I'm wondering if anyone has similar problems with deciding on their 'go to' plug ins....I'm shall I use the pro-q or the ssl native x-eq, i love the sonnox eq but it doesn't have a spectral anylyser???.....I know the 'whatever sounds best to you' arguement, but it goes beyond that with me sometimes, I feel i'm missing something ...and then there's the synths!!!. I could go on but I'm hoping you get my point.......

 

Try this:
make 2 VST EQ folders. 1 named just "eq" and the other named "Special EQ". Now force yourself to select 4 or 5 (max) favorite eqs and place them in the special folder, all the other eqs in the "normal".
Now, whenever you mix/master only use the plugins in the "special" folder and go to the other folder only if/when after hard trying you did not get the sound you wanted with the special plugs.
After a period of time you'll discover that you consistently use the same 3 or 4 eq (possibly not all in the "special" folder). That is when you do spring cleaning..

 

sort of 'Wavelab style' I remember doing something similar in there actually!!....I reckon I'll do this thanks for your input

 

Discipline? Oh yes, lot's of it.. but name a top artist in ANY field who got to the top without a form of (self) discipline

 

Amy Winehouse? Pete Doherty?

 

I meant "artist who got famous", not "famous people pretending to be artists"!!!

 

sorry, my mistake

 

Duu,

Don't worry man you are not alone when it comes to your situation. There are many people out there just like you who are in the exact same position and are paralyzed by the vast amount of decisions available.

I too have fallen trap to the enormous amount of available plugins which essentially do the same thing. I understand how hard it can be to make a choice about what tools to use and when. Just remember this...


THEY ARE JUST TOOLS.

Its time to make some choices and set some goals for yourself.

Is you goal to be a plugin collector/reviewer? If so, then you are on the right path. Keep collecting plugins, try them get to know them, review them for other people, and then move on to the next one.

However, If your goal is to complete tracks and to make great progress as a producer.. you goals need to be different. Write them down.

For example. My end goal is to be releasing tracks quarterly on a label of my choice. Now, from that goal, I have many other small goals I have created in order to reach my end goal. These are... limiting myself to the plugins I have decided on using, and completing a track every 2 weeks, along with many other things.

Keep the focus on your goal and let the tools be there to assist you. Do not think that having a better hammer is going to allow you to build a better house. Learn how to use what you have inside and out so that it doesn't get in your way. Once you do... that tool will no longer be a road block that you must overcome, but instead will be there to help you achieve whatever it is you are going for.

Every DAW has its strengths and weaknesses in terms of stock plugins it comes with... Learn them (through practice) and then you will realize what you are missing. If you are an Ableton user for example, and the reverb isnt big enough or real enough for you. Go find ONE Algorythmic reverb that you love the sound and useablity of... and maybe find one convolution reverb that sounds great to you. THATS ALL YOU NEED. I swear to you.

Let these tools be just that, tools. Find one or 2 plugins that cover all of your bases for each type of processing that you require and make them an extension of your mind. Force yourself to KNOW and BELIEVE that you do not need more. Concentrate on what you want to accomplish and let these tools be there to assist.

Plugins are fun, don't get me wrong.. but your focus needs to be on the act of mastering what you are given to work with, and creating great music

Try to stick with no more than 2 plugins for Reverb, Distortion, Synths, Modulation, Delay, etc... You can do this! I believe in you...


Just remember, some of the greatest music was created with MUCH LESS than you have...


If you want recommendations as to what I have narrowed my plugins down to after years of going through what you are experiencing they are:

Reverb : 112db - Redline Reverb, Audio Damage - EoS Reverb
Delay: Sound Toys Echoboy
Distortion: Camelphat
Modulation: Soundtoys pack
Synths: sylenth, Korg legacy, massive
Eq: Fabfilter - Pro-q
Compressors: Cytomic the Glue
Limiter: Fab Filter Pro-L

For everything else I use Abletons built-in plugins too... they rock! ...except the modulation plugs like chorus,flanger,phaser...etc

 

Great post budzmaster

Many people (me included) should print this out, and stick it on the wall.

