@Legotron Compassion, trackcomp and multiband fabfilter cover everything "in my opinion".. Obviously i don't find it strange to have 2 or 3 more, even without any particular reason.. For example, beyond those 3 i like aurosor..

 

Fk you, that's why

(j/k)

No the real answer is simply like why did they climb everest, because they're there

 

why? I get a little bit of dopamine when I download something that looks interesting

and often make the most interesting sounds with my first attempts with a new plugin

 

@vuldegger do you like uad plugins? Probably even if they came out "free" i would try them and then continue using Fab, DMG.. I did the same thing with AA, Soundtoys, Slate.. Except Decapitator and Echoboy! But these are just personal preferences..

 

Usually one of the following

- Curiosity/Experimentation
- Greed/Addiction
- Marketing/FOMO

I'm guilty of all the above.


The amount of times I wiped my computer and said "I'm only going to install what I need and own"...yeah, its about that time again in 2025. #SprintCleaning

I spent a lot of time and money trying (and buying) many products. Arturia and Melda bundles turned out to be the best money I've ever spent on software. There are other great tools too, but keep telling myself to minimuze. ESPECIALLY with Kontakt libraries. [/COLOR]

 

I'm still chasing an unexplainable hug, crunch, and goo, that my hardware gives. Like high end Walmart bedcovers vs bedcovers in Maldives resorts.

 

@Radio what are the 2 compressors you use?

 

Is there one vst that covers all of these types?

Thanx in advance!

 

Hello @dylan63819, i use the following:

Brainworx - VSC-2 ---> www.brainworx.audio/products/vertigo/vsc-2.html
SSL - Stereo Bus Compressor ---> www.pluginboutique.com/product/2-Effects/8-Compressor/8651-SSL-Native-Bus-Compressor-2

 

It's hunter-gather behavior; the dopamine rush that someone said previously. And also it's easier to collect than to do, so people like the distraction because it feels productive without the work sweat, and having to suffer the discipline of seeing a project through, or having to suffer the disappointment of not having enough talent.

 

Btw now that I'm more or less out of the industry as a professional and just doing it for my own fun and not really even particularly interested in that, I've pretty well stopped. The whole thing of downloading something and testing it out isn't even really that appealing anymore. I kind of just don't care and if I do want to do something I certainly have enough to do it with.
It's kind of like menopause, you never think you're going to want to stop having sex but one day,suddenly, meh

 

@jennyblack Hi, the ones i mentioned before; DMG, Fabfilter..

A great point, and the others too.

 

Fosteeeeer? How many compressors do you use?

 

I personally don't use a lot of plugins and they are all mostly older versions, I am a guitarist so I have actual amps and FX pedals,etc. I find that with this choice I can achieve whatever sounds I want. I enjoy trying new plugins out of curiosity but don't ever really keep any, this has now become a hobby and keeps me busy. Almost all new plugins are just rehashes of existing ones, delays, compressors, etc. I am more interested in different or more obscure plugins, I haven't found the Holy Grail in any software yet. I can only speak for myself so if something different works for you, that is great.

 

Dunno, but the stock compressor in Logic Pro comes close (VCA, FET, Opto).

 

Fun - music is both my job, and my hobby. I enjoy trying out new plugins, comparing them, null testing them, seeing whats what.

Variety in sound - Different curves in eq's equal different results. Even tho they may null if you sit there and try to get them to null by matching the curves etc, they still impart a different tone. Same with different UI's / workflows. An eq like pro q can yield different results from an SSL strip style eq.

To keep things interesting - Music is my job, i work on it every day, and it CAN get boring at times. To fight this I will often load a random plugin, by rolling the dice in a category i want. Example, I want a pad sound, something virtual analog, i roll the dice in the category "VA poly synth", and ableton loads a random synth from that category. This keeps things fun, exciting and unpredictable.

Compatibility collaboration with partners, or even compatibility with myself, from and old session that i may need to dig up for whatever reason

Quality of sound - If there is a new 1176 plugin, that is even 2% "better" than my current go-to 1176, i will make the new one my new go-to.

Cool factor - i want to make all of my friends jealous of my vast plugin collection + it makes me look extremely educated on forums when i can chime into virtually any discussion regarding plugins. (im kidding guys)

Of course if you know what you are doing, you can get by with stock plugins, but i still enjoy collecting plugins for the reasons listed above. Whatever works for you is all that matters.

 

I like your point, except this:

I find this a bit of an opposite extreme..

 

ok irony apart, more about my approach.
First of all I am not a pure mixing engineer, well I mix very often certain projects, but I work mostly writing, producing and sound designing, so my approach is more like a musician.

In my personal studio I try clone what I am used to see in a hardware studio, and about compressors or FX units I "have limits". To clarify, just go have a look to a pro studio, they have a list of gear which is LIMITED. And so I do in my template.
Example.
in my virtual studio I have
1 fairchild 670
2 660
1 33609
1 avalon
2 distressors
6 1176
1 vintage pultec
4 "clean" pultec
2 api 2500
1 Lexicon 480
1 plate

so on and so forth. All "big compressors" are already on my busses in set and forget, I dont even open and touch them, I just check the VU meters plugins that I have at the start/end of the chains, same as the other user wrote. But I never EVER open 4-5-100 fairchild 670 if in my studio I have one only. Ok I could, its a plugin, but I am trying to recreate a real studio, even at Capitol Al Schmitt had to book the original 670 for his sessions days before, they have just one

SOMETIMES, happens that I try a new compressor because I demo it, it looks/sounds interesting so I open a project that I use for calibrating the compressors on my busses, ALL WITH SAME settings or at least closed enough, using more or less same method as brauerizing (to keep it simple). Then I AB the new compressor with the one I usually have DURING the session. IF after 2-3 weeks I never choose it and I keep the one I usually have I delete it, otherwise I keep it and possibly I buy it. Same for pultec EQs.

for this reason it's comfy to use Waves Studioverse. I put my main compressor in the chain, plus the other I wanna try and test, all matched as much as possible wi GR and gain staged, so I just have to switch ON-OFF to AB them. If I dont like I delete from the Studioverse chain.

 

In terms of quality, stock plugins are generally very good nowadays. In most cases there's a choice of flavours too.

In practical and financial terms they have serious advantages - they are usually backwards compatible and future proof - you can count on being able to open your old projects with no surprises. They never need to be separately updated, there are no paid upgrades, no "update plans".

The more plugins I own, the more I tend to reach for the stock plugins first. Since I only buy software at a discount, for one reason alone - being able to find out what the stock plugins are perfectly adequate for - I consider it a good investment.

 

Last edited: Feb 18, 2025