The dbx 160 from Waves is a plug-in modeling the classic dbx 160 hardware VCA compressor/limiter, a staple for processing drums, guitar, bass, and vocals in recording studios in the 1970s and '80s.
Coordinating with dbx in the creation of the Waves dbx 160 plug-in, Waves added features not available on the original hardware unit. Stereo and Mid-Side functionality allow for easy group and mix bus processing. Parallel compression can be achieved by blending the uncompressed “dry” signal with the compressed “wet” signal via the Mix control. The Noise knob controls the level of hum and noise produced by the plug-in.
- Mono and stereo components
- Selectable stereo compressor modes: ST (L/R linked), Duo (L/R independent), and MS (Mid-Side mode)
- Mix control to blend dry and compressed signals for parallel compression
- Adjustable input gain and compression ratio
- Noise control to add noise and hum
- Selectable on/off switch to apply a 90 Hz high-pass filter to the sidechain
- VU meter with selectable meter source and adjustable calibration
- LED indicators for peak clipping, signal above threshold, and signal below threshold
- Supports sample rates up to 192 kHz
- Supports AAX Native, AudioSuite, Audio Units, VST, and SoundGrid
- Compatible with MultiRack Native, StudioRack Native, MultiRack SoundGrid, StudioRack SoundGrid, eMotion ST Mixer, eMotion LV1 Mixer, and DiGiCo
- Compatible with Mac OS X and Windows