Waves NLS versus Slate VCC

[musicman691]

With Audio Deluxe having massive sales on a boatload of stuff I'm looking at either Waves NLS or the Slate VCC. I know there are differences between the two programs (like Waves has aax 64 bit and Slate has yet to come out with it but I have both MB7-2 & Patchworks for hosts) but overall what's people's opinions of each and which would be the better to go with? I've no experience with Slate plugs but do with Waves so that's why I'm asking.

Ordinarily I'd not rush anybody for an answer but seeing as how the Black Friday sales are by definition time limited I'd like to have an answer today or so.

[Bobogura]

Short answer:

Slate is more subtle and sounds more like the real thing IMO. AAX will come soon...

NLS sounded impressive at first but is just too much on a full mix.

[musicman691]

Downloaded the demo of Waves NLS. I thought Waves had aax 64 bit support? If so, then the demo must not have that as I only see it in PT 10. There's no Waveshell in the aax folder but is in the .dpm folder.

[guitardom]

Originally Posted by musicman691

Downloaded the demo of Waves NLS. I thought Waves had aax 64 bit support? If so, then the demo must not have that as I only see it in PT 10. There's no Waveshell in the aax folder but is in the .dpm folder.

There is aax64 for Waves. Not sure what the issue is. Is there different downloads to choose from on the download page?

I don't know the answer, but I would also check what the update rules are for single Waves plugins. Will you be requires to pay for future updates, like a wup for a single plug?

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by guitardom

There is aax64 for Waves. Not sure what the issue is. Is there different downloads to choose from on the download page?

I don't know the answer, but I would also check what the update rules are for single Waves plugins. Will you be requires to pay for future updates, like a wup for a single plug?

Found the issue - the waveshell that downloaded with the demo was NOT the aax64 waveshell so that was a separate download. I know when I demoed the Eddie Kramer tape plugin earlier this year the policy was a free one year update for single plugs which intimated that I'd be WUP'ing after that time.

I also downloaded the demo for Slate VCC and while the download and iLok authorization went okay, using the plugin isn't going as well. Tried a session in PT 10.3.7 with 15 Instrument tracks each hosting an instance of Play4 which each had two instruments. Session also had 15 MIDI tracks to feed the second instrument in each Play. 3 group auxes for winds, brass and strings and 1 main mix aux. Inserted Slate VCC channel on each Instrument track and the Slate Buss plugin on the mix aux. Would play fine for the first approx 2 minutes and lock up solid. Had to force quit PT and restart.

Figuring the session was too complex I started another session with 1 Instrument track with Play 4 Steinway piano from EWQLSO. Played about 4 minutes of MIDI. Rendered that to audio and hid/deactivated the Instrument track. Inserted VCC Channel on the track and it worked okay. So I duplicated that track and added a mix aux with VCC Buss on that aux. After I made some adjustments to the Slate plugins, hit Play and it played fine until about 2 minutes in I couldn't stop PT. Not from the Transport nor the space bar. PT 10 was locked up solid and had to force quit again.

Tried this same session in PT 11.0.2 and of course I got a message saying plugins inactivated because they weren't aax compatible. No sweat and I deleted the plugs. First I tried the plugs with Waves NLS and it worked perfectly. Deleted the NLS, inserted MB7-1 and proceeded to add the vst version of Slate. By the time I got done with the inserts and made a couple of adjustments on the Slate VCC, PT 11 locked up solid, needing a force quit.

I know VCC has been crashing PT 11 but I thought maybe it'd work in MB7-2 in PT11. Needless to say it doesn't, at least for me.

My takeaway from all this: right now Slate VCC isn't ready for primetime use.

[Detlef Brockmann]

Originally Posted by musicman691

Found the issue - the waveshell that downloaded with the demo was NOT the aax64 waveshell so that was a separate download. I know when I demoed the Eddie Kramer tape plugin earlier this year the policy was a free one year update for single plugs which intimated that I'd be WUP'ing after that time.

I also downloaded the demo for Slate VCC and while the download and iLok authorization went okay, using the plugin isn't going as well. Tried a session in PT 10.3.7 with 15 Instrument tracks each hosting an instance of Play4 which each had two instruments. Session also had 15 MIDI tracks to feed the second instrument in each Play. 3 group auxes for winds, brass and strings and 1 main mix aux. Inserted Slate VCC channel on each Instrument track and the Slate Buss plugin on the mix aux. Would play fine for the first approx 2 minutes and lock up solid. Had to force quit PT and restart.

Figuring the session was too complex I started another session with 1 Instrument track with Play 4 Steinway piano from EWQLSO. Played about 4 minutes of MIDI. Rendered that to audio and hid/deactivated the Instrument track. Inserted VCC Channel on the track and it worked okay. So I duplicated that track and added a mix aux with VCC Buss on that aux. After I made some adjustments to the Slate plugins, hit Play and it played fine until about 2 minutes in I couldn't stop PT. Not from the Transport nor the space bar. PT 10 was locked up solid and had to force quit again.

Tried this same session in PT 11.0.2 and of course I got a message saying plugins inactivated because they weren't aax compatible. No sweat and I deleted the plugs. First I tried the plugs with Waves NLS and it worked perfectly. Deleted the NLS, inserted MB7-1 and proceeded to add the vst version of Slate. By the time I got done with the inserts and made a couple of adjustments on the Slate VCC, PT 11 locked up solid, needing a force quit.

I know VCC has been crashing PT 11 but I thought maybe it'd work in MB7-2 in PT11. Needless to say it doesn't, at least for me.

My takeaway from all this: right now Slate VCC isn't ready for primetime use.

hm...using VCC for the last two years in PT, it has never crashed it and I think it sounds really fantastic.
Cheers, Detlef.

[Meads]

Originally Posted by Detlef Brockmann

hm...using VCC for the last two years in PT, it has never crashed it and I think it sounds really fantastic.
Cheers, Detlef.

Same here. I do no mix without it, and I'm working on complex sessions, too.

[Bob Olhsson]

I think waves nailed some really nice channels and Slate really nailed some nice busses. Therefore I use both!

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Detlef Brockmann

hm...using VCC for the last two years in PT, it has never crashed it and I think it sounds really fantastic.
Cheers, Detlef.

Originally Posted by Meads

Same here. I do no mix without it, and I'm working on complex sessions, too.

What kind of computer and os are you running? I'm trying to use it on the iMac in my sig file and in the year+ I've had this machine Slate VCC is the only one that's giving me this kind of problem and I've used a whole bunch of stuff. Wait - there was one other - Arturia Analog Lab gave me all sorts of problems with early versions of it.

Agreed it sounds great but not with the problems I'm having. Even a simple two track audio only session and it locks up PT. PT doesn't crash as such so there's no crash log to send anyone that I know of.

[dave911]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

I think waves nailed some really nice channels and Slate really nailed some nice busses. Therefore I use both!

+1