Sure, they are ostensibly designed to sell you Waves overpriced plugins. But some of these are priceless.
http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=5865
I especially enjoy Dave Pensados' video ("damn, that bitch can sing!").
Fun for the entire family... if the entire family happens to be way obsessed with slammed mix busses and phase issues.
I share your nerdiness when it comes to this stuff. I watched all the videos a while back - and just watched the ones I hadn't seen yet today.
Lots of really good insight and information.
And to everyone: if you like the behind-the-scenes stuff, you really should watch them.
Thanks, Charger.
Tripper
I never watched those videos I learned by doing the trial and error method for many years.
I use a lot of the Waves stuff. I have had the Diamond bundle (I think) since it came out
And I use the Waves IR-1 Reverb with all the original extended Waves impulses since it came out way-way back. I use the IR-1 on Rhyman row F or R in the finals of my sequencer for every tune I do. It is one sweet verb. I never found a better one to suit my taste, although I have many, I only use that one.
When I had my analog gear I had a Lexicon Reverb hardware unit Model number escapes me but it cost 2 grand back in the late 80's. Although I had others which I can not remember, (a Yamaha, an Alessis and a Roland probably) I never used anything but the lexicon after I got it.
Yeah, the point isn't really to learn how to use Waves stuff... shit, I'd never spend that kind of money on a plugin now, and I have nothing Waves and don't miss it. The point is that the videos are pretty fun. Dave Pensado's is hilarious... he barely even mentions Waves, but he talks about everything else under the sun.
Do you think Waves charges so much because they can? I mean, their stuff seems ridiculously overpriced when compared with a lot of other plugins out there.
It's not that Waves' plugins aren't good - because they are really good - it's just surprising to me that they charge SO MUCH for them.
Tripper
I am really not sure. As a sales method it doesn't make much sense. I can get plugins that are the equal of, and in some cases better than, Waves, for 1/4 of the price across the board.
Watch a few - pretty interesting
Pretty funny - on one the guy is selling a compressor on a vocal as being great - and I am thinking I prefer the mute version.
Might be due to the overtly "pop" music and me thinking that less processed == good - when in pop the opposite is the aim,
and the vocal track already sounded heavily process with obviousle weird auto tuning.
the rule of thirds thing by the fat dude was pretty interesting.
There are a few things in the Waves bundles that are very usable. I use the Ultramaximizer 1+ on every mix even though I have the later Waves Ultramaximizers I never use them. I use the Denoiser on old recordings and the MaxxBassum is very usable. The R-DeEsser is very usable. However if I had to pay for those plug ins with todays prices, I would not buy them at all. If I did not already have them, I would have to find alternatives. Of course for my taste there is nothing that compares to the IR1 with extended impulses. It is the smoothest most hi fidelity verb I have ever used.