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How to Get Started with Waves StudioVerse

Jun 24, 2024

Learn how to get Waves StudioVerse, search for plugins and instrument chains, create and share your own StudioVerse chains, create your StudioVerse profile, and more tips and guidelines.

  • To install StudioVerse, download it in one of the following ways:

      1. Launch Waves Central
        Windows: via the desktop shortcut or Start Menu > All Programs > Waves Central.
        Mac: Applications > Waves Central.
      2. Log in to your account.
      3. Click on the StudioVerse page
      4. Follow the instructions on screen to install StudioVerse.
        You can use StudioVerse with just the plugins you already have (this will limit the chains you can use) or access all plugins and all chains by installing all Waves Plugins. Unlicensed plugins will be in demo-mode, with periodic audio-mutes.
      • You can also install StudioVerse by going to Waves Central “Install Products” page, click on the “All Products” tab, and select StudioVerse.

    • For an optimal StudioVerse experience, we recommend installing all Waves plugins, either in demo-mode (with periodic audio-mutes) or by starting with a free 7-day trial.
      If you choose the larger subscription option, Waves Ultimate, you will have access to all Waves plugins and instruments and get the full effect of all StudioVerse chains.

      1. Launch Waves Central
        Windows: via the desktop shortcut or Start Menu > All Programs > Waves Central.
        Mac: Applications > Waves Central.
      2. Log in to Waves Central with your Waves account details.
      3. Go to the Creative Access page.
      4. If you have already subscribed to Waves Ultimate or Waves Essential
        • Click ‘Install’
        If you have not subscribed yet and wish to demo StudioVerse and Waves Creative Access plugins (with periodic audio-mutes)
        • Click ‘Install demo’

  • To connect to StudioVerse, you will need a Waves Account.
    If you do not have a Waves Account yet, create one here.

    Once an account has been created, install the StudioRack plugin chainer as well as all Waves plugins, so that you will have access to StudioVerse Chains.

    1. Download Waves Central, (If you already have Waves Central installed, go on to step 2).
    2. Launch Waves Central and login to your Waves account:
      Windows: via the desktop shortcut or Start Menu > All Programs > Waves Central.
      Mac: Applications > Waves Central.
    3. In Waves Central, go to the StudioVerse page, and click Install Demo. This will install StudioRack and all Waves plugins.
      * In case you don’t yet have licenses for any of the plugins, they will run in Demo mode - with periodic mutes.
      * If you already have some plugins installed, it will let you choose to either install only StudioRack, or install Studiorack with the rest of the plugins in Demo Mode.

    Once installed, access StudioVerse:

    1. Launch your DAW.
    2. Load the StudioRack plugin on one of your channels. StudioVerse is now accessible within StudioRack.
      More info on StudioVerse chains can be found Here.

    For an optimal StudioVerse experience, we recommend you subscribe to Waves Creative Access: you can start with a free 7-day trial. If you choose the larger subscription option, Waves Ultimate, you will have access to all Waves’ plugins and get the full effect of all StudioVerse chains.

    You can also access StudioVerse by updating StudioRack V14 to the latest version.
    If StudioRack V14 is already installed on your system, please follow the steps in the How to Update Waves Plugins to the Latest Version article.

    (You can use StudioVerse even if you have only some Waves plugins, but you will not be able to take full advantage of StudioVerse chains that include plugins you do not own.)

  • There are several ways to find plugin chains in StudioVerse:

    • Tell StudioVerse what you’re looking for by typing free text into the StudioVerse search bar.
    • Browse chains in the StudioRack quick search section, or click the pop-out icon on the right of the StudioVerse search bar to open the full StudioVerse window. Here you can filter your search by plugins, artists, genre, instruments, processor, settings and more.
    • Find trending and recently added chains, exclusive chain collections, and all chains by tag in the Browse StudioVerse page on the Waves website.
    • In the StudioVerse Audio Effects plugin, click on the Scan icon next to the search bar. StudioVerse will instantly analyze the unique ‘Audio ID’ (or sonic fingerprint) of your specific track and use its musical AI engine to offer you recommended chains that match the unique characteristics of your track.

    You can also save a list of ‘liked’ chains by pressing the ♥ icon next to a chain. Any ‘liked’ chain is automatically added to the ‘Liked’ section on the left side of the expanded StudioVerse interface for easy access.

  • Go to the Edit My StudioVerse Profile page to create your StudioVerse profile.

    Another way to create a StudioVerse profile is by saving a StudioVerse chain and setting its visibility to ‘Public’. The first time you set a chain’s visibility to ‘Public’, you will be required to set-up a StudioVerse profile.

