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Waves Q10 Paragraphic Equalizer

User Guide

Chapter 1 About the Q10 ....................................................................................... 3

Whats new? .......................................................................................................................................... 4
Q10 components ................................................................................................................................... 4
Chapter 2 Using Q10 .............................................................................................. 6
Using the Parametric Controls .............................................................................................................. 7
Using the Graphic Controls ................................................................................................................. 14
Trim ..................................................................................................................................................... 15
Setup library ........................................................................................................................................ 16
Chapter 3 Controls and Displays .......................................................................... 18
Parametric Controls ............................................................................................................................ 18
Graphic Controls ................................................................................................................................. 21
Meters and Faders .............................................................................................................................. 24
Link ...................................................................................................................................................... 25

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Welcome
Thank you for choosing Waves! In order to get the most out of your Waves plugin, please take some time to read through
this user guide. We also suggest that you become familiar with www.waves.com/support. There you will find an extensive
answer base, the latest tech specs, detailed installation guides, new software updates, and current information on licensing
and registration.
Sign up at the support site and you will receive personalized information about your registered products, reminders when
updates are available, and information on your authorization status.

Chapter 1 About the Q10

The Q10 is a multiband paragraphic equalizer that provides up to ten bands of flexible equalization. It is configurable as
either two independent mono equalizers or as a precisely ganged stereo equalizer. For years, the Q10 has been the go-to
tool for surgical repairs of problematic sounds in the studio and in the field. It is also valuable as a gentle coloring tool. Each
band offers six different filter types and complete control of gain, frequency, and Q. Unlike most multiband equalizers, each
Q10 band can use any filter type, so there is immense flexibility when shaping a signal. Q10 offers extremely large Q values
and large boosts and cuts, so you can fix and focus sounds that a conventional EQ could not touch. It lets you create
special effects and spectral modifications that range from subtle to extreme.
Waves introduced the Q10 in 1993 and was the first paragraphic equalizer plugin on the market. It quickly set the standard
for multiband EQs and became an industry staple. It has become an essential tool for cleaning and shaping sound. Over
the years, there have been a few under-the-hood updates to the Q10, but the look and flow were left largely unchanged. To
celebrate the 25th anniversary of this tried-and-true workhorse, weve made some improvements, added a few features,
and created a new, modern look.

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Whats new?
If youre used to the Q10, the 25th Anniversary edition wont present any surprises. Its new functions are intended to provide
easier control and better performance. Here are the new features:
Q10 proportional Q filters When the Proportional filter type is selected, the Q value is proportional to gain
adjustment. As a bands gain increases, the Q value increases and the filter narrows.
Smoothing Ensures that sound remains glitch free when controls are moved
Double precision processing Lets you choose between 32-bit floating point processing and double-precision 64-bit
processing.
Selectable band control Choose between viewing all parametric band controls in one view or focusing on a
selected band. Both views show the complete graphic display.
A new interface Weve given this tried-and-true warrior a cleaner, easy-to-use interface

Q10 components
Q10 has a mono component and a stereo component. Controls are identical for each. With either component, you can
choose between one, two, three, four, six, eight, or ten bands.
The 25th anniversary edition Q10 offers two interface looks. The default view is a modern interface that resembles other
current Waves plugins. You may, however, choose to use the tried-and-true classic Q10 interface. Toggle between the two
using the Modern/Legacy button on the WaveSystem Toolbar.
Controls and functionality are very similar in the Modern and Legacy interfaces, and you can switch between one and the
other without affecting EQ performance.

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Q10 Interfaces

Q10 Stereo Component, Legacy Interface

Q10 Stereo Component, Modern Interface

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Chapter 2 Using Q10

The Q10 interface consists of three sections: a graphic display for viewing and controlling the bands, a parametric EQ
section, and input and output sections. Parameters can be entered directly into parametric value boxes and by moving
graphic band markers on the graphic display. Changes made on one section are reflected in the other.
In this example, Band 5 is shown in
Freq the Focus view. All other bands are
hidden.

Gain
Freq
Use the value boxes to enter specific
values. This is useful when, for
example, creating a harmonic filter
that has very predictable frequency
Q values.
Drag across the graph to locate
sounds on the fly. When creating a
deep cut, it is often useful to use a
very high Q and a large boost to find
the problematic sound and then turn
the boost into a very deep cut.

There are several ways to use the Q10. One is to refer to the exhaustive collection of Q10 presets, find one that closely
matches what you need, and then adjust parameters needed. Presets are loaded, saved, and managed from the
WaveSystem Toolbar, which is above the interface. If you know the EQ values you want to load, you can enter or copy the
values to the value boxes. And surely the most common way to establish values is head straight for the band markers on
the graph and experiment.

