Waves Central User Guide

Use Waves Central to install and activate the latest version of Waves products.

Waves Central can be downloaded here.

Navigating Waves Central

Waves Central is organized into seven pages accessible via tabs on the left. Click the 'Learn More' button for detailed articles on specific topics.

At the top of the window, you'll find four tools:

Tour: Guides you through common processes. Click the Tours icon and select a tour.
Search: Helps locate products directly.
Reload: Refreshes Central.
Username: Identifies the current Waves account. Click the down arrow to review your account or log out.

The main section displays the Waves Creative Access interface, showing options to subscribe, install demos, manage subscriptions, and view pending activities.

On the left sidebar, you can access:

Creative Access: Manage plugin subscriptions.
Install Products: Install and activate Waves products.
Licenses: Manage and move licenses.
Offline Installer: Create and run offline installers.
StudioVerse: Get started with StudioVerse.
Settings: Configure file locations, privacy, and maintenance.
Support: Access articles, specs, and system information.

Creative Access Page: Set Up a Subscription

The Creative Access page is the entry point for Waves Creative Access subscriptions. Here you can start, install, activate, and manage subscriptions, and get updates.

Getting Started:

You need a Waves account to begin. If you have purchased a Waves product before, you already have an account. Otherwise, create one on the waves.com homepage.

The 'My Subscriptions' section lists your Creative Access subscriptions. To start a new subscription, click 'Get Full Access', which directs you to the Waves Creative Access page.

During installation and activation, you'll choose where to activate your license (this computer or a USB flash drive) and whether to download Waves sample libraries, which are large files used by Waves samplers and virtual instruments. You can download these later if not needed immediately.

Waves Central installs the entire Waves plugin catalog, allowing you to demo any plugin. Unsubscribed plugins will function in demo mode with occasional audio mutes. Subscribing to Waves Ultimate makes all plugins fully available without mutes.

Install and Activate Your Subscription Later:

If you don't wish to install and activate immediately after purchase, do not click 'Install & Activate' on the purchase page. You can do this later via Waves Central. On the Waves Central Creative Access page, click 'Install & Activate'. If plugins are already installed, the button will show 'Activate'.

Once your subscription is ready, you will see a confirmation page indicating you are ready to use your Waves plugins.

Manage Your Subscription:

This section directs you to the 'My Subscription' page in your Waves account, where you can manage your subscription details.

Creative Access Updates

When new plugins or updates are available for your Waves Creative Access subscription, a blue 'Update' button will appear on the Waves Creative Access page. Clicking this button shows a list of pending updates. New plugins appear at the top. Click 'Update' to install them.

It is recommended to regularly check Waves Central for updates.

Install and Activate Products

The 'Install and Activate Products' page lists all Waves products. You can install, activate, and update products here, as well as find legacy installers. If you only use Waves Creative Access, you might manage most functions from the Creative Access page.

Waves Essential: A notepad icon indicates multiple plugins within a download. Click to view contents.

Updates Available: This notification indicates product improvements or bug fixes. Updating all plugins may take a few minutes and might require a restart.

My Products:

Use the 'View' menu to filter products.
Add products to the install queue by clicking the button next to the product name. Remove them using the 'X' in the 'Selected Products' list.
For sample libraries, choose between 'SD' and 'HD' versions or none.
Click 'Install' to begin installation. If licenses need activation, select the target device (computer or USB drive) and click 'Install & Activate'.
For previous versions, 'Learn More' provides a link to download the offline installer.

Plugin Subscriptions: Lists available Waves subscriptions for installation and activation.

Applications: Install current versions of Waves applications and drivers. These require separate license activation.

Manage Licenses

The Licenses page allows you to activate, move, deactivate, or recover licenses. Central can provide reminders for license renewals.

Not Activated: Lists licenses not yet activated to a device. Select licenses and click 'Activate' to assign them to your computer or a USB flash drive.

Connected Devices: Displays licenses activated on the current computer or connected USB drives.

To deactivate a license: Select the products and click 'Deactivate'. The license moves to the 'Not Activated' list.

Disconnected Devices: Lists licenses on devices not currently connected. This section is used to recover licenses from lost or damaged devices.

To recover a license: Select the products and click 'Recover'. The license is returned to the 'Not Activated' list or a connected device. License recovery is limited to once per year.

Offline Installer

Waves Central primarily installs current versions online. However, offline installers are useful for installing older versions or on computers without internet access. An offline installer is a customizable, one-click installation tool.

Install from an Offline Installer:

To create an offline installer:

Click 'Create' and select the desired products.
In the 'Selected Products' panel, choose the target platform (Mac or Windows).
Click 'Create an Installer'.

Note: Offline installers do not include licenses. Use the Licenses page to transfer licenses. Activating a license to a USB drive is an option for moving between computers. Legacy products are compatible with newer licenses.

StudioVerse

StudioVerse allows you to store and recall plugin chains (all plugins and their settings within a StudioRack) online, making them accessible from anywhere. It also serves as an online community for sharing your chains or downloading chains from industry professionals.

A StudioVerse chain includes necessary plugins and macros for adjusting key controls. StudioVerse can also analyze a track and suggest matching chains.

Demo all Waves plugins: Installs all Waves plugins, including those you don't own. Unlicensed plugins in a chain will have periodic audio mutes. Choose whether to download sample files for Waves instruments and samplers, as these files are large.

Install just StudioRack: Installs the current version of StudioRack without plugins.

Settings

The Settings page controls the interface appearance, default file locations, and allows for plugin file cleanup. Tooltips explain each control's function.

General: Adjusts the interface appearance (Light, Dark, System).

Locations: Sets default locations for sample libraries and licenses.

Privacy: Allows Waves to collect plugin usage data for product improvement.

Maintenance: Includes tools for troubleshooting and system cleanup. It can provide system information to Waves technical support. Upon first launch, or if permission issues are detected, Waves Central automatically repairs file and folder permissions. You can also run 'Fix permissions and Ownership' manually.

Support

The Support page provides answers to common questions regarding installation, management, and updates of Waves products. It also includes technical requirements, system information, release notes, and contact details.

Key support areas include:

Subscriptions
Registering a product serial
Login issues
Waves Central errors and troubleshooting
Computer connection issues
Solving 'Installation Failed' errors
Moving licenses
Rescanning plugins in your DAW
Downloading legacy Offline Installers
Downloading Team Viewer for remote assistance
Technical Specifications
System requirements
Supported hosts
Release notes
Legal information
System Information

For further assistance, contact Waves Technical Support via email or phone: 1-865-909-9200 ext. 1 (Long distance charges may apply).

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