    You can share your profile by sending the link to your profile as a message, or by linking to it on any social media or other platform.

  • To create a StudioVerse plugin chain and publish it online:

    1. In your DAW, load either the StudioVerse Audio Effects plugin or the StudioVerse Instruments plugin on an Audio/MIDI/Instrument channel.
    2. Select and insert plugins/instruments using the StudioVerse insert slots, adjust the settings to your liking.
    3. Set up macro controls and label them in a way that describes what they do.
    4. Once your chain is ready, click the ‘Save’ icon in the system toolbar, at the top of the plugin. The ‘Save’ window will appear.
    5. Fill-in your chain details: Chain name, thumbnail, description, tags, visibility (public\private).
      In the StudioVerse Audio Effects plugin, we recommend adding an Audio ID.
      In the StudioVerse Instruments plugin, we recommend recording an Audio Demo to add an audition sound that demonstrates your chain.
    6. Click ‘Save’.

    Your StudioVerse chain is now saved. If set to public visibility, it will now appear in your StudioVerse profile and in other users’ searches, and on the StudioVerse community page.

    To edit an existing StudioVerse chain:

    1. Select the ‘User’ tab on the top, near the StudioVerse search bar.
    2. Find the chain you wish to edit and click the three-dot button on the right side.
    3. Select ‘Edit’ and change any of the chain’s details or the thumbnail.

    To share plugin chains that you created:

    1. Click on the ‘User’ tab near the StduioVerse search bar.
    2. Find the chain you wish to share and press the three-dot button on the right.
    3. Click ‘Share’, a window will open with a sharable link that you can send using any messaging app and direct share buttons for social media platforms.

  • Follow these guidelines to create great, easy to use chains that have immediate impact and are easy to find in StudioVerse.

    • Gain Staging:

      It’s best practice to save your chains with the input and output faders at 0 dB Unity (zero). Ideally, the chain should maintain its level so that toggling the on/off button will not affect the level drastically.

      Save your chain with the knob positions at a state suitable for the most general use case, so that people that load your preset will immediately feel its sonic impact.

    • Macros:

      First, learn how to create and edit macros:

      1. Access the interface of a plugin you wish to add to a macro and right-click on any parameter you would like to map to that macro.
      2. Select ‘Add Macro’ and select the macro number your wish to assign to this parameter. (Macro 1, Macro 2, etc).
      3. Alternatively, you can press an empty macro slot (under the macro tab), select a plugin from the list, and a parameter within it.
      4. Each macro can control more than just one parameter. Right-click any available parameter in a plugin and choose ‘Add Macro’ to add this parameter to an existing macro control.
      5. Click the Edit button at the bottom of the macro to edit the macro ranges. A pop-up will appear with all parameters that are assigned to macros, their control ranges and macro knob ranges.
      6. Under ‘Control Range’ you can specify the minimum and maximum values for each parameter to define how the macro will affect the parameter. You can also reverse the ranges by clicking the two arrows button in the middle.
        For example, if the ‘Low Pass’ for a filter does not need to go ‘all’ the way up when using a Vocal Preset, this can be tailored using the Macro Editor.
      7. Define each macro knob range by setting the macro range slider to your liking.
      8. Label your macros in a descriptive manner so that it’s easy to understand what they do. For instance, if your macro controls the size of the reverb, you can label it ‘big/small’. To rename a macro, double click the macro name.

      To assign macro controls to parameters that are not right-clickable, (such as Waves Tune Real-Time’s scale parameter), assign the parameter via the macro control menu.

    • Parallel Processing:

      Adding parallel splits to add send/return effects to your chains (e.g., reverb/delay) will help make them more powerful and easier to use.

      1. Under Rack, add a parallel split into any point in your chain
      2. Enable the second processing rack.
      3. Add a send effect to the first slot of the second processing rack (for example, H-Delay) Make sure the effect is set to 100% wet.
      4. Right-click the fader on the bottom of parallel split processing rack 2, choose Add Macro and select a macro.
      5. The selected macro is now the send level to the effect channel.

      To assign macro controls to parameters that are not right-clickable, (such as Waves Tune Real-Time’s scale parameter), assign the parameter via the macro control menu.

    • Naming:

      Select a short, descriptive name for your chain. The right name will help your chain come up in search results and will help other people find it once you share it publicly in StudioVerse.

    • Important note about using Waves Tune Real-Time in your chain: If you use Waves Tune Real-Time in your chain preset, make sure to load it on the first plugin slot in your rack. Inserting it after other plugins can result in incorrect detection.