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Waves V14 – Frequently Asked Questions

Sep 12, 2023

Waves V14 is the latest version of plugins offered by Waves, as perpetual licenses or as Waves Creative Access subscriptions. Find answers to all your questions on this page.

If you don’t find your question answered, please contact support.

Refer to this page for Frequently Asked Questions about Waves Creative Access

Is my setup compatible with V14?

To make sure that your computer, operating system and DAW versions are compatible with Waves V14 software, please refer to our System Requirements and Supported Hosts pages.

How can I get V14 plugins?

We offer three ways to get V14 plugin licenses and software:

  1. Purchase individual plugins and bundles as perpetual licenses here on waves.com: see specials
    • Newly purchased perpetual licenses come with 1 full year of Waves Update Plan coverage, free of charge.
    • Once you have new V14 licenses, install and activate the software.
    • Perpetual iicenses are also available via certified dealers.
  2. Update older licenses (V13 or below) to V14, if the licenses are covered by the Waves Update Plan.
  3. Subscribe to a Waves Creative Access subscription.
    • Subscriptions always provide access to the latest software version, currently V14.
    • Subscription licenses will cover and activate all future and past (V13-V9) software versions.
Can I renew Waves Update Plan coverage for my perpetual licenses and update them?

Yes, you can still renew your Waves Update Plan coverage for one, some, or all of your perpetual licenses here.

Once covered, you can get the latest version for your licenses here.

I own perpetual licenses for Waves plugins, will they remain mine, can I update to new versions?

Yes, you continue to own and can use your plugin/bundle licenses and software, on systems and host applications that are compatible with the versions you currently have.
If your licenses are covered by the Waves Update Plan, you can update them to newer versions and register 2nd licenses.
If your licenses are not covered by the Waves Update Plan, renew your coverage first, then update.

You can continue to use your plugin/bundle licenses and software as before, on all systems and host applications that are compatible with the versions you currently have.

Can I register 2nd licenses for plugin / bundle licenses I own?

Yes, you can get a bonus 2nd license for Waves plugins and bundles covered under the Waves Update Plan, for use on multiple devices.

If you have plugins or bundles currently covered under the Waves Update Plan, here’s how to get your 2nd licenses for them:

  1. Access the Register Your 2nd Licenses page.
  2. If you are not logged in already, log in to your Waves account.
  3. The list you see will display only your products with current Waves Update Plan coverage, which are eligible for this option. If you do not see the product(s) for which you wish to register 2nd licenses, you can renew your Waves Update Plan for those products. (Please note that eMotion LV1, SuperRack, MultiRack, SoundGrid Rack for Venue, and all Waves Subscriptions are excluded from the 2nd license benefit: see full 2nd License Terms & Conditions.)
  4. Select the licenses for which you wish to register 2nd licenses:
    1. For all licenses, check the top box (to the left of ‘Products’)
    2. For specific licenses, check specific boxes

If you renew your Waves Update Plan coverage before it expires, your second licenses will remain active without interruption

Waves Creative Access subscriptions also offer 2nd licenses.

How do I Install and activate my perpetual plugins or bundles?

Refer to this page for full instructions to install and activate new or existing V14 perpetual plugins and bundles.

If you own perpetual (non-subscription) licenses for V13-V9 plugins or bundles, please refer to the how to Install Waves Legacy Versions article for installation instructions.

If needed, you may install your plugins on older operating systems. Choose your operating system from this list for a full set of instructions.

Can I try the plugins before purchase?

Yes, but we no longer offer 7-day demo licenses for each separate plugin or bundle. Instead, you can evaluate all the plugins in demo mode, for free, as one unified download, without time limit.

If you wish to try the plugins in demo mode, simply click Install Demo on the Waves Creative Access page in Waves Central. This will install a demo of all Waves plugins on your computer. This demo will let you evaluate all Waves plugins at your own pace, for as long as you want, without any time limitation. However, this demo is not fully functional: if you don’t have licenses for some of the plugins, using those plugins will introduce periodic audio mutes in your session.

