Here's a list of my plugins:

Synth Classic:
Arturia Bundle
u-he - Diva, Repro
TAL - TAL Bassline 101
Spectrasonics - Omnisphere, Trilian
AAS - Lounge Lizard

Synth Modern/Drums:
Arturia Pigments
Sugar Bytes - Graindad
Sonic Academy - Kick 2
u-he Hive
Sonic Charge - MicroTonic, Synplant
D16 - Punchbox
Ni - Kontakt
LennarDigital - Sylenth1
Xfer - Serum


Reverb:
Valhalla
Eventide - Blackhole
NI - Raum
Liquid Sonics - Seventh Heaven Pro
Plugin Alliance - Unfilter Audio Tails
TAL - TAL-G Verb
Audio Damage - EOS
Zynaptiq - Adaptiverb


Delay:
Air Music - Air Delay Pro
Erica Synth - Zen Delay
D16 - Repeater, Sigmnund 2
Ni - Replika XT
Audio Damage - Dubstation 2


Distortion:
Output - Thermal
Kiive Audio - Tubetizer
Kazrog - KClip
u-he - Satin
Wavesfactory - Cassette
Softube - Tape
D16 - Decimort

Creative:
Cableguys - Shaperbox 3
Eva Beat - Melody Sauce 2
Forever89 - Visco
Maddix - Rumble
Plugin Boutique - Scaler 2
Poliverse - Manipulator
Plugin Alliance - Unfilterd Audio Sandman Pro
Devious Machines - Infiltrator, PitchMonster, Texture
Loopmastere - Loopcloud
Xfer - Cthulu
Audio Damage - Other Desert Cities
PaulxStretch
Zynaptiq - Morph (?) tantra(?)


Mix/Master:
Denise Audio - Bass XXL
LHI Audio - ST4b
Musik Hack - Master Plan
Oeksound - sooth
Slate - Fresh Air
TBProAudio - mvMeter 2
Tone Projects - Basslane Pro
W.A. Production - KickShaper
XLN Audio - DS10 Drum Shaper
Devious Machines - Duck
NI - Transient Master
Plugin Alliance - ADPTR Metric AB, Streamliner
Polyverse - Wider
Softube - Console 1
sonible - trueBalance, truelevel
Wavesfactory - Equalizer, Trackspacer
Cradle - The God Particle
bx_limiter true peak(?)


Besides that, it's Fabfilter, Soundtoys, Arturia, Valhalla bundle and Izotope Ozone (although I really just use Imager).

That's it. Took me years to find this composition. Now you know my secret and can make my music. I retire.

 

Last edited: Oct 26, 2024

But you have also added plugins which were released within the past few weeks. The reason this works for you is because you have a framework. An already existing workflow. Some people go even further and create a template, and they have all their plugins already dialed in to what they consider the "Sweet spots". The most well known proponent of this is probably Michael Brauer; but he is a Mixer (his words). So that guy's template and plugin list is not going to contain any virtual instrument plugins.

The problem with "too many plugins" is a "novice problem". By starting over after many years like @OP; you aren't starting over from Day One; because you still understand compression, reverb, delay, EQ, and so on. But you can't possibly know something like why I might choose an instance of Claro before I would load up Pro-Q3. There are new plugins you have 0 experience with. The problem is that you have too many plugins you do not know how to use effectively yet (again).

Start with compressors, as an example. There are a million of them. But what you really want is one FET, one Optical, one Vari-mu, and one VCA. If you think of them as actual hardware units you would put into a studio; you would pick the original manufacturer, model number of your favorite for each one. You do not need 20 different DBX 160s, as an example. You need one that you know inside and out. If you want to try a new one, you are comparing it to the one you are already using. The one you are using is your "gold standard", and if you want to compare a new one; you can compare them 1x1 against your gold standard go-to example. Chasing the "best" doesn't matter unless you are buying everything outright. What you need is a baseline that you can compare any others to.

Even if you do not build a template, you can still think of your plugins like they are in one. To add a new one, you are replacing the old one in your workflow.

The worst part about enormous bundles is how they overcrowd your menus with one-trick ponies. You open a full Waves menu on a laptop and it takes up the entire screen.

 

Him, and many others got me convinced that i wanted/needed a little guy on the go or just for the headphones really. It's a solid thing!

 

Dang man those all sound solid I haven eartly everyone of those, I love your selections. I think I'm ging to narrow down to most of the ones you suggested Everyones given great advice thus far, not too much harsh criticsm like I was expecting.

 

Last edited: Oct 24, 2024

This is very true indeed, it's like waking from a coma into a new world lol.. that's the best way I can describe it. Eveything was just so limtied and now the market is just saturated. That's what I thought I'd gain from this post, mutlrple people agreeing that X product is the "GOAT" etc. It's not like that anymore since there are so many options and what works for someone else and their sound and workflow may not be for someonbe else. That's what I've learned with this post, that there is no "end all be ll/best of the best" anymore. It's all subjective and opinonated, some people like X companny better tha Y etc.

It's so crazy to me that people just share presets and templates.. No one ever would do that "back in the day" lol they were stingy with their shit and people were secretive about their soft and hardware. Take for instance like the site pirates bay, demonoid etc. They used to be the standard for warez and they had only stuff you could get with a membership. Now there are so many torrent options and sites to find stuff. I remember DeviantArt was big in the graphics community and it wasn't a HUGE commjunity either, now it's probably rather mainstream if they even exist anymore? Back then I had like Adobe Phootshop 7 or 8 lol now its like Adobe PS 20+ or something. Making websites, animations, small movies/trailers etc. were all done with maybe 1 or 2 programs, now there are just so many instant movie effect and animation applications. If you had a computer with 500 Gig you were prety much good to go, now you need 5TB

 

Last edited: Oct 24, 2024

Thanks, but really, it's notching special you can do the same with stock plugins I'm sure. I think I will also narrow it down a bit more. And add a few classics like stutter edit.

