View other reviews for this product:
tarrtime « Perfect Introduction to Bus Processing »
Published on 02/19/13 at 10:34This plug-in is about as simple as it gets. Insert it on your tracks and its going to make a big difference right away. I mainly use if for the 'Drums Live' and "Drums Prog' settings. Right away, these settings make your drums loud, punchy, and help them cut through a mix. Speaking of mix, the 'Master' setting is a super simple processing chain to make your overall mixes really loud. The controls are simple to use. There are 'input' and 'output' dials to control the volume of the signal coming into the plug-in and the volume of the signal leaving the plug-in. There are 3 'eq' dials to adjust the frequency response of the plug-in. The 'eq' curves definitely change depending on the 'Type' selection (BGV, STRINGS, GUITARS, DRUMS, etc.) but they are selected to be appropriate for the specific application.
Installation and authorization is a breeze, as with all Waves plug-ins.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
It is a little bit difficult to know exactly what kind of processing is going on inside the plug-in, given the limited amounts of controls. For instance, it is impossible to know what kind of compressor settings (ratio, attack, release, threshold, etc) are being used. Also, I get the impression that there is some kind of 'reverb' or 'ambiance' being added in some of the settings. There aren't even controls for this if you want to turn it up or down. It just adds a little 'space' to the drums or your mix so that everything sounds like it is coming from the same place. I guess it just reflects the way that Tony Maserati mixes. Apart from watching him work through his mixes, these plug-ins provide some good clues on how he likes to mix. I definitely changed the way that I mix just by using this plug-in. I started busing out my drums, and using a limiter to make sure they don't clip, even if I am not using the Maserati GRP plug-in.
OVERALL OPINION
The Waves Maserati GRP plug-in is meant to be used as a 'bus' processor. Of all the Signature Series Bundles (Maserati, CLA, JJP, Kramer), this plug-in is the only one specifically for 'group' processing. To me, this unique processor and the 'Acoustic' processor set the Maserati bundle apart from the rest.
If your mixes don't use a lot of 'bus' processing, or you aren't entirely sure how to process your overall mix, then you should definitely consider this plug-in. If you have drums, you should definitely 'bus' them all to the same track. Then you can use this plug-in to do things like compress the sub-mix and also eq. The same thing goes for your final mix. Unless you are going to pay for someone else to 'Master' your mix, then you really need some kind of processing to make your tracks loud enough to compare with the other music that is out there. This plug-in is an 'all-in-one' solution for 'mastering'. It has simple, easy to use controls of 'eq' and 'compression'. The 'compression' setting is actually a combination of 'limiting' and 'compression'.
Installation and authorization is a breeze, as with all Waves plug-ins.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
It is a little bit difficult to know exactly what kind of processing is going on inside the plug-in, given the limited amounts of controls. For instance, it is impossible to know what kind of compressor settings (ratio, attack, release, threshold, etc) are being used. Also, I get the impression that there is some kind of 'reverb' or 'ambiance' being added in some of the settings. There aren't even controls for this if you want to turn it up or down. It just adds a little 'space' to the drums or your mix so that everything sounds like it is coming from the same place. I guess it just reflects the way that Tony Maserati mixes. Apart from watching him work through his mixes, these plug-ins provide some good clues on how he likes to mix. I definitely changed the way that I mix just by using this plug-in. I started busing out my drums, and using a limiter to make sure they don't clip, even if I am not using the Maserati GRP plug-in.
OVERALL OPINION
The Waves Maserati GRP plug-in is meant to be used as a 'bus' processor. Of all the Signature Series Bundles (Maserati, CLA, JJP, Kramer), this plug-in is the only one specifically for 'group' processing. To me, this unique processor and the 'Acoustic' processor set the Maserati bundle apart from the rest.
If your mixes don't use a lot of 'bus' processing, or you aren't entirely sure how to process your overall mix, then you should definitely consider this plug-in. If you have drums, you should definitely 'bus' them all to the same track. Then you can use this plug-in to do things like compress the sub-mix and also eq. The same thing goes for your final mix. Unless you are going to pay for someone else to 'Master' your mix, then you really need some kind of processing to make your tracks loud enough to compare with the other music that is out there. This plug-in is an 'all-in-one' solution for 'mastering'. It has simple, easy to use controls of 'eq' and 'compression'. The 'compression' setting is actually a combination of 'limiting' and 'compression'.