Wavelab Pro 9.5 noob issues

WaveLab
#1

Hello forum, first post here.
I’m trialing Wavelab Pro 9.5 and love most things about it. Considering switching to it in my mastering studio.
I run into a few problems though, maybe someone can help me:

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  • I cannot seem to resize plugins like I can in other DAWs. For example the newer Fabfilter plugins, they are normally freely resizable. Also iZotope Insight, I can drag the window and more grey area will appear but the plugin UI stays the same size. Is there an option somewhere?

  • I can’t figure out how to make plugins receive midi. There’s the remote control mode. I set a remote device (MIDI controller) in the preferences but it still says ‘This plug-in is not associated with a remote control’ and it won’t map controls. I’ve tried mapping to plugin custom parameters in the preferences but to no avail… How does this work? The manual basically says it should just work.

  • When the external gear plugin is on the master section and I bypass the entire master section, it still sends audio out to my analog chain… I don’t want that, I mean, come on at least give me an option to choose. I don’t just want to bypass the plugin I want it to disable. Am I missing something here…?

  • I kinda like smart bypass (make it work with LUFS instead of RMS though, feature request!) but is there no way to actually hear the original unaltered audio? It says original audio but actually includes clip effects (and perhaps track, haven’t tested that). Really nice option but pretty much useless this way if it only works on the master section…


    I’m really liking Wavelab but these are some serious obstacles in the way of switching for me…

Thanks!
Greetings

#2

Yes, many mastering programs overlook this need. I have a solution rigged up with my mastering workflow but it involves having a second AES path from my DAW to my monitor controller that is gained up to be more or less the same level of where I print back in from the analog gear.

It’s not scientific but it’s very close and very easy and I use it all the time. The ability to seamlessly toggle in real-time during playback between the before and after is very revealing.

We surely do need an easy way to hear the fully unprocessed audio without any clip FX, montage output FX, and of course master section FX.

#3

Wavelab is amazing, but you are correct in these things…

I don’t use the external gear plugin, but the input plugin. I’d personally like to see the input plugin go away and be replaced by an “input monitor” button in the master section - something like the monitor button each track has in Cubase… and I’d LOVE it to be BYPASSABLE with a key command… this has been discussed in the forum quite a bit, so I’m “guessing” PG may be working on a solution? :slight_smile: I know a lot of people have discussed adding an input channel strip which could allow for effects to be monitored through and/or recorded… and input monitor bypass (maybe even on each track) with key command would obviously allow for comparisons to better match levels and tones, etc. A lot of people also are hoping for better “routing” of signals… will see - I imagine Wavelab 10 is being designed currently - Maybe even as we speak!

What I can tell you overall, is that PG (the Wavelab developer) is here on the forum constantly, and that he does listen to people’s needs… I would suggest starting threads for new feature suggestions, or do a search and see if someone else has already suggested it, and reply to those threads…

Anyway, Wavelab rocks - I use it for mastering work and it has been absolutely indispensable - it’s at the core of my mastering studio - I love it! I highly recommend it to people all the time… I believe you will discover that it’s strengths far outweigh any shortcomings. It’s truly a great program.

#4

Well I actually have a good solution with the MCompare plugin from Melda production, it has loudness correction and can take audio from any point you insert a source tap. Have been using that for years in my mastering workflow, controlling it with an iPad with midi. Very essential part of my setup, but I can’t get Wavelab to control it via midi… Any idea what I’m doing wrong there?

#5

Yeah only just got into it but already believe Wavelab 10 is what I’ll need :rofl: But for the rest I love it. The file groups, shortcuts, fast navigating, clean UI. Feels fresh coming from Pro Tools.
When you say input plugin do you mean the record window?

#6

No, you can load an input plugin into the first slot of the master section. It allows for real-time monitoring of incoming audio from your audio inputs. When using it, you can monitor through plugins in the master section in real-time as well. It’s similar to the external gear plugin, but in this case it’s for when audio is coming in from a different source (from outside Wavelab).

I use it for integrating my mixing computer - it allows me to mix (in Cubase in the other computer) and master (in hardware and in Wavelab) simultanrously… I also like to use the same technique when doing mastering work for people… playing back from Cubase on the other machine at whatever sample rate, going through whatever analog gear I want, monitoring into Wavelab, and through whatever plugins in Wavelab I want - all in real-time. When I’m happy, I record the audio from Cubase and my analog chain as a clip into Wavelab’s audio montage, and then drag the effects i was using in Wavelab’s master section into the “clip fx” for that clip… then repeat the process for the next song. The entire montage is assembled this way, and all additional mastering work is completed in Wavelab.