M1 Air, Sonoma

Ableton 12 | Cubase 13

#Instruments:
1.Piano

Garritan CFX | Golden Age Grand
Phoenix | Diamond
​

2.Strings

Berlin Strings [w/ Special Bows & SFX] [8 / 6 / 5 / 5 / 4]
Pacific Ensemble Strings [w/ Solo Cello Legato] [16 / {16} / 12 / 10 / 8]
Sacconi String Quartet
Cinematic Studio Strings [w/ Solo Strings] [11 / 8 / 8 / 7 / 5]
Neo Strings
Ark I [Finckenstein High Strings [14Vl1 &10 Br] | Wolfenstein Low Strings [6Vc & 12Cb]]
Ark II [Weddigen High Strings [24Vl1] | Curtius Mid Strings [10Br & 8Vc] | Pfarracker Low Strings [8Vc & 12Cb]]
Ark III [String Quintet | High Strings | Low Strings]
Ark IV [High Strings | Mid Strings | Low Strings]
Time_Macro [High Strings | Mid Strings | Low Strings] [10 / 10 / 8 / 8 + 8 / 6]
Time_Micro [High Strings | Low Strings]
Vista [5 / {5} / 4 / 3 / 3]
SWAM Strings
​

3.Brass

Berlin Brass [w/ Additional Instruments]
Ark I [Kommandanten Trumpets | Schwarzdorn Horns | Rotdorn Horns | Friedrich Bass Trombones | Hindenburg Tubas | Koenigsberger Cimbassi]
Ark II [Kadetten Bass Trumpets | Ring Tubas | Weissdorn Wagner Tubas | Waltroper Euphoniums | Koenig Fluegelhorns]
Ark III [Horn Ensemble | Trumpet Ensemble | Low Brass]
Ark IV
Time_Macro [Brass]
Time_Micro
Caspian [6 French Horns | 3 Trumpets | 3 Bass Trombones]
Sample Modeling Brass [Trumpets | Horns | Trombones | Tuba | Fluegelhorn | Cornet]
SWAM
Cinematic Studio Brass​

4.Woodwinds

Berlin Woodwinds [w/ Additional Instruments & Soloists]
Ark I [Holbein Bassoons | Barnak Contrabassoons]
Ark II [Alto Flutes | Bass Flutes | Bass Clarinets | Contrabass Clarinets]
Ark III [High Woodwinds | Low Woodwinds]
Ark IV
Time_Macro [High Woodwinds | Low Woodwinds | Double Reeds]
Time_Micro
SWAM
​

5.Harp

Berlin Symphonic Harps
Ark II [6 Correns Harps]
Time Macro | Time Micro​

6.Organ

Royal Albert Hall Organ
B-3 V​

7.Percussion

Berlin Percussion
Ark I Percussion Hits | Ark III Percussion [Taikos & Timpani Ensemble] | Ark IV Percussion​

8.Drums

Superior Drummer 3

Jazz Sessions
Stories
Decades
Rooms of Hansa
Hitmaker Electric
Core Library
Stockholm
Teletone
Soulfi
Tympo
Electro​

9.Bass - Ample Bass P, J & Upright | Retrogade Bass

10.Synths

Anamorph | Le Gibet | Ordine | Scarbo
Diva | Zenology Pro| Pigments | Serum | Omnisphere | Trilian | u-he Synths
VSM IV
Arturia_Vintage | Tal-Pha | OB-X [SonicProjects] | OB-E | OB-EZ | SEM [GForce]
VCV Rack | Cardinal
Magical 8-bit​

11.Electric Guitar - TC | LP | Rickerbacker | SH
12.Acoustic Guitar - Taylor

#Sampler:
1.Ableton - Drum Rack | Simpler | Sampler
2.Serato - Sample
3.TAL-Sampler
4.Robotic Bean - Portatron

#Channel Strips:
1.Acustica Audio

Gold5 [Neve]
Sand3 [SSL] (VCA Compressor)
Ultramarine4 [Fairchild 6xx]
Pink4 [API] {AVOID! PINK4PEQT has a rippling artifact | Use Pink EQ in Salt}
Amethyst [AMEK] {Only in 48 & 96, thus use 192 when using | EQ's Pre has rippling artifact | Pre's Custom modules don't work}
Tulip [Philips Boutique]
Amber3 [Avalon] (Optical Compressor)
Coffee [Chandler]
Nickel [UREI] [FET 1176]
Camel [Calrec-Trident]
Brown [Vintage]
Mystic [The Branch]
Jade [A-Maag Audio EQ4, B-Focusrite Red 2, C1-Kush Audio Clariphonic MKII, C2-Lindell 6x500, D-E-Crane Song STC-8]
Snow
Ivory 5 [Maselec MEA-2] (Dynamic EQ, Mastering)
Magneta 5 [Massive Passive EQ & VOXBOX Compressor] (Mastering)
Coral2 (Mastering)
Erin (Mastering)​

