I'm wondering if anyone genuinely needs any more plugins.

Like everyone else, I keep up with major companies, Youtube videos and check the sister multiple times a day.

What for?

More MFin plugins.

I seriously don't know if it's an addiction, I think it probably is.

Going out of your way to find, download / buy something you'll probably never use.

The number of tools are literally endless, yet we still scroll every day for that 1 last 'bit of magic' or COMPLETE GAMECHANGER for your bang average mixing skills.

It's 2023 and I think it's time for myself to install no more plugins for this year and 'just' work with the 100s I already have lol.

Does anyone have thoughts on this? Or are we all simply consumers trapped in Plugin manufacturers' hyperreality?

Edit:
I purposely clickbaited the title to see how many people wanted to see what plugin it was

Think I’ve had my thesis proven

 

Last edited: Jan 10, 2023

dont teach me how to rise my kids, okay?

 

I have a good tradition in 2023. Everyday I uninstall one plugin from my LARGE plugin list. I got so many reverbs that I never use and now I remove them (TC electronic,Lexicon, some little companies free reverbs and etc) , different kind of guitar AMPs, synths. From PA Bundle i only install 15 plugins I really use , most of then are "beautiful" vst's and I don't need them.

 

didn't even download the pa bundle. respect the work of r2r .
is there anything in there i need? I don't know.

 

I deleted all my cracked plugins. I can now keep 15 cracked plugins not included utilities (clipper, eq) and my music changed for the better.

 

I stopped downloading plugins in july 2022. And a week later my laptop crapped and I don´t have money for a new laptop / desktop. So now I have two USB HDs full of plugins and no computer where to install them.....
Oh well, maybe music is the winner, in the end, what can I say... (i have this laptop from my job, where I can´t install shait).

 

we need more Talents

 

Came to say "no I don't" but found this rick roll... after many disastrous incidents, I learned to not rely on anything but my own capacities, to pick my tools based on my ears. stop experimenting to infinity with new plugins and set a time for it, like after hours of hardwork over a deliverable. after many iterations one learns: Our brain is the final sequencer, sound design tool...

 

It's always nice to try stuff without limitation..i've purchased a lot of plugins just through like using their software.. arturia is one of them... it takes all but a few minutes to uninstall something.. and you are not supposed to download and install every single plugin you freaking see..I think only a moron would do something like that.. But i'll usually go on YouTube first and check it out to see if it is something i'm remotely interested in and if it is I'll download it.. But ya having too much stuff can really kill your creativity, but what one person may like on the sister site another person might laugh at or not even consider installing.. And that's why the sister site is so great. Many options for many people… Shout out to all the teams… Love ya guys!!

 

I need more and more plugins D'oh!

 

This time of new plugins is called progress and we are in the middle of it. This time of digital change (the analog becomes digital) is a very big challenge and change for people, but also a huge opportunity. Many people are overwhelmed by the flood of information and overwhelmed, this overload by too much data and information, the brain can not actually process and this leads to stress and frustration.

Just about everyone here takes part in this digital evolution. After all, one does not want to miss this progress but participate in it. Of course, musicians hope that a new plugin will improve and simplify their musical life and actions, which it sometimes does and sometimes does not.
If something is technically feasible - it will be done. If there is a gap in the market and customers buy it - it will be made.

So what to do about the plugin / samples / presets tsunami?

Here are a few suggestions:
- Less is often more (wisdom and common sense)
- Consider yourself a plugin tester
- Delete all plugins / samples / presets you don't use (you can always reinstall them...)
- Make a list of the plugins you use and get along well with, get to know and appreciate your plugins better
- think that your money for plugins etc. created jobs created jobs and progress
- Secure all your data and plugins - always expect a total loss of power, internet or hacker attacks/viruses/trojans etc.!

So dear @M McB, have fun deleting and dropping ballast. Save your plugins presets as well as samples on an extra hard drive - then you will never get long and after your death you can bequeath or give them away.

It's like the library, it's good to know that there are so many books with knowledge, but you can't read them all. In the supermarket, you only buy as much food as you can eat.

