For the letter X in our ongoing series of the A to Z of Waves, we have chosen to highlight Waves Nx. Of course we know Nx doesn't start with the letter X so we are slightly cheating here, however, Nx is a very powerful headphone technology and we feel it is well worth featuring in the A to Z of Waves.
What Is Waves Nx?
At its core, Waves Nx is a headphone dependent software/hardware system that provides users with an acoustically balanced virtual mix room through standard studio headphone monitoring. The Waves Nx plug-in requires access to computer webcams for real-time head tracking. The head tracking feature does exactly what it says on the tin - It tracks user head movements creating the sonic illusion of how sound changes when moving one's head naturally around a mix position (sweet-spot) between physical monitors.
The Nx plug-in works with stereo content but also extends to multi-channel audio as well. The magic within the software enables users to mix multi-channel content through stereo headphones. All the combined features in Waves Nx result in very realistic mix room conditions.
Waves Nx Clip-on Bluetooth Head Tracker
The Waves Nx Bluetooth Head Tracker is a small AAA battery powered gadget that clips on the top of headphones that further tracks head movement while the webcam tracks forward to back head positions. The results are an immersive 3D effect that feels weird at first but very natural after a short amount of time. The feeling is very similar to not wearing headphones at all.
Waves Nx Mobile Apps
The consumer market can also take advantage of the Waves Nx experience as well by downloading the free Waves Nx app for iOS and Andriod. The Bluetooth Head Tracker is required and is easily paired via Bluetooth within the app. Users can play music through the Waves NX app from their music library, Spotify & Soundcloud accounts. The Waves Nx app settings can be personalised by adjusting room ambience and inputting personal head measurements for better results.
Review of Waves Nx to follow in coming weeks.