Superrack Native v13
Superrack Native v13
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 5
Part 1: Getting Started ...................................................................................................... 6
Install Software ...................................................................................................................................................... 6
Connect the Hardware ........................................................................................................................................... 8
Configuring the Sound Card ................................................................................................................................. 10
Routing I/O Channels to Racks ............................................................................................................................. 12
Inserting Plugins ................................................................................................................................................... 14
Floating Panels ..................................................................................................................................................... 15
System Requirements .......................................................................................................................................... 17
Part 2: Top Bar ................................................................................................................ 18
Left Panel: Rack Controls...................................................................................................................................... 19
Rack Name ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Racks Menu ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Current Preset................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Link Group Assignment..................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Latency Group Assignment............................................................................................................................................................... 24
Center Section: Window Selection Tabs .............................................................................................................. 25
Tearing Off Windows for Multiple Displays ..................................................................................................................................... 27
Right Panel: Snapshots and Utilities ..................................................................................................................... 28
Snapshot Menu ................................................................................................................................................................................ 28
Status Panel ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 29
CPU Display ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Session Menu.................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Utilities ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 31
Part 3: Setup Window ..................................................................................................... 33
Audio Setup Page: Assigning a Sound Card .......................................................................................................... 34
Settings Page ........................................................................................................................................................ 36
SuperRack Native uses the power of your host computer for plugins processing and overhead.
This means that the number and kind of plugins you use are, as well as overall system latency,
depend on the host computer’s CPU sound driver capabilities
This user guide is organized just like the SuperRack, by different pages that control different parts
of the application. The first chapter of this user guide is about getting started: installation,
configuration, and the basics of using SuperRack. Read it; it may be all you need. The rest of this
guide provides detailed descriptions and about every section of the product.
2. Launch Waves Central. On the left side of the interface, select Install Products and then go to My
Products. This shows a list of all of your Waves purchased products. If you don’t see SuperRack or
your plugins in this list, go to your Waves account and register the products. You can also select
the All Products tab, which shows you a list of the entire Waves catalogue. This is an easy way to
choose plugins for purchase or demo.
3. Select the SuperRack application and the plugins that you want to install. Products selected for
installation and/or license activation are shown in a list on the right side. Click the “Install” button,
or “Install & Activate” if you are activating licenses. The SuperRack application and your plugins
will be installed on your computer. By default, licenses are activated to your computer.
If your production computer is not connected to the internet, you can use Waves Central to create an offline
installer. An offline installer must be created on a computer that’s connected to the internet. It includes the
SuperRack application and your plugins. Save this installer on a USB flash drive and use it to install
SuperRack on your production computer (that is not connected to the internet). Activate your licenses
separately on a USB flash drive.
ANALOG CONNECTIONS
Firewire or USB
To learn more about assigning devices, please refer to the Setup Window part of this user guide.
Display Resolutions
Full Screen (default) fits the SuperRack window to 100% of the resolution set for the display. Aspect ratio is
maintained.
Scaled (Full Screen off) scales the window of each display to 90% of the resolution set for the display. When more
than one display is present, this behavior is independent per display.
Click Full Screen again or tap ESC to exit Full Screen mode.
A rack’s input and output do not necessarily need to have the same number of tracks. A stereo rack
input can, for example, coexist with a 5.1 output. The rack’s L/R signal will output only from the L
and R channels of the 5.1 I/O stream. The position of the L and R channels in the 5.1 output will
vary depending on the 5.1 format. If rack output is unassigned when the input is routed, SuperRack
will attempt to patch the same input and output I/O channels.
An I/O can be patched to several rack inputs. Only one rack can patch to an output I/O.
If the channel formats for the rack’s input and output are the same
(e.g., mono-to-mono, stereo-to-stereo, 5.1-to-5.1, etc.), the I/O
channel numbers for a rack’s in and out will increment together.
Here, inputs and outputs are mono:
Rack 5: input MADI 25, output MADI 25
Rack 6: input MADI 26, output MADI 26
Rack 7: input MADI 27, output MADI 27, etc.
If, on the other hand, the rack input has fewer channels than
output channels (or vice versa), certain channels will go
unused so that each rack begins with the same input and
output channel number. In this example, rack input is mono,
and output is 5.1. The resulting patching looks like this:
Rack 1: input MADI 1, output MADI 1–6
Rack 2: input MADI 7, output MADI 7–12
Rack 3: input MADI 13, output MADI 11–18, etc.
To learn more about routing in SuperRack, please refer to Part 5: Rack Window.
Changing plugin order may result in a short audio drop. Wait for
a convenient time to rearrange the rack.
DETACHING A PANEL
Each detachable panel has a Float symbol at the top of its frame. Click this button to detach
the panel from its dock. It can now be positioned anywhere on the SuperRack interface. When
a panel has been detached from its original position, the Float symbol is blue.
