Waves Sub Align

What Waves Sub Align Is For

Waves Sub Align is a plug-in designed for FOH engineers, sound technicians, and self-sufficient musicians who perform on compact sound systems with separate subs and tops. In many clubs and small venues, speakers are placed "where they fit" rather than where acoustic coherence is optimal. The result: the overlap zone between subs and tops becomes unstable, the low end loses impact, and both the kick and bass turn into muddy, hollow, or indistinct bass.

Inserted on the master bus, Sub Align allows you to realign the temporal relationship between subs and tops without altering the venue's system settings. With a few adjustments, you regain a firmer foundation, a sharper attack, and a more coherent image, which immediately translates into an easier mix balance and a more consistent sound in the listening area.

Main Features

Sub/top alignment when you don't control the sound system chain

Sub Align targets a real-world scenario: subs are "chained" with tops, the sound processor is locked or inaccessible, and you still need to correct the low end. The plug-in helps solve these issues by virtually adjusting the sub's advance or delay to improve phase integrity at the crossover point.

Why alignment makes all the difference

Ideally, a top is positioned above the sub to reduce delays. But as soon as the sub is offset (to the side of the stage, in an arc, cluster, or simply distant), arrival times differ and phase degrades. Sub Align compensates for this delay: the bass becomes cleaner again, the sense of power increases without boosting the level, and both fundamentals and low harmonics are better defined in the mix.

Crossover control to "work with the PA"

The crossover setting lets you adapt Sub Align to the system's internal crossover frequency. In practice, this helps target the relevant crossover zone so alignment happens where subs and tops actually share the workload. You get a more natural transition and less muddiness in the low-mids, particularly useful on male vocals, snare drums, and guitars when the bass overlaps.

Simple interface designed for live use

The interface is intentionally straightforward and usable in concert situations. You can work in mono or stereo, link stereo channels for global adjustment, or set them independently depending on the configuration. Solo options allow you to listen to subs or tops separately, and gain and phase controls help fine-tune the crossover without compromising the overall balance.

Technical specifications

Type

Full software

Downloadable

Yes

OS	OS X / macOS Catalina 10.15	Plug-in formats	VST-3, AU, AAX
Memory	8 GB	Virtual sub shifting with selectable units	milliseconds, feet, or meters
Processor	Intel or Silicon architecture