Waves Audio Introduces the Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain
145th AES Convention, New York, NY, October 17, 2018— Waves Audio (booth 640), a leading provider of digital signal processing solutions, introduces the Waves Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain plugin .
Developed together with Abbey Road Studios, the TG Mastering Chain plugin is a modular mastering chain plugin modeled after the EMI TG12410 Transfer Console used in all Abbey Road’s mastering suites since the early ’70s to this day. The distinct solid-state transistor-based sound of the TG12410 has proven itself time and again over many decades. Whether it is used for mastering as a complete console, or for mixing with only select modules, the TG brings nothing less than magic — the same magic heard on albums like Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, Nirvana’s In Utero, Radiohead’s OK Computer and Ed Sheeran’s + (“plus”). Thanks to this Waves/Abbey Road collaboration, the TG12410 is now available outside of Abbey Road Studios, allowing you to bring the very same magic to your own productions.
Just like the original console, the TG Mastering Chain plugin is made out of modules (or cassettes):
- TG12411 Input Module
- TG12412 Tone Module (EQ)
- TG12413 Compressor/Limiter Module
- TG12414 Filter Module
- TG12416 V.A.L (Spread) Module (stereo component only) incorporated into the Output Module.
Modules can be interchanged (except for input/output modules) and switched on/off to allow for a flexible processing flow and creating custom chains. Individual modules can be used on different tracks and group buses in a mixing session, as well as on the master bus in mastering sessions.
The compressor/limiter module offers two flavors – Original and Modern – and is coupled with 48 dB/Oct linear-phase sidechain filters to help you take complete control over your sound.
Original — aggressive and “dirty” just like the ‘70s and exactly how we modeled it.
Modern — an original Waves and Abbey Road design based on the TG topology, that will help you get pristine sound with higher levels of perceived loudness.
Alongside the TG Mastering Chain is the Meter Bridge component (separate plugin), offering a new approach to metering. Open one Meter Bridge component on any channel and get access (via drop-down) to all Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain instances in the session. Get a clear reading of VU, PPM, Phase and Peak at a glance, and stay focused on the music.
With different processing modes (Stereo/Duo/MS) and monitoring modes (Stereo/Mono/L/R/M/S), the Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain plugin is truly a powerful tool. Use it in the studio or for live sound with a dedicated Live component.
Waves Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain features:
- Integral part of the Abbey Road sound since the early 1970s to the present day
- 5 modules that can be used independently
- Use in mastering or in mixing sessions
- 48 dB/Oct linear-phase sidechain filters
- Meter Bridge component provides a new approach to metering
- More than just the original sound (with a new compressor design, SC filters and the meter bridge)
- Stereo/Duo/MS processing modes
- Stereo/Mono/L/R/M/S monitoring modes
- Live component
Mirek StiIes, Abbey Road Studio’s Head of Audio Products, notes, “I remember seeing the various TG Mastering modules used frequently in the studios and they still are to this day, most recently for mixing Brockhampton’s Iridescence album which debuted at #1 on the Billboard top 200. I wasn’t so familiar with the mastering rooms’ workflow, but from spending time with the engineers it was important to learn that the TG modules are used on almost every project; the only exception being the compressor, which can be a little too harsh for some stereo masters. With this in mind, the Waves and Abbey Road teams went about tweaking the original TG topology. Low level information is more prominent and the VCA curve and attack release circuits were modified to create something more suitable for today’s mastering requirements. The end result was signed off by Abbey Road’s mastering engineers and we are all very proud of this plugin. It’s an extremely versatile and beautiful sounding tool for both mixing and mastering.”
Use the Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain to create custom processing chains with a flexible flow and the TG magic on the master bus, or on individual tracks/groups in a mixing session.
The Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain plugin is included in the Waves Abbey Road Collection bundle.
Note: Abbey Road Studios, EMI, TG and their associated logos are trademarks of EMI (IP) Limited.
For more information, please visit www.waves.com/plugins/abbey-road-tg-mastering-chain .
About Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is the most famous recording studios in the world and a global music icon.
