Waves Space Rider

Waves Space Rider is a multi‑effect plug‑in offering delay, reverb and chorus, but it also takes the concept of ducking and expands it to full parameter modulation. This dynamic element can be assigned to any parameter, and you’re given independent control over the range and direction for each parameter too, allowing for such things as effects that morph from one into the other or to add a sense of movement.

It would be possible to combine existing effects plug‑ins and automate them to recreate some of these effects but setting up the routing and automation could be time‑consuming, even in DAWs with dedicated parameter modulation features. In contrast, Space Rider’s user interface is very quick and easy to use, and a range of presets created by leading producers and engineers gives you a taste of what’s possible.

Apparently, all the effects used here were created especially for Space Rider, whose GUI is divided into three sections for Chorus, Delay and Reverb. Each section provides the key controls for its effect type, but none of them get you bogged down in complexity. For example, the chorus offers two types, with control over intensity and width, a power on/off button, an input level control, and a further knob feeding its signal to the delay input. The delay has the usual time, feedback and tempo‑sync options, as well as a ping‑pong variant plus adjustable pitch modulation and high/low filtering. Again there’s a power button and an input level control, and there’s a control to feed the delay into the reverb. The reverb offers Plate or Space types, control over the decay time, high and low filtering, pre‑delay and stereo width. There are also separate controls for the master wet/dry mix, and global input and output levels.

Switch on Auto, and the parameters change smoothly from A to B as the fader responds to the dynamics of the input signal.

At the bottom of the window is the Rider section. You’d normally set this to Auto once you’ve chosen the modulation settings, though if you prefer it can respond to DAW automation when Auto is switched off. The Rider control takes the form of a horizontal slider with an A button on the left and B on the right, with knobs to adjust Sensitivity, Attack and Release. The way that parameter assignments are made is that you set all the controls as you want them with the A button active, then switch to the B button and set new control positions for that end of the fader. Switch on Auto, and the parameters change smoothly from A to B as the fader responds to the dynamics of the input signal. Where the delay time is being changed, it does so in such a way that there’s no unwanted pitch slewing.

A typical application would be to create reverb and delay combinations that bloom at the ends of words or phrases on a vocal track, though there are clearly instrument applications too, such as having the delay feedback or reverb length change as the input level changes. Space Rider really is very straightforward in use, the quality of the effects is good and it offers a lot of creative scope.