Review of Waves NLS

[@ricardoayala2023]

I found, by accident, that if one select either a knob or a fader and hold "shift" (Windows), then you can select all the knobs or faders you want and link them on the bus version. You can link the first and the fourth knob/ fourth fader or whatever combination you desire. It can be the second knob and the fifth fader and they are link. That also is possible with the drive and trim knobs. On the channel version, the link can be done with the drive knob and the output fader. I hope my comment is clear to understand. Do not know what good or bad this can be, but, is available. I'm just learning here.

[@courtneyvaughan2732]

I just got this yesterday great investment!!!!! Def sounds great gotta think about this your getting three different mixing console's and they all sound different one of the best waves products to me

[@jamesjames77777]

These are the best reviews on the web. Good work Russ!

[@audiosug]

I love NLS for the tone palette and VR-VCAs inside my none HD Protools11 system. It gives me a vr analog tone shaping tool like back in the 1990s when I was a tracking engineer recording strings, brass, gtr, bass, keys and battery thru a SL6000 E to 2 inch 499 with all the analog bells and whistles.

[@alobosk]

I've tried mixes with NLS and VCC. VCC just doesn't cut it. End product from VCC is not the same as with NLS. I like emulating the sound of the 70s and NLS is the only that has done it, very well indeed. Put that into a real tape at 15ips and you've got it. I also put one instance of REDD (for the EQ, no drive) in the main buss. That's my sweet spot.

[@deathsshadow1975]

I just picked this up today since it was only $49. Can't wait to use it.

[@gerhardbinkele3753]

I got it too - great stuff!

[@TimKaseyMythHealer]

I've been frustrated with many of the waves example videos. In most example videos it's difficult to hear the difference. You've taken the time to insure that a difference can be heard, and that's great. The THD specks on most equipment has gotten so good, the 'character' & 'personality' of the end result has become sterile. New producers, if they keep at it long enough, eventually learn to 'hate' that sterile sound. Some spend tens of thousands on the vintage gear in order to 'warm up' the mix (the opposite of sterility). ... this plug in is a way of taking a step in the right direction, and without taking out a second mortgage to do so.

[@TimKaseyMythHealer]

Use the "Spike" for drum overall microphones. "Nevo" for just about everything else.

[@jamescuttsmusicjcm5013]

One of my favourite plugins of all time this one! For sho!!!!

[@ProductionExpert]

You can bounce using this, it says so in the manual. Give all the options a try.

[@phobik7226]

Waves all the way! Thanks alot for the very professional demonstration

[@seanliddy6067]

So far it works extremely well for me...If you are looking for the next level of "BUS" mixing this is the way to go..

[@JimijaymesProductions]

Mainly the colouration will be before an eq and dynamics. As it is non linear the signal feeding it changes the way it sounds a more dynamic signal will give a wider range of 'colouration artifacts' due to wider dynamics and differences between transients. Would be very subtle (unless crushing the hell out of something a compressor) but worth experimenting with.

[@Barefootterry]

Waves NLS is a desert Island plug in along with the L3 and the Vin buss comp .

[@alobosk]

Both are superb in what the y do to the sound. What will you like more? Indeed. Try them. I like NLS a lot more. Neve and EMI are sweeeet.

[@nicholasparis5281]

Nice Demo! I think I'm sometimes tempted to add too much colour at the end of a mix myself, but isn't that the very nature of mixing; holding back until it's time! I own the NLS, and I have to agree.. It's a very surprisingly excellent sounding plugin.. I'd say I'm not sure if we're more impressed bc when you dial in a little change on a master bus the apparent difference is large (bc on the master bus EVERYTHING gets affected), BUT that's another reason I felt inclined to say "Nice Demo" - each instrument bus example really proves it works across the board in incremental, and singular changes per track or stem or what have you.. I've also never summed with serious analog gear in a pro studio, so my opinion can be taken with a grain of digital salt, but at least I came to "2nd" what the "Pro-Tools Expert" who authored the video has to say; you'll be very pleasantly surprised on your mixes (if you can't already tell from this video), and Waves NLS has become one of my "in the box" essentials. Also, in addition to what was discussed in the video, it seems to me that if you add "drive" to some of your highest peaking instrument busses: Drums, Vocals in particular for example - it seems that you could 1 add colour with the drive, 2 increase apparent SIZE of the element, but 3 do that while it might reduce peaks and adding more headroom???? I'm not an tech expert either, but I'd think that adding distortion could achieve louder, more colorful sounding stems, but while (if what I think is true, 1-3) ADDING HEADROOM to increase more workable tracks for Mastering purposes.....???? Again, that's an intuition, but I bet if you metered everything you might see a few extra dB at the final output?