Click anywhere else on the display and the floated panel will move backward and disappear. To keep a panel in the
foreground, click the Pin button. Click the Float symbol again to return the panel to its dock.
The Floating Panels drop-down menu on the right side of the Top Bar is a list of all detached
panels. Select a panel or window and it will move to the front.
The name of the current session is shown at the top of the list.
At the top of a floating plugin is a control bar. There are three control buttons:
Deselect the IN button to bypass the plugin.
Click the Pin button to keep the detached plugin visible when other plugins are detached. A pinned plugin
remains visible in all SuperRack views.
Close the window and the floating plugin panel will return to the plugin pane. You can also close a window by
clicking on the Detach symbol.
The original Window Selection Panel. All window tabs are available. In this
example we will separate the Rack window from the other windows to create
its own screen.
This creates a new screen containing only the torn-off window. Move this
separated window to another display.
The main display can access any window except the secondary view. Repeat
the procedure for additional displays.
The name of the panel will appear in the Floating Panels drop-down menu. Click on the window
name and it will move to the front. Close the torn off window to return it to the default location in
the Top Bar.
System Requirements
Specifications for host computers, cables and connections, servers, display resolutions, and controllers can be found
at Waves Support.
The Top Bar is visible from every SuperRack window. It includes the menus, information boxes, system feedback,
and navigation tools that you need all the time.
Rack Name
The Rack Name box displays the name of the selected rack. Left and right arrows move the selection to the previous or
next rack. You can move directly to a rack using the Racks menu on the right. To rename a rack, double-click on the
Name box and then type. If the rack is set to Recall Safe, the word “SAFE” appears.
Racks Menu
The Racks menu is used to load, save, import and export, and copy and paste the presets
for the selected rack. A Rack Preset is a complete description of a rack (i.e., I/O patching,
rack structure, and plugin settings).
A rack’s settings can be copied from one rack to another. Factory presets can be loaded,
modified, and then saved as new user presets. Presets can also be copied and exported
as files, which can then be imported to another SuperRack host. This enables moving
individual racks between sessions.
The Racks Menu is divided into five sections, indicated here with letters.
RENAME PRESET
Changes the name of the current rack preset.
PASTE PRESET
Pastes the copied rack preset from the clipboard to another rack. A dialog box lets you choose what rack information
will be replaced in the target rack and what will be left unchanged.
Note: Before you paste a rack preset to another rack, make certain that the plugins and their sequence is the same
on the source and target racks. Loading a preset to a rack that uses a plugin chainer order that’s different from that
of the current rack will apply the new preset to all scenes. This action cannot be undone.
Current Preset
Displays the rack preset if one is loaded. An asterisk (*) indicates that the preset has been modified since it was
loaded.
The Link Group Assignment box displays the name of the link group that the rack is
assigned to. A link group can include up to 64 racks, but a single rack can be a
member of only one link group. The Patch window provides an overview of all link
patches in the session and allows you to make many assignments simultaneously.
RACK WINDOW
The Rack window is a detailed view of the selected rack.
It’s used to control plugins, assign I/Os, set input and
output levels, and recall hot plugins and user-assigned
keys. When a plugin in the plugin rack is selected, its
complete interface is displayed in the middle of the
screen.
PATCH WINDOW
Snapshot Menu
The Snapshot menu is used to store and recall snapshots for all current parameters. The
name of the current snapshot and its index number are displayed in the box. If a scene
has been modified since it was recalled, its name is followed by an asterisk (*). A session
can hold up to 1024 snapshots.
Snapshots are discussed at length in the Snapshots section of the Show chapter.
Status Panel
PROVIDES CRITICAL SYSTEM FEEDBACK:
Sample Rate Shown in Green
Audio Gray indicates that audio throughput is valid
Red indicates that dropouts are occurring
Remote Green SuperRack is being controlled externally
Orange SuperRack is being controlled externally and console Touch and Turn is engaged
Red Something is wrong with the remote (e.g., disconnected)
METER INDICATION
GREEN BAR CPU load is less than 85%. It is likely that more plugins can be added.
YELLOW BAR CPU load is 85%–95%. To avoid potential overloads, you should try to
redistribute your processing load by moving or disabling certain plugins.
RED BAR The bar turns red when CPU exceeds 95%.
A high CPU warning indicates that SuperRack is requesting data at a rate that the host currently provide. Here are
two common CPU overload conditions and suggested solutions.
Utilities
CLOCK
The clock displays the current time on the host computer. When MIDI Control is used, this box can display MIDI
timecode.
FULL SCREEN MODE
Full Screen On: Fits the SuperRack window to 100% of the resolution set for the display (screen space), while
maintaining the aspect ratio. Click again or tap ESC to exit Full Screen mode.
Full Screen Off: Window behavior follows the Scaling selection in the Settings window.