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Using the Parametric Controls

The Parametric Control section is a table with value windows for Frequency, Gain, and Q. A value is shown for each of the
equalizer bands, along with the band's filter type and In/Out button. In the Modern interface, there are two Parametric
Control views.
Choosing a View
Toggle between the Full and Focused views using the
Collapse/Expand buttons on the right side.
In Full View the band control for all of the bands are
visible. A Q10 will display ten rows of controls, a Q6 will
display six, and so forth. This is akin to the classic Q10
band control view.
In Focused View the band controls of only selected band
are shown. This allows for a larger graphic display section
Full View Focused View
and an uncluttered view.

Parametric ControlsFull View

Parametric ControlsFocused View

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Input

Input signal is controlled from the Input Fader on the left side. The input signal should not be excessively loud since, under
certain circumstances, internal clipping can occur. With high-level files (already normalized or with high peaks), several
situations can occur that can cause peaks that did not exist in the unequalized signal. This is true even for filters that have
no gain (e.g. a high-pass filter) or for filters with a cut. To show this kind of clipping, meters would be needed between each
band of the equalizer. Therefore, if you are using a sound file with very high levels, reduce the Input faders from -3 dB to -6
dB to allow for internal peaks.
Control the Input level in the DAW or other source, or with the Q10 Input control. In the Full view, this control is presented
as a fader or a pair of faders. In the Focused view, the input level is controlled with knobs. Control values are the same in
Modern and Legacy views.
Input controls are separate for left and right. To move L/R together, click and draw a box around the two faders or knobs.
The controls will move together until you click elsewhere.

Band Control Row

The parametric controls enable you to adjust processing parameters without touching the graph, so its useful for precise,
delicate control. Double-click on a band selector to turn the band on or off. Only one band is selected at a time.

Band On/Off
Each band has an on/off button. Next to it is the band number icon. Turing off a band dims the corresponding band marker
in the graph and disables whatever influence the band has on the overall graph. Expect the graph to change when a band
is turned on or off. In the Focus view, click on the number button to cycle through all of the bands and correspondingly
change the focus.

When making crucial adjustments it is very useful to listen to the EQ output with individual bands on or off. This provides a
very different comparison than bypassing the entire plugin (something you should also do frequently to understand how you
are influencing the signal).

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Gain
Band Gain can be adjusted in increments of 0.1 dB, between -18.0 dB and +18.0 dB. Click and drag vertically on the knob
or value box to change Gain value. You can also select the value box and type in a number or use the up/down arrows on
the keyboard. Gain controls are up/down.

Freq
The Frequency control (Freq) value box displays the center frequency for each band when a bell or bandpass filter type is
selected. When in low/high pass or low/high shelf modes, the frequency parameter sets the corner frequency of the filter.
Traditionally, the corner frequency of a filter is defined by its -3 dB point.
The Frequency control values are adjustable in one sixteenth tone steps (96 steps per octave), rounded to the closest
integer. The left/right arrow keys may be used to step the selected Frequency value in one sixteenth tone increments.
Frequency is controlled in the same manner as Gain control, but all adjustments are left/right.

Q Control
Q refers to the width of the filter. The higher the Q setting, the narrower the band of frequencies that are affected. For
typical EQ applications, Q values between 0.5 and 6 are common. But for specialist applications such as notching out
specific frequencies (e.g. hum), much higher values of Q (up to 100) may be used. You may choose to use a high Q setting
to locate a specific sound and then widen the filter to achieve a smoother effect.

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Filter Type
The Filter Type radio buttons select the type or mode of filter used for each band. The selected type is indicated by an icon
representing the filter curve.
To select between filter types in the Legacy view, click repeatedly on the Type icon. This will step through the filters in the
following order: parametric (bell), low shelf, high shelf, low pass, and high pass. You can also CMD+click (Mac) or Ctrl+
click (Windows) on the filter type button to reveal a popup menu of filter types for direct selection.
The default Type is the bell (or band pass) filter, which is used to provide parametric equalization or to construct notch
filters.

Band Pass

Low Shelf

High Shelf

Low Pass

High Pass

Proportional

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Band Pass (Bell) Filters

Bell filters boost or cut a certain frequency range. The indicated frequency is the peak of the bell filter, so this is the
frequency that will get the most boost or cut from the filter. Bell filters can be wider or narrower according to the defined Q
value.

Q is a way to define the frequency width of the boosting

or cutting bell filter. It may be represented by the
mathematical relationship: Fc/Fw (center frequency
divided by frequency width at -3 dB point), both
measured in Hertz.

Low Q values yield the widest bells, which are good for enhancing a complete range, similar to Hi Fi tone controls. High Q
values offer the narrowest filters, which are useful for eliminating a specific problematic resonance.

