The Renaissance DeEsser is another straightforward processor. It comes with minimal controls and maximum utility. Simply set the frequency you want to reduce, the threshold level at which you want it to kick in, and the amount of attenuation with the Range control. You can also set it to attenuate all the high frequencies above the main frequency, or to cut just a notch where the problems are, leaving the rest above and below the problem untouched.
Renaissance Bass is a variation on Waves’ original MaxxBass processor. Its sole purpose is to add copious amounts of thump to your tracks by adding subharmonics to any audio input. Three controls for Frequency, Intensity, and Gain are all that’s necessary to increase the perceived amount of low bass to any track. If you need a music bed to slam, then this is the processor that will do it.
You’ll find the RenReverb a nice addition to your collection of software ‘verbs. You can choose from hall, room, chamber, plate, reverse, gated, and non-linear algorithms, along with unusual extras such as EchoVerb and ResoVerb. Parameters include predelay, time, size, diffusion, and decay. There are reverb damping controls over frequency and ratio for both highs and lows. An additional pair of high and low shelving EQs are also provided for modifying the overall processed signal. Output controls include separate parameters for early reflections, reverb, wet/dry mix, and overall gain.
How does it sound? It’s very good, but not great. It’s not a Lexicon, and some of the algorithms have a bit of a metallic edge to them. But others, notably the hall and chamber, are smooth and pleasant. The RenReverb is also a bit of a processor hog so you might not get as many instances as you might like in a multitrack environment, but most reverb plug-ins are processor-intensive. With its large number of tweak-able parameters, it’s still a worthy addition to the Renaissance Collection.
RESTORATION
The four plug-ins that comprise the Restoration bundle are designed to remove various types of noise from your recordings. While it may seem at first that these would only be useful for cleaning up vinyl to CD transfers, it turns out that they have application in radio production as well.
X-Click is designed to remove loud pops such as vinyl scratches or digital clips. It removes the clicks and interpolates audio data to fill in the holes. I’ve found X-Click particularly useful when digital transfers go wrong and clock-related spikes show up in the audio. For example, on occasion I’ve received VO recordings on DAT that I needed to use within Pro Tools, but the DAT had discontinuities and drop-outs. These create random spikes in the transferred material, which are tedious to remove in Pro Tools with the pencil tool. A judicious application of X-Click removes the spikes quite effectively, without creating any noise artifacts of its own.
X-Crackle removes or diminishes the lower-level crackles that pollute most vinyl recordings. It’s usually used after X-Click, although I haven’t had to use it as often as X-Click. But X-Crackle has proved itself on occasion when I needed an old music bed on vinyl for a commercial spot.
X-Hum employs eight harmonically linked steep, low-cut, notched EQ bands to remove rumble and DC offset. It’s geared toward noises with a steady pitch, such as 60 Hz hum from bad grounding, without completely trashing the bass frequencies. It’s the most effective hum-removing plug I’ve tried, and seems far more effective than the Hum processor in Sound Forge.
X-Noise, a broadband noise-reduction plug-in, is the noise processor I use most often. It’s the one to use for tape hiss, and other residual background noise, such as air conditioners. It “learns” a portion of the noise and tailors its response to the customized profile.
I produce a weekly show that often comes in with bits on cassette, complete with tape hiss and motor rumble. Locating a silent spot in the material, I select it and set it to play in a loop so the noisy part is isolated. Pressing the Learn button in X-Noise allows it to analyze and profile the background noise to be removed. I then play the complete piece, and adjust the Threshold and Reduction sliders until the noise disappears. There’s also a Difference button that lets me hear just what will be removed, to ensure that good program material won’t be removed along with the noise. It’s sweet.
MASTERS
And finally there’s the Masters bundle. This includes the L2 Ultramaximizer, a linear-phase EQ, and linear-phase dynamics. The L2 has been a favorite of mine since the days of the first Native Power Pack. Functionally it’s a limiter with built-in noise shaping and dither. In practice, it’s extremely easy to use, gets superb results, and sounds very sweet. It’s especially effective for commercial spots, including those car commercials where the client isn’t happy unless the meters are slammed from beginning to end. You can get that if you want it, and you can get it without a lot of noise and pumping and breathing artifacts.
The linear-phase EQ and linear-phase multiband compressor are very clean and transparent. The linear phase idea is based on minimizing the kind of coloration and transient smearing introduced by more conventional processors. This makes the technology better suited for surgical mastering adjustments. In practice the reality lives up to the marketing — the sound is far more effortless, natural, and uncolored than you may be used to from any kind of EQ, never mind a digital one. In fact, spending too much time with these two plug-ins may make you reassess the way you work. They make a lot of production and promo work sound over-processed and strained in comparison.
While many of us don’t take the time to “master” a promo or spot, you might find that an extra few minutes spent with the processors contained in the Masters group will give you better sounding, punchier promos and commercials. If you can find the time, the improvement can be surprising.
ARE THEY WORTH IT?
No fooling, this is an expensive package. The Broadcast and Production Bundle is priced less than the individual bundles that it contains, and substantially less than the cost of all fourteen of the processors if you bought them separately. But a Rolls is expensive, and so is this package.
Is it worth it? If you can find the budget, yes. I’ve reviewed a lot of plug-in processors over the years, and almost every one in this collection is best-of-breed. Are there some that are essential, and others that simply would be nice to own? Yes. The Renaissance Maxx processors are a must-have for everyday work. The Restoration group includes some plug-ins that I have come to rely on, and would be hard-put to give up. If I had to pass on a set in this bundle, it would probably be the Masters collection, since the RenMaxx package offers EQ and dynamics that are nearly as good as those in the Masters package. I would hate to lose that Ultramaximizer, however, for that used-car client that keeps sending me work.
If you can find a way to swing it, by all means do. In any case, download the demo versions of the Broadcast and Production Bundle. They’re staying on my hard drive — Steve sez check ‘em out.
The Native version of the Broadcast and Production Bundle carries a suggested list price of $2400, while the TDM version lists at $4800. For more information, contact Waves, Inc., 306 West Depot Avenue, Suite 100, Knoxville TN, 37917, telephone 865-546-6115, fax 865-546-8445, by email at
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