Waves Ultimate 16

Waves Ultimate 16: The Full Catalogue at V16

Waves Ultimate 16 is the complete Waves plugin collection running at V16, released in June 2025. Over 240 plugins span mixing, mastering, vocal production, restoration and sound design, and V16 is the version that concentrated on the daily mechanics — gain staging on the classic compressors, sample browsing inside the DAW, and windows you can finally drag to any size.

What’s Inside Waves Ultimate 16

• 240+ plugins: the full catalogue, Abbey Road and SSL collections included.
• Auto Makeup Gain: on CLA-2A, CLA-3A, CLA-76, Abbey Road RS124 and V-Comp.
• COSMOS Sample Finder in the DAW: browse and audition samples in sync with session key and tempo.
• Freeform GUI resizing: corner-drag any plug-in window to the size you want, across the whole lineup.
• Refreshed interfaces: V-COMP, V-EQ3, V-EQ4, IR-Live Convolution Reverb and MaxxBass.
• Wider OS coverage: supports macOS Ventura 13 as well as the newer releases.

What’s Included in Waves Ultimate 16

The collection spans more than a dozen processing families. These are the headline names in each:

Equalisers

• F6 Floating-Band Dynamic EQ, Renaissance EQ, Q10, Curves AQ, Curves Resolve, Scheps 73, PuigTec EQs, eMo Q4

Compressors and dynamics

• CLA-76, CLA-2A, CLA-3A, SSL G-Master Buss Compressor, API 2500, PuigChild, C6 Multiband Compressor, Renaissance Compressor, IDX Intelligent Dynamics, Smack Attack, V-Comp

Reverb and delay

• H-Reverb Hybrid Reverb, Renaissance Reverb, Abbey Road Reverb Plates, IR-Live Convolution Reverb, H-Delay Hybrid Delay, SuperTap, Doubler

Vocal tools

• Waves Tune Real-Time, Waves Tune, Renaissance Vox, Vocal Rider, CLA Vocals, Waves Harmony, Silk Vocal, Vocal Bender, DeEsser, Sibilance, Key Detector

Mastering and limiting

• L2 Ultramaximizer, L4 Ultramaximizer, MV2, Grand Masters Collection, WLM Plus Loudness Meter, VU Meter

Noise reduction and restoration

• Clarity Vx, Clarity Vx Pro, plus the Restoration bundle for clicks, surface noise, hum and broadband hiss

Console and analogue collections

• SSL 4000 Collection including the SSL EV2 Channel, API Collection, Abbey Road Collection, V-Series with V-EQ3 and V-EQ4, MaxxBass, Enigma, MondoMod

Signature Series chains

• CLA, Manny Marroquin, Jack Joseph Puig, Tony Maserati, Eddie Kramer, Greg Wells and Dave Audé signature plugins

Instruments and creative tools

• OVox Vocal ReSynthesis, CR8 Creative Sampler, the Inspire Virtual Instruments Collection, Pianos & Keys, Sound Design Suite, InTrigger Drum Replacer, COSMOS Sample Finder

Immersive and monitoring

• Nx Virtual Studio Collection, 360° Surround Tools, DTS Neural Surround Collection

Chain hosting

• StudioVerse Audio Effects and StudioVerse Instruments for building, saving and browsing whole processing chains

Who Is It For?

Engineers and producers who want the whole Waves toolset and are standardised on V16 — or anyone on macOS Ventura, which V17 no longer lists. It suits studios that lock a plug-in version for the life of a project and live rigs where a known-good build matters more than the newest feature.

Formats and System Requirements

VST3, AU and AAX in 64-bit DAWs, on Windows and macOS. V16 supports macOS Ventura 13 through Tahoe 26, or Windows 10 64-bit version 22H2 and Windows 11. Waves lists 16 GB RAM and 30 GB free disk space, 1920×1080 screen recommended.

How Producers Use Waves Ultimate 16

Mix engineers lean on Auto Makeup Gain to push CLA-76 hard without the level jumping, which makes A/B comparisons honest. Beatmakers keep COSMOS open as a plug-in and pull key-matched one-shots straight into the session. Vocal producers run Renaissance Vox into Vocal Rider for a fast, dependable lead sound. Live engineers value V16 as a frozen, known-good build. It belongs with the studio-wide collections in our plugin bundles.

Why Buy From VST Vault?

• Instant digital delivery: your download is ready the moment payment clears.
• Mac and Windows in one purchase: both installers included, no platform surcharge.
• Priced in pounds: the price you see is the price you pay.
• Real support: a reply within six hours on WhatsApp or email, around the clock.

Questions Producers Ask

What did V16 add over V15?

Auto Makeup Gain arrived on five compressors — CLA-2A, CLA-3A, CLA-76, Abbey Road RS124 and V-Comp — so levels hold steady as you drive them. COSMOS Sample Finder became a plug-in you run inside the DAW, auditioning samples in sync with session key and tempo. Freeform corner-drag resizing landed across the whole lineup, and V-COMP, V-EQ3, V-EQ4, IR-Live and MaxxBass got refreshed interfaces.

Should I buy Waves Ultimate 16 or 17?

Ultimate 17 is the current version and our default recommendation. Pick 16 when you need to match a studio, a live rig or a long-running project already standardised on V16 — everything described on this page is complete and finished in this version.

Does Waves Ultimate 16 run on the newest macOS?

V16 covers macOS Ventura 13 through Tahoe 26, so it reaches one version further back than V17 does. On Windows it wants Windows 10 64-bit version 22H2 or Windows 11.

Step up to the current Waves Ultimate 17 for Mix Unlock and the new preset system, or browse every collection in our bundles range.