Classic Tube & Solid-State Console Saturation: Subtle to Extreme
From light saturation for an exquisite vocal or synth edge, to heavier saturation that gives bass and drums palpable punch, to industrial-grade mayhem and everything in between—this isn’t about ordinary saturation. It’s about the color and power unleashed by Abbey Road’s saturation signal chain.
Choose the REDD console’s tube sound, or the TG12345’s round, solid-state tone. Add pre- and post-saturation EQ, and then excite it all through the ultra-rare TG12321 “secret weapon” compander—nothing sounds like this.
Tube or Solid-State Saturation? Yes.
Choose from the famous tube crunch of Abbey Road’s REDD consoles, and the modern solid-state edge of the TG12345—both in one plugin. Go from subtle to extreme, with the sophisticated input, gain, and output stages of both consoles calibrated to perfection together with Abbey Road’s engineers.
Excite Your Saturation with the TG12321 Compander
Abbey Road’s engineers hacked the EMI TG12321 compander, originally designed in 1964 as a noise reduction unit, to excite tracks and help them cut through the mix. Now you have access to this effect. Control the compander’s crossover frequencies to excite specific frequency ranges: lower settings are ideal for bass and kick—or dial it up to help vocals shine.
Sculpt Your Saturation Tone Abbey Road-Style
For tonal transformation, adjust the pre- and post-saturation EQ, with high and low shelf, and parametric midrange. Emphasize or reduce frequencies to be distorted, then shape the final tonal character.
Mid-Side Saturation & More Modern Additions
Choose your processing mode: stereo, mid, or sides. Crunch the kick and bass in mid, spread the image with light saturation in the sides, or lift an entire stereo bus with the saturation character that’s ideal for your music. Other modern additions include the phase knob, which alters the character of the distortion harmonics.
Legendary Analog Sound
Like all Waves Abbey Road plugins, Abbey Road Saturator is based on decades of research and experimentation in audio, led by the golden ears and genius of legendary Abbey Road engineers such as Geoff Emerick and Peter Bown, who helped shaped the sound of modern music to this very day.
Features
- Designed and calibrated with Abbey Road Studios
- Excite your signal with the rare EMI TG12321 Compander
- Dramatically alter the distortion sound with the Phase control
- Mix/Dry control to blend the saturated and original signal
- Choose from tube and solid-state console saturation characters
- Shape saturation character with detailed pre- and post-gain EQ
- Sculpt your saturation effects with M/S processing
- Artist presets by top mixers Joe Barresi, Dave Pensado, Lu Diaz
Description
System Requirements
OS Requirements
Mac Requirements
- Cpu: Intel or Silicon Architecture
- Ram: 8
- Disk: 16
- Version: macOS Catalina 10.15, Big Sur 11, Monterey 12, Ventura 13, Sonoma 14
- Additional requirements: Minimum: 1024×768
Recommended: 1280×1024 / 1600×1024
USB displays are not supported as the primary display.
Windows Requirements
- Cpu: X64 compatible Intel or AMD CPU
- Ram: 8
- Disk: 16
- Version: Windows 10 64 bit Windows 11
- Additional requirements: Minimum: 1024×768
Recommended: 1280×1024 / 1600×1024
Waves 14 Supported Hosts
MacApple Silicon Support | Windows |
|---|---|
| Pro Tools 2022, 2023 (AAX Native, Audiosuite) | Pro Tools 2022, 2023 (AAX Native, Audiosuite) |
| Ableton Live 11.2, 12 (VST3) | Ableton Live 11.2, 12 (VST3) |
| Audition 23 (VST3) | Audition 23 (VST3) |
| Bitwig Studio 4,5 (VST3) | Bitwig Studio 4, 5 (VST3) |
| Cakewalk by BandLab 2022 (VST3) | |
| Cubase 12 (VST3) | Cubase 12 (VST3) |
| DaVinci Resolve 18.5 | DaVinci Resolve 18.5 |
| Digital Performer 11 (Audio Units) | |
| FL Studio 21 (VST3) | FL Studio 21 (VST3) |
| Garage Band 10.4 Audio Units) | |
| Komplete Kontrol 2 (VST, VST3) | Komplete Kontrol 2 (VST, VST3) |
| Logic Pro X 10.7 (Audio Units) | |
| Luna 1.3 (Audio Units) | |
| Nuendo 12 (VST3) | Nuendo 12 (VST3) |
| OBS Studio 29 (Intel Only) Via StudioRack, Stereo only | OBS Studio 29 (Intel Only) Via StudioRack, Stereo only |
| Premiere Pro 23 (VST3) | Premiere Pro 23 (VST3) |
| Maschine 2 (VST, VST3) | |
| Main Stage 3 Audio Units) | |
| Pyramix 14 (VST3) | |
| REAPER 6 (VST3) | REAPER 6 (VST3) |
| Reason 12.6 (VST, VST3) Apple Silicon Supported with VST3 only | Reason 12.5 (VST, VST3) |
| Samplitude Pro X7, X8 (VST3) | |
| Sequoia 16 (VST3) | |
| Studio One Professional 6 (VST3) | Studio One Professional 6 (VST3) |
Waves’ latest version works on newer sub-versions of these DAWs, unless stated otherwise.
