Description
Where to buy
Thomann — Waves eMotion LV1 Classic
See offer
Technical
Specifications
Inputs / Outputs
| Total inputs | 64 |
|---|
Processing
| Mix buses | 44 |
|---|---|
| Aux sends | 24 |
| Matrices | 8 |
| DCA/VCA groups | 16 |
| DSP engine | SoundGrid (Intel Waves SoundGrid DSP servers, 32-bit floating-point double-precision mix engine) |
| Max sample rate | 96 kHz |
| Processing resolution | 32 bits |
| Buses | 44 mono/stereo buses: 8 groups, 24 auxes, 8 matrices, 3 master + cue (mature configuration; bus count evolved through software updates) |
| Effects and plug-ins | 8-slot rack per channel: up to 8 SoundGrid plug-ins inserted per channel, on all channels and buses · Base Waves plug-ins bundled (eMo series: eMo Q4 EQ, eMo D5 Dynamics, eMo F2 Filter, eMo Generator); 160+ optional Waves processors (SSL, API, Abbey Road, Dugan Automixer…) |
| Audio performance | Latency as low as 0.8 ms depending on network/server configuration |
| DSP engine — details | Processing offloaded to SoundGrid DSP servers (Intel); up to 3 processing servers + backup servers; processing continues on the server if the control computer fails |
Surface
| Physical faders | 0 |
|---|---|
| Motorized faders | No |
| Fader layers | 8 |
| Screens | 4 |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Scenes and recall | Up to 1000 scenes/snapshots with Recall Safe and Scope Filters |
| Screens — details | Up to 4 simultaneous touchscreens; each screen shows up to 8 layers of 16 channel strips |
Recording
| Onboard recording | Yes |
|---|---|
| Recording | Multitrack recording up to 128 tracks via SoundGrid computer (or stereo via USB) |
Networking
| Networking & protocols | SoundGrid / MADI / Dante / AES/EBU |
|---|---|
| Redundant PSU | No |
| Redundant networking | Yes |
Other
| Price | Software console sold as 16-, 32- or 64-stereo-channel licenses (mono/stereo), expandable to 80 stereo channels |
|---|---|
| Software | Software for Windows and macOS; optional physical controllers (Waves FIT) and MIDI/Mackie HUI surfaces |
Strip & details
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Rotate your phone to landscape for a better view of the strip.
Rotate your phone to landscape for a better view of the strip.
Rotate your phone to landscape for a better view of the strip.
Diagrams
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Software
eMotion LV1 (application mixeur)Main console application: mix engine, multi-screen touch interface, per-channel plug-in rack, scenes.Download
SoundGrid Studio / SoundGrid InventorySoundGrid driver and network manager: I/O and server discovery, patching, clock, ASIO/Core Audio driver.Download
Suite de plug-ins Waves (SoundGrid)160+ SoundGrid-compatible plug-ins insertable into channel racks (EQ, dynamics, reverbs, SSL/API/Abbey Road emulations, Dugan Automixer).Download
Other screenshots
























Accessories
Other
- SoundGrid DSP Server (Waves Axis/SoundGrid Server)
Intel DSP server running the mix and plug-ins; up to 3 processing servers + backup servers.
Stagebox / rack
- SoundGrid stageboxes (Waves IONIC, SoundStudio STG, DiGiGrid)
Networked I/O boxes (mic preamps, line outs, AES) over Ethernet; e.g. IONIC 16, STG-1608.
I/O card
- MADI / Dante / AES interfaces (SoundGrid converters)
Bridges to integrate the LV1 with existing MADI, Dante or AES infrastructures.
Surface / module
- Waves FIT physical controller / Mackie HUI surfaces
Optional fader control surface to drive the LV1 with tactile feedback.
License
- Channel/bus expansion licenses
Software licenses to go from 16→32→64→80 stereo channels and expand buses.
Documents
Editorial & artists
Our take
History & design
The Waves eMotion LV1 (2016) is a fully software-based live mixing console at the heart of Waves' SoundGrid ecosystem. Unlike traditional digital consoles, it has no dedicated hardware surface: the software runs on Windows or macOS and is driven on one to four user-supplied touchscreens, with optional physical controllers. It is sold as 16-, 32- or 64-stereo-channel licenses, expandable to 80 channels.
The mix engine is 32-bit floating point double precision, 44.1 to 96 kHz, but crucially the processing is offloaded: mix and plug-in computation runs on Intel-based SoundGrid DSP servers, networked over Ethernet to I/O boxes (Waves/DiGiGrid stageboxes, MADI, Dante, AES, analog converters). This networked architecture lets multiple consoles, I/O boxes and servers share one infrastructure.
The LV1's decisive advantage is native Waves plug-in integration: each channel strip has an 8-insert rack that can host any SoundGrid plug-in from Waves' 160+ processor catalog (SSL, API, Abbey Road, Dugan Automixer…). Mixing becomes work on the sound rather than on routing. The console handles up to 1000 scenes, 16 DCAs, 8 mute groups, multitrack recording up to 128 tracks, and software redundancy (the server keeps processing if the control computer fails).
Notable users
- MAGIC!
FOH engineer Dani Munoz uses the LV1 on tour
- The Editors
Touring feedback from FOH engineer Adam Pendse with the eMotion LV1
- Europe
FOH: Ronny ‘Rompa’ Bernström. Swedish rock band; LV1 chosen for the 2022 tour
- Gus Dapperton
FOH: Cooper Davis. LV1 chosen for the 2023 world tour
- Sean Paul
FOH: Omatali Beckett; monitors: Dwight ‘Coolie’ Bancey. LV1 + Waves IONIC 16 stageboxes for the tour
Links
- Manufacturer Official Waves eMotion LV1 page waves.com
- Press article Sound on Sound — eMotion LV1 (Classic) announcement soundonsound.com
- Press article ProSoundWeb — Waves Introduces eMotion LV1 prosoundweb.com
- Press article Mix Online — eMotion LV1 Mixer for SoundGrid mixonline.com
- Press article Church Production — Audio Review eMotion LV1 churchproduction.com
- Press article Production Expert — NAMM 2016 eMotion LV1 production-expert.com
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Documents are archived locally for preservation. Source credited. Takedown requests: [email protected]














