Waves Abbey Road Saturator

Waves Abbey Road Saturator｜Unleash the Unique Analog Warmth and Punch of Abbey Road

Introducing the Waves Abbey Road Saturator, more than just a regular saturation effect, it's the key to the sonic soul of the legendary Abbey Road Studios. From adding a subtle, delicate edge to vocals or synths, to delivering powerful punch to bass and drums, and even creating industrial-level distortion, this plugin perfectly recreates the color and energy unleashed by Abbey Road's unique saturation signal chain. It's not just simple distortion; it's an artistic tone-shaping tool that fills your music with life and the classic texture of analog saturation.

At the core of this powerful saturation effect is the precise emulation of two of Abbey Road Studios' most iconic console sounds: the warm tube saturation of the REDD console and the round, thick solid-state tone of the TG12345 console. Even more impressively, it integrates the extremely rare TG12321 "secret weapon" Compander, allowing you to excite specific frequency bands in an unprecedented way, making your sound cut through the mix. Combined with powerful pre- and post-saturation EQ controls, the Waves Abbey Road Saturator provides you with unparalleled tone-sculpting capabilities, bringing decades of Abbey Road's sonic magic into your digital audio workstation.

Core Advantages & Applications

Dual Choice of Legendary Tones
Freely switch between the classic REDD tube console crunch and the modern, solid tone of the TG12345 solid-state console, all within the same plugin. From subtle coloration to extreme distortion, every stage has been meticulously calibrated by Waves and Abbey Road engineers to ensure the most authentic analog experience.

Exclusive TG12321 Exciter
Abbey Road engineers cleverly modified the EMI TG12321 Compander, originally designed for noise reduction in 1964, turning it into a powerful track exciter that can easily cut through a dense mix. Now, you can control its crossover point to precisely excite specific frequency ranges: lower settings are perfect for bass and kick drums, while higher settings can make vocals shine and stand out.

Precise Tone Sculpting
Transform your tone using the Pre and Post-saturation EQ sections. With high and low shelf filters and a parametric midrange control, you can first boost or cut the frequencies you want to distort, and then finely shape the final tonal character.

Modern Processing Flexibility
Offers Stereo, Mid, or Sides processing modes. You can add punch to your kick and bass in Mid mode, widen the stereo image with light saturation in Sides mode, or add the perfect saturation character to your entire stereo bus. Additionally, modern features like the Phase Knob allow you to alter the character of the distortion harmonics.

Suitable for a Variety of Instruments
Whether it's vocals that need warmth, synths that need an edge, bass that needs thickness, or drums that need punch, the Abbey Road Saturator is perfectly suited for the task. Its powerful versatility makes it an indispensable secret weapon in your mixing toolkit.

Tech Specs

• Official Collaboration: Developed in official partnership with Waves Audio and Abbey Road Studios.
• Saturation Types: Two switchable modes - Tube (based on the REDD Console) and Solid-State (based on the TG12345 Console).
• Core Module: Integrates an exclusive emulation of the EMI TG12321 Compander/Exciter module.
• Equalizer Configuration: Two three-band EQ sections, Pre and Post-saturation, including High/Low Shelves and a Parametric Mid.
• Processing Modes: Supports Stereo, Mid, and Sides processing.
• Harmonic Control: Includes an adjustable Phase Knob for altering the character of distortion harmonics.
• Signal Blending: Built-in Mix Knob (Dry/Wet control) for parallel processing.
• Applications: Suitable for a wide range of sources including vocals, synths, bass, drums, guitars, and the stereo bus.
• Design Heritage: Based on decades of audio research and experimentation by legendary Abbey Road engineers like Geoff Emerick and Peter Bown.