Hello, I just wanted to share that I got sick of having so many plugins.

This is a list of Instruments (left) and Effects (right). These are only main folders, there are many subfolders.

Since my PC hasn't been feeling well lately, I will upgrade (and reset) my system from Win10 to Win11. I will install essential stuff only (Office, Web Development stuff) and in terms of Music (as a hobby) I want to keep just a few tools:
Arturia (whole bundle)
NI (Battery, Kontakt, Guitar Rig)
Nexus 4
Spectrasonics (everything!)
TAL (whole bundle)
u-he (whole bundle)
FabFilter (whole bundle)
Valhalla (whole bundle)
SoundToys (whole bundle)

I want to limit my options as much as possible. Also I need to stop checking the sister site every single day obsessively and start focusing on getting things done.

Also I might try a new DAW. Cakewalk is solid but I think I might be missing fun stuff from other DAW such as Ableton, well... especially Ableton.

 

now you are enlightened my son.

 

good luck, but the sobriety never lasts. 72 hours before the wagon wheels break and you are back to the real world and feasting like the rest of us ...

 

You will basically keep the essentials, nice.

 

Start with a clean slate and only install things as you need them.

 

Just doing the same.

Starting from scratch, and outside of the few tools I know I do use, will install on a "need to need" basis.

Between stock daw and a few companies whose products I love (Valhalla, Soundtoys, GForce, some Klevgrand, uHE etc, some Roland Cloud), and some I have had to depend on (Kontakt for instance, some Toontrack stuff maybe)...

I'm trying "minimal", and ~trying~ to stick to it.. though I know I will fail here and there.

 

I'd allow myself a fixed number of plugin installs per week. 7 in the first week, 5 in the second week, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, ...

 

I'm waiting for Ryzen Zen 5 to come out, build a new PC which will give me the perfect opportunity to only have the plugins I actually use. Until then, I wade through the mire

 

You have too many rules that can easily be broken

 

i used to smoke 30 cigs per day, I did quit

with plugins I have no hope

 

If you are anything like me the problem is that you will have hundreds of half-finished or even half-started projects using all manner of plugins. If you ever want to edit or listen to them again you need those plugins. I've just installed Analog Lab 3 and 4 as well as the current version 5, just for compatibility with old projects. Finished projects are not a problem because I always print the stems as raw WAV files but finished projects are somewhat rare around these parts.

 

there is a lot of stuff still missing, you should rather expand the collection/install asap.

if you still have time to make music, you simply do not put enough effort into collecting and testing.

 

Just did the same thing. Moved to a new computer and cut right down to 'definitely use' vsts only. And I have to say recording and mixing (hoby not work) is easier, a lot easier, and a lot quicker and, for now at least I'm getting better results. So I'm happy.
Just have to get used to seemingly empty vst list windows opening in Reaper

 

Good point! I already made sure to export to WAV the few interesting projects/steams I had.

 

I try to commit to stems ASAP otherwise I end up wasting a lot of time

 

Last edited: May 16, 2024

If i had to reinstall it would be softube and plugin alliance i would install first.

 

That will require rehabilitation and repentance.

 

Cool, Is always nice to make room for the next wave.

 

Delete? or do you mean uninstall?

 

At first I was like "yeah, he does" and then it hit me - "what is he missing? Nothing!" It's not "essentials". It's everything he needs to get something done without too many distractions. I've realised the same when I moved to Linux, limiting my options at the OS level, or so I thought at first... gradually I installed thousands of plugins available for Linux and now I'm in the same boat and have to cut down to the "essentials".

It is the software equivalent of the "GAS" - "PAS" The eternal search for "that one plugin", ending with thousands of plugins... it's a kind of OCD...