2.Pulsar Modular

P455 MDN Sidecar [API Summing]​

#Master Consoles:
1.Acustica Audio - Howie Weinberg Mastering Console (ADC/DAC Convertors)
2.Izotope - Ozone

#EQ:
Digital

1.Fabfilter - Pro-Q3 (w/ Dynamic)
2.TBT Kirchhoff (Surgical) (w/ Dynamic)
3.Sonible - smartEQ4 (w/ Dynamic)​

Graphic

1.Acustica Audio - Salt (Gold-Sand-Pink) | Scarlet 5 (Mastering) | Ruby2 [D. W. Fearn VT-4 and VT-5 EQ] | Opal [Oram Sonics Hi-Def 55] | Channel Strip EQs
2.Pulsar Modular - P440 Sweet Spot EQ (Mastering) | P450 MDN EQ
3.Vertigo Sound - VSE-4
6.Bettermaker - EQ232D [Very Clean Modern Pultec]
8.DMG - Equilibrium [Has Clean GML8200 as option]​

Dynamic

1.Acustica Audio - Ivory5 Dynamic EQ​

Resonance Suppressor

1.TBProAudio - DSEQ3​

Musical EQ

1.Plugin Boutique - Scaler EQ
2.Sound Radix - SurferEQ 2 Boogie (Bass)​

#Compressor:
Digital

1.Cenozoix Compressor (Plugin Alliance)
2.Fabfilter - Pro-C2 (w/ Side-chain)
3.Sonible - smart:comp2​

Hybrid

1.Tone Projects - Unisum (Mastering)
2.Kiive Audio - Xtressor [/w XTMax & Nuke] | Complexx (Drum Buss)
3.Pulsar Modular - P11 Abyss
4.Elysia - alpha compressor | mpressor
5.Acustica Audio - Opal Comp
7.DMG - Compassion | Trackcomp 2​

FET

1.Acustica Audio - Nickel Comp​

Optical

1.Acustica Audio - Amber3 Comp​

Vari-Mu

1.Acustica Audio - Ultramarine4 [Fairchild 6xx] | El Rey2 [BA-6B] | Midnight [Fairchild 670]
2.Softube - Summit Audio TLA-100A​

VCA

1.Acustica Audio - Aquamarine5 [Shadow Hills Compressor] | Sand3 Comp
2.Bettermaker - Bus Compressor (Plugin Alliance)
4.Vertigo Sound - VSC-3
4.Cytomic - The Glue [SSL 4000 Buss] (Ableton's Glue Compressor is modeled on this by Cytomic)​

Diode Bridge

1.Arturia - Comp Diode-609​

Multi-band

1.Fabfilter - Pro-MB
2.DMG - Multiplicity
4.Xfer Records - OTT [Ableton's OTT in Dynamics]​

Side-chain

1.Wavesfactory - Trackspacer (Multiband)​

#Gate:
1.Sonible - smart:gate
2.Fabfilter - Pro-G (Gate-Expander)
3.DMG - Expurgate | Track Gate

#Filter:
Digital

1.Fabfilter - Volcano3
2.Cytomic - The Drop
3.Sugar Bytes - WOW2​

Analog

1.Arturia - M12 | Mini | SEM | M20​

Hybrid

1.Pulsar Modular - P915 Medusa | F565​

#Tone:
Microphones

1.Acustica Audio - Lava​

Pre-Amp

1.Audioscape - Golden 58 (Tubes | Thick Low & Rounded High | Great on Kick, Snare & Bass)
2.Shattered Glass Audio - SGA1566 [Altec]​

Tape (w/ fx)

1.Acustica Audio - Taupe
3.Arturia - Tape Mello-Fi
4.Robotic Bean - Portatron​

Sampler

1.Tal-DAC​

Saturation

1.XLN - RC-20
2.Tone Projects - Kelvin
3.Acustica Audio - Pumpkin Pro
4.Vertigo Sound - VSM-4 | VSE-4
5.Pulsar Modular - P42 Climax Mod | P44 Magnum
6.Fabfilter - Saturn2
7.Klanghelm - SDRR​

Digital

1.AberrantDSP - Digitalis | SketchCassette | ShapeShifter | Tectonic​

Exciter

1.Cradle - The God Particle
2.Overloud - Gem Dopamine (Dolby Trick-Presence)​

Distortion

1.Fabfilter - Saturn2
2.Arturia - OPAMP-21 | TUBE-CULTURE
3.Kiive Audio - Distinct Pro
4.D16 Audio Group - Devastator 2 (/w Multiband) | Redoptor 2​