ON-SCREEN KEYBOARD
Accesses the operating system’s touchscreen keyboard. Use this to enter text information on a touchscreen display
when a hardware keyboard is not available.
LOCK BUTTON
Click the Lock button to prevent unintended changes to the session during a show. The scope of Lock is established
in the Settings page.
Use the buttons on the left sidebar to move between Setup pages.
Once a device is selected, you can open its Control Panel to access
driver settings (left).
If the device can reset its Sample Rate from an external command
(i.e., SuperRack Native), the Control Panel Sample Rate indicator will
reflect that value. If the device cannot be reset externally, then it must
be set here.
CONTROLLERS
The Controllers slots at the bottom of the System Inventory page are used to assign up to five control devices.
These devices can be used to control SuperRack functions. Click on a controller slot to open the drop-down
menu and select a controller protocol. All installed controller drivers appear in the list, whether the device is present
or not.
Once a controller is selected and functioning properly, click on the Gear button to open its control panel.Using
SuperRack with controllers is discussed in detail at the end of this user guide.
SuperRack Configuration
Sets the number of racks in the session. Limiting the number of racks in a session to no more than needed makes
for a cleaner display.
Configuration is normally established when a session is created, but you can change the number of racks in an
existing session. However, if you reduce the number of racks in a session, the settings in racks that are no longer
part of the session will be discarded. Save a session under a revised name before you reduce its size.
GUI Scaling
SuperRack’s native display resolution is 1920x1080 (HD). The Scaling control sets how the SuperRack window
relates to displays.
Non-Scaled (default): SuperRack maintains its native size, regardless of the resolution of the display or
displays.
Scaled: Scales SuperRack’s interface to occupy 90% of the screen of each connected display. Aspect ratio is
maintained.
Startup Session
Determines the SuperRack Native startup condition.
Previous Session Loads the most recent session to the last user save.
Last State Loads the most recent session to its last state before quitting.
Empty Session Mixer opens with a blank session.
Lock
Determines what controls will not be altered when the Lock button in the top bar is engaged. Any combination of
these controls can be locked: routing, plugins, remote, and snapshots. In addition, the entire interface (GUI) can
be locked. All selections can be protected with a password.
Plugins
Rescans the plugins folder. This is useful, for example, if you download a demo plugin and you don’t want to
restart SuperRack. Use this as well when you configure a session offline.
Troubleshooting
Warn Before Deleting Snapshots
Presents a prompt before deleting any snapshot.
Show Patch Warnings
Displays a warning when attempting to change a patch.
Enable Logging
Creates a troubleshooting log that is placed on the desktop. This log is useful when communicating with
Waves technical support.
Logs
Opens the most recent log file.
The User Keys panel can be torn off and floated to any location on the display. Click
the arrow in the top left corner of the panel to tear it off and to reattach it. User-
assignable keys can also be recalled with keyboard Function Keys.
Refer to the Floating Panels section for details about undocking panels.
User Keys are assigned in the User Key Assignments panel on the right side
of the Settings page. Select one of the 16 buttons, open the drop-down
menu, and choose a function or command.
Use the buttons at the bottom of the panel to import and export user-assignable keys. Clear All removes all User Key
assignments.
Link Groups
Use the Latency Groups framework in the Patch window to assign racks to latency groups, define the group’s
behavior, and assign delay values per rack. You can also assign a rack to a latency group in the Top Bar.
RACK NUMBER
RACK NAME
LATENCY GROUP ON/OFF
Turning off a latency group
suspends it from latency
compensation calculations.
LATENCY GROUP NAME
Double-click to rename the group
ASSIGNMENT MODE
Auto: Group latency group is
calculated automatically. It varies
depending on the latency of plugins
in the group.
Manual: In this mode, you can
assign a latency value to the
latency group.
Latency Groups
A latency group is a collection of racks whose delays are controlled together, whether for latency compensation or
group delay. Assign racks to latency groups using the Latency Groups drop-down menu in the Top Bar or the Patch
Window, Latency Group page.
Plugins and racks can be aligned to one common latency or assigned to latency groups. This is selected in the
Settings page.
Align all Racks Automatically Latency compensation is calculated across the entire session;
all racks are time-aligned together. Latency for the entire session is calculated based on the
rack with the greatest latency.
Align by Latency Groups Several racks can be combined to form up to 16 latency groups. All
of the racks in a latency group are time aligned with each other, so that when their signals
return to the sound card or interface, they are all in sync. There are, in addition, two modes within the Align by
Latency Groups setting. Latency groups can be delayed so that racks to specific I/Os and their delays controlled.
Align by Latency Groups offers two modes for managing each latency group. Choose between these modes in the
Patch window (Patch>Latency Groups).
Auto mode calculates latency compensation dynamically. Rack latency
adjusts to match the delay of the plugin in the group with the highest latency.