 

Hi,
I take the chance to post my first reply in this forum here.

My approach changed from downloading all warez to download official demos
and write the support to get an impression how they act and if I probably like to invest into them.

I wasted to much time and money either buying premium accounts or waiting for stuff being downloaded.

Instead of consuming othres output, I'd rather learn my tools and create my own content.
That way I dont even have to zap through millions smiles or presets and space used on my SSD is mostly used by my own content I have created.

If a company do not offer a demo I don't even consider investing into them. There are always enough alternatives.

I meanwhile shrinked down my plugins to just a few, which complement the DAWs built in plugins.
Less Plugins less options to crash or make trouble.
Love and Light KA

 

For me I have stopped downloading the "newest compressor or eq that will take your mix to the next level" type of plugins. At this point I find it hard to believe that companies are adding anything that is already on the table.

But for example Beat Scholar by Modalics(no ads here just the most recent one I've tried ). It is not an effects plugin but rather a workflow plugin. With these kind of plugins, I will at least use for some time. There was a demo, downloaded it. Used it for a bit, realised the workflow wasn't for me and the program was rather slow on my pc. I deleted it. I think right now this has to be the healthiest way to at least try something new, while also not hampering your song creation.

 

I used to use most of the things I download. But when I switched HDDs, I realized that I don't trust the new one enough to install anything but the bare minimum for comfortable work (about 90 plugins). My production didn't get any worse, but a lot of tools I know and love are just lying there not installed and I miss them. I also miss the flexibility of trying and learning something new every once in a while.
I wish there were more reliable storage mediums, with at least ten years of planned service and fifteen years of warranty.

 

I've found myself wanting more basic plugins that are more modular, such as a good tube saturater or transformer saturater, rather than big complex chain plugins that do everything. Since using Nebula programs with the FireThePump plugin, which is a tube saturater, it has just shown that you can get pretty far with just one process; an LA2A emulation with the right amount of saturation brings the audio to where you need it to be, rather than going through lots of processes you can keep it to just one.

 

YOU should decide if you need a specific plugin, not another guy.
You shouldnt ask yourself how many plugins you need to achieve your vision for the song.

I mean it also really depends on your knowledge how many plugins you can use efficient.

So i have specific plugins i use all the time:

1-2 EQ's
1-2 Comp's
1-2 Synth's
and some effect plugins.

So thats for basic producing/mixing.

When it comes to Sound Design there are a bit more.

Another thing is you should know your plugins, if you have something for example a good EQ there is no reason to add another plugin that is doing the same BUT keep your eyes open. Check out reviews of new stuff and when you see this new one does a better job and can improve your workflow why not test it and replace the old one with it?

I mean its kinda easy to answer that question, just ask yourself what do YOU need?
For example when it comes to EQ's there are some that sound really neutral and others can add some color to the low/high end.
So what do YOU need?

Alot of ppl here in this forum thinking to much. There are alot of those Topic with those questions and its almost the same. You guys think too much. Just make music, be creative! And if you dont know to archieve something specific you need to learn how todo it or what plugins you need for that.

 

Last edited: Jan 10, 2023

thats what i did i bought no new plugins... it worked...

sort of


i started buying old boxed plugins :D and now im building vintage mac and pc rigs to run them, i route audio in and out of them via aes ebu and use them in my current rigs

its like using analog hardware just way way cooler. im addicted to buying boxed software plugins and old cubase and digidesign boxes. i cant actually afford new plugins since those old ones are so bloody expensive and unique sounding

 

Bettermaker, VSM-3, VCS-2

 

GAS is real and some people suffer from it.

But ultimately: if you don't try out new things, you don't find things you like or that are better than your current tools.

Do you really want to be the guy still using Steinberg Espacial or Freeverb because he refused to try anything newer?

 

I have diferent menuconfig.ini files for the "Live Enhancement Suite" curated with the plugings I want to limit myself when producing. It works really well for the excess of options fatigue the sister site can cause. XD


https://enhancementsuite.me/