Plugins without presets are like midgets without stilts.

 

Last edited: Nov 4, 2018

I totally don't get the whole thread.
Ok, we all have more than we need because of those bundles.
After getting rid of waves the list was way shorter, but now I use Melda bundle now and then so....
But what I'd like to ask: Why so many 'in use' plugins of the same (bread and butter) type?
Compression is such a thing: I use one brand. The stock compressor of the DAW.
I comes with sidechain and goes from very fast to very slow.
What I can't do with that compressor, I do with two instances of that compressor.
In case I want the compressor to 'sound' I use eq or saturation pre or post compression (or eq to sidechain).
The stock deesser sucks.
So i use the stock multiband compressor and move all bands up to the sibilances.
90% of EQing is done with the stock eq or 2 or 3 of them.
When it comes to surgical correction I use 'that one other eq' (Fabfilter).
You can't image how much that simplifies life.
When I open a project from 10 years ago, I might have to install a vsti from back then, but most of the up-to-date versions of my favorite vstis cope well with that.
I use to encourage people to listen to 'that one new awesome tool'.
What does it really do?
I this really just a compressor? Or is the magic behind the sound just a plain eq or a saturator in there? Is the deesser that sounds so very very amzing just an n-band compressor from 2khz on?

 

In theory digital eqs and compressors should sound the same. But sometimes due to different parameters and/or GUI people prefer different tools for different tasks.

A completely different story are analogue emus. Here every plugin sounds different, even if of the same type/emu. And some analogue (emu) compressors and eqs don't even work linear. And this makes/can make a huge difference.

 

Every time I have turned on my computer lately some piece of software is sent back to it's binary maker, deinstalled and gone but not forgotten (there are gigs upon giggles of things saved on the external drive).

 

You guy's ever fantasized about wiping everything and starting fresh? Yes, I fantasize about it because there as never been more of a hindrance to the joy of making music than to have too many plugins. I hate it. Some days it makes me want to vomit looking at the amount of crap I have and for some reason, I can't let go of it.

 

Do it.

I wipe everything maybe about once a year. Usually when I get new music hardware, upgrade my PC in any way or for example decide to move my work desk.

Take backup copies of all the data I want to save. Arrange everything into neat folders. Rar archive them. Make a list of all the software you actually need and use (not just music, everything). Put the installers into one folder so you can just go through the list. Wipe windows. Install and set up everything. Takes about two days.

In the olden days your windows computer would actually get clogged up and lose performance. These days not so much, if at all. But it's so fucking fresh nevertheless. Like spring cleaning.

 

I have once packed all my drives in paranoia in a backpack and went on a trip. Then I've smoked a cigarette on a bus stop, stepped into the bus and went like - SHIT! Where's my backpack? Hehe. Yeah, and since then 10 years of rns, als and perfectly cut samples went someplace else, that I couldn't find anymore. I live in an unfriendly neighbourhood, so someone probably sold it at a pawn shop for two beers.

And yes, very much so, You are right. It was a relief. I don't really need it.

F5 is always good. And the skill is all there allright. More brains, less luggage now. That backpack was weightiness all this time anyway. Still, I'd like to recover it, but it is gone. The sad part is that the whole story might also go further. Do not lose yourself by any chance guys I prefer complex over simple, and the way leads somewhere inbetween.

Airplane breakfast, hehe. So that's what it's called nowadays! Like the orange color as well.

 

Last edited: Nov 4, 2018

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Thanks for the support! I'm planning on getting the new mac mini and in absolutely no fckin way is that going to become a cluttered mess. Max 2 or 3 compressors/eq's/reverbs etc... Lately I've been getting more excited about deleting stuff than acquiring it. That feeling of liberation brings the freedom of creativity I crave. It won't be easy though cause I know there's that voice that says "You'll need that other plugin one day, don't get rid of it" LIES!!!!! No I won't need it as evidence by the fact I NEVER use it! Then there's the samples, that's a little more tricky because I've spent a lot of time on building my library, but how many bloody rides does anyone need!

I had everything in the trash can the other day and nervously had my finger ready to click delete on all of it, couldn't do it, just couldn't. Maybe next time.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Nov 4, 2018

Maybe next time...
Time will tell

 

i agree then i watch on my hd i have to much and lost the overview
mostly try new shit but use old one, time to trash everthing

 

this is true but for many the direct opposite....it can kill creativity....and in depth knowledge of plugin bring more creativity then install every 4 day a new plugin...

i guess there only a very few out there who truly can stand the daily rls's with testing them all proper..and with testing i dont mean if the rls works i mean play and get knowing it...

 

me too i need to delete and structure a lot...need stop dl..but last days were to good to pass....

but dont trash all....leave a few old and good ones...blv me...

biggest vst graveyrad is my reverb archive....vst reverbs are lot out there also cause they are good replacement for analoggear..unlike fairchild vst never come a long with the hardware...

i guess i buy the valhalla ones next year...and maybe a warez convulotion reverb for if needed highQ for intros and break downs or so but i guess i end up using vallahal vintage verb ha ha

and thats it 1 stock reverb,vallhala and 1 convo...and reverb vst file is filled..in future

 

Last edited: Nov 4, 2018

which bundle should everyone have :
1. soundtoys
2. .....

which one you would ad ?

 

relexted list seem proper cause he knows his shit unlike most warezriders
-----------------------------------

man you are at least honest and thats much nowadays...you will get better....
warez brought me knowledge but then the warez world brought me abroad music making...music production learning alone is so time consuming hobby and when you daily need more then hour to dl and process rls flood bla bla...
you must lock youreself in youre homestudio and go only on warez site once a month...problem solved...

 

1. They are CPU hungry! I do not use them so much as a regular basis.

2. I always use iZotope, Slate Digital, and Waves stuff.

But I am investigating using new plugins as well. I never limit myself.

 

bundles would be the shit if you could choose which plugins which not in every bundle out there...

 

i don't have enough plugins

 

I guess I went thru a lot of instruments & deleted em. Gradually. What I do (to help resist temptation) is create a backup folder on slowslowslow HD, and move the stuff I haven't used for x months (3 / 6) to this "backup", and then just bin the backups every so often. It worked for me. I only have a mere two thousand VSTis nao! *phew*. j/k.

I just use stock FX 90% of the time, but maybe Soundtoys, Altiverb and flavour-of-teh-month ampsim ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I need to follow this advice myself, start deleting!

 

Can't argue about interfaces, these are important. But I'm pretty sure you can rebuild these emus by combining plugins, splitting bands, adding saturation here and there and so on. Simple example: That one thing most classic eqs do: you crank up a frequency and they attenuate the neighbour frequencies. So in the digital domain you need 3 bands for that sound.

The most complex thing I've heard so far is Alex B's tape emulation on nebula.
There is a B77 emulation in the package I really love.
I heaven't tried yet, but I guess that sound could be done with instances of compression, multiband compression,
eq and maybe 2 different saturation types.
Could you give an example of eq and compression emus that you love and would be hard to build a sound-alike?
And what tracks you would use them on?
I'd be happy to find a new useful plugin that way.

 

Cakewalk said that 3232.