Manual mode lets you set a specific delay for the group. Latency will never
go above or below the specified value. You cannot insert a plugin if it will
result in this latency value being exceeded.
This latency group consists to three racks. Rack #1 has a latency of 100 samples. This is the rack that we aligned in
the previous example. Rack #13 and Rack #27 have lower latencies.
Delay was added to Rack #1 and Rack #27 to align with rack #13, the rack with the greatest latency. The resulting
Latency Group delay is 132 samples.
Plugin and system latency values depend on the host computer CPU.
There’s a lot of overlap between the Rack window and the Overview windows, but they are used differently. The
Overview windows show a condensed view of an entire layer of racks so that you can quickly interpret and manage
several racks at once. The Rack window, on the other hand, presents you with everything you need to set up and
control one rack. Use it to set every detail of a rack
Input Section
Select input set A or B, assign
I/O channels, and adjust input
level. Rack input format is
established here.
Plugins Rack
Add up to eight plugins and
external inserts. Control latency
compensation and recall safe.
Plugin Pane
The complete plugin interface.
Output section
Control rack output routing to
I/Os; Control output gain.
Input I/O source: shows your assigned ASIO / Core Audio interface
The full-scale Input Meter displays post-input-trim gain. The number of meter bars reflects the format of
the input I/O device. The meter turns red when the input level is clipping. Adjust clip threshold in the
Settings page.
The Input Gain Knob controls the rack input level. The position of the input knob is shown in the value box.
Range: -18 dB to +18 dB.
The In button bypasses the rack’s plugin processing. The rack still passes audio. Green: rack on; Gray: rack off.
Adjustable peak and clip indicators. Peak and clip behavior set in the Settings menu. Click on the meter
to clear indicators manually.
Rack Output Control: Range: -18 dB to +18 dB
Mute: mutes the rack.
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52
ASSIGNING RACK OUTPUTS
Rack outputs are assigned in the same manner as rack inputs. A single rack output can patch to several device I/Os.
Use the Output A/B Select button to choose between the two input sets for each rack. Inputs A and B can patch
to different device channels, but they must have the same channel formats.
Open the Output Device drop-down menu.
Select an output format. Choosing an output format incompatible with the input will change the input to a format
compatible with the new output format setting.
Repeat this procedure for all I/O channels. Rack input and output do not need to be the same format, but they must
be compatible. Many plugins do not have components for all rack formats, so test plugin compatibility before
committing to a rack format.
I/O channels are patched into existing rack configurations, so you need to set the number of input
and output channels before you start the auto-route routine.
1. Select a SuperRack template that loads the desired framework, void of patches—just the rack
structure. If you don’t have a template that matches your needs, follow these steps to create an
auto-route template:
a. Create a session with the desired rack input/output configuration and number of tracks.
If your hardware I/O devices are not are not assigned in your SuperRack Inventory, use
offline devices to build a framework. Make sure that your plugins have components that
will support a rack’s configuration.
b. Once you’ve routed I/O channels to provide the framework you want, select “None” in
the input and output drop-down menus.
c. Save the session as a template.
d. Load the template.
2. Click Auto Route in the Rack menu to patch the session automatically.
If you want to create a blank session in which all racks are mono-in and mono-out, select “New” in the
Sessions page of the Show window.
The format of the Input I/O sets the input format of the rack, and hence the plugins that you can use. If, for
example, the format of the Input I/O is 5.1, then only the plugins that support this channel input format will be
displayed in the plugins list.
Note: Adding, removing, disabling, or moving a plugin changes the structure of the rack, which can result in a
brief audio mute. Do not make these changes when an audio interruption is unacceptable. Wait until there is
a pause in the performance. Bypassing a plugin or changing its parameters can be done at any time.
Open Plugin Menu Use the menu to access all plugin management items.
Displays plugin latency. Total rack latency is displayed above the
Plugin Latency Indicator
input meter.
Includes clipping indicator. Number of meters indicates the number
Plugin Output Meter
of rack output channels.
Indicates that the plugin is receiving a sidechain signal and its
Sidechain Enabled
sidechain is active.
Plugin Recall Safe The plugin is in a snapshot-safe mode.
Inserting a plugin that has a different number of inputs than outputs
Mono-to-Stereo Plugin changes the channel format on all subsequent plugins (see next
page).
Turns the plugin on or off. It does not remove it from the processing
Plugin In/Out
chain.
Hot Plugin is Assigned Indicates that the plugin has been assigned to a hot plugin position.
Plugin is removed from CPU. Plugin settings are restored when the
Disabled Plugin
plugin is reenabled.
Empty Plugin Slot Click on the down arrow to assign a plugin to the slot.
Stereo-to-5.1 plugin
The Plugin menu is accessed with the arrow at the top of a rack slot.
