Waves MultiRack

The Waves MultiRack does not require you to have iLok and activating it is very easy with your USB drive or even you hard drive. It does come with a new plug in that was not available on version 8 it is called NLS Non-Linear Summer. This plug in is gear for people who are working with live sound, I would not purchase it if you don’t have a live use for it.


SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

The MultiRack is easy to install and set up, even if you don’t have the previous version of it and you are installing it from scratch it will still only take a few minutes. If you have the previous version then you know that it required iLok, so if you upgrade to this version 9 of MultiRack you will no longer have to worry about iLok and you can run your Version 8 and Version 9 plug ins simultaneously. MultRack does come with a manual that you can download online, it is easy to use and read through (Adobe Acrobat Reader). You can easily search what you are looking for and it is way better than having a hard copy and having to flip through pages to find what you need.


OVERALL OPINION

Using the MultiRack will allow you to get that studio quality and sound to your stage audience in no time. You will have full control without having to worry about racking or running cables. It is also compatible with both Mac and PC computers.

With the MultiRack all you need is your laptop, interface and MultRack. You will then have everything you need to run your live show. You can get rid of all of the rack-able units and extra gear that you don’t really need which is a plus because you won’t have to carry it around. MultiRack will replace all of those heavy rack-able units that you hate taking around with you.

Waves Multi rack has run great for me for a long time now. I have nothing but great things to say about this plug in. Most all of the plug ins from Waves are great, and are very professional and high quality. You will have issues when using any of the plug ins that they produce. Using the Multi Rack from waves was one of the easiest transitions from hard ware to software every . Also there is no iLok required for the newest version of this software which is absolutely great, iLok is something that I am not a fan of anymore. About a 3 years ago using iLok with pro tools I didn’t have a problem with , then I never really cared for it after that.


SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

Setting this up couldn’t be easier and if you need help setting it up you can go online and check out the community where there are a bunch of users that probably had the same issues you are having and they can help. There are also online video tutorials for beginners who are using Waves Multi Rack for the first time and want to get a head start with this high quality plug in.


OVERALL OPINION

If you have a some what decent laptop you will be able to get a great sound using the Waves Multi Rack plug in. I am amazed all of the time with the effects that I can create while using it. It is a new software but still has the hardware feel to it, just in a digital sense. So that is why it made so much since for me to decide to go with using waves Multi Rack plug in. It has really help me take my masters to the next level in no time. I recommend getting this, especially if you are coming from hardware racks.

I have had absolutely no compatibility issues with this software. I run it on a Macbook Pro i7 with an Rme Fireface 800. The manual is relatively short and concise and I recommend running through it to get good tips on Side-Chaining and mastering all the "quick" buttons and configurations that allow you to do quite a bit with this software. The general config and setup is quite simple. Just load up the program with the Waves plugins that you want to use, set your audio input/ouputs (including the actual audio interface), maybe add a side chain capable compressor or other effect and that's it. The typical functions are accesible in the sense that waves has tried to make this software very similar to that of a real Hardware Rack. With that said, there is still quite a bit you can do "behind the scenes" that you could not do with the Real Hardware version. That can all be found in the manual.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

Multirack works flawlessly in the setup I named earlier. So far, it has never crashed, has never caused any audio pops or loss and has stored and recalled presets without any issues. I give this software a big fat 10! It runs two separate stereo channels with a couple of plugins on each at 96 samples with only reaching 20-30% cpu (according to its meter). I use this with my Fireface 800 running totalmix and I have to use several instances of "LoopBack" to chain all my different Audio Applications. This adds very little latency but it can add up when you have to do it 3 or more times for one signal path. With that said, I needed something capable of very low latency and MultiRack fits the bill perfectly. I have been using this software for about 4 months.

OVERALL OPINION

What I like most about this software is the ability to run Huge Rack presets. Some songs I play require a big Sidechain compressor where as some other songs I play are much softer in dynamics and require little to no compression as well as other effects for different style songs. With Multirack, you can quickly (and without any audio hiccups or glitches) change all the plugins in your rack to fit the particular song. These "snapshots" as they call them are amazingly handy and convenient and are indispensable for the musician or band playing without a sound guy. The only thing I don't like about MultiRack is there exclusion of 3rd party plugins. I love all of my Waves Plugins but they don't make everything, especially DJ style effect plugins like Sugar Bytes Turnado or Izotope's Stutter Edit. If they allowed for 3rd party plugins to join in, then this would be one of the best pieces of software I have ever owned. I paid $250 for this which is kind of steep when you realize you have to buy the other waves plugins you want. But it's a solid, very stable piece of software and you pay for what you get. This is the only software I have used to function as a Stand Alone virtual Rack. I would definitely recommend this and would make the purchase again if I had to.