About Waves

For more than 30 years, Waves has been shaping the evolution of digital audio.

From pioneering the audio plugin revolution to building technologies for studio, live sound, intelligent processing and generative audio, Waves has consistently expanded what audio professionals can do—and who can do it.

Today, our mission is to bring professional-quality sound within reach of everyone who works with audio, from the world’s leading producers, engineers and artists to musicians and creators just starting out.

That work has been recognized with a Technical GRAMMY Award, an Engineering Emmy Award, numerous TEC Awards, and patents for innovations in audio technology.

From Studio to Stage

Waves plugins have been part of music production since the early days of digital audio. Today, our catalog spans hundreds of tools for recording, production, mixing, mastering, restoration and sound design, alongside online services such as Waves Online Mastering, and a growing range of AI-powered technologies.

Live sound has become an increasingly central part of Waves. Our live ecosystem includes the eMotion LV1 mixing platform, SuperRack, SoundGrid real-time audio networking, and dedicated hardware, used everywhere from stadiums to clubs, from houses of worship to major tours and festivals.

Our Consumer division brings Waves audio technologies to millions of listeners through partnerships with leading electronics manufacturers.

More Than 30 Years of Innovation

Waves was founded in 1992 by Gilad Keren, a successful recording studio professional, and Meir Shaashua, an accomplished musician who was pursuing his studies in physics and mathematics. Sharing a love for music and sound, both saw early on how profoundly digital technology could change audio.

Our first product, the Q10 Paragraphic Equalizer, was one of the earliest professional audio plugins. It was followed by the L1 and L2 Ultramaximizers, through product collaborations with Abbey Road Studios and leading mixing engineers, and decades of new technologies spanning analog modeling, restoration, networked real-time audio, live mixing, immersive sound, machine learning and AI.

Today, AI is opening another major chapter in how people work with sound. Waves is developing both assistive technologies that solve audio problems and streamline existing workflows, and generative technologies that enable entirely new ones—while continuing to develop the hands-on tools audio professionals rely on every day.

Trusted by Audio Professionals

Waves technologies have been used on countless hit records, major broadcasts and live productions, by many of the world’s leading producers, mixers, artists and live sound engineers. From Bowie to Beyoncé, Beatles reissues to Bruno Mars and beyond—wherever there is sound, there is Waves.

That same technology is used by millions of musicians, producers and creators around the world. From major studios and stadium stages to home setups and headphones, our goal is the same: to make professional sound and powerful audio tools available to more people.

Still Audio People

More than three decades later, Waves is still independently owned by its founders. Meir remains CTO, closely involved in R&D and still writing code himself.

That connection to audio runs throughout the company. Among our approximately 250 employees, across offices around the world, are musicians, producers, studio and live engineers—including many whose day jobs have little to do with making music.

Waves has changed considerably since two studio professionals began exploring the possibilities of digital audio in 1992. What hasn’t changed is the impulse to solve audio problems, explore new possibilities, and make the results useful to the people who work with sound.

There’s still plenty to do.