You know the feeling: you're three minutes into an idea, you reach for a plugin preset, and suddenly you're scrolling through an endless, disorganised list trying to remember which setting you liked. The creative spark cools while you hunt. For a catalogue as deep as this one, preset management isn't a nice-to-have — it's the difference between staying in flow and getting derailed.

Waves has just released V17, a major update across its entire plugin catalogue that tackles exactly that, alongside a stack of live and studio workflow upgrades and a genuinely clever new feature called Mix Unlock. If Waves plugins are part of your daily setup, this is one worth paying attention to.

Let's dive into what makes this a game-changer.

A Preset System Built for Flow

At the centre of V17 is a brand-new preset management system rolled out across the whole Waves catalogue. It's been redesigned around the way you actually work: better browsing, improved search, the ability to manage favourite presets, and streamlined organisational tools so you can find the sound you want without breaking your concentration. Whether you're producing, mixing, mastering, or working in broadcast and live sound, the goal is the same — less time digging, more time creating.

Mix Unlock: Re-mix Finished Audio in Real Time

The headline new feature is Mix Unlock, a premium addition within StudioVerse Audio Effects. It lets you separate finished stereo audio into vocals, drums, bass and instruments — in real time, directly inside your DAW. Once those elements are split out, you can independently adjust, process and creatively transform each one using StudioVerse preset chains and Waves plugins.

In practice, that means you can re-balance or rework a finished track without ever needing the original multitrack session. Pull a vocal up, tame a boomy bass, add character to the drums — all from a stereo file. For remixing, post-production fixes and content creation, that's a serious new tool.

Mix Unlock is included in Waves Creative Access subscriptions and is also available to buy separately. Better still, for a limited time it's being offered free to owners of any Waves V17 plugin — so it's well worth claiming while that window is open.

Sharper Live and Studio Workflows

V17 isn't only about the big new feature. Live sound engineers get real-time analysers from the Renaissance EQ and eMo Q4 plugins running inside the eMotion LV1 and SuperRack platforms, extended dynamic control plus a new 5Hz Frequency Shift option in Waves PSE (Primary Source Expander) for more gain before feedback, and new touchscreen pinch control in F6 and Q10.

Studio users haven't been left out either, with a redesigned interface for the MondoMod modulation plugin, new I/O automation controls in CLA MixDown, and AudioSuite support for the WLM Plus Loudness Meter for faster offline loudness analysis and rendering — handy if you deliver for broadcast or streaming.

The Details That Matter

• Catalogue-wide preset overhaul: new browsing, search, favourites and organisation tools across every Waves plugin.
• Mix Unlock (StudioVerse): real-time separation of finished stereo into vocals, drums, bass and instruments, with independent processing via StudioVerse chains and Waves plugins.
• Live upgrades: Renaissance EQ and eMo Q4 real-time analysers in eMotion LV1 and SuperRack; new 5Hz Frequency Shift in PSE; touchscreen pinch control in F6 and Q10.
• Studio upgrades: new MondoMod interface, CLA MixDown I/O automation, and AudioSuite support for the WLM Plus Loudness Meter.
• Under the hood: numerous stability improvements, workflow refinements and bug fixes across plugins, apps and supported DAWs.
• Pricing note: V17 is the new version of the Waves plugin range; Mix Unlock is included with Creative Access, sold separately, and free for a limited time for any V17 plugin owner.

You can grab V17 through Waves Central — and a quick tip from early adopters: update StudioVerse separately via its own tab in Waves Central so you don't trigger an extra plugin re-scan.

If you already lean on Waves for mixing, mastering or live work, V17 is an easy update to recommend — the new preset system alone will save you time every session, and Mix Unlock genuinely expands what you can do with a finished track. Explore the range and shop Waves at Koala Audio to keep your studio up to date.

What do you think — is Mix Unlock the V17 feature that'll change your workflow? Let us know in the comments below!