If your DAW (or DAW version) is not listed here, we recommend you demo the product you wish to purchase to confirm it works.
Your DAW must be running on an operating system that supports it in order for plugins to work properly. To confirm that your DAW version is supported on your operating system, please refer to your DAW’s website.
Exceptions & Notes:
General:
- Multiple versions of Waves plugins (for example v13 and v14) should be able to work on the same system (as long the system supports each of those versions)—but please note that we no longer test or officially support this scenario.
- These specs are for software version 14.
- V14 supports 64-bit only.
- In hosts that support both VST and VST3 plugins, we highly recommend using only VST3 plugins in new sessions from now on, and migrating plugins in old sessions to VST3.
- With the release of Waves V13 plugins, we announce full official Apple Silicon support for host applications that are themselves Apple Silicon-compatible. We will work to provide official ARM support for more host applications as they become Silicon-compatible. We will update this page with new developments as they are available.
- MIDI Support: The following hosts do not offer MIDI support: Pyramix, Premiere, Audition and OBS.
- Mono to Stereo components are not supported in Cakewalk by BandLab, GarageBand and Luna.
- Sidechaining is supported on the following hosts: Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Nuendo, Cubase, Cakewalk by BandLab, Audition, Ableton Live, FL Studio, REAPER, Bitwig Studio, Samplitude, Sequoia and Studio One.
- Demo Mode: Audio mutes are not synced between plug-ins running in Demo Mode, when tracks are set to Input Monitoring and the transport is stopped.
- Surround plugins are supported on the following hosts: Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Digital Performer, Nuendo, Cubase, Audition, Premiere, REAPER, Pyramix and DaVinci Resolve.
- Drag and Drop support: ‘Drag and Drop' of samples and audio files in to CR8 Creative Sampler is possible only on DAWs that support this feature: Ableton Live, Cubase, Nuendo and Studio One.
- GarageBand: The Preset Browser is not available on Intel Mac computers.
- Adobe Premiere on Apple Silicon Macs: While loading plugins / changing parameters, you may experience a slow graphic refresh rate.
- Maschine/ Komplete Kontrol: The following plugins will not function correctly when loaded as VST3 plugins: API-2500, C1 Compressor, dbx160 Compressor / Limiter, H-Comp Hybrid Compressor, Renaissance Compressor, SSL G-Master Bus Compressor, V-Comp. Maschine 2.17.2 and Komplete Kontrol 2.9.2 include a fix for this issue.
- FL Studio: FL Studio 21.1.1.3318 may produce graphics issues on Mac computers with Intel processors.
Solution: Update FL Studio to the latest version (21.0.3.3352 or later). - DaVinci Resolve: Tempo Sync is not supported.
Ableton Live:
- Plugin parameters are not auto-populated in Ableton Live for some plugins with many (over 67) automatable parameters.
- Ableton Live sessions created with previous versions (V10/V11) of the plugin components listed below, will not load in the sessions after the plugin version is updated:
- C4 Multiband Compressor: Mono component
- C6 Multiband Compressor: Mono component
- L2 Ultramaximizer: Mono component
- Q1-Q8 Equalizers: Mono component
- F6 Floating-Band Dynamic EQ: Mono component
- Nx – Virtual Mix Room over Headphones: 5.0, 5.1 and 7.1 components
Plugins:
- Abbey Road Studio 3:
- Not supported under Audition, Premiere on Mac.
- Surround is supported on Pro Tools, Logic Pro (no 7.1 support), Cubase, Nuendo, Digital Performer and REAPER. Surround is not supported on Ableton Live, GarageBand, Main Stage, Studio One, Samplitude, Sequoia and Cakewalk by BandLab.
- Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain - Not supported under Garage Band.
- Bass Fingers - Not supported under Pyramix on Windows.
