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Waves V15 – Frequently Asked Questions

Jun 24, 2024

Waves V15 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 V15?

To make sure that your computer, operating system and DAW versions are compatible with Waves V15 software, please refer to our System Requirements and Supported Hosts pages.

How can I get V15 plugins?

We offer three ways to get V15 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 V15 licenses, install and activate the software.
    • Perpetual iicenses are also available via certified dealers.
  2. Update older licenses (V14 or below) to V15, 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 V15.
    • Subscription licenses will cover and activate all future and past (V9-V14) software versions.
Can I renew Waves Update Plan coverage for my perpetual licenses and update them?

Yes, you can 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.

(Please note that eMotion LV1, SuperRack, MultiRack and SoundGrid Rack for Venue are excluded from the 2nd license benefit: see full 2nd License Terms & Conditions.)

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.
  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 V15 perpetual plugins and bundles.

If you own perpetual (non-subscription) licenses for V9-V14 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, you can try the plugins before purchase.

If you wish to try the plugins in demo mode, simply install any plugin or bundle on Waves Central’s Install Products page, or click Install Demo on the Waves Creative Access page, which will install a demo of all Waves plugins on your computer.

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.

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) V15 licenses, but my system is compatible only with an earlier Waves version. What can I do?

Not to worry: V15 licenses can activate V9 through V14 software as well. To install any legacy version, refer to this page for instructions.

Do V15 plugins work in Waves applications (StudioRack, SoundGrid Studio, eMotion LV1, SuperRack, MultiRack)?

V15 plugins are supported in the following application versions:

V15 plugins are not supported in the following application versions:

  • eMotion LV1 V9–V13
  • SuperRack V11-V13
  • MultiRack V9
  • SoundGrid Studio V9-V14
  • StudioRack V9-V14

We recommend that you do not install V15 plugins on a system where you intend to use them inside these older application versions.

Important: V15 perpetual (non-subscription) licenses will activate V9 through V15 plugin software. This means that even if you use an application such as MultiRack which does not support V15, you can use the same V15 licenses to activate both V15 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 V15 plugins but cannot find them in Waves Central. Where are they?

There are a few possible scenarios:

  1. Check the ‘Install Products’ page of Waves Central:
    • V10-V15 licenses will show on the ‘Install Products’ page and can be installed and activated directly from this page.
    • V9 licenses will also appear on the ‘Install Products’ page, but can only be installed using the V9 offline installer. 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?

Multiple plugin versions can run on the same system, just not at the same time.

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.