"Cracked" means the software has been tampered with so it no longer checks for a valid license or activation. Cracks can be:
Waves releases updates constantly. If you are on an Apple Silicon Mac (M1/M2/M3), a cracked Waves bundle from 2022 will not run natively. It will force your DAW to run via Rosetta 2, killing your battery life and processing power. Legit users get native support; pirates get crashes. waves bundle cracked reddit
The audio community has moved beyond Waves. These are 100% free, legal, and sound fantastic: "Cracked" means the software has been tampered with