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Hatsubai « A classic parametric EQ »
Published on 07/17/11 at 16:37Waves has been around for a long time. I think they've officially been around for about 20 or so years now. During the 90s, they released a plugin that was a parametric EQ. This parametric EQ single handedly revolutionized the digital recording world thanks to its versatility and transparency. The plugin itself is mostly meant for the master buss, but you can use it on whatever you'd like. I've used this on guitar busses without any issues at all. The plugin features 10 adjustable bands, input gain fader, input phase inverter switch, the ability to turn on and off each band, various different filter types such as low shelf, high pass, etc., gain adjustment, frequency adjustments, Q control, output gain fader, trim output gain adjustment, and tons more. I've never read the manual, but anybody who has ever used a parametric EQ will feel right at home with this plugin.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
Waves rules when it comes to things like performance and stability. I've never had a crash while using this plugin, and that goes for all of the Waves plugins I've used. They all seem super rock stable, and in something as mission critical as a recording environment, that's a huge plus. The plugin works on both Windows and OS X, so nearly anybody can use it without a hassle. The plugin itself doesn't take up much RAM or processing power which is another plus. There is one issue I have with it, but it's a somewhat minor complaint. The plugin itself is a 32 bit plugin inside of OS X. For my DAW, Logic Pro, to fully utilize this, it needs to run a special bridge application. Performance is still the same, but it's just a pain with the way Logic implements that bridge application because the plugin doesn't remain visible in the background. I've been using the Mercury bundle for the past six or so months, and it's been a wonderful experience.
OVERALL OPINION
Despite its age, it's still an awesome parametric EQ. I don't use it as much as I used to since Ozone has it sown little built-in parametric EQ, and I usually have that on the master buss somewhere, but this used to be my go-to plugin for all kinds of different EQing. I tend to prefer the parametric EQs as opposed to graphic EQs due to me being able to control the Q a bit easier.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
Waves rules when it comes to things like performance and stability. I've never had a crash while using this plugin, and that goes for all of the Waves plugins I've used. They all seem super rock stable, and in something as mission critical as a recording environment, that's a huge plus. The plugin works on both Windows and OS X, so nearly anybody can use it without a hassle. The plugin itself doesn't take up much RAM or processing power which is another plus. There is one issue I have with it, but it's a somewhat minor complaint. The plugin itself is a 32 bit plugin inside of OS X. For my DAW, Logic Pro, to fully utilize this, it needs to run a special bridge application. Performance is still the same, but it's just a pain with the way Logic implements that bridge application because the plugin doesn't remain visible in the background. I've been using the Mercury bundle for the past six or so months, and it's been a wonderful experience.
OVERALL OPINION
Despite its age, it's still an awesome parametric EQ. I don't use it as much as I used to since Ozone has it sown little built-in parametric EQ, and I usually have that on the master buss somewhere, but this used to be my go-to plugin for all kinds of different EQing. I tend to prefer the parametric EQs as opposed to graphic EQs due to me being able to control the Q a bit easier.