Workhorse plugin or one-trick pony?

------=_Part_164396599_2144163920.1652537248352 Content-Type: text/html;charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Special time-limited offer inside [Waves Audio]( Hey {NAME}, Have you ever heard the phrase “buy what you need, not what you want”? To this day my dad repeats that phrase whenever he thinks I’m wasting money (all the time if you ask him). It’s a good mindset to have, but easier said than done. That’s why when someone asks me if they need the Abbey Road plugins, I usually tell them no. Because honestly, they can make do without them (sorry boss, gotta keep it real). Just to make sure we’re all on the same page here, they’re asking me if they need them – not if they would enjoy having them. (They already know the answer to that one.) If someone has saved up enough money to buy their first high-end plugins, I’m not going to tell them to blow it all on a 2-seat convertible they’ll mostly use on weekends when what they actually need is a minivan to drive the kids around on the other days. To bring it back into our world – you need a few workhorse plugins for the big stuff before you start splurging on luxury items like Abbey Road. I actually remember when Waves released Abbey Road Plates because it wasn’t that long after we released [H-Reverb]( – my go-to reverb when I don’t know where I’m going yet – aka, my workhorse reverb. Even though I know the attraction of Abbey Road gear as well as any Beatles fan, I remember asking the product manager what’s the point of having a reverb that only does plates when I can already get amazing plate sounds from H-Reverb? He said “yeah, but they’re not like the plates from Abbey Road.” Um, ok. So? They’re still good plates, right? “Let’s say you have a BBQ at home that can grill every kind of meat – does that mean you never go to restaurants anymore? You’ll still go to the steakhouse every now and then to treat yourself to the kind of filet a BBQ will never make.” Abbey Road Plugins are like aged kobe beef. Or a 2-seat convertible. Or any other luxury item you can think of. Nobody really needs them when they have other options – but everybody wants them – because sometimes they’re the best option to have. Which brings me back to [Abbey Road Plates](. [Abbey Road Plates]( The Philosophy of Plates If we were to imagine the ideal studio, it would surely contain a mix of “workhorse” tools that you can rely on for anything, along with a few so-called “one-trick-ponies” that do that one trick better than anyone. Abbey Road plugins are a little of both. Take the reverbs for example, [Plates]( and [Chambers](. Those are the only kinds of reverbs each one of them does, and neither one does the other. There are no plate reverbs in Chambers, or chamber reverbs in Plates – or hall reverbs in either. Like I said, they only do one type of reverb. But I would never call them one-trick ponies because they don’t just perform ready-made tricks – they take that one thing they do better than anyone else and enable you to do it in an infinite number of ways – including ones you never thought of and wouldn’t think of using any other reverb. Plus, they sound like they descended straight down from the heavens (that always helps). But it’s not only about the sound, no matter how angelic it may be – it’s also about the functionality and the way each plugin is built. When using plate reverbs in workhorse-type plugins, it’s usually just a preset that has the word plate in it – large plate, small plate, warm plate, bright plate – kind of like a Dr. Seuss book for audio engineers. Each name tells you something about the character of the plate, but the sounds are all coming from the same starting place. The different characteristics of each plate are created artificially by whoever programmed the preset. That’s the other big reason Abbey Road Plates is more than a one-trick pony – it actually does 4 different tricks. Instead of giving you one plate reverb algorithm you can tweak for different sounds, Abbey Road Plates comes with [4 different plates]( – each with its own unique character derived from the original plate itself – modeled specially by Waves engineers to capture every last detail heard in each of the 4 physical plates’ analog sweetness. And we haven’t even mentioned how you can use it in your music. Plates, what are they good for? When it comes to plugins, I would call the [Abbey Road Collection]( the ultimate luxury item – everybody wants them – and partly for that reason. But the real reason people love Abbey Road Plates – the rational reason that can justify their purchase – has nothing to do with the sense of luxury that appeals to our irrational, emotional desires. Audio engineers aren’t exactly known as an emotional bunch – but they sure are smart. They know a good thing when they hear it. And if you’re using a plate reverb, it’s usually because you want to hear it. Unlike, say, room reverbs which tend to be used more subtly to create a natural sense of space, one that is felt more than heard (although you can certainly rock out with a room reverb that is heard). So when would you actually want to hear the reverb loud and clear? When it’s being used on a featured instrument like the lead vocal – those sound great with a plate. Same for guitar solos and synth parts – and have you tried it on snare? Think about how simple this concept is: the instruments you want to feature most in a mix – the ones you want the listener to notice and focus on – many times shine their best with a plate reverb because shine is what plate reverbs do best. Plates are the kind of reverb that’s designed to be noticed. They’re usually brighter than a hall or room (but they don’t have to be) and you use them exactly because you want to hear the specific type of echoes that bounce off each other on a plate in a uniquely pleasing way. Rooms and halls are natural spaces anyone can hear and capture. You can’t get the sound of a plate reverb any other way except digitally unless you have a big commercial studio with real physical plates – quite the rarity these days. That’s why Abbey Road Plates is such a popular plugin even though you may end up using it on only 1 or 2 tracks in a mix (you can use it on far more of course). It’s basically an investment in your most important tracks. The Bottom Line Reverb is one of the few absolutely vital effects you’re going to use in virtually any kind of music. It has loads of impact sonically and is used the most widely across almost every track, so it makes sense that the more reverb varieties you have in your arsenal, the more options you have for variety in your mixes. Now if you’re only going to have one reverb at your disposal then it can’t be a plugin dedicated to one type of reverb. No plates for you – get that workhorse reverb first. But one day you’ll get to the point where even if you have the best workhorse reverb in the world, you’re going to want another one that excels at one thing better than anything else. And if that day is today – you’re in luck! – because not only is [Abbey Road Plates]( on sale, you can use the coupon below to take an extra few dollars off the already slashed sale price. Consider it our way of taking some of the load off your plate (I have a bad pun addiction). 48HRS Only: Limited quantity $6 OFF Abbey Road Plates Use this code during checkout: PLATES29 Valid through May 16, 2022, 5:00 AM EDT. This coupon can be combined with current sale prices and additional offers. [Check out Abbey Road Plates]( » Everybody starts buying luxury plugins at one point or another simply because they can. So again, if that day is today for YOU – you’ll get to choose another plugin FREE as an extra bonus. With our current sale, you can buy any plugin, and choose another plugin free from a [list of 100 plugins](. Just remember the clock is ticking to get [Abbey Road Plates]( with the extra added discount. You have 48 hours from NOW. Or in other words… when you’re done with your plate – make sure to come back for seconds. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!) Enjoy, Yoni at Waves Audio [Free plugin terms & conditions apply](. 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