PLUGIN LIST
The Plugin List is a drop-down menu that lists all available plugins. Only plugins that have components compatible
with the current rack format are displayed. If, for example, the rack is 5.0 channels, you will not be given the choice
of loading a Q10 or WNS or similar plugins, since they do not have 5.0 components.
EXTERNAL INSERT
Add external inserts to a plugin rack.
Plugin List
Plugin Section
Presets Section
Latency Section
ENABLE/DISABLE PLUGIN
Removes the plugin from the processing chain without deleting it from the rack. Disabling a plugin removes its
latency from the rack. It also frees up processing power. You can re-enable the plugin without losing its settings,
controls, or automation assignments. When a plugin is disabled, its name will remain visible above the slot and its
icon will be replaced with DISABLED. You can also disable and enable a plugin by clicking its rack slot while holding
down the Ctrl key.
REMOVE PLUGIN
Deletes the plugin from the rack slot. All settings and control assignments are lost. You can also remove a plugin by
dragging it off the plugin pane.
COPY
Copies the plugin and its settings. This enables pasting the plugin and its current settings to another rack slot. There
are two paste options: Paste [plugin name] and Paste [plugin name] Preset.
ENABLE SIDECHAIN
Enables or disables the plugin’s sidechain key input when an active sidechain is patched to an appropriate plugin.
Sidechain sources are established at the top of the Plugin Pane. Plugins with an active sidechain have a drop-down
menu (S/C) that patches the sidechain source.
Latency Section
Select the physical send and return I/Os using the drop-down menus.
I/Os must be compatible with the rack configuration.
Use the Device cell to rename the insert, if needed. Use the Insert drop-
down menu to move between inserts. If no send is assigned, the insert
will be bypassed. It remains in the rack and its place in the processing
chain is unchanged.
The Latency knob is used to adjust the amount of delay added to the signal returning from the external device.
Unlike a plugin, an external insert does not declare its delay to the latency compensation engine, so this must be
done manually.
Recall Safe is indicated with a green Safe indicator beneath the plugin icon.
In this example, an API-560 EQ is in slot #3. Slide its icon to slot #1 and the
other plugins will ripple downward. This will alter the plugin’s place in the signal
flow and will likely alter its relationship with the other plugins in the rack.
Note: Repositioning a plugin requires the rack to re-clock, which may result in a click or dropout. Do not move
plugins at times when this is not acceptable. Bypassing a plugin or changing its parameters can be done at any time.
NOTE: Racks in the Overview Window are controlled in the same way as in the Racks view—only their layouts
are different. With that in mind, this chapter provides only what is required to patch audio through a rack,
control levels, and insert and access plugins. To learn more about controlling a rack and its plugins, refer to
Part 5: Rack Window of this user guide.
Layers
A SuperRack Native session can have up to 64 racks. These racks are organized into four layers of racks, each with
16 visible racks. This organization is typical of digital mixing consoles. There are three types of layers:
• Four 16-rack Factory layers. These provide complete control of each visible rack.
• A Wide View in which you can view and control all of the racks at once, up to 64 racks. This affords complete
oversight, but it offers less controls per rack.
Modes
A mode determines what sort of processing is currently being controlled on the racks: Plugin (Rack) processing or
Dugan Speech automixer processing. Mode selection affects only the center section. It does not affect Input or
Output settings, cue, mute, or meters. The Rack mode presents an eight-plugin chainer for each rack.
The Dugan Speech automixer is a processor used to control several microphones in situations where many people
are talking, possibly several at the same time. It’s described at the end of this chapter.
Racks
These are the chainers where plugins are inserted and controlled.
Use the Layers buttons to choose one of the four factory layers. A factory layer can have up to 16 racks.
The number of racks in a session, and therefore the number of layers, is configured in the Settings page.
Inactive layers or parts of layers are empty.
We suggest that you create a session whose size approximately matches the number racks you will be
using. Unnecessary layers don’t do you any good and can be distracting.
Active layer buttons have small output meters with peak indicators for each rack. Click on the
button to clear the indicator.
Custom Layers
To re-sequence rack order or combine racks from several layers in one view, create Custom layers. Each of the four
custom layer pages can house up to 16 racks. Racks from any factory layer can be combined in custom layers. This
lets you change the sequence of racks in a layer or combine racks from several layers into one custom view.
Double-click on a custom layer page to rename it.
• Click on an empty strip. Use the drop-down menu to assign a rack to the strip.
• Racks can be added in any order.
• Racks can be added from any layer.
• Click and drag on the channel name at the top of a strip to re-arrange the channel strip
sequence.
There are other options available in the Custom layer drop-down menu:
None Removes the selected rack from the custom layer page.
Clear Page Removes all racks from the current custom layer page.
Lock Strips Prevents rack strips in the current page from being repositioned.
Copy from Factory Layer Copies all of the racks of a factory layer and pastes them to the current page of the
custom layer.