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Shelf Filters

Like the Pass/Cut filter, the Shelf filter can boost or cut
above or below a specified frequency. Rather than rolling
off to infinity, the shelf will roll off or up to the designated
gain indicated in the shelf.

The Shelf filters cutoff frequency is located in the middle

of the slope. So if the specified frequency is 3000 Hz and
the gain is set to +6 dB, then the gain at 1000 Hz will be
at about +3 dB, as demonstrated here.
The Q control does not affect Shelf filter types.

Cut/Pass Filters

To attenuate unwanted low-frequency audio, such as

rumbles, use the high-pass filter. To attenuate unwanted
high-frequency disturbances, such as hissing or
screeching, use the low-pass filter.

The Pass/Cut filter type has a roll-off response of -12 dB

per octave. The cutoff frequency represents the point
where the roll-off is -3 dB.

The Q control does not affect Pass/Cut filter types.

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Proportional Q Filters
If the Proportional filter type is selected, the Q value is proportional to gain adjustment. As a bands gain increases, the Q
value increases and the filter narrows.

Proportional Q filters provide a convenient tool for tuning the

center frequency of a bell filter. Dial in a high gain and the
filter narrows considerably. Locate the correct frequency,
then lower the gain, and the filter widens. There are many
other applications. Compare the Band-pass filter and the
Proportional Q filter to understand how they differ.

Gain +6 dB, Freq 635 Hz Gain +18 dB, Freq 635 Hz

Q8 Q8

Arrow Keys
You can use the keyboard arrows to adjust parameters in a selected value box. Click on a value box or band marker to
select it. Left/Right arrows control Frequency or Q, and up/down arrows control Gain. Pressing an arrow key once will
change the selected value(s) by the smallest available increment. Press and hold for continuous change.

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Using the Graphic Controls

Adjusting values directly on the Graphical Display is the most intuitive way to use the Q10, since you get immediate
feedback. Each band is represented by a band marker with its own number and color. Move the cursor up and down to
adjust Gain. Move left and right to adjust Frequency and Q.

Graphic control modifiers

Key/Movement Combination Action

Click on a band marker Selects the band

Double-click on a band maker Turns band on or off

Command + click on band marker Switches between filter types

Alt+ drag band marker horizontally Changes Q width

Lock into one parameter without changing the other by holding the Control key down while moving the mouse. For instance, either
before or after clicking on a Band Marker, click+hold the Control key. Then, move the mouse to adjust Frequency without
changing the Gain. Release the Control key. Then, press it again and this time move the mouse to adjust the Gain without
changing the Freq.

Hold Ctrl, move band marker horizontally Movement on horizontal axis only. Vertical axis is locked

Hold Ctrl, move band marker vertically Movement on vertical axis only. Horizontal axis is locked

Multiple bands can be selected and manipulated simultaneously by holding

Shift and drag over several band markers down the Shift key as you select the Band Markers you wish to control, or by
drag-selecting a group.

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Channel marker linking

In the stereo component, the two sides of a channel can be controlled together or independently.

The Link buttons beneath the output faders set whether left or right are controlled separately or
linked together. When the values of left and right differ you will see their markers diverge.

Link/unlink behavior is the Graphic Display and the Parametric section.

Trim
The Trim button is used to adjust the output signal to its maximum level without clipping. In this example, it shows a
headroom of 4.5 dB. The value is positive (and the clip light is not illuminated), which means that the faders can be moved
upward 4.5 dB without any clipping. This is sometimes called margin and simply shows how close the signal has come to
0 dBFS.
To Trim the faders, simply click the Trim button once. The faders will move upward by the value shown in the value box.
Maximum positive trim is 12 dB. This results in the highest gain possible without clipping. To reset the output fader,
ALT+click on its fader button. Left and Right output faders are adjusted separately, so select both by drawing a box around
both faders.

If the output signal is already clipped, the Trim value will be negative and the clip indicator above the meters will be
illuminated. Clicking Trim will reduce the fader level by the current over-level amount to avoid clipping.

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Upward Trimming

Left: Headroom of 4.5 dB is seen in peak hold indicators

and on the Trim button. This means that the Output fader
can be raised by this amount without clipping.

Right: After click the Trim button, the Output fader is

raised by 4.5 dB, resulting in a headroom of 0.2 dB.

