Over the last several years, Waves has embraced the live sound industry, releasing numerous solutions targeted directly at live sound engineers. Software such as Tracks Live multi-track recording software and hardware like Waves’ SoundGrid Servers, MGO, MGB interfaces and eMotion LV1 live mixer have anchored Waves’ position in the sound reinforcement industry. These are not simply tweaks of plug-ins originally intended for studio use. Instead,
Waves has built up an entire family of products for solving the everyday problems facing sound reinforcement professionals. Last month, we looked at Waves’ X-FDBK eliminator and pre-show ring-out tool (FRONT of HOUSE, March 2017, page 46). This month, we turn to the company’s latest release — the Primary Source Expander (PSE) plug-in.
Waves PSE Basics
Unlike the X-FDBK, Waves Primary Source Expander is designed for use during a show to deal with excess stage “noise” picked up by a microphone that’s not in use. Obvious applications for Primary Source Expander would be on sources like vocals, to reduce stage bleed and improve gain before feedback, or on an electric guitar mic that is noisy when the guitar isn’t being played. If you are a Waves user, you might be familiar with similar expander/gate technology on plug-ins such as Renaissance Vox, which is a favorite vocal compressor of mine. Primary Source Expander takes Waves’ expander/gate technology to a new level by putting it into a dedicated plug-in with some very sophisticated controls.
At first glance, PSE is a straightforward expander with simple threshold, range and release controls, and I suspect that many users would dive no deeper into the plug-in. Even if you ignore the bottom half of the plug-in and just use those three controls, PSE produces good results with smooth gain reduction.
PSE Ducking and Sidechain Controls
To really understand the nuances of PSE, I had to delve into the manual to figure out the details on the lower section of the interface, especially the “ducking” feature. The sidechain section of PSE is straightforward for anyone who has used compressor or gate sidechaining on other signal processors. When set to “internal,” PSE looks to the signal level of its own internal source (i.e., the source on which the plug-in is inserted) to trigger opening and closing of the expander. The high-pass and low-pass filtering narrow the frequency range that the sidechain’s detector is sensitive to, which is useful for reducing false triggers. PSE can also use an external sidechain source so attenuation only occurs when an external signal is below the threshold. If you’ve ever used drum triggers or triggered a snare bottom gate from a snare top microphone, you are familiar with this technique.
The “ducking” section of PSE is what had me baffled, and I really had to dig into the manual to understand what it did. Even then, it wasn’t entirely clear until I put it into practice, because this isn’t a typical ducker. The ducking function allows for better gain reduction consistency when there are loud sound sources — such as drums or guitars — that might prevent the expander from providing smooth gain reduction, and it operates differently depending on whether PSE’s sidechain is set to internal or external. With the sidechain set to internal, the ducker adds direct current (well, a digital equivalent of “direct current”) to the sidechain’s detector. The gain of the “direct current” is adjustable and provides better low-level detection by raising the sidechain’s noise floor.
However, when the sidechain is set to external, PSE can provide additional attenuation beyond what is provided by the range control, in response to an external source. For example, if the snare drum is bleeding loudly into a vocal microphone, PSE can provide extra attenuation only when the snare is hit by setting the snare as an external sidechain source and activating ducking. The ducking effect can even be delayed so that this additional gain reduction is synchronized with the bleed source that you’re attempting to further attenuate. That makes for a very sophisticated expander, if you ask me.
The Verdict
Waves Primary Source Expander proved to be a useful tool for any live sound engineer’s toolkit and, at $79, is certainly affordable. As with any signal processor, when used properly in the hands of a skilled engineer, the PSE can provide great results. While the X-FDBK plug-in really is limited to live sound usage, I could see the Primary Source Expander being useful live and in the studio, especially if you were mixing down tracks that were recorded live. I look forward to getting more time to experiment with Waves’ latest plug-ins, and I would encourage anyone who’s interested to take advantage of Waves’ seven-day free demo to try them out for yourself.
At a Glance
Stage Noise Solution
A plug-in designed to deal with excess stage “noise” picked up by a mic that’s not in use, PSE is ideal on sources like vocals (to reduce stage bleed and improve gain before feedback) or a miked guitar amp that’s noisy when the guitar isn’t being played.
Waves Primary Source Expander
PROS
- Effective “open mic”/stage bleed solution
- Simple operation
- Inexpensive
CONS
- No Avid support
STATS
- Supported Live Platforms: MultiRack Native, MultiRack SoundGrid, DiGiCo, eMotion LV1 mixer
- Sampling Rate: Up to 92k Hz
- Street Price: $79
- Manufacturer: Waves
- More Info: www.waves.com
