I have several Waves plugins and would like to know what level of workload is recommended. I can’t find this information in the description of the plugins. I would also like to know if there is any system to calibrate plugins for optimal performance. Thanks!
Most plugin developers, including Waves opt for a nominal input level of -18dBFS. That’s for the average level, peaks will bound to hit the plugin louder, but that’s okay.
Often people will drive the inputs harder to get more character and more saturation out of a processor. But that only works on plugins that are designed to have analogue style characteristics.