Waves APA accelerator boxes

[andyrossa]

Has anyone tried running a Waves accelerator box with Pro Tools 7 TDM. I'm thinking of purcasing an APA32 to run my processor hungry plugs such as L3. Waves claim that the APA32 will run fine with pro tools accel systems but I cant seem to find anyone who is running such a set up to ask if it works.

[jeremyroberts]

I have an APA-32 -- the good news, is that it works great with PT6.9, but the bad news is that until Waves releases a new "NetShell", it simply will not work with PT7.

With PT6, I was using the APA-32 in a mix-mode -- that is, I kept PT hardware buffer at 512 or more, which means the APA had latency of 1024 (round trip). Delay comp is pretty much required.

For me, the APA-32 is a no-brainer addition for that little extra bit of processing, once you max out your accel cards (and avoiding a chassis).

The APA-32 is loud. You will want to keep it in your machine room, or in my case, my phone closet. I just happen to keep my router and gigabit etherent switch there, so cable runs are very short.

Waves told me that I can expect a NetShell "soon". I can't wait to continue using it to off-line stuff like the IR reverbs - and get them off the mac CPU - and for that final instance of L3 when a mix is done, and there are no more slots for DSP -- having the APA around was great for that.

I hope we see a netshell soon.

[andyrossa]

Thanks for that. Sounds like it should work if Waves pull their finger out and come up with a Netshell update. I've got the APA32 on a two week sale or return basis so I will try it out on Pro Tools 6.9 and hope they come up with the Netshell soon. Sounds a little worrying about the latency but I had also planned to use the APA when mixing for L3 and the IR reverbs to free up slots on my accel cards so hopefully it should work fine. I am a little puzzled as to why more Pro Tools users who run alot of waves plugs havn't opted for such a set up?

[jeremyroberts]

> Sounds a little worrying about the latency

The latency is simply because the signal has to get there and back. The read-me is fairly good about explaining it, but you may also want to call waves tech support for a little more insight.

Since the device is really intended to off-line processing for mixing-type plugs, the latency is really not an issue if you're going to use delay comp (as you typically will). If I can load a verb or 2, + have some overhead for an L3 for post-mix refmix processing within the session, + some Rchannel instances... this will free up at least a few chips form the accel cards, + some rtas cpu power. I think the price/performance is right in line -- and for those of us who do not want to get an expansion chassis, AND you use lots of waves plugs, it can be a great value.

I wouldn't count on a netshell being available within 2 weeks... I've been waiting 2 months... but Waves says "soon" and they know they will have difficulty selling any of these things to PT7 users until netshell is working, I would imagine that they know how important it is to their sales to get it completed.

If you can test it with PT6, might as well. Be careful about plugin versions though -- there are entirely different versions of some plugs (and of course waveshell/netshell) for APA -- I'd do this on a different partition, and of course, backup your plugins folder.

I hope you see the power in it as well...

PS -- I was able to run it at 256 sample buffer [2 x 256] (which means that if you're using it for reverbs, you COULD theoretically use it wihtout delay comp, with a 10ms pre-delay built in). YMMV.

[JuanPC]

after reading old posts, and searching waves.com seems
they have erased APA from this Planet. jajajajajaja LOL.

i wish i could read the manual, download latest netshell drivers, who knows..
works at 96k?

http://www.dannychesnut.com/Recordin...celerators.htm

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/music...-bad-news.html

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/music...ferrerid=27064


Still selling APA44m New for $500-$700usd. & the APA32 for $150usd-$500usd.
basically the same thing as FX-Max Teleport.
Was Teleport responsable for APA fail?
or was Intel & AMD pushing the limits non-stop?

http://www.waves.com/1lib/pdf/review...aves-story.pdf
http://www.bswusa.com/Opened-Items-B...OCK-P5957.aspx

other "alternative" plugin technology is the GPU plugins...
pretty awesome, but...
http://gpuimpulsereverb.de/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVhTUfLtEwA

[nerd513]

sounds like a lot of work over nothing really. An accel chip can handle quite a few waves plug ins. now if they had an APA auto tune accelerator box thingy that would be useful. that auto tune is a chip eating monster