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PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Neilson/Clyne
Tel: (615) 662-1616
Fax: (615) 662-1636
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WAVES IR-1 DELIVERS PARAMETRIC CONVOLUTION REVERB
WAVES LTD, the leading provider of digital audio processing
solutions for a comprehensive range of professional audio applications,
brings convolution-based reverberation and reverb sampling into usable
form with the introduction of the IR-1 convolution (sampling)-based
software reverb.
The IR-1 is a sampling reverb with classic control of
the primary reverberation parameters, making the power of convolution
available in an easy-to-use form for the first time. IR-1 comes with
an extensive library of over 60 carefully sampled actual impulse responses
from real halls, famous hardware-based reverb devices, rooms, and other
spaces as varied as the Santa Cecilia auditorium in Rome to world-famous
recording studios, to Nashville’s Bluebird Café, to the
interior of a Lincoln Navigator! All the samples’ parameters can
be controlled conventionally, from the elegant graphic front panel —
a first for convolution technology.
Traditionally, conventional reverb devices have been popular
because of their extensive control, with easily varied parameters to
set room size, RT60, filtering, and other characteristics. Meanwhile,
convolution-based, or “sampling” reverbs have been able
to offer the sound of real spaces, but in the past it has proved impossible
for them to offer the same degree of control as in the case of conventional
digital reverberation units.
Now that barrier has been broken. The IR-1 offers familiar,
parametric control, for the first time in a convolution-based sampling
reverb system. The parameters really are variable — it’s
not simply filtering to get the effect of changing a setting —
and the control is generally from 0.25 to four times the natural parameter
value.
For example, the user can vary the RT60 reverberation
time of an actual sampled space, and also change the size of the space
without losing its character. Graphical breakpoint envelopes allow the
decay shape to be infinitely modified to suit the application. Change
the reverb density, analyze the frequency response and derive the room
nodes, use de-correlation to optimize the stereophonic character of
the reverb, add gain and pre-delay to each portion of the reverb curve
— the possibilities are endless. Innovative filtering enables
the damping to be precisely controlled, and there’s a classic
Waves 4-band parametric EQ to control the color of the reverberation.
The technology of the IR-1 is so advanced, it was the
subject of a paper at the AES 24th International Conference in June
2003. The technique for sampling the library uses a unique combination
of microphone array, including a dummy head, ORTF, and Soundfield microphones
mounted on a computer controlled turntable, for astonishing accuracy
and realism. Each space is sampled from multiple locations, at 96kHz
and 32-bit floating point for maximum resolution, dynamic range, and
SNR.
The IR-1 makes the stunning lifelike accuracy of a convolution-based,
sampling reverb as easy to use as a conventional reverb unit —
because it is controlled in exactly the same way.
A 14-day free demo of the IR-1 is available from authorized
Waves dealers or at www.waves.com. The IR-1 ships in January 2004 and
carries an MSRP of $1000. It is supported on Mac and PC programs via
RTAS, HTDM (Mac), AudioSuite, VST, DirectX (Win), MAS (Mac), and Audio
Units (Mac).
...ends 512 words
About Waves Ltd.:
Waves is a leading provider of audio DSP solutions for professional,
broadcast, and consumer electronics audio markets. Waves has ten years
of expertise in the development of psycho-acoustic signal processing
algorithms that leverage knowledge on the human perception of hearing
to radically improve perceived sound quality. Waves’ award-winning
processors are utilized to improve sound quality in the creation of
the world’s most popular music, movie soundtracks, and multimedia
titles. Waves offers computer software solutions and hardware plus software
solutions for the professional and broadcast markets. Waves also offers
semiconductor with embedded software solutions under the Maxx brand
for the consumer electronics audio applications. Waves’ Maxx technology
dramatically enhances audio performance in consumer applications and
has been licensed to several leading companies, including Motorola and
Microsoft. For more information, visit the Waves web site at http://www.waves.com.
Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective
companies with which they are associated.
Waves Contacts:
North America Offices:
Waves, Inc., 306 West Depot Avenue, Suite 100, Knoxville, TN 37917;
Tel: 865-909-9200, Fax: 865-909-9245, Email: info@waves.com,
Web: http://www.waves.com
Corporate Headquarters Israel:
Waves Ltd., Azrieli Center, The Round Tower, 21st Floor, Tel-Aviv 67011,
Israel;
Tel: 972-3-608-4000, Fax: 972-3-608-4056, Email: info@waves.com,
Web: http://www.waves.com
Waves Public Relations:
Neilson/Clyne, Inc., 169-B Belle Forest Circle, Nashville, TN 37221;
Tel: 615-662-1616, Fax: 615-662-1636, Email: rclyne@neilsonclyne.com,
Web: http://www.neilsonclyne.com