It depends on the kind of music you do, for me there's a focus on creative plugins, reverb and delay to mangle up the sources.

I wish Ableton would allow subfolders for plugins. Arturia has so many synths for example, they are all good but I would like them in a subfolder because 99% of the time I use diva anyways.

 

It is. I just bought a 100W USB C cable (or claimed to be 100W) off Amazon that was a 3m cable and it works perfectly for me and allows me to place where I need it.

 

Not sure why you would want to do this though? You need some kind of preamp to, well, amplify the signal. The Audient ID14 MkII has Audient's ASP8024-E Console grade Class A preamps (and that console is like $50k), class leading converters, and I believe a class leading 120-126dB dynamic range (depending whether you're going AD or DA).

And then you have the ADAT input for an additional 8 inputs. So, as I do with my MOTU 828, I have my hardware synths plugged into that, in effect running through the MOTU preamps and into the Audient via ADAT, meaning it bypasses the Audient's preamps. You could do this with any modern preamp device if you wanted to use your own preamps specifically. Though, this will go through the device's AD converter (being MOTU 828 in my case) and then the DA converter in the Audient, so that may affect the signal somewhat.

Therefore, you can bypass the preamps if you need to, but I don't think people using $30k preamps are going to be wanting to hook it up to an Audient's ID14 line ins to bypass the internal preamps, so you do need to keep in mind the purpose and realistic target audience for a sub-$200 audio interface too.

 

OT, but, I keep wanting to try this and explore, but as soon as I open it up it seems a little daunting!

How do you find it? Is there an easy way to use it to maximise it's potential?

 

This situation feels familiar to me
My opinion/experience about this ... since you already collected so much stuff, I would first organize it (samples/plugins in categories for example), because what you want is a fast workflow. You want to use stuff, not to search for stuff.

Than change your mindset to "being intentional about things" mode. What I mean is, for example this scenario: you want to create a new track which starts with an atmospheric sound? Fine just slam any atmospheric sound you like into a new project. If your mind asks: "What's the best synth or plugin to do this?" you are in the wrong mode to make creative decisions.

If your mindset is in the right mode, you'd go like this (for example):
- Drag & drop the first percussion one shot sample you like in the project
- Slam any reverb on it to make an atmospheric initial impact sound
- Layer it is any pad sound
- Layer it with a long bass sound
- slam an amen break on a new layer
- copy/make everythings 8 bars long
- draw a filter sweep on any of those elements to make a buildup
- stop everything on bar 7 ... maybe with another impact happening there
- drop in some pre-drop-worthy vocal or other sound you like in (maybe saying stupid things like "bass drop" in your shitty laptop mic)
- play back from the start and let your mind flow what should happen next
- .......

This process I described could take like five minutes in the right mindset (with some practise). Or it could take another few weeks/months downloading/testing plugins, reading comments about what's best or watching youtube just trying to find out, what's the soft synth with the nicest sounding pads.

Don't be afraid just producing music. It's really only a few percentages about WHAT you are using, way more important is HOW you are using it. The sooner you change your mindset about producing the sooner your results will get better. See hunting for good sounding plugins/samples as an addition to that ... or as a source for new inspiration ... but not as a starting point, your posts suggests you should be in a step behind this

 

Why I would bypass the preamp? Similar reason why you do it I guess.. I asked because people keep talking about line inputs without differentiating between true line (bypassing preamps) and "fake line inputs" = same input circuit just different level. In another thread people were talking about getting external preamps and using it with cheap interfaces like Behringer because the internal preamps are not the best. The problem is, with most interfaces except the premium build ones, the line input still goes through the preamp like with the cheap audient. Because it's (slightly) more expensive to build proper line ins.
Nevertheless, I agree that for most Homestudio purposes it's not a big deal and I'm sure the Audients are great interfaces.

I use a MOTU interface with proper line ins on the back but I'm still in the market for another interface for stage use

 

Last edited: Oct 24, 2024

How do you use an audio interface for live performance?
www.quora.com/How-do-you-use-an-audio-interface-for-live-performance

Same way as in the studio. You plug it to the computer and the stage monitors and you play

 

I just learned that you could do this, these new features are freaking sweet. All the plugins that come with FL Studio 24 all plugins editons you most likely dont even need 3rd parrty plugins anymore.

 

Last edited: Oct 25, 2024

Thanks for the advice, that's what I'm doing now is organiztion so when my midi controller and my inteface arrive I can take out all the guess work and not spend my time trying to sort through plugins and 1000+ sample packs. It will definetly speed up the work flow, when you have some type of direction and not just a jumbled mess of plugins that you don't know what they are used for or even why you downloaded them in the first place lol. I blame connection speeds, we were always limited back then lol, now you can download 1 gig in a second lol. You had to dedicate yourself to the files you wanted back then since you had such a long wait and slow connection. It might have taken you a week to download nexus and all the expansions. You would have never been able to donwnload most stuff now with the libraries. I have an East West collection that is 320 gig downwload, that would have tken 2 or 3 months on 56k or even 1 meg dsl

 

You use MOTU AVB or Dante. With AVB as example, you can use a computer or the http web panel to login to the device to control it; but you do not have to. The audio is not sent to the computer, unless you want to.