Waves NETSHELL-APA44M

Engineers, producers, and musicians who use Waves demand the most powerful and advanced audio tools available. They also have a habit of pushing any system to its edge—because they refuse to let technology limit their vision. At Waves, we have the same philosophy. So instead of waiting for today’s processors to catch up with the tools we build, we’ve created the APA44M Audio Processing Accelerator: An outboard unit with the power to do the heavy lifting your mixes demand.

The Muscle You Need—Using a Standard Ethernet Connection
The APA is a hardware solution that lets you easily run multiples of Waves' most CPU-intensive plug-ins. For example, the APA32 lets you run 6 IR-1 Reverbs, or 9 Linear Phase Equalizer, or 12 C4 Multiband Parametric Processors at 44.1kHz. The APA44-M is even more powerful, giving you up to 30% more plug-in power than the APA32. What's more, the APA units don't require a PCI card or a Firewire or USB connection. You simply connect them to a standard Ethernet port, install the new NetShell software, and cut loose.

Expand and Share Waves Power
What if you need even more power? Easy: add another APA. You can connect up to 8 APA units to a single host computer using a standard Ethernet switch. Mix and match the APA32 and APA44-M units if you like. Because APA units use standard Ethernet hardware, you can expand your Waves power easily, without the need for proprietary gear.

If you have more than one workstation, you can also distribute your Waves power among them. With each machine authorized and using NetShell, all you need is a V-LAN switching system to assign any combination of APA units to whoever needs the most power—up to 8 APA units per workstation. For example, with 16 APA units and 4 workstations, you could allot 4 APAs to each computer. But if the next job requires two machines each running 8 APAs, you can make the change in minutes without even unplugging a single cable.

For Mac or PC, Native or TDM
On the Mac, NetShell currently supports Pro Tools, Cubase, Nuendo, Logic Pro and Digital Performer. On the PC, NetShell supports Pro Tools, Cubase, and Nuendo. Look for more platform support in the near future. Whether you use a Native or TDM system, the included NetShell software handles shipping audio from your host computer to the APA unit(s) and back. The insert drop-down menu in your DAW will give you the choice to open a plug-in on an APA or on your regular system.

Portable Waves Power
You can easily transport an APA unit to another computer. Just plug in your authorized iLok, connect the APA to the computer's Ethernet port, install the NetShell software, and you're ready to use any set of authorized Waves plug-ins on that computer. For ultimate portability, the APA44-M offers more power in a smaller size and is engineered to be nearly silent for critical recording in the field.

Ready for the Future
An APA unit will add awesome capability to your system today. And beyond that, it will give you the power you need to run the next generation of Waves audio tools. Because when you need Waves power, nothing else will do.

System Requirements, Mac

• G4 1Ghz
• 512MB RAM
• OS-X 10.3.8 and 10.4
• Minimal Screen resolution 800x600

System Requirements, PC

• P4 2Ghz or AMD equivalent
• 512MB RAM
• Windows XP SP1
• Minimal Screen resolution 800x600

Supported Hosts and Versions, Mac

• ProTools 6.7 and 6.9
• Cubase SX 3.0.2
• Nuendo 3.0.2
• Logic Pro 7.1
• Digital Performer 4.52 and 4.6

Supported Hosts and Versions, PC

• ProTools 6.9
• Cubase SX 3.0.1
• Nuendo 3.0.1

Performance

• The APAs achieved the following results at 44.1kHz 24-bit STEREO with a hardware buffer size of 1024 samples and a Netshell latency of 2048 samples.

Connection Requirements

• For direct connection from 1 computer to 1 APA44-M unit: Dedicated 1000 Mbps Ethernet port
• For direct connection from 1 computer to multiple APA units: Dedicated 1000 Mbps Ethernet port, Ethernet switch
• For direct connection from multiple computers to multiple APA units: Dedicated 1000 Mbps Ethernet port, managed Ethernet switch supporting V-LAN