Optimize Layer Layout Removes blank slots and moves all populated rack strips to the left.
Insert Empty Strip Inserts a blank strip to the left of the selected populated strip.
In the Racks mode, the plugin chainer racks are displayed. Each rack can host up to eight plugins.
In the Dugan mode, plugin chainers are replaced with the controls for the Dugan Speech
Automixer. This processor is used to control a group of live microphones in multi-speaker
environments. It turns up mics where someone is talking and turns them down where people are
quiet. It’s commonly used in situations such as roundtable discussions, talk shows, debates, and
the like, and is based on the hardware Dugan Automatic Microphone Mixer.
The Dugan Speech Automixer requires a separate license. When a license is not present, the Dugan button is
grayed out. For more information, refer to the section at the end of this user chapter, “Using the Dugan Speech
Automixer.”
Output Meter
Output Level
Mute On/Off
Each rack has two inputs: Input I/O Banks A and B. A rack’s inputs can patch to different device
channels, but they must have the same channel format. The I/O bank selector is immediately
above the input meter.
Once the I/O Bank is set, you are ready to route the input channels.
Route Inputs
Select the format of the rack you are building (e.g., mono, stereo, 5.1, 7.1). The Input Format selector
determines the devices, I/O channels, and formats that can be selected. It also determines which plugins you
can use, since a plugin must have a component that is compatible with the rack format.
Select the range of device channels. If there are not enough free I/O channels on this device, you’ll be
presented with a list of patches that must be removed in order to make the new assignments. You can accept
the new configuration (removing certain patches) or select Cancel, which allows you to reconsider your
patching with a different device.
Set the channel format (e.g., L-C-R-S, L-CL-C-CR-LS-RS-LFE, etc.). This sets how channels in the stream
are arranged. For example, as shown above, a 5.0 channel stream can be formatted as L-C-R-Ls-Rs or L-R-C-
Ls-Rs or L-R-Ls-Rs-C.
The selected I/O device and I/O channels are shown in the input cell.
Input meter
Each rack has a full-scale Input meter. The number of meter bars reflects the
format of the I/O device. The meter on the far left indicates a stereo input, and
therefore a stereo rack.
Meters turn red (middle image) when the input signal is clipping. Behavior for
clip level and clip hold are controlled in the Settings page. On the right is a
5.1-channel input.
Input gain is controlled with the knob below the meter. Alt+Click on the knob
to reset.
Click on a plugin button to access the plugin’s complete control interface in the Rack window
Inserting a Plugin
Inserted plugin
in a chainer slot
Plugins are managed through the Plugins drop-down menu in both the Rack window and the Overview window.
These menu items are explained in Part 5: Rack Window.
In the current section we cover only the essential Plugins menu items.
Bypass
Bypasses the plugin while keeping it in the processing chain. Bypassing a plugin does not alter its DSP load. A
bypassed plugin button appears white in the Plugin Chainer (to shortcut, hold Ctrl+ALT+click).
Disable Plugin
Removes the plugin from the processing chain without deleting it from the rack. Disabling plugins may reduce rack
latency and DSP load. You can re-enable a disabled plugin without losing its settings, controls, or automation
assignments. When a plugin is disabled, its name will remain visible, but the slot will be solid gray.
Remove Plugin
Deletes the plugin from the slot. All settings and control assignments are lost. You can also remove a plugin by
dragging it left or right, off the chainer rack.
Note: Holding the ALT key while selecting Insert, Remove, or Disable extends the action across an entire row.
This affects ALL layers, not just the visible one.
Latency
Indicates the delay introduced by the plugin or external insert. Displayed in samples and milliseconds.
Rack Latency
Indicates the total latency of all plugins and inserts in the rack.
Plugin disabled.
Note: Adding, removing, disabling, or moving a plugin changes the structure of the plugin chainer, which can
result in a brief interruption. Do not make these changes when a dropout is not acceptable.
Bypassing a plugin or changing its parameters can be done at any time.
Latency Indicator
The output section patches the rack to an output device. Rack output gain can also be controlled here.
Output routing
Use this drop-down menu to select the output I/O device and the rack output type.
Mute
Mutes the rack.
1. Click the Dugan Engine On button in the Global Control panel (left side).
2. Use the Dugan Speech Plugin button at the top of each panel to enable the automixer on all racks for which
Dugan Speech automixing is desired. Disable all non-live-talking racks where automixing will not be used.
Disabled racks are grayed out.
3. Click the Auto button to turn on the automixer for that rack. Effective automixing depends on correct input gains
for each rack. Adjust each rack’s input gain so that the level display is green.
4. Set the Weight controls to balance the rack’s automix gain and establish the priority of one speaker over others.
Weight levels can be changed by dragging the faders up or down.
5. Assign racks to Dugan groups. A group functions as a separate and independent automatic mixer. Each rack
can be assigned to one of three groups: a, b, or c.
