Waves Primary Source Expander

Waves Primary Source Expander - The Essential Tool for Live Sound | The Ultimate Solution to End Mic Bleed and Feedback

Live show mixing is a challenge full of variables, with unexpected situations constantly arising. Have you ever been unable to push your PA system to the desired volume due to annoying mic bleed causing feedback? Or do you have to constantly mute channels manually to eliminate background noise when the singer isn't performing? Or perhaps, during live multitrack recording, you desperately crave cleaner, purer source isolation? The Waves Primary Source Expander (PSE) is the ultimate tool born to solve these tricky live mixing problems.

PSE is a simple yet powerful expander plugin, meticulously optimized to instantly solve the vast majority of live audio issues, allowing you to handle even the most severe bleed interference with ease. It precisely distinguishes between the sound source you want and the noise you don't, smoothly attenuating annoying background sounds to silence the moment a performer pauses. This tool, designed specifically for feedback suppression and noise control, will completely transform your workflow. You'll no longer be bogged down by technical troubleshooting, but can instead focus entirely on the creative aspects of mixing. With the Waves Primary Source Expander, you will regain absolute control over your stage sound and deliver the perfect auditory experience to your audience.

Core Advantages & Use Cases

End the Live Mixing Nightmare
"Which vocal mic is picking up the drums?!" "Why is the feedback starting again?" "Where is that humming noise coming from?" "Why do I constantly have to pull down the mic faders?!" Do these questions leave you exhausted? Now, simply run your audio through PSE, and you can say goodbye to running back and forth between the console and the stage to solve problems. Focus your valuable energy on creating an artistic mix.

Precision-First Sound Processing
PSE is dedicated to preserving the integrity of your music. Unlike the abrupt on/off of a traditional noise gate, PSE uses a precise expansion algorithm, specifically optimized for melodic sources like vocals, guitars, and strings. When a performer pauses, it smoothly fades out unwanted sounds to silence without affecting the natural character of the original tone. You only need to set two main parameters, Threshold and Range, and PSE will automatically and smoothly attenuate any signal that falls below the threshold by the amount you've set.

Push Your Levels Higher
Mic bleed is a breeding ground for feedback. Severe bleed forces you to lower mic gain or spend a lot of time manually muting unused channels to avoid piercing squeals. With PSE, this is a thing of the past. It automatically suppresses bleed, fundamentally increasing your gain-before-feedback, giving you more headroom to push vocals or instruments louder and clearer.

Powerful Sidechain Functionality
To tackle more stubborn bleed issues or unstable stage volumes, PSE includes powerful sidechain capabilities. You can use an external source as a trigger signal, combined with high-pass/low-pass filters and a Ducking mode, to further enhance PSE's processing precision and effectiveness. Despite its power, the user interface remains intuitive and easy to use, allowing you to quickly solve the most complex audio challenges.

Tech Specs

• Plugin Type: Dynamics / Expander
• Primary Applications: Live Sound, Live Recording, Broadcast
• Core Functions: Bleed Suppression, Background Noise Reduction, Feedback Control, Source Isolation
• Controls: Threshold, Range, Attack, Release, Sidechain (SC) Controls
• Sidechain Modes: Internal, External
• Sidechain Filters: High-Pass Filter (HPF), Low-Pass Filter (LPF)
• Special Mode: Ducking
• Supported Sample Rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz
• Channel Processing: Mono / Stereo
• Latency: Zero Latency processing for real-time live performance
• Compatibility: Supports VST, VST3, AU, AAX Native formats, compatible with major DAWs and Waves live processing platforms (eMotion LV1, SuperRack)