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PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Clyne Media, Inc.
Tel: (615) 662-1616
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Waves and Steinberg collaborate to bring ILLUGEN sample creation into the heart of Cubase 16
— New ILLUGEN 2.5 release introduces a plugin version of the sample generation tool, plus deep Cubase 16 integration —
KNOXVILLE, TN, November 6, 2026 — Waves Audio, a leading developer of professional audio technologies and plugins, announces the release of ILLUGEN 2.5, featuring a new collaboration with Steinberg that brings sample creation into Cubase 16’s native production environment. The update also introduces ILLUGEN as a plugin for all DAWs.
ILLUGEN is a sample generation tool that enables music producers to create original samples from simple text prompts. Producers can describe the exact sound their music needs, from custom vocals and melodic elements to textures, one-shot samples and sound effects, and generate new, original audio on demand.
With ILLUGEN 2.5, this creative process becomes part of the DAW workflow itself. Now available as a plugin in all DAWs, ILLUGEN allows producers to generate and audition sounds in sync with their project's tempo and musical key.
The collaboration with Steinberg takes this integration a significant step further, introducing a dedicated workflow that connects ILLUGEN directly to the musical context of a Cubase 16 project.
Accessible from Cubase 16's right project panel, ILLUGEN can automatically follow the session’s attributes, like tempo, musical key and loop length. When linked to the project, ILLUGEN reads the tempo from the timeline, follows the project's key signature track, and adjusts generated loop lengths to match the project's locator positions.
As producers make changes to their arrangements, ILLUGEN follows automatically. Once they've generated a sound they like, a simple double-click creates a new audio track in Cubase, named after the sample, ready to be used in the production.
Ariel Gorlik, ILLUGEN Product Manager, Waves Audio, remarks, “One of our goals with ILLUGEN is to give producers the ability to test out new musical ideas quickly while working on a song. With Steinberg, we had the opportunity to take that idea further and make ILLUGEN feel like a natural part of the production environment. The integration with Cubase is about keeping producers in their creative flow, from the moment an idea comes to mind to the moment it's playing in the track.”
Matthias Quellmann, Senior Marketing Manager, Steinberg, notes, “Cubase has always been about giving musicians the tools to realize their creative ideas. With ILLUGEN, we're bringing a new kind of sound creation directly into that environment. Its ability to respond to the musical context of a project makes it a natural addition to the Cubase workflow, opening up new creative possibilities without taking producers away from their music.”
The standalone app also remains available, with a shared sound history across the app and plugin, so producers can move freely between both workflows and pick up their ideas wherever they left off.
ILLUGEN also offers two distinct sound-generation engines: Studio, designed for high-fidelity, musically realistic samples and loops, and Creative, which takes a more experimental approach to sound design.
Unlike AI platforms designed to create complete songs automatically, ILLUGEN is built to work alongside the producer, providing original musical elements that can be edited, arranged and developed using familiar production tools.
ILLUGEN 2.5 is available now as a plugin in all DAWs and as a standalone desktop application. All new users to ILLUGEN can enjoy a free 1-month trial. Cubase 16 users can take advantage of a special offer of an additional two free months of ILLUGEN.
For more information, visit https://www.waves.com/illugen.
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Photo file 1: Illugen_GUI.JPG
Photo caption 1: User interface for Waves ILLUGEN 2.5.Photo file 2: Illugen_prompt.JPG
Photo caption 2: Waves Audio has announced the release of ILLUGEN 2.5, featuring a new collaboration with Steinberg that brings sample creation into Cubase 16’s native production environment. The update also introduces ILLUGEN as a plugin for all DAWs.About Waves Audio Ltd.:
Waves is the world’s leading developer of audio DSP solutions for music production, recording, mixing, mastering, sound design, post-production, live sound, broadcast, commercial and consumer electronics audio markets. Since its start in the early ‘90s, Waves has developed a comprehensive line of over 240 audio plugins and numerous hardware devices. For its accomplishments, Waves received a Technical Grammy® Award in 2011; an Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy® Award for its Waves Clarity Vx Pro plugin in 2023; and NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity (TEC) Awards for its Clarity Vx DeReverb Pro plugin in 2024 and eMotion LV1 Classic console in 2026. Additionally, its early flagship plugin, the Q10 equalizer, was selected as an inductee into the TECnology Hall of Fame.Increasingly leveraging pioneering techniques in artificial intelligence, neural networks and machine learning, as well as the company’s three decades of accumulated expertise in psychoacoustics, Waves technologies are being used to improve sound quality in a growing number of market sectors. Around the world, Waves’ award-winning plugins are utilized in the creation of hit records, major motion pictures, and top-selling video games. Additionally, Waves now offers hardware-plus-software solutions (including the revolutionary eMotion LV1 Classic live mixing console) for professional audio markets. The company’s WavesLive division is a leader in the live sound sector, spearheading the development of solutions for all live platforms. Products from Waves Commercial Audio enable A/V system integrators and installers to deliver superior sound quality for corporate, commercial, government, educational, entertainment, sports and house-of-worship applications. Under its Maxx brand, Waves Software Licensing Division is bringing Waves’ award-winning technology into a variety of consumer-facing markets including Mobile, PC, Home AV, Education and Enterprise. Some of the largest and most prestigious global OEM brands have adopted its DSP algorithms to enhance the sound experiences of their consumers.
North America Offices:
Waves, Inc., 2800 Merchants Drive, Knoxville, TN 37912;
Tel: 865-909-9200, Fax: 865-909-9245, Email: info@waves.com,
Web: http://www.waves.comCorporate Headquarters Israel:
Waves Ltd., Azrieli Center, The Triangle Tower, 32nd Floor, Tel Aviv 67023, Israel;
Tel: 972-3-608-4000, Fax: 972-3-608-4056, Email: info@waves.com,
Web: http://www.waves.comWaves Public Relations:
Clyne Media, Inc., 169-B Belle Forest Circle, Nashville, TN 37221;
Tel: 615-662-1616, Email: robert@clynemedia.com,
Web: http://www.clynemedia.com
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