Waves UM225 / UM226

What Waves UM225 / UM226 Is For

Waves UM225 / UM226 is a duo of upmix plugins designed to convert a stereo source into a 5.0 or 5.1 surround mix simply, quickly, and credibly. It targets sound editors, post-production mixers, and music producers who need to deliver multichannel from legacy content (stereo catalogs, archives, music masters, TV programs, films, web videos) while maintaining a solid center, a coherent front image, and realistic surrounds.

Beyond conversion, UM225/UM226 also helps with reshaping a stereo mix: controlled widening, bass management, impact enhancement, and better energy distribution for a more immersive result without falling into artificial surround.

Main Features

Two Components: 5.0 and 5.1 According to Your Needs

The pack includes UM225 to generate a 5.0 field (without LFE channel) and UM226 for a full 5.1 output. You choose the plugin based on your broadcast specifications (broadcast, cinema, streaming, installations) or mixing philosophy (5.0 to keep low end in main channels, 5.1 to use a dedicated LFE).

8 Upmix Modes for Musical Content Distribution

The 8 modes distribute the signal appropriately between L/R and L/R surround to better respect the nature of the program. The goal is to achieve an enveloping scene that maintains clarity (especially on vocals and central elements), while giving breadth to ambiances and lateral information.

Ambiance and Scene Depth Control

Ambience controls allow you to create a surround scene that is more compact or more wide depending on the style (live music, score, film ambiances, sound design). You can refine the sense of space without diluting the mix, keeping a stable front image while establishing credible surrounds.

Transient and Center Management: Impact and Intelligibility

The Punch section helps optimally distribute transients between L/R and the Center. This is particularly useful in post-production and music when you want to preserve attack (drums, percussion, impacts, accents) and achieve a solid center without crushing width or making the mix aggressive.

Low-End Tools: LFE and LoAir (UM226)

UM226 includes a 4th order low-pass filter dedicated to the LFE channel to cleanly control what feeds the subwoofer. It also includes LoAir, which adds a harmonic one octave below to create a "rumble" low end useful in FX, trailers, impacts, and sound design, while remaining controllable within a 5.1 mix context.

Visualization and Per-Channel Level Adjustments

The plugin intuitively displays the energy distribution in the surround field, facilitating balance and placement decisions. Separate output trims allow adjusting levels of L/R, Center, L/R Surround, and on UM226, LFE, to fit mixing standards and broadcast expectations.

Global Control: Stereo vs. Surround Balance

A global upmix control allows you to balance the original stereo perception and the generated surround openness. Useful for staying discreet on sensitive content (dialogues, archives) or, conversely, pushing immersion on music and ambiances.

Technical specifications