Clipper

1.Acustica Audio - Ash | Ash Ultra | Fire the Ash​

Overdrive

1.Audiority - Dr. Drive​

Bit-Crusher

1.D16 Audio Group - Decimort 2​

Fuzz

1.Audiority - Blue Face
2.DirektDSP - Fuzzboy​

#Reverb:
Convolution

1.Audio Ease - Altiverb 7​

Algorithmic

1.Valhalla - VintageVerb | Room | Shimmer
2.Fabfilter - Pro-R2
3.Melda - MTurboReverb
4.Arturia - Rev LX24 | INTENSITY
6.D16 Audio Group - Toraverb 2​

Chamber

1.​

Plate

1.Arturia - PLATE-140
3.Valhalla - Plate
4.Pulsar Modular - Lunar Landar (Great on Synths)​

Spring

1.Audioscape - XL305R
2.Arturia - SPRING-636
3.Klanghelm - TENS
4.Softube - Spring Reverb​

Hybrid

2.D16 Audio Group - Spacerek
3.Valhalla - SuperMassive XL | SpaceModulator
4.Sonible - smart:verb​

#Delay:
Digital

1.Acustica Audio - Lemon
2.Valhalla - Delay | ÜberMod | FreqEcho
3.Fabfilter - Timeless3
4.D16 Audio Group - Repeater | Tekturon
5.Arturia - ETERNITY​

Analog BBD

1.Arturia - BRIGADE
2.Pulsar Modular - Lunar Landar (Great on Synths)​

Tape

1.Arturia - TAPE-201
3.Softube - Tube Delay​

Echo

1.Audiority - Echoes T7E MKII [Binson]​

#Modulation:
Multi-Mod

1.D16 Audio Group - Godfazer​

Chorus

1.Arturia - Chorus DIMENSION-D | Chorus JUN-6
2.D16 Audio Group - Syntorus 2​

Flanger

1.Arturia - Flanger BL-20
2.D16 Audio Group - Antresol (BBD Stereo Flanger)
3.Valhalla - SpaceModulator​

Phaser

1.Arturia - Phaser BI-TRON
2.D16 Audio Group - Fazortan 2 (Space Phaser)
3.Audiority - Dr. Phase​

Rotary

1.Arturia - Rotatory | Efx Motions​

Tremolo

1.Melda - MTremoloMB​

Ring-Modulator

1.Melda - MRingModulator | MRingModulatorMB​

#Pan:
1.Cableguys - Shaperbox 3 Pan [Use Smoothing for Analog Effect]

#FX:
1.Roland - Zenology FX
2.Guitar Rig Pro 7
3.Cableguys - ShaperBox 3
4.Arturia - Efx Motions | Efx Fragments

#Pitch Shifting:
1.Boz Digital Audio - ProVocative
3.Devious Machines - Pitch Monster

#Doubler:


#Space-Depth:
1.Acustica Audio - Space Control


#Doppler:
1.Aegean Music - Doppler Dome


#Transient Shaper:
1.Boz Digital Audio - Transgressor 2
2.XLN - DS-10
3.Wavesfactory - Quantum (w/ EQ & FX, Split EQ Alternative) | Flash

#Bass / Drum Shaper:
1.XLN - DS-10
2.Black Salt Audio - Silencer

#Amps:
1.Acustica - Aero
2.AmpliTube 5 Max | Tonex
3.Guitar Rig Pro 7

#Pedals:
1.Acustica Aero
2.Amplitube 5
3.Audiority - Blue Face | Dr. Drive | Dr. Phase

#De-esser
1.Sonible - smart:deess
2.Fabfilter - Pro-DS

#Vocal:
1.Acustica Audio - Magic Flow
3.Celemony - Melodyne 5 Studio

#Vocoder:
1.TAL - Vocoder
2.Ableton - Vocoder

#Limiter:
2.Sonible - smart:limit
3.Fabfilter - Pro-L2

#Phase:

#Repair:
1.Izotope - RX11 Advanced

#Monitoring:
Reference - Mastering the Mix's Reference
VU - VUMT Deluxe
Oscilloscope - J.L. Thorborg's Signalizer
Wave - Wave Observer Pro
Spectrum - Prism
Balance - true:balance
Dynamics - true:level
Miscellaneous

1.Ghz - CanOpener
​

Updated - xxxxx

 

Last edited: Sep 26, 2024

I'll give ya a like, merely because of the work ya put into all that!

