s overall latency (accumulated inserted plugin latencies).
CPU Consumption
Displays the Rack’s CPU consumption (usage) on the Server and the core
it runs on.
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Right-click on a plugin icon and you will see a pull-down menu that offers several functions:
Copy Preset
Copies the plugin’s preset
Paste Preset
Pastes the plugin’s preset to another plugin instance
Disable Plugin
Disables the plugin and takes it off the computer’s CPU (the plugin doesn’t take
any CPU resources)
Remove Plugin
Removes the plugin from the Rack
Copy Plugin
Copies the plugin including its configuration
Replace Plugin
Replaces the plugin with a copied plugin
Enable SideChain
Enables sidechain functionality for the plugin (applies only if the plugin is
sidechain-capable and Racks Side Chain input is selected)
Plugin list
Allows you to replace the selected plugin with one of the listed plugins
Recall Safe Plugin
Sets the plugin to Recall Safe.
Set a Hot Plugin
Allows you to set the plugin as a Hot Plugin. You can set up to 8 plugins as Hot
plugins.
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6. Input and Output Sections
The Input Rail is located at the far left of a Rack.
This is where you choose an input source.
To the right of the Input Rail is the Input Audio
Fader, with a range of ±18 dB.
On the far right side of each Rack are the Output Rail and the Output Audio Fader. Rack audio
input and output levels are stored within Snapshots.
Each Rack can be connected to input and output channels
using the drop-down menus. Invalid Input or Output
configurations are grayed out.
When a Rack output is set to “None” and the input changes
from one channel format to another, then the output will
change its channel format to match the input. An input set
to “None” behaves in the same manner.
Or consider a Rack with input and output whose channel
formats are com patible. If the input changes to a format
that is incompatible with the output, then the output will
attempt to change to a channel format that is compatible
with that of the input. Failing that, it will default to “None.”
The same input channel can be connected to more than
one Rack, thus sending the same input to multiple Racks
simultaneously. A physical output channel can be
connected to only one Rack. Two or more Racks cannot share the same output. Use the same
menu to set the input/output channels and to switch the channel configuration of the Rack.
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7. Adding Plugins to a Rack
To add a plugin to a Rack, click on the “plus” (+) sign to the right of the Input Fader. Select a
plugin from the pull-down menu. An icon representing the plugin will appear on the Rack, along
with a new “plus” (+) sign that you can click to add a new plugin to the right of the existing one.
Signal flow within a Rack is always from left-to-right.
While in the Main view, you can always change the plugin sequence within a Rack by grabbing a
plugin and moving it to the desired location. Each plugin icon has an 'In' switch, with which you
can bypass that processor without disengaging it from the Rack.
There is also a led indicator on the icon that shows plugin’s output state:
• Grey – no signal
• Green – signal
• Red – Peak
To view a plugin and adjust its parameters, double click on the box representing it. The plugin
interface will appear below the Rack. Set the plugin parameters as desired.
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8. View Modes
Main View Mode – Overview of Racks and Inserted Plugins
MultiRack opens in this view mode. Use it during the show, to see all your Racks and inserted
plugins and to check that all are running well, without clipping o n any of the inserted plugins.
Rack View Mode – Using Your Plugins
Double-click on a plugin icon to open its interface and enter MultiRack’s Rack view.
This is where you adjust each plugin. If you’re already familiar with Waves plugins, this window
will be very easy to use. At the top of each plugin window is a WaveSystem Toolbar, used to
load, save, and compare processor settings. The layout of the WaveSystem Toolbar may vary
from one plugin to another. Use this toolbar to save plugin or Rack-specific presets.
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You can quickly jump to any other Rack by clicking on arrow by the Rack’s name field and
choosing from the drop-down menu desired Rack.
Overview Mode Window – Viewing the Status of All Your Racks
Once you’ve filled several racks, you’ll want a convenient way to keep track of everything
happening within your processing environment. To get an overview of your racks, select
Overview from the View menu. This will reveal the Overview Window, where you’ll see a
condensed view of each Rack.
The Overview Window tells you if a rack or an individual plugin is functioning and enables you to
turn on or off, bypass, or mute a Rack. Clipping is also indicated for each Rack. Use the
Overview Window when you want to keep an eye on the entire processing setup. Since each
mini-Rack in the Overview Window displays clipping information, you can easily watch out for
over-level clipping across your entire setup.
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9. System Monitor Window (MultiRack SoundGrid Only)
Open this window from the Audio menu or by pressing
Ctrl/Cmd+M.
This window displays real-time status info on your network,
I/O devices, servers, and integration controller.
Redundancy displays redundancy status.
Network displays the network transport load.
High loads may result in audio drops.
Processing/Redundant Server
• Device – Device name
• Status – Server status (online or offline)
• CPU Peak and average loads (AVR) –
Displays the load on the processing server.
High loads may result in audio drops.
I/O Device 1, 2, 3 and 4
• Device – Device name
• Status – Device status
SG Driver Status – Device status
Integration – IP of the controller and its connectivity status
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