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moosers
Published on 03/18/11 at 13:08
The Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter is a new plug-in that was co-designed by Waves and Aphex and modeled after the original Aural Exciter from Aphex. The plug-in has only been released recently and only in the past few weeks has the studio that I work at picked it up. I wasn't the one to install it, but this process shouldn't present anyone with any problems I don't think. Regardless of if you've used or even heard of the original Aural Exciter, the interface of the plug-in is fairly simple to understand. It gives you parameters of mode (four to choose from), input and output levels, aural excitement level, and an analog setting that is found on almost all of the new Waves plug-ins. The interface also has two different configurations to choose from. It's available across the board in terms of compatibility, as are all Waves plug-ins, so no issues to worry about there. It's easy enough to use where I don't believe a manual is necessary.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I've yet to encounter any issues while running the Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter, but our systems at the studio are all Pro Tools HD anyway, so it's rare that we'll experience lagging of any kind when it comes to plug-ins. This has run smoothly for us and I don't expect that this will change at all. I think that even if you're running the RTAS version of this plug-in that those with a good enough system to run your DAW in the first place should be able handle it.
OVERALL OPINION
The Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter is one of the most effective plug-ins that I've used in a while. This plug-in can really liven up a track as it's useful across the board when you're looking for some brightness added to the mix. I've used it thus far for mixing purposes on individual instruments, but will probably try it on a master buss sometime soon as well. I can't say how it compares to the original Aural Exciter, but just having this plug-in alone will do a lot for you. I love using it on vocals and guitars as it's a great tool for helping these sounds cut through the mix a little more. I don't think the Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter is part of any bundles yet, but it's definitely worth checking out on an individual basis for any professional DAW owner.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I've yet to encounter any issues while running the Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter, but our systems at the studio are all Pro Tools HD anyway, so it's rare that we'll experience lagging of any kind when it comes to plug-ins. This has run smoothly for us and I don't expect that this will change at all. I think that even if you're running the RTAS version of this plug-in that those with a good enough system to run your DAW in the first place should be able handle it.
OVERALL OPINION
The Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter is one of the most effective plug-ins that I've used in a while. This plug-in can really liven up a track as it's useful across the board when you're looking for some brightness added to the mix. I've used it thus far for mixing purposes on individual instruments, but will probably try it on a master buss sometime soon as well. I can't say how it compares to the original Aural Exciter, but just having this plug-in alone will do a lot for you. I love using it on vocals and guitars as it's a great tool for helping these sounds cut through the mix a little more. I don't think the Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter is part of any bundles yet, but it's definitely worth checking out on an individual basis for any professional DAW owner.