For detailed instructions, please refer to the Waves Dugan Automixer User Guide on the Waves download page.
Dugan Speech requires a separate license. If a license is not found, the Dugan mode selector button will be grayed out.
Sessions Page
Create, save, and open
sessions. Import rack
presets from a session file.
Open History files.
Snapshots Page
Create, store, and recall
snapshots. Set snapshot
scope.
Recall Safe
Define recall safe
parameters for racks,
plugins, hot plugins, and
more.
Open Navigates to a session file that is not displayed in the Sessions list.
Load Loads the selected session displayed in the Sessions list.
Save Template Saves current session as a template. Templates are stored in the Templates folder.
Loads a factory or user-made template. Templates are used to create new sessions based on
Load Template previous sessions.
User Session This large notepad is used for notes about the session, the venue, or anything else you want to
Notes write.
Session File
Displays session file name, creation time, and size, as reported by the operating system.
Details
Saving a Session
Sessions can be saved at any user-defined location, but a centralized Sessions folder is provided for convenience.
Mac: /Users/Shared/Waves/SuperRack/Sessions
Windows: Users\Public\Waves\SuperRack/Sessions
SuperRack sessions use the “sprk” extension.
There are two recovery files in this folder: “CurrentSPRK.dat-journal” and “CurrentSPRK.dat.” Do not delete or move
them.
SAVING A SESSION AFTER MIXER CONFIGURATION HAS CHANGED
You can change the number of racks at any time. If the number of racks in the
session has been reduced since the last time it was saved, this prompt will appear
when you save.
Removing racks clearly results in a loss of channel information. A normal Save at this point would eliminate all
settings from the removed channels, since it overwrites the session file. To preserve that information, we suggest
you do a Save As with a different file name. If you forget to do this, you can always recall a previous History file.
The number of racks is established in the Settings page.
If the current session has changed since it was last saved, there will be a prompt asking if you’d like to save it before
loading the new session. If the new session has the same number of racks and calls for the same or similar I/O
inventory, then the new session will load immediately. When working on the same SuperRack repeatedly, this is
often the case.
The Session menu is located on the right side of the Top Bar. It’s a quick way to load and save
sessions and templates.
Example 1: The saved session has more racks than does the current SuperRack configuration.
In this case, the new session calls for 64 racks, while the system inventory has
only 32. The session will load the first 32 racks and drop the last 32. This
structure becomes permanent when the user performs a save on the "reduced"
session—it cannot be undone. Make a copy (“Save As”) before you save the
reduced session.
Example 2: The I/O inventory of the saved session does not match the current inventory.
Whenever the saved session’s I/O inventory is not the same as that of the
mixer, there is a chance that certain routes cannot be supported. If, for
example, the session calls for a 128-channel MADI device, while the current
driver is stereo, it will be difficult to provide the session with the I/O channels it
needs.
The Session Load routine provides two strategies when sessions and inventory are mismatched.
Option 1: Session – The new session searches for precisely the inventory that was used to create it. If it cannot find
this match, it uses its saved I/O configuration to route to the inventory. This maintains the input/output patching, but
certain routes may not be available because the drivers are not the same.
When a correct device is reassigned, the session will load completely. Routing to or from unavailable devices is not
possible in any widow.
Option 2: Current – The saved session loads into the existing I/O inventory, rather than imposing its structure onto it (as
with the “Session” option). This choice may result in a more efficient use of I/O channels, but routing may not match that
of the session.
A newly loaded template does not appear in the Sessions list. Once you open a template and save it as a session
under the desired name, it will show up in the Sessions list. Use the Template Save button to create a session
template from the current session. Templates are stored in the Templates folder:
Mac: Users/Shared/Waves Audio/SuperRack/templates
Windows: Users\Public\Waves\ SuperRack \templates
In its default setting, Auto-Save is not active. If you want to use this feature, switch it on manually.
History files are named based on session name, followed by date stamp and series number. Use the host computer
to copy, move, and delete files. History files can be saved to any location. Set the save location in the Setup >
Settings page. We recommend saving in the default History file folder:
Mac: Users/Shared/Waves Audio/SuperRack/history
Windows: Users\Public\Waves\SuperRack\history
New Creates a new snapshot, based on the current SuperRack condition and scope
settings. This makes a new snapshot from the current one and serves as a
“Save as” function.
Copy Copies the selected snapshot to the clipboard. This can then be inserted back
to the Snapshot list as a copy.
Recall Recalls the snapshot that’s selected in the Snapshot list. The name of the
recalled snapshot is displayed in the Snapshots section of the Top Bar.
Insert Pastes the copied snapshot to the list. It does not recall the snapshot.
Delete Deletes the selected snapshot (which is not necessarily the current one).
Snapshots List A list of all snapshots that have been created, imported, or saved with the
current session.