Setup library
A wide selection of configurations is available in the Setup Library, which is a collection of presets. These presets can be
used as is, or modified for specific applications and then saved as user presets. Presets are loaded, saved, and managed
with the WaveSystem Toolbar, which is located above the Q10 interface. Download the WaveSystem user guide from the
Waves download page at https://www.waves.com/downloads/manuals.
Categories of setups include multimedia, pseudo stereo, band limiting, pre/de-emphasis, plateau filters, tilt filters,
crossovers, harmonic combs (hum removal), and so on. The library includes comprehensive documentation that offers
practical hints and insights into the use of each setup in the library, as well as historical and practical use of equalization. It
was written by Michael Gerzon, and it contains many amazing and powerful hints.1

1
Michael Gerzon, a pioneer in noise shaping and best known for developing Ambisonics and the Soundfield Microphone, was
instrumental in creating many mainstays of modern musical production techniques. He collaborated with Waves in creating the L1
Compressor and the Q10 Paragraphic Equalizer.
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The Setup Library and the related documentation are copied to your host computer when the plugins are installed. To load
a preset from the Setup Library, click on the Load button in the WaveSystem toolbar, select Open Preset File. Navigate to
the Q10 Setups Library.
Mac presets: /Applications/Waves/Data/Setup Libraries/Q10 Setups Library
PC presets: \Program Files (x86)\Waves\Data\Setup Libraries\Q10 Setups Library
The Setup Library documentation is located here:
Mac: /Applications/Waves/Plug-Ins V9/Documents
PC \Program Files (x86)\Waves\Plug-Ins V9\Documents

Most of the setups are user-adjustable. Included are corrective applications such as hum or hiss reduction, plus creative
effects such as AM radio or telephone simulation, pseudo-stereo, comb filtering and so on. There are also several utility
filter configurations, including brickwall crossover filters and other special equalizer characteristics.
Presets are accessed through the WaveSystem Toolbar.

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Chapter 3 Controls and Displays

Parametric Controls
Full View

Band ON/Off
Turns a band on or off. Glows when band is on.
Range: On or off
Default: Off

Band Number ID
Full view: Function is identical to the Band On/Off button
Focus view: Cycles through the bands. Number indicates selected band.
Default: Band 1

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Gain
Rotary control and value box. Drag over knob or value box to adjust gain.
Range: -18 dB +18 dB
Default: 0 dB

Frequency (Freq)
Sets frequency value. Drag over knob or value box to adjust frequency.
Range: 16 Hz16 kHz
Default frequencies:
Band Frequency Band Frequency
1 31 6 1000
2 62 7 2000
3 125 8 4000
4 250 9 8000
5 500 10 16000

Q
Sets Q value. Drag over knob or value box to adjust Q.
Range: 0.5100
Filter Type
Sets filter type.
Range: Bell, Low Shelf, High Shelf, Low-pass, High-pass, Proportional Q
Default: Bell (all bands)

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Focus View

In the Focus View, only one bands parametric controls at once. All controls are the same as in the Full View, except the Band Number
ID. Click the Band Number ID button to move selection to the next band

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Graphic Controls
Full View

Band Markers
110 band markers, determined by module loaded. Each band marker has identical functionality:
Gain
Drag marker vertically to adjust gain.
Range: -18 dB to +18 dB
Default: 0 dB

Frequency (Freq)
Drag marker horizontally box to adjust frequency.
Range: 16 Hz16 kHz
Default frequencies:

Band Frequency Band Frequency

1 31 6 1000
2 62 7 2000
3 125 8 4000
4 250 9 8000
5 500 10 16000

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Q
Hold Alt/Opt while dragging horizontally to adjust Q.
Range: 0.5100
Filter Type
Sets filter type. CMD/Ctrl+Click on marker to select filter type for that band.
Range: Bell, Low Shelf, High Shelf, Low-pass, High-pass, Proportional Q
Default: Bell (all bands)

Link/Unlink Bands (Link control is beneath the Output meter)

When a band is linked, L+R are linked together (see Band 7 in the detail above). When Link is deselected, L and R move
independently (see Band 9 above).

View Select
Click the Expand/Collapse button to select between the Full and Focused Views.

Expand/Collapse button

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Focused View
The Focused View is identical to the Full view, except that the graphic display area is significantly larger.

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Meters and Faders

Input Fader
Controls the input to the plugin.
Range: Infinity 0
Default: 0
L and R are controlled separately. Draw a box around the two faders to link them.
Separate phase reverse per channel.

Focused View

Full View

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Output Section
The Output section consists of three parts.

Output fader
Range: -24 dB +12 dB
Default: 0 dB

Trim
Sets output fader to maximum level without clipping.
Range: -12 dB (lower to eliminate clipping) to +12 dB (increase level to maximum)
Value box indicates headroom. This is the amount of trimming needed.

Output meter
Range: -infinity 0 dBFS
Peak hold value box is located below the meter.
Clip indicator is located above the meter.
Click on peak hold value box to clear peaks and clips.

Link
The Link buttons enable the left and right sides of a signal to be controlled separately or together.
Applicable only on stereo components.
Controls located beneath the meters.

Selection Function
L Only left side is controlled
L+Link Sides move together. Action follows L Band Marker.
R Only right side is controlled
R+Link Sides move together. Action follows R Band Marker.

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