Just for fun, I'm interested in hearing what your go to plugins would be if you could only use 3 or 4 from this point on. I think this is a fun way for people to get turned on to worthy VST's they might not know about, including myself. Let's try to keep it to EQ's, compressors, and effects if possible. You could throw in a virtual instrument too if you'd like!

Edit: You can add as many as you like

 

Last edited: Jan 8, 2020

Three or four of each, ok, this could work, but in total?

 

Sure! Please do share

 

Err. Pianoteq. Kontakt. Reaktor. Can I have 4? :D Feels like I'm cheating rly, already.

Anyway, I guess prolly Omni instead of Reaktor if I'm being honest. But I do <3 Reaktor. And does stock eq et al count cos they're not rly plugged in, they're part of the DAW? It would be wild to write anything with no fx, tho!

 

For me it would be Serum, Pianoteq, ApulSoft apQualizr and FabFilter Pro-L 2

 

McDSP 6060 - Kinda cheating as its got various eq, comps, saturators, and gates but they all sound good. GUI sucks a bit but thats just McDSP.

Fabfilter Pro-Q 3 - All around great surgical eq, has dynamic functionalities too

Valhalla Vintage Verb - Best sounding and most efficient reverb

Echoboy Jr - Good delay, best parts of its big brother in a small efficient form factor.

 

Hmmm. You gotta at least give us 4 instruments and 4 effects. For instruments... Superior 3 is non-negotiable, guess I have to have Kontakt... a big ROMpler so Omnisphere and then have Keyscape as well... and IKM's B-3X. I used to swear by Guido and VB3 1.4 but overall B-3X has a bit of an edge.

For FX, geeeeeze. Impossible. Let's say, Valhalla Vintage Verb, Fab Filter Q3, Echoboy (huh, does this sound familiar or what?) and I want to say Magic Death Eye but for the overall flexibility I'd probably have to go with Slate VMR. And Softube's Trident A-Range dammit. I want 5.

 

I kept the list small to really get the best of the best posted, but the more the better. You have good choices though! I'm really most interested in people's go to compressors.

 

If I had to pick only 4 plugins, I would probably go with:

Falcon
Kontakt
Omnisphere
Reaktor

These aren't necessarily "the best" plugins, but they all come with a lot of flexibility, filters and effects included and offer the broadest range of sounds without using any other plugin.

 

My go to compressor of late has been the Stock Ableton "multiband compression' compressor. The amount of control on it is wonderful.

 

4 of my necessities would be Soundtheory Gullfoss, iZotope Tonal Balance Control, Waves CLA 76, and Lindell 80 Channel. With Gullfoss and Tonal Balance I can clean everything up and make sure my mix balance is right, 76 and 80 channel for character, and the 80 channel has such a beautiful, dare I say it, transparent, compressor, and I love the eq. And the rest can be done with stock plugins. Ableton reverb is an unsung hero, and their native SSL G compressor emulation is wonderful. There's plenty of saturation and other sound design fx to get me by and I already choose over name brands.

Oh and I'm going to at least need Serum.

I'm going to have to check that out again, I haven't opened it up in awhile!

My go to compressors would be waves CLA 76 and API 2500, and Brainworx SSL G Channel, and Lindell 80 Channel, love the compressors on those channel strips.
Honorable mentions would be SPL Iron, Elysia Alpha, and Ableton stock!

 

Last edited: Jan 8, 2020

Agreed with Trurl, need at least 4 of each :p
4 synths would be Massive, Sylenth1, Serum, BazzISM (possible to do really about anything electronic music related with those)

4 fx would be Color copy, Breverb2, Pro q3, and Satin

That is supposing I can keep live's stock :p
As for compressors Glue compressor and ableton stock are the ones I can't let go

 

bluecatpatchwork so i can load more vst's

 

If I had to, I would mainly use the plugins of my DAW (Studio One). But then I would definitely need a good ampsim.
So I choose TSE Audio X50II. Also I would need some instruments, I decide for:
- Perfect Drums
- NI Kontakt plus Libraries
- Sylenth1

 

there is a clever way to cheat here. so i am trying to be oversmart here.

but bear with me.

virtual rack 1,2,3 will give me 10 vst per rack probably. so i can use 30 vst easily.

and goto synths are serum sylenth, spire,union & diva,

Then in eq we can use stock fl or probably the fab filter one. with saturator and some compressor maybe multiband and pro l maybe. and some stereo widening would be enough

 

Need only one MXXX


(but If I have to take 3-4
Synthmaster
Reaktor
Kontakt)

 

If I am mixing - IK Multimedia ARC System 2.5, DMG Audio EQuilibrium or Fabfilter Pro-Q3, Fabfilter Pro-C2, and Fabfilter Saturn. I could maybe pick a colorful EQ and compressor, with the ability to turn off the color, and then that would give me a spot for a versatile effect plugin instead of using a versatile saturation plugin. If I am allowed to pick 5, I would add in SoundToys EchoBoy. If 4, remove Saturn, add EchoBoy, replace the EQ with Tokyo Dawn SlickEQ Gentleman's Edition, and replace the compressor with U-he Presswerk.

 

instruments: Kontakt (rompler/sample player/wavetable synth) +acoustic instrument libraries, Falcon ( as hybrid synth)
effects: Valhalla Ubermod (multifx), IL Maximus (dynamics), Soundradix Surfer EQ 2 (EQ), East West Spaces 2 (convolution reverb), Izotope Trash 2 (distortion), DMG Limitless (mastering limiter).

The only one on this list that doesn't have multiple alternatives is Kontakt (there are just too many good sounds for it and too little for all the other competitors).

 

Love this thread. (Kind of the opposite of the big-headed arguments about "best _________")
Of course there is objective capabilities and performance of VST but when people have to choose what THEY like best we get to more subjective & personal reasons and in use that matters a lot.
I have have used many of those mentioned, and I pick some of the same, but need to try those others.

 

For creation: Falcon, Kontakt, VPS Avenger, Serum and Arcade - at the moment, anyway.
For Vocal tracking is very simple: UAD Avalon and LA2A
For Mixing It has to be: Maag EQ4, Fabfilter Q3, Purple MC77, SPL DeEsser, Bx_Townhouse, and Ableton Stock Plugins.

Literally could not get up in the morning without any of these.