Scope Section Sets which racks, plugins, and other controls and functions will be affected
when a specific snapshot is recalled.
All/None Selects or deselects all Scope buttons.
Hot Snapshot Assignment Designates the snapshot as a Hot Snapshot, which can be recalled from the
Snapshots menu in the Top Bar or by means of User Keys.
Notes A large space for writing notes about the selected snapshot.
Tear Off Notes Button Click to disconnect the notes pad and float it anywhere on the screen.
Hot Snapshots are recalled from the Snapshots menu on the Top Bar.
If, for example, you assign snapshot number 5 the remote ID of 130, and in the MIDI Controller you assign CC
Number #7 to the 129-256 range, then this MIDI CC #7 with value 1 will recall snapshot 130 (value 0 will recall 129,
and so forth).
When you initially name a snapshot, you can assign an ID using the
External ID drop-down menu.
Functions
Racks
Hot Plugins The contents of the Hot Plugins Panel (HPP) can be changed per snapshot. If Hot Plugins is selected,
then when this snapshot loads, it will also read what plugins should be in the HPP and will load them
accordingly. If the button is off, then the snapshot won’t update the contents of the HPP.
Windows Recalls which windows were open and how they were located on the screen when the snapshot was
stored. This allows you to create a specific workspace for a snapshot.
Racks sets which racks are included in the scope of the snapshot. Scope parameters (e.g., Hot Plugins, Dugan, Mute)
apply only to highlighted racks, so a rack that is not highlighted will not change with a snapshot recall, regardless of the
Function settings. The number of racks in the Scope section reflects the current SuperRack configuration.
All/None Select: Resets the Scope selection to “all parameters/channels are within the scope of this snapshot” or “no
parameters/channels are within the scope of this snapshot.”
The Recall Safe status of the other plugins in the rack, as well as other plugins in
the same position of other racks, are not affected by this setting.
Assigning Controls
All Controllers are assigned in the Inventory page of the Setup Window
To add a controller:
Click on an empty controller slot.
Select a controller from the drop-down menu.
Click the controller’s “Gear” button to access its
control panel.
The MIDI Controller interface displays SuperRack functions that can be assigned to a MIDI controller.
Rack Controls Maps MIDI control messages to control the rack's input gain, output gain, in/out state, and
mute on/off.
File Import and Export control enable you to save the settings you’ve made in the MIDI controller
panel and export them to another panel.
User Keys Maps the 16 user-assignable keys that are defined in the Settings page.
Plugin Controls This panel maps plugin settings control for the selected plugin.
You can map 8 continuous controls and 8 discrete switches per page.
Next Page/Previous Page navigate between plugin control pages.
See below to learn more about controlling plugins with MIDI.
Snapshots Maps eight hot snapshots for direct recall via MIDI.
Next/Prev maps recalling the next or previous snapshot.
A SuperRack Session can have up to 64 racks, each containing up to eight plugins. Since every plugin has several
parameter controls, remote control of so many different variables could be a complex task and would require you to
re-map MIDI links each time the configuration changes. MIDI mapping is simplified in SuperRack by using a matrix
that sits between the plugin and the MIDI controller. This matrix assigns key parameter control knobs and buttons
to fixed matrix positions so that MIDI assignments always make sense, regardless of type of processor. For
example, when dynamics processors are being used, the matrix usually assigns the first position to Threshold, the
second to Ratio, the third to Attack, and so forth. With EQ processors, the first variable position is usually Input
Gain, followed by Band One Gain, Band One Frequency, etc. Plugin controls that are currently under MIDI control are
outlined in red, as shown below.
The relationship between hardware and software needs to be set only once. The specific parameter control will
change with each type of plugin, but the logic will remain consistent within categories (e.g. EQs, Dynamics) of
Waves plugins.
Reset All Alt+click on a control Returns most controls to default value. This is also true with
most plugin controls.
Insert to all racks Overview Alt + right click/insert a plugin The selected plugin is inserted in the same rack insert position
on all channels in the layer.
Bypass on all Overview Alt + right click/bypass a plugin Bypasses all plugins in the same rack insert position on all
racks channels in the layer. This affects the chosen rack position,
regardless of the plugin type.
Disable on all racks Overview Alt + right click/disable a plugin Disables all plugins in the same rack insert position on all
channels in the layer. This affects the chosen rack position,
regardless of the plugin type.
Remove from all Overview Alt+ right click/remove a plugin Removes all plugins in the same rack insert position on all
racks channels in the layer. This affects the chosen rack position,
regardless of the plugin type.
Move plugin to Overview Drag plugin from one rack to another Moves the plugin and its presets to another rack.
another rack
Copy plugin to Overview Alt+drag plugin from one rack to Copies the plugin and its presets to another rack.
another rack another
Remove plugin Rack / Swipe plugin icon off of the screen Removes a plugin from the rack.
Overview