As for telling you what you don't need? Not a chance. In fact I could probably help add to that list, just I'm not gonna purely for your sanity :P

 

That's one thing I don't need for sure! I made the list for personal utility & am just sharing cause why not.
I just deleted tons of plugins that are considered great but Sometimes a man must awake to find that (he) really is never going to use them (like teletone drums & synths & Elementary Sounds Stuff & a lot more of random plugins)...

I just can't find myself imagining Bach going around searching thousands of claviers while his wife is calling him to attend his 13 children & at the same time creating some of the best classical stuff I have listened. Ahh...I am going turn 20 soon...Ahh...I was 17 once...lol

 

Last edited: Feb 25, 2024

most of the plugins you listed is completely useless or just taking up space, slowing the whole system down. it's like having 250 different hammers in a toolshed basically doing only one thing. are you making music or just a collector? i've been here 10 years ago, didn't get me anywhere, was even frustrating to look at the endless list, maintaining updates etc. now i only keep the best ones(for me of course). vertigo sound, ssl, pulsar modular, liquidsonics, audioscape, acustica, gforce,softube,kontakt,modarrt,toontrack.

 

My list is so short it would fit on a postage stamp.

 

me personally, i think the list is too small

 

Installed plugins DO NOT "slow the system down".

 

Dude, cmon' you haven't even read the list. They look this way cause I have sorted them out. Other wise they are the usual culprits -- Arturia, Acustica, Fabfilter, Valhalla, D16, Waves, Softube, u-he, Plugin Alliance, Sonible, Noiseash, Overloud, Melda. They are not 250 hammers, they are categorized quite neatly. I know there are multiple plugins in each category but I'll get rid of them in couple months if I never end up using them. I think it's a pretty comprehensive list of the current plugin scene.

Updating isn't a issue either. Most of these are updated once a year. And you don't even have to update them for couple years if they are working smoothly.

As for Slowing system down, no these don't. The only plugins that slow system down are ilok & codemeter (Rhodes) protected stuff. I got rid of all that already. [These bog down the daw 40-60%]

 

Last edited: Feb 25, 2024

Nice list :0

I have my own spreadsheet that I try to build up, mostly just instruments/synths for now, but slowly but surely I will go through my massive folder of zips. I want to ensure that I've actually tested them, understand what they do and approved them, otherwise I'll just delete it to save space. This will be me when finished:

 

it's a good list. I'd add more than this...

adds:
Izotope Insight v1 or v2.
UVI - Falcon and Shade,
DSP5600 Virus Emulator and Micro-Q Emulator
EzKeys2
Sir Audio Standard Clip
K-Clip3
Plugins That Knock - Knock and Clipper
Baby Audio - Transit


removes:
Melda,
Analog Obsession,
Boz Digital,
Klevgrand,
AOM Factory,
PureMagnetik,
Cymatics - Disablo,
Unfiltered,
Inphonic - RX950,
SugarBytes,
Goodhertz.

Something like that.

 

Last edited: Feb 26, 2024

do you use more than 40 eq, and 20 delay?

anyway, don't you like uvi relayer? together with fabfilter and valhalla it's more than what i need..

 

Last edited: Feb 26, 2024

How about contributing to sister site?

 

This was released as part of this: Audio Modeling SWAM All In Bundle v3.5. From June '22. Woodwinds was only separate as a release for Windows.

 

That will blow up my 2015 mbpro

 

Having tons of plugins doesn't slow down the whole system it only takes up alot of space on your hardrive or harddrives the only thing it can slow down is tha SCANNING of plugins at startup of your DAW.

 

Nah! For Delay I use Valhalla & Lemon most of times. I just happened to have collected a alot. And for EQ...Ah...Yes, I do have a lot of them & especially a lot in channel strips.

I guess they're quite decent plugins but I never end up using them. Thanks of the post...

 

I don't see any plugins on your list that are "bad plugins". but you asked for opinions on what to get rid of from your hard disk.

One thing about Mac for production that I love though, is how easily we can just move plugins around; without worrying about problems with them if you just put them back. Unless you go into cleaning up by deleting plist files and such, you can just move stuff out of your /components or /vst3 folders. I have a folder called /Unused Plugins on my external drive, and I just dump them into there. If I need one back, I can either drag it back, or launch it within BlueCat's Patchwork wrapper. With OSX Validate All AU's, I don't even have to reboot 99% of the time. The goal is just for them to be out of my way.

 

I see! Mac, then.

 

They were released on here for Windows too, but people were concerned they were malware. If the OP was using Windows, the plugins list would probably be pretty different. Almost this entire list could be found on sister site, for Mac; without running Crossgridder to use Windows iLok plugins.

 

I completely revamped it. Got Spectrasonics. Got rid of all Modeled Synths. Deleted a lot of stuff that I'd have never have used. Have only a few plugins at hand & moved the rest to external drive.