[@davidjonathan3854]

thank you for your review! excellent

[@cal1music65]

the Beat is dope! Love the Rhodes & the funky wah guitar :)

[@CitizenChaz]

Use it all the time - great plug in!

[@DaMonstaMuzik]

Great video homie! Thanks for the tips.

[@dmv_p]

Russ, I own both, just wanted your perspective. I prefer VCC. Cheers.

[@airtimedesign]

What drums and reverb are you using? Sounds great.

[@BLMeredith87]

Sounds gorgeous, need!

[@MarkHysteria]

Its really easy...FIRST INSERT = console emulation behavior and LAST INSERT = summing box behavior (i prefer to use it on the first insert)...but the real answer is use them both and decide what works (and sounds) better for you.

[@gorillachilla]

how do you use this after all your channels are grouped to busses ? do you have to make a extra buss channel or fx channel to operate the nls?

[@alfieholloway]

I don't get what the vca group knob is for in the bus plug in. is it just for monitoring and not controlling? it's very confusing

[@ProductionExpert]

Both have demos try them.

[@yungcutta305]

can you do a video showing how you set up you mixing window like that

[@audiolego]

So put one in the first and then last in the chain for all channels? Thanks for this video

[@cshaw340]

hmm, never used my Slate VCC at the end of my inserts. Got me thinking...

[@SteveSteeleSoundSymphony]

I own the VCC and VTM, but I'm very impressed with the sound and workflow of the Waves NLS. Not wanting to buy both but the EMI would be nice to have. It's pretty much a near tie, with a few differences. Do you want these to sound just like SSLs and Neves? Or do you just want them to sound good? Think about that.

[@AfterNothingsEnd]

Would this be worth buying If you already own the Waves Abbey road bundle with the Red and TG12345? I like how every NLS channel has different character, just like a real board. Thoughts?

[@VintiqueSound]

Have you already bought the NLS? If not, my suggestions would be as follows: Do you find the Abbey Roads bundle only gives you one kind of 'sound'? Is the Abbey Roads bundle very limited in what it can provide you for sculpting your sound? The NLS has the three types of consoles, which are actually quite different from one another, so that would be the biggest selling point for the NLS in my opinion. However, the difference in sound between these three consoles is actually very easy to emulate with simple EQing techniques. Overall, I would say that using the NLS can potentially save you from adding additional EQing on your tracks. The 3 consoles offer 3 sound characteristics that amount to about the same thing as EQing the track in 3 different ways. BUT, it is not the same thing as EQing, so there's that... I really love how the TG12345 channel strip sounds, especially when I'm going for a vintage/indie sound (anything from Blues, to Country, to Indie and Pop), however, I've used the NLS on many different genres of music (House/EDM, Blues/Rock, Jazz/Rock, Acoustic/Singer-Songwriter, Rap, Pop, and others), and with great results. So to summarize, I feel the NLS is also very useful in many different scenarios, whereas the TG12345 channel strip is a bit more limited. I always suggest that people take advantage of their 7-day free trial/demo. I've demoed several plugins/vst instruments that I thought I really wanted/needed but realized how bland the plugin actually was, thus, saving quite a bit of money. I used to spend my money on things that I haven't fully tested/tried, only to realize soon after that it was a waste of money. Live and learn I guess.

[@AfterNothingsEnd]

Misc. Factory Studio : Thanks for your input. I appreciate it. I demoed it twice, actually. I did not buy it. I almost did two days ago when it was $50. Every time I used the NLS, I ended turning it off when I did my final mix. It did give me some different character than the Abbey Road stuff. I keep going back to the TG12345. I like that sound the best. Guess it's really just personal preference. If it goes on sale again I might pick it up,but I've been looking into the Slate Digital stuff. Especially since NAMM 2017 and saw their new "virtual recording system". I'm due for an upgrade as my Digi 003 has maxed it's lifespan. Again, thanks for taking the time to answer me.

[@SupernovaSun77]

After Nothings End you got to drive it a little hard for it to open up. This thing is a workhorse powerhouse.

[@ivanmontelongo8910]

Actually "Nevo" is not "Rupert Neve Creations". Its referring to the audio engineer, Yoad Nevo.

