Abbey Road King’s Microphones by Waves plugin interface

Abbey Road King’s Microphones: Vintage Mic Plugin by Waves

Abbey Road King’s Microphones is a Waves plugin that models vintage 1920s and 30s microphones, modeled in collaboration with Abbey Road Studios, for distinctive, vintage-flavored tones.

VST2AUAAXWindowsmacOS

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01Overview

Abbey Road King’s Microphones is a Waves plugin built around microphones that EMI made for British royalty in the 1920s and 30s. Waves developed the models in close collaboration with Abbey Road Studios, drawing on mics that sat in the EMI Archive Trust for decades. The plugin is aimed at producers who want the character of older microphone designs in sound design and music production, especially for the lost, vibey timbres these mics are known for.

Best for

Sound design textures
Re-amping guitars
Re-amping synths
Vintage vocal color
Ambient room effects

Developer: Waves
Category: Utilities
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Modeled in close collaboration with Abbey Road Studios
King George V mic is the only known carbon microphone model
Three range positions: close, natural and ambient
1920s and 30s mic characteristics for lost vintage timbres
Vibey sonic qualities aimed at sound design and production
Can be followed by reverb for novel room and ambiance effects

03In depth

Vintage Microphone Character and Sound

The plugin focuses on the timbre of 1920s and 30s microphone designs. Waves highlights the King George V mic as the only known model of a carbon microphone, which gives it a sound that differs from the modern condenser and dynamic models most producers use.

Each microphone offers three range positions: close, natural and ambient. These let you shift the sound from an intimate, direct tone to a more open, spacious one, so the same mic can cover a range of roles in a mix.

Waves describes the sonic qualities as vibey and suited to sound design. Because the mics were not built for the way they are used here, the results tend to be unpredictable and unusual, which is the point of the tool.

Workflow and Creative Use

Abbey Road King’s Microphones works well as a re-amping tool. The developer notes that Abbey Road engineers used the mics to re-amp guitars and synths, producing crunchy, filter-like qualities.

For spatial effects, the plugin can be followed by a reverb. Chaining the two opens up novel room and ambiance effects built on the vintage mic character.

The plugin is listed for VST2, AU and AAX on Windows and macOS, so it fits common DAW setups on both platforms.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Waves
Type	Plugin
Category	Utility
Formats	VST2, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does Abbey Road King’s Microphones support?

Abbey Road King’s Microphones is available in VST2, AU and AAX formats.

Which operating systems does it run on?

The plugin runs on Windows and macOS. Waves lists macOS Monterey 12 through Sequoia 15 and Windows 10 or later as system requirements.

What makes the King George V mic unusual?

Waves says the King George V mic is the only known model of a carbon microphone among the models in the plugin.

Can I use it for effects rather than recording?

Yes. The developer notes that Abbey Road engineers re-amped guitars and synths through these mics, and that the plugin can be followed by reverb for room and ambiance effects.