Waves Introduces The Jack Joseph Puig Collection

Jul 08, 2008

Click image for closeup

Following closely on last month's introduction of Free downloadable Waves presets from multiple GRAMMY ® -winning Producer/Mixer Jack Joseph Puig (JJP), the company has once again rocked the recording industry with a collection of plug-ins based on some of the most sought-after vintage pieces of gear in audio history. Waves introduces the Jack Joseph Puig Collection — the culmination of an ongoing Waves Research & Development project that has lasted over 3 years.

Connoisseurs of vintage recording equipment know that no two units of the same make and model sound exactly alike. Tubes, capacitors and other components (not to mention wear-and-tear over time) work together to give each piece its own unique personality. So when Waves decided to model the rarest of rare studio hardware (the Fairchild 670, the Pultec EQP-1A, and the Pultec MEQ-5), there was only one logical choice of whom they should work with to bring to market a pedigree collection of vintage processors: Jack Joseph Puig.

Legendary among audio aficionados for his extensive collection of exceptional, hand-picked vintage outboard gear, Puig not only shared his knowledge and expertise on these devices, but he also gave Waves exclusive access to model his most prized processors (which are acknowledged by leading artists and producers as the finest examples of these units). Working in Puig's personal recording space, located at Los Angeles' legendary Ocean Way Recording Studios, Waves' R&D team painstakingly analyzed and modeled each processor's every attribute, replicating its sound and behavior to the point where the software was virtually indistinguishable from hardware. Puig became an indispensable part of the development process, greatly assisting the Waves team by testing and fine tuning the software models of his hardware, as well as contributing an extensive library of his personal presets.

"As time goes by, there are fewer and fewer examples of these heirloom processors for artists, engineers or producers to have access to," stated Jack Joseph Puig. "Not every studio or engineer has had the luxury that I have had to be in the same creative space as some of these magnificent pieces of equipment. The three vintage processors that Waves and I have modeled are reference standard pieces of what that particular processor is supposed to sound and feel like. Now, through the Waves Puig Collection, users around the world have the beautiful benefit of actually being able to use a piece of equipment that they might never have had the opportunity to work with. In a way, we are helping to preserve a piece of audio history."

The PuigChild 660 & 670 Compressor/Limiter
Throughout the vinyl era, the original Fairchild stereo 670 compressor and its mono counterpart, the 660, were ubiquitous. From the recording studio to the record lathe, the Fairchild was renowned for its advanced compression techniques and incomparable sound. With the PuigChild 660 & 670 Compressor/Limiter, Waves has captured every distinctive nuance of Jack Joseph Puig's Fairchild 670, along with every detail of its rich harmonic complexity. Key features include: Lateral Vertical Mode (MS Compression) for Optimal Stereo Imaging; Linked & Unlinked Modes; Digidesign Icon Support; Up to 24-bit 192 kHz Resolution; Mono and Stereo Components; TDM, RTAS, VST, AU support; PC and Mac Compatibility.

Key controls include: Input Gain -20 to 0; Threshold 0 to 10 (0.1 steps); Time Constant 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; On/Off; Mains Off, 50Hz, 60Hz; Link Left/Right, Linked, Lateral/Vertical; Output -18dB to 18dB (0.1 steps).

The PuigTec EQP-1A Program Equalizer
The Pultec EQP-1A is renowned for its warm and round low frequency equalization and its beautiful high frequency boost; it also has the unique ability to boost and cut the same frequencies simultaneously, thereby creating a resonant shelf. Conceived and created for broadband equalization, the original EQP-1A features four low boost/cut frequencies, three high-cut frequencies and seven HF boost points, along with a bandwidth control for shaping the high boost curve. Waves' PuigTec EQP-1A is a remarkable replication of Jack Joseph Puig's original handcrafted unit, heard on dozens of popular recordings from artists including Weezer, The Black Crowes and Panic at the Disco.

Key features include: Unique resonant low shelf boost; Digidesign Icon support; Up to 24-bit, 96-kHz resolution; Mono and Stereo components; TDM, RTAS, VST, AU support; PC and Mac compatibility.

Key controls include: Low Band Boost 0 to 11 (18 dB boost, 0.1 steps); Low Band Attenuation 0 to 11 (18 dB cut, 0.1 steps); Low Band Frequency 20Hz, 30Hz, 60Hz, 100Hz; High Bell Boost 0 to 11 (18 dB boost, 0.1 steps); High Bell Bandwidth (Q) 0 to 11 (0=sharp 11=wide, 0.1 steps); High Bell Frequency 3kHz, 4kHz, 5kHz, 8kHz, 10kHz, 12kHz, 16kHz; High Shelf Attenuation 0 to 11 (18 dB cut, 0.1 steps); High Shelf Frequency (Atten Sel) 5kHz, 10kHz, 20kHz; In/Out; Output -18dB to 18dB (0.1 steps); Mains Off, 50 Hz, 60 Hz.

The PuigTec MEQ-5
The distinctive tonal characteristics of the MEQ-5 have made the original Pultec hardware a mainstay at high-end studios for decades. The midrange PuigTec MEQ-5 and the broadband PuigTec EQP-1A together constitute one of the best-known equalization chains in audio history.

Key features include: Digidesign Icon support; Up to 24-bit, 96-kHz resolution; Mono and Stereo components; TDM, RTAS, VST, AU support; PC and Mac compatibility.

Key controls include: Low Mid Frequency 200Hz, 300Hz, 500Hz, 700Hz, 1000Hz; Low Mid Peak 0 to 11 (10dB boost, 0.1 steps); Mid Frequency 200Hz, 300Hz, 500Hz, 700Hz,1000Hz, 1.5kHz, 2kHz, 3kHz,4kHz, 5kHz, 7kHz; Mid Dip 0 to 11 (10dB cut, 0.1 steps); High Mid Frequency 1.5kHz, 2kHz, 3kHz, 4kHz, 5kHz; High Mid Peak 0 to 11 (10dB boost 0.1 steps); In/Out; Output -18dB to 18dB (0.1 steps); Mains Off, 50 Hz, 60 Hz.

The JJP Collection is currently available separately as well as part of the Waves Mercury bundle.

For more information, visit their web site at www.waves.com.