If you purchase a plugin or bundle as a perpetual license, or start a Waves Creative Access subscription, any plugins you installed in demo mode, for which you now have licenses, will become fully functional without the periodic audio mutes (just don’t forget to activate your newly purchased licenses).

In demo mode, will the mutes introduced by all plugins happen all at the same time?

Yes, mutes are synchronized across all plugins running in demo mode.

Can I tell which plugins are running demo mode, without referencing a list or opening the plugin?

Within the StudioRack plugin chainer’s internal plugin list, you can show or hide unlicensed plugins via the padlock icon. When shown in the list, Waves plugins running in demo mode will be indicated in italics. (This indication is also available in CLA MixHub’s and Scheps Omni Channel’s insert menu.)

We have made the utmost effort to indicate whether installed plugins are licensed or not, with italic text and filters. We are working to provide this indication in Waves live applications (eMotion LV1, SuperRack, SoundGrid Rack for VENUE) as well. However, we do not have a technical option to provide this indication within DAWs.

I have perpetual (non-subscription) V14 licenses, but my system is compatible only with an earlier Waves version. What can I do?

Not to worry: V14 licenses can activate V9 through V13 software as well. To install any legacy version, refer to this page for instructions.

Do V14 plugins work in Waves applications (StudioRack, SoundGrid Studio, eMotion LV1, SuperRack, MultiRack)?

V14 plugins are fully supported in these applications:

V14 plugins are not supported in the following application versions:

  • eMotion LV1 V9–V12
  • SuperRack V11 and V12
  • MultiRack V9
  • SoundGrid Studio V9 and V12
  • StudioRack V9 and V12

We recommend that you do not install V14 plugins on a system where you intend to use them inside these older application versions.

Important: V14 perpetual (non-subscription) licenses will activate V9 through V14 plugin software. This means that even if you use an application such as MultiRack which does not support V14, you can use the same V14 licenses to activate both V14 plugins (for example, on a machine running a DAW such as Pro Tools) and your older version of plugins, all the way back to V9, on the machine running MultiRack.

To find out whether a certain plugin exists in a legacy version, visit the version's download page, and scroll down to the bottom.

I'm trying to install my V14 plugins but cannot find them in Waves Central. Where are they?

There are a few possible scenarios:

  1. Look at the ‘Install Products’ page of Waves Central:
    • V14 licenses will show on the ‘Install Products’ page and can be installed and activated directly from this page.
    • V9–V13 licenses will not show on the ‘Install Products’ page – you will find them in the ‘Licenses’ page.
    • To install any legacy version – refer to this page for instructions.
  2. You might have multiple accounts
    Make sure that the products you are looking for are registered to the same account you are logged into in Waves Central. Visit the My Products page of your Waves.com account to check whether the licenses are registered to this account.

If the licenses are not there, they might be registered to a different account that you have. If you need assistance, contact our Technical Support team.

Can I run multiple plugin versions on the same system?

Before installing or updating to V14, check our System Requirements and Supported Hosts pages to make sure that your system and DAW are compatible with Waves V14.

Multiple plugin versions can run on the same system, just not at the same time. If the computer you are using is also used by others (for example in a commercial studio, school system, rental company, etc.), we highly recommend that you run Waves Central’s Version Organizer (in Waves Central’s ‘Settings’ page) after moving or swapping licenses, to make sure your license version/s and the installed software version/s are aligned.

If your plugins still do not appear in your DAW (Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, etc.), a plugin re-scan may be needed. Please see the How to Find Your Plugins article relevant to your specific DAW. For more information please refer to this page.

Please note:

  1. Software versions earlier than 9.92 cannot co-exist with software versions V10 and upwards. If you wish to run V9 side by side with newer versions – please install version 9.92.
  2. For this reason, installing new versions alongside V9 may cause temporary loss of access to the V9 plugins on systems that do support both versions.