- B360 Ambisonics Encoder – 5.1 to 4.0 and 7.1 to 4.0 are not supported by Logic Pro X. In Pro Tools, B360 Ambisonics components are available on standard ‘QUAD’ tracks only, and not yet available on ‘1st order Ambisonics’ tracks.
- CLA MixHub:
- The insert slot is not supported under Bitwig Studio.
- Inserting a plugin in the insert slot while automation is in touch mode and all automation lanes enabled may result in a crash or unexpected behavior.
- CLA MixHub V14’s insert slot supports V14 and V13 Waves plugins.
- CLA Nx - Not supported under Audition, Premiere and FL Studio on Mac.
- DeBreath - Not supported under Main Stage and Premiere on Mac.
- Dorrough Stereo: Only the vertical version of Dorrough Stereo is available in SuperRack, eMotion LV1, SoundGrid Studio and StudioRack.
- Dorrough Surround: Only the vertical version of Dorrough Surround is available in SuperRack.
- eMo Generator:
- When using eMo Generator in Logic or Digital Performer, make sure to enable the input monitor on the channel where the plugin is inserted.
- Not supported under FL Studio on Mac
- Grand Rhapsody Piano, Electric 200 Piano, Electric 88 Piano, Electric Grand 80 Piano, Clavinet and Bass Slapper are supported on the following hosts: Pro Tools (AAX Native), Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Digital Performer, Nuendo, Cubase, Main Stage, Studio One, Cakewalk by BandLab, Reason, Samplitude (VSTi), Sequoia (VSTi), FL Studio, REAPER, Garage Band (on i7), Maschine and Komplete Kontrol.
- Lofi Space and Retro Fi: Tempo Sync is not available in Premiere Pro.
- GTR3 / GTR Solo – Not supported under Audition, Premiere and FL Studio on Mac.
- Kaleidoscopes - Not supported under Luna
- Morphoder - Not supported under Garage Band
- MultiMod Rack - Not supported under Garage Band
- NLS Non-Linear Summer – Not supported under Audition, Premiere and FL Studio on Mac.
- Nx Virtual Mix Room:
- Not supported under Audition and Premiere.
- Surround is supported on Pro Tools, Logic Pro (no 7.1 support), Cubase, Nuendo, Digital Performer and REAPER. Surround is not supported on Ableton Live, GarageBand, Main Stage, Studio One, Samplitude, Sequoia and Cakewalk by BandLab. In Pro Tools, Nx Ambisonics components are available on standard ‘QUAD’ tracks only, and not yet available on ‘1st order Ambisonics’ tracks.
- Q-Clone is not supported on the following hosts: Main Stage, Garage Band, Audition, Premiere and FL Studio.
Q-Capture component not supported on Main Stage. - Scheps Omni Channel:
- The insert slot is not supported under Bitwig Studio and Garage Band.
- Scheps Omni Channel 2’s insert slot is not supported under Bitwig Studio, Garage Band, in SoundGrid Host applications and in SuperRack Performer with third-party VST3 plugins.
- Inserting a plugin in the insert slot while automation is in touch mode and all automation lanes enabled may result in a crash or unexpected behavior.
- Scheps Omni Channel V14’s insert slot supports V14 and V13 Waves plugins.
- SoundShifter: On Pro Tools, SoundShifter Graphic & Parametric support AudioSuite only.
On all other hosts, only SoundShifter Pitch is supported. - UM225 & UM226 are supported on the following hosts: Pro Tools, Nuendo, Cubase, Audition, Premiere, REAPER, and Pyramix. UM226 is also supported on Logic Pro and Digital Performer.
- Waves Harmony cannot be controlled by MIDI in GarageBand.
- Waves Stream: The Waves Stream Receive component is not supported in GarageBand running in macOS Sonoma on Intel Macs.
- Waves Virtual Instruments are not supported on Adobe Premier.
- Waves Tune & Tune LT are fully supported on the following hosts: Pro Tools (AAX Native 64-bit), Logic Pro, Digital Performer, REAPER, and Cakewalk. Waves Tune & Tune LT are also supported on the following hosts, but without ReWire support: Ableton Live (Arrangement view only), Nuendo, Cubase, GarageBand, Audition, Premiere, Studio One, FL Studio, Reason, Bitwig, Luna, Samplitude, Sequoia. ReWire is not supported on Apple Silicon processors.
- X-FDBK is not supported on Adobe Premiere and Pro Tools Audiosuite
Change Log
FAQs
Tutorials
Waves Abbey Road Saturator Overview #gettingstarted
This Abbey Road Saturator Overview shows the new Abbey Road Saturator. It's based on the ultra-rare EMI TG12321 Compander module.
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