Buy within your budget. Watch places like audiodeluxe, jrrshop, kvr and the countless other places on the web, for good deals on great plugins.
The KVR audio ranks and reviews is a good place to look.
There are a lot of free plugins that do the job just as well as the big name ones.

Most DAWs, such as Logic (best value for Mac users IMO), come with great built-in plugins. Learn how to use them!

Do your research and be smart about your purchases.
Learn your DAW and it's bundled content and you might be surprised on which plugins are just wasting space.

Maybe you'll even save enough to buy the more expensive ones later on. ;)

 

Sort VST you use. The ones that you use most often, keep it, and check how much money you really need to get them. Do not bother with things that you use once or not at all. I know we all like super things, even if we don't use them, we like to keep'em But I can bet you don't really need 20K to produce music.

 

"even if we don't use them, we like to keep'em"

In real world, your client will want "THIS" plugins, so if you're on the bill with *this* you'd better have 1/2k$ somewhere near to get it. (Autotune in my friend's case). (in his case it was totally worth it)
You get given projects with plugs you need and hardly replace.
And you use a plugins you "tried", ended up with it in final project, and you're forced to keep it cause your editor or client might need some stuff to be fixed (especially in music for videos/documentary/...)

 

Not sure if troll, trolled, plain wrong, or just F'd up.
You need experience, education, attempts, monitors, ears, social skills, harmony skills. The computers and VST are almost irrelevant. You can make master pieces with stock and freeware plugs, and sound crap with Waves bundles and extensive collection of commercial plugins.
The important part is you, you, you, your ears, your organisation, you, your knowledge of your DAW's keyboard shortcuts.
Things about big money, swaggy rappers and related bullshit is just meant to keep you out of a supposed league.

If you put enough time in it... 2000-2500$ is not that big money and get you right for quite a while
(700 to 1000$ computer - 200$ interface - 400$ DAW - 600 to 1000$ of plugins and/or hardware)
As I told in previous post, warez give you a lot, but much more than you can handle.
Before I got my drumbox, I was using TWO kicks samples, few snares, few claps... How can one browse in 10GB of drum sample? it confuse me.

(pm @xoxopowo on twitter or here, I can give away my kick track, it's very good, it's home made,
it consist of a few (so you can roll and it doesn't sound like a rifle) synthsized kicks on my bass station layered above a TR808 sub) it's for ableton live 8, and it use only stock plugs)

 

First step would be to make breathing room for money then.

For a start all you need is a decent computer, one good DAW, some decent monitors, and some freeware VSTs/samples. Master that gear, make money, save it, buy stuff, make more money etc.

Not being able to make good music because lack of money is a rather lame excuse - no one starts as Hans Zimmer.

Be lucky, even if you have no money for music, you always have your family.

 

Yeah right... Someone needs 50 synths and 100 drum machines...

 

HARD question... I have over 5 terrabytes of sounds and many many CD samples ($94,000 worth to be exact). I have been buying and saving sample libraries since the rise of Bigfishaudio and ilio. I have been homeless and dont pay rent now (no im not living at home) just so I can spend every penny besides food, on samples. I constantly am collecting and researching about 6 hours a day and I can tell you that u need to get out while you can or else this whole world of collecting will CONSUME you and most people reading this know deep down they might have an issue with this too. Start taking piano lessons, and just work hours and hours and hours and days on one song. Make 10 songs, then give them to every musician/ music teacher/ media designer/ record exec/ sound designer you can think of... If you are good, you will get a gig ( movie score or TV show stuff is my guess) then start trying to work with many artists, so they promote you and you get paid (now that you have credits)... worth a try right?

 

Dump your wife and kid and walk down the path of sorrow that underlies genius and creation.


































Seriously now (not so much), you're situation is pretty hard because it's clear you and your family have necessities but it's always possible to save money to buy what you wish no matter what. I don't want to be rude but if even a stupid neet like me can do it anybody can! I ask people to support me even if they don't believe I can make it. I ask them not to buy me things but instead to give me money so that I can buy software or hardware I need, I renounced renewing my wardrobe 5 years ago to save money, I use each single cents to buy stuff, etc. The question is: are you willing to do it instead? Are you willing to become a producer/composer/musician?
On the other side I don't buy the story about the pirated things: the day I see a pc/mac where you can provide valid licenses for anything you have inside of it, I'll change my mind. I'd rather prefer a couple of assholes download stuff without buying it (even if they can) if this gives the possibility to a musical genius to emerge, than not having this possibility at all. If you really have a problem with that, then don't do it. It's just that simple. But as I said, it's a very slippery ground. Good luck!

Oh, one more thing: it doesn't matter if I become pro, king of the world or just a beggar, I am and I'll always be a pirate!

 

"I have over 5 terrabytes of sounds and many many CD samples ($94,000 worth to be exact)."

This is f'd up
Only question is: does it enable you finish some great tunes?