Home to countless landmark recordings and pioneering advances in recording technology, the legendary studio complex has a phenomenal history spanning over 86 years, encompassing celebrated work by many of the world’s most famous recording artists including The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Oasis, Radiohead, Sam Smith, Florence + The Machine, Ed Sheeran, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Lady Gaga and Adele.
Since the score for Raiders of The Lost Ark was recorded at the studios in 1980, Abbey Road has developed into one of the world’s premier locations for movie scoring. Blockbuster films such as The Lord of The Rings Trilogy, Skyfall, the Harry Potter series and the Oscar-winning Gravity feature scores recorded here, while recent projects include Black Panther, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and the multi award winning The Shape of Water. Additionally, a number of high-profile video games such as Halo 5 and Call of Duty have recorded in-game music at Abbey Road Studios.
In Spring 2017, in the biggest transformation since opening in 1931, Abbey Road launched two new contemporary studios – The Gatehouse and The Front Room – making the magic of Abbey Road accessible to a whole new generation of recording artist. The new studios have already played host to artists from James Bay, Jess Glynne, JP Cooper, Ben Howard and Skrillex to legends like Nile Rodgers plus grime MCs Novelist and Jammer BBK. A new Dolby Atmos Premier Studio accredited Mix Stage also opened in 2017 making Abbey Road the only facility in the UK to offer both scoring and film sound post production.
Symbolic of the new era, in March 2018, Abbey Road appointed multiple Grammy Award winning producer, guitarist, arranger and composer Nile Rodgers (of The CHIC Organization) to the specially created role of Chief Creative Advisor. The new role sees Nile establish Abbey Road Studios as his primary creative base in the UK and serve as the Studios’ global ambassador within the artist and creative community. His remit extends to consultation on Abbey Road’s pioneering experiments in audio technology, including Spatial Audio.
The studios house a number of state of the art mastering suites. Recent projects mastered or re-mastered by Abbey Road’s award-winning engineers include music from Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Krept & Konan, Graham Coxon, Novelist, Johnny Marr, Roxy Music, Sade, Abba, Take That and The Rolling Stones.
Abbey Road Studios is accessible no matter where an artist is located, offering online mixing and mastering, audio products for professional and home studio music producers, live concert recording, archiving and video services. The studios also host a select number of special events each year.
In 2016, Abbey Road launched Abbey Road Red, Europe’s first music-focused technology incubator which supports the endeavours of entrepreneurs, researchers and developers. Inspired by the original inhouse Record Engineering Development Department of the 1950s to 1970s, the programme is now expanding with in-house R&D activities within the music creation space.
About Waves Audio Ltd.:
Waves is the world’s leading developer of audio DSP solutions for the professional, broadcast, and consumer electronics audio markets. Since its start in the early ’90s with the introduction of the Q10 equalizer plugin, Waves has gone on to develop a comprehensive line of over 150 audio plugins, including industry standards like the L1 and L2 Ultramaximizers, popular vintage console models, and innovative mixing tools like Vocal Rider and the Artist Signature Series. For its accomplishments, Waves received a Technical GRAMMY® Award in 2011, and the Q10 was selected as an inductee into the TECnology Hall of Fame. In 2016, Waves released the eMotion LV1 mixer, a revolutionary live digital mixing console that provides real-time audio mixing for front-of-house, monitor, studio and broadcast engineers. Waves technologies are now used to improve sound quality in virtually every sector of the audio market, from recording, mixing, mastering and post-production to broadcast, live sound, and consumer electronics. Waves has over 25 years of expertise in the development of psychoacoustic signal processing algorithms that leverage knowledge of human auditory perception to radically improve perceived sound quality. Waves’ award-winning processors are utilized to improve sound quality in the creation of hit records, major motion pictures, and top-selling video games worldwide. Waves offers computer software and hardware-plus-software solutions for the professional and broadcast markets. The company’s WavesLive division is a market leader in all live sound sectors, spearheading the development of solutions for all live platforms. Under its Maxx brand, Waves offers semiconductor and licensable algorithms for consumer electronics applications. Waves technologies dramatically enhance audio performance and are used by industry leaders such as Dell, Google, Fitbit, Acer, Asus, Hisense and more.
All other product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Waves.
SOURCE: Waves Audio Ltd.