PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Neilson/Clyne
Tel: (615) 662-1616
Fax: (615) 662-1636
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WAVES INTRODUCES AUDIO PROCESSING
ACCELERATORS
— Outboard processors offload and share power-hungry plug-ins;
offer new flexibility via Ethernet connection —
118th AES CONVENTION, BARCELONA, SPAIN, May 28, 2005 — Waves
Ltd., a leader in audio processing, has announced two hardware accelerators
that let users easily run multiples of the company’s most CPU-demanding
plug-ins. The APA products offer a new paradigm that uses Ethernet connections
and switches to enable stacking several APA units together and even
sharing them among several DAW workstations.
There are two models of APA. The APA32 is a 1U rack-mount
unit, while the APA44-M, a half-rack unit that features up to 30% more
processing power and nearly silent operation, is ideal for mobile use.
A kit enables two APA44-M units to be mounted in a 1U rack space. The
APA units are connected to the host computer via a standard Ethernet
port. Up to eight units can be used together with an Ethernet switch.
The units can also be shared among several DAW workstations via a suitable
V-LAN configuration, with each workstation accessing up to eight APA
units.
The APA system uses Waves’ new Netshell software,
which is included in every new Waves bundle that contains Netshell-compatible
plug-ins. No special authorization is required for Netshell or for an
APA unit; APA users just need to update their authorized Waves plug-ins
to Netshell supported versions, and they’re ready to go. This
represents a major step forward from conventional DSP approaches that
require a card in the computer or that are tied to one particular system.
The APA units are an economical solution to running multiple
CPU-demanding plug-ins. For example, an APA32 can run 6 IR-1 Convolution
Reverbs, or 9 Linear Phase Equalizers, or 12 C4 Multiband Processors
at 44.1 kHz. The APA’s flexible and shareable power, accessed
via an established network standard, is what sets the APA apart from
other approaches to the challenge of providing extra DSP muscle to a
workstation. The use of conventional high-speed Ethernet also means
that the APA can be more easily shared in a facility and remotely located.
In addition, APA allows users to get the most out of powerful,
CPU-intensive plug-ins that simply won’t run on conventional accelerator
cards — IR-1 Convolution Reverb for example — and opens
the door to new, more powerful DSP processing algorithms for which the
power of the host CPU is insufficient.
The user is able to choose where to run any given plug-in
with a simple drop-down menu — on the host, TDM card or APA. This
is important because not all plug-ins are best run on outboard processors,
and having this choice allows maximum flexibility. Typically, the most
CPU-intensive plug-ins will be run on the APA and the rest on the host.
The latency introduced by APA is reported to the host and then eliminated
in most DAW applications by delay compensation.
Initially the APA-compatible Waves plug-ins are the L3
Multimaximizer, L3 Ultramaximizer,
IR-360 Surround Parametric Convolution Reverb, IR-1 Parametric Convolution
Reverb V2,
IR-L Light Convolution Reverb, Linear Phase Equalizer, Linear Phase
Multiband, C4 Multiband Parametric Processor, Renaissance Reverb, Renaissance
Channel, SoundShifter, Morphoder, TransX and Q-Clone.
Release 1 is compatible with both Mac and PC, and supports
the most popular DAW systems. On the Macintosh, these include ProTools
6.9, Cubase SX 3.0.2, Nuendo 3.0.2, Logic Pro 7.1, and Digital Performer
4.52. On PCs, these include ProTools 6.9, Cubase SX 3.0.2 and Nuendo
3.0.2.
For a limited time only, APA customers will receive Waves’
popular IR-L Light Convolution Reverb and Q-Clone plug-ins free of charge
— a $1600 value.
Waves APA units have particularly attractive pricing,
with the US MSRP of the APA32 at $1600 and the APA44-M at $2400. They
are available beginning in June 2005.
...ends 593 words
About Waves Ltd.:
Waves is a leading provider of audio DSP solutions for professional,
broadcast, and consumer electronics audio markets. Waves has ten years
of expertise in the development of psycho-acoustic signal processing
algorithms that leverage knowledge on the human perception of hearing
to radically improve perceived sound quality. Waves’ award-winning
processors are utilized to improve sound quality in the creation of
the world’s most popular music, movie soundtracks, and multimedia
titles. Waves offers computer software solutions and hardware plus software
solutions for the professional and broadcast markets. Waves also offers
semiconductor with embedded software solutions under the Maxx brand
for the consumer electronics audio applications. Waves’ Maxx technology
dramatically enhances audio performance in consumer applications and
has been licensed to several leading companies, including Motorola and
Microsoft. For more information, visit the Waves web site at http://www.waves.com.
Other company and product names may be trademarks of the
respective companies with which they are associated.
Waves Contacts:
North America Offices:
Waves, Inc., 306 West Depot Avenue, Suite 100, Knoxville, TN 37917;
Tel: 865-909-9200, Fax: 865-909-9245, Email: info@waves.com, Web: http://www.waves.com
Corporate Headquarters Israel:
Waves Ltd., Azrieli Center, The Round Tower, 21st Floor, Tel-Aviv 67011,
Israel;
Tel: 972-3-608-4000, Fax: 972-3-608-4056, Email: info@waves.com,
Web: http://www.waves.com
Waves Public Relations:
Neilson/Clyne, Inc., 169-B Belle Forest Circle, Nashville, TN 37221;
Tel: 615-662-1616, Fax: 615-662-1636, Email: rclyne@neilsonclyne.com,
Web: http://www.neilsonclyne.com