Following the success of Waves’ Curves Equator, the resonance suppression plugin, and the first in the “Curves” series presenting an evolution in EQ technology, Waves Audio is now shipping Curves AQ, the world’s first autonomous EQ plugin. For live performances, Curves AQ LIVE offers zero-latency processing with the same capabilities as Curves AQ.
More details from Waves (www.waves.com):
Unlike other “smart EQ” offerings which rely on a rigid “take-it-or-leave-it” preset curve with extremely limited adjustment & control, Curves AQ breaks boundaries with its generative AI Spectral Targeting Technology.
The Curves AQ plugin is cognitive — just click “Learn,” and it does your EQ work for you, significantly improving your overall sound quality and accelerating your mixing workflow.
AQ’s Neural Network analyzes your audio, determines its ideal sound profile and creates five unique curves for you to choose from. These are not presets, but original spectral curves tailored to the natural qualities of your audio, whether it’s vocals, instruments or full mixes.
The white curve on the plugin represents the sound destination, referred to as the ‘Spectral Target.’ Adjusting the Spectral Target resembles working with a regular EQ; however, the adjustment modifies the EQ’s destination, and the processing adapts accordingly to get you there.
Next, AQ offers reimagined and powerful EQ controls to personalize and perfect your sound and tweak it to your taste, including:
“Boosts & Cuts” AQ refines your sound to adapt to the “Spectral Target” through boost & cut processing. Adjustments on either boosting or cutting can be made globally or per band.
“Static / Dynamic Slider” AQ offers static and dynamic EQ, giving you the flexibility to work entirely statically, dynamically, or with a mix of both.
“Smart Tilt” reshapes the spectral target with powerful tonal adjustments, while “Offset” shifts the target curve along the X-axis, repositioning the fundamental frequency and harmonics for creative effects.
“MixSense – EQ in Context” AQ resolves frequency clashes between tracks. By sidechaining any audio and turning on MixSense, AQ adjusts its processing to resolve only conflicting frequencies between two parts.
“Adaptive Mode” AQ works straight out-of-the-box even without the “Learn” function, providing dynamic balancing using a flat spectral target, with adjustable processing via the main knob.
“4 Frequency Anchors” With each instruments “Learn”, the Neural Network creates 4 anchors tailored to the frequency spectrum of your track, to control the low end, fundamental, harmonics & air of your track.
“Traditional EQ” For those who like to work “old-school”, AQ offers the ability to add nodes on the Spectral Target, shape Qs and add HP & LP filtering.
Waves Curves AQ Features:
AI-powered EQ – you click learn, AQ does the rest
Creates five unique EQ profiles you can choose from
MixSense – AQ adjusts processing to resolve mix conflicts
Adjusts boosting and cutting, globally & per band
Includes Curves AQ LIVE – zero-latency version
Uses generative AI technology to create original target curves
Offers five reimagined EQ controls for full control over your sound
Control amount of static EQ vs. dynamic EQ, or any combination
Smart Tilt control for overall tonal balancing
Offset feature adjusts curve along X-axis, changing focal point of processing
Curves AQ is included in the Waves Mercury bundle. It has also been added to the Waves Ultimate plugin subscription, which includes the comprehensive Waves plugin catalog (over 240 plugins) as monthly or annual subscriptions
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