[@DavidNutter1963]

@The Wit Same

[@13thbunkerstudios]

Question does this option replaces the need for a stereo buss channel? , let's say if you created a stereo buss for your drums and which you applied your favorite VST for me I use the SSL drum Channel how could I incorporate the NLS into a session that already has stereo buses on the mix?

[@djrbfmbfm-woa]

very good review. a fave of mine for summing. j.

[@jaakkomakinen7632]

Close to perfect snare sound.

[@AldyWaani]

what version of Pro Tools here? I see small faders & knobs between inserts like real analog console. Thanks

[@ohioplaya937]

+Aldy Waani those small faders are a view option called narrow mix

[@SteveSteeleSoundSymphony]

The "coloration" is fine but the low end these things add, aren't pro mix engineers or mastering engineers just going to pull it out in the end anyway? Or are the low freqs being added, harmonics of the fundamental? (Regardless of musical style)

[@Markpianist1]

Late to this. But If you are a good mix engineer you will take out the lows you don't need. If you have done the mix properly, The master engineers job is to make sure everything on the album is not totally different sonic wise. This includes peaks and how loud the song is. If there is more bass in one song from the next it doesn't mean it is wrong via if you are a good mix engineer. So most of the time if the master engineer is cutting bass it is just to lower and make it at the same volume level as the rest of the album.Then they also put the songs for CD in red book format. For mp3's they make sure the compression isn't causing peaks.They don't take a mix and magically it sounds great because they have a special process. They are just finishing up. Just like when you paint a car, Buffing it out is just the last step to make it shine. However, if your paint job sucks buffing it isn't going to make it any better. So all bass that doesn't need to be there is gone and the Master engineer just buffs it!

[@Reggi_Sample]

Pro mix engineers add more NLS lol

[@asd7526]

Thank you sir \m/

[@travisgarrett8969]

What's the difference between this and the CLAmixhub?

[@SuperJzero]

CLAmixhub is SSL only. NLS has 3 consoles modeled. CLAmixhub allows EQing 8 channels at once from the same plugin window. With NLS, there is no EQ section and you have to deal with separate windows per insert channel.

[@dmv_p]

Russ ... Better than VCC?

[@dafragsta]

When I heard the drums, all I could think was "Don't leave me hiiIIiIIIiiigh. Don't leave me dryYyYYYYYyYYy."

[@masonsmusiclibrary2632]

Not only a super awesome and informative video but shit that song is fantastic!

[@GeraKosmos]

Is it as good as the real thing Dangerous DBOX?

[@MagiranLovin]

♥ ♥Awesome channel ♥ ♥

[@nentihaiudittu]

7:51 i hear a plane flying by

[@Dylannnnnnnn91]

"Coloration", and just generally removing clarity and dynamics via the means of synthesized )and really an emulated-synthesized) distortion, are just not the same thing IMHO.

[@swingset1969]

The same thing as what? If the result of a modeled effect does to the end product what the real gear did to the end product, and/or it's a pleasing sound, then it's good kit. Don't be a snob, use something and see if it's better than not using it. Learn to REALLY use it, when, and how. Then have a strong opinion.

[@robertmurphy4689]

3 great consoles in one plugin, you’re kidding me!?! And you can use them on every single track in you want to. Can’t be that! It’s almost like owning those three consoles for truly a fraction of the price.

[@matrixate]

+Robert Murphy I agree.

[@Samplesenator]

And even more unbelievable that it was on sale a few weeks ago for just $29!

[@volvot5turbo]

and it is today too :-)

Pizza Poop The Clown and again haha

[@michaell.8938]

I'm just not a fan of plug ins that offer "coloration" in the form of distortion. Analog emulation plug ins really don't do enough for me to use them.

[@SmallAxeMP]

Nice video I just did a video today on this plug in. I s that lve drum f not what king of drums are they/

[@911truthfarmer]

I like MIKE, lol.

[@matthewbrown2817]

A bit disappointed. One of the areas of summing is the depth width and solidness that is also characterized by summing. Your demonstration covers the particular sonic nature of the individual console's very well but your demonstration fell short of showing the above mention attributes of summing. Sensationalizing seems to be the cry from all the current demonstrator's. Their a bit monotones to listen too! Can anybody or does anybody even know how to demonstrate the former???????

[@jamesrockford2626]

sounds bad

[@stupidusername38]

So let me get this right, you put the mono NLS on mono tracks and then put the NLS BUSS STEREO on the main stereo output?

[@TimeMarchesOn]

Use it all the time - great plug in!