Waves – Ultimate 17 v2026.06.23 for WiN

Over 240 plugins from Waves. Create with complete freedom: everything at your fingertips Let nothing stand between the sound you hear in your head and what comes out of your speakers. With Waves Complete, the largest option in our Waves Creative Access subscription, you get all the plugins you need, when you need them.

All popular Waves vocal plugins. All analog models, from Abbey Road to SSL. All Waves mastering plugins. All the compressors, all the EQs, all the effects, instruments, saturation plugins, artist signature plugins, channel strips, AI noise reduction… just everything. Waves Ultimate offers the most comprehensive set of professional quality audio plugins.

Waves Ultimate offers the most complete set of professional-quality audio plugins anywhere. All the popular Waves vocal plugins. All the analog models, from Abbey Road to SSL. All the Waves mastering plugins. All the compressors, all the equalizers, all the effects, instruments, saturation plugins, artist signature plugins, channel strips, AI-powered noise reduction.

All the popular Waves vocal plugins. All the analog models, from Abbey Road to SSL. All the Waves mastering plugins. All the compressors, all the EQs, all the effects, instruments, saturation plugins, artist signature plugins, channel strips, AI noise reduction. Waves Ultimate offers the most complete set of professional audio plugins anywhere.

New Plugin IDX Intelligent Dynamics

The best tool for Energy, Punch and Focus

IDX Intelligent Dynamics is an intelligent frequency-sensitive compressor that optimizes the energy of your tracks for greater expression and focus. Instantly bring your mix to life with just one master knob.

Struggling to add energy to your mix?

If your sounds feel flat or lack extra energy, IDX will help you find the best way to add energy. It intelligently optimizes the energy of your tracks, applying processing exactly where it’s needed, giving you the punch and energy you’ve been missing.

Having trouble getting your mix to pop out of your speakers?

Using multiple detectors across the entire frequency range, IDX shapes the envelope of your tracks, delivering a straight-ahead sound without sacrificing depth.

How IDX Works

The plugin’s clever algorithm automatically identifies the most loaded areas of the frequency range – those that consume energy but do not contribute to the tone of an instrument or vocal. It then compresses them using “progressive attenuation” (as opposed to a traditional compressor, which steadily reduces the RMS of a signal above a threshold). As a result, the frequency ranges that determine the key characteristics of a track gain a relative advantage and stand out.

Tip: Insert IDX at the beginning of your plugin chain, on multiple tracks, and even on the master bus, and it will give you a solid foundation on which to build the rest of your mix. 

Feeling sluggish or unable to concentrate?

Sounds can be great on their own, but can seem washed out in the context of a mix. IDX Intelligent Dynamics focuses on important track information, making it clear for a more defined and impactful sound.

No more dirty mixes

With IDX Intelligent Dynamics, you’ll feel vocals move forward, drum transients remain clear, and bass becomes punchy and defined. Place IDX on multiple tracks in your mix, and you’ll feel the entire mix come alive.

Easy mixing, maximum results

Placing IDX at the beginning of the plugin chain compresses frequencies that cause harshness and boominess, eliminating the need for EQ to address these issues. Using its intelligent compression algorithm, IDX Intelligent Dynamics also boosts important “good” frequencies, bringing them forward in the mix.

Fine-tune the compression speed to achieve a punchy or smooth effect

Control the response speed of the IDX with two modes: Hard provides a fast response, ideal for transient sounds like drums and percussive elements, or when an extra punch is needed. Soft provides a smoother, slower response, ideal for non-percussive sounds that need a more natural feel.

Adjust the bass/treble dynamics to achieve a darker or brighter tone.

The Tilt control adjusts the amount of compression of the high and low frequencies. Turning it one way compresses the high frequencies more, resulting in a darker tone. Turning it the other way compresses the low frequencies more, resulting in a brighter sound.

Improve your live sound

IDX Intelligent Dynamics also includes a zero-latency version, making it a great tool for live applications. With just a few simple swipes, IDX provides ultra-fast dynamic control over any input channel or group in your live mix.

Features

• Instantly eliminate resonance, dirt, harshness, imbalance and tonal inconsistency on any source
  
• Take the stress out of your mix and hear it beautifully unfold
  
• Take care not to over-process
  
• Linear phase filters, transparent sound, no artifacts
  
• Learn function provides a customized gain reduction curve
  
• Learn via SC function provides perfect unmasking and frequency emphasis
  
• Rider function allows gain reduction only when audio is coming from the SC
  
• Dynamic automatic gain control matches the RMS value of the input signal, without wasting energy
  
• Set point gain reduction curve shape and slope allows tonality adjustment
  
• Additional control with 3 adjustable adapters and 2×8 nodes
• Instantly optimizes track energy for more impact and focus
  
• Brings elements to the forefront and adds clarity
  
• Gives you a solid foundation to build your mix on
  
• Instantly brings dull tracks to life
  
• Uses frequency-dependent progressive fade-out
  
• Automatically compresses the busiest areas of the frequency range
  
• Instantly balance input and output levels with Quick Match
  
• Control the speed of response with hard and soft modes
  
• Adjust bright and dark tones with the tilt control
  
• Zero-latency version for live sound

What’s new in v17?

New version of Waves plugins. Work more efficiently. Sound better.

Enjoy a new and improved preset menu for most Waves plugins, improved plugins for studio and live work, and real-time mix rebalancing added to StudioVerse.

New workflow with presets

Finding the perfect sound shouldn’t be difficult. In version 17, most Waves plugins feature a revamped preset workflow that will help you work faster, stay focused, and create without interruption.

The new preset interface is more user-friendly and quick to navigate, making it easier to find, organize, and manage sounds right within the plugin.

• Instantly search and select presets.
• Smooth transition between preset categories.
• Save your favorite presets in one centralized list.
• Create and organize presets directly in the plugin’s graphical interface.
• Improvements to Live and Studio plugins

Want to enhance the vocals in a finished mix but don’t have a multitrack recording? Or take a loop and remove the drums to make it more suited to your needs?

Introducing Mix Unlock, a new premium feature of StudioVerse, our extensive online preset library. Mix Unlock works in real time within your DAW, so you can manipulate the sound while it’s playing.

In seconds, a finished mix, sample, or loop can be split into vocals, drums, bass, and instruments, then reshaped and processed using hundreds of StudioVerse presets.

More macro capabilities: StudioVerse audio effects now support up to 104 assignable macros across 13 pages, giving you unprecedented control over your entire StudioVerse system.