Cryo Mix vs Waves Curves AQ
Cryo Mix
cryo-mix.comWaves Curves AQ
waves.comSide by side
| Figure | Cryo Mix | Waves Curves AQ |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $20.83/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 3 |
| Spec score · AI Audio Mixing Software | 7.9 (#9) | 7.6 (#17) |
| Company | Cryo Mix says it was created by platinum-certified mixing and mastering engineer Cryo (Craig McAllister). | Waves was founded in 1992, and its contact page lists its Israel office in Tel Aviv. |
| Purpose | Cryo Mix is an online AI mastering service that turns a mix into a loud, clear, consistent master in minutes. | Curves AQ is an autonomous EQ plugin that analyzes audio and creates five tailored EQ curves. |
| Support | The company says creator feedback and support conversations help shape the mastering workflow; its site links to a Help Center. | Waves provides technical support tickets, while phone support is reserved for customers with active Creative Access subscriptions or current Waves Update Plan coverage. |
Plans
Waves Curves AQ
- Perpetual licensePriced on request
- Waves Ultimate monthly subscription$24.99 a month
- Waves Ultimate annual subscription$249.99 a year
In their own words
Cryo Mix
Cryo Mix is a browser-based AI mastering service for finished stereo mixes. Users upload a mix, optionally add a reference track, then review and download the mastered version. Plain-language directions to Nova, presets, and advanced settings provide ways to guide the process; a reference can help target tone, loudness, and dynamics while retaining the mix’s character. Before export, analytics show loudness, true peak, dynamics, and tonal balance. Users can preview the full-length result without a credit card and iterate before downloading; each download uses one credit per project. The service offers WAV export and lists input formats including WAV, MP3, FLAC, AIFF, M4A, AAC, and OGG. Its browser workflow runs on Mac, PC, tablet, and mobile, and Cryo Cloud Storage saves masters, versions, and source mixes for access from any device. Pricing starts at $19/mo, with five tracks per month listed. Cryo Mix says users keep ownership of their music and files and that their audio is not used to train AI models. It is aimed at independent artists, producers, content creators, and small labels.
Waves Curves AQ
Waves Curves AQ is an autonomous EQ plugin that analyzes audio and creates five tailored EQ curves. Users can choose and adjust among five spectral targets, then apply static EQ, dynamic EQ, or both together. MixSense uses sidechain audio to adapt processing and make room for other tracks. Controls include Smart Tilt, curve Offset, four frequency anchors, and global or per-band boost and cut adjustments. A zero-latency live version is included. The plugin page lists support for Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Cubase, Nuendo, FL Studio, REAPER, and Studio One; supported plug-in formats include VST3, Audio Units, and AAX. It runs on Windows 10 64-bit or Windows 11, or macOS Sonoma 14 or later, with 16 GB RAM and 30 GB of free disk space listed. The current requirements specify Intel CPUs from generation 5 onward with AVX; Apple Silicon native support is listed in Waves V17 release notes. Waves Ultimate includes Curves AQ and has subscriptions at $24.99 a month or $249.99 a year. There is no free plan; Waves Creative Access offers a seven-day free period.