I think you should add what kind of music you make, though, because I think the choice of Plug-Ins also depends a bit on the kind of music. I assume you make electronic music.

 

BUDZMASTER, write a book........ IMMEDIATELY!!!

What great advice. You have seen straight to the heart of the problem, obviously through personal experience, and offered the most amazing answer possible.

Sir, I am humbled! I am still starting out after 2 years of starting out!! I fire up Live, open the plug in browser, small smile at the amount of top notch plugs available to me, GOD BLESS SHARING!! Then I just scratch my head. Errrrrrm, where do I start. Which one of these myriad synths, apps and plugz do I choose. So the usual, lets just see what this does ensues. Play with some pre sets, make a few nice sounds, then it`s bloody midnight again and I`m too knackered to do anything constructive. But Tomorrow, ahhh, TOMORROW I shall do better. Tomorrow I shall follow a plan. We all know when tomorrow comes!!

So My Dear Sir, You have, in one post, burst the bubble that had Me trapped. Tomorrow (HAHAHA!!) I am gonna make a fresh start. I will be sure to give You mention at the Grammy`s, Etc and on my first Album released with a Major!

 

Mostly avoid the use of any hammer, even to build minimal or actual R&B...

 

@budzmaster......Thanks for your input, I mainly use Cubase 5 and apart from the bundled reverbs the stock plugs are to be honest shite!!. I've defo taken on board what you (and others who've replied) have said and Ive got

some desicions to make people!!

 

Great post Captain Weedhead, on a very touchy subject.

I too shall try to heed that advice.... even though I have already tried numerous times, I now feel a new and emboldened confidence to get off the crack...aka fishing lures.. aka plugins.

Cheers !

 

Thats great to hear that you guys sound so inspired to stop collecting and to just do work...son!

I only can speak to you from experience... and have been exactly in your same position so I feel like I know where you guys are coming from.

Its like you really truly believe that you might be missing out being able to create "that sound" if you don't have Plugin XYZ. So you just do what will be immediately satisfying...collect more plugins!!!
This phychological brain fuck is doing nothing to help you, in fact it IS what is keeping you from completing tracks. The procrastinators mindset has got to go. You are in essesnce setting yourself up to make your job more difficult so that you wont have to do the WORK necessary to making something great.


After about 2 FULL DAMN YEARS of repeating this viscous unproductive cycle, I am finally getting a real awakening on what its all about. Being creative.

Want to know when people are the most creative? When they have NOTHING and have to make due with what they have. Seriously though, imagine 2 people locked in separate rooms. One person has a room full of random stuff they have never seen or used before, and the other person has only a few items. You give them both 2 hours to create something with no rules.. guess who is going to be able to get the most creative? The one with less.

Why,

Well its simple. When you have limited options it forces your brain to come up with new ways of doing things, including new ways to use your materials. You build new neuro-nets in your brain which allow the flow of your skills and creativity to be released from the channel you call "yourself".

I remember Fear Factor's Joe Rogan on a recent podcast describing the human body (specifically the brain) as an antenna that tunes into certain information thats whizzing around the universe existing as what we know as frequencies. Depending on how in-tune your antenna is, will determine what you will pick up in this vast sea of consciousness and information.

If you have a a bunch of internal shit that is fucking with your natural harmonic resonance in the universe, you may find that you are unable to channel anything through yourself because of a "rusty antenna".

You might think that you were just born with a broken one and thats it! DONT KILL YOURSELF JUST YET! THERES GOOD NEWS! All you have to do is clean off that rust!

This means taking action on what you know you should do. Maybe dont use ANY external plugs and start making bad music, yes make bad music. Do not be afraid of it, embrace it. You don't have to show it to anyone. Ever. But after writing a lot of bad music you will notice progress in every one of your songs. That is something I can and WILL promise you. Eventually, you will have the skills needed to make amazing music, no matter what kind it is.

In reality, nothing separates you from your favorite producer as an individual. They just put in the time, hard work, determination, focus, consistency, and most importantly patience.

Everyone can do this. You just gotta make a choice, and then more importantly..take action.

/rant

Ways to clean a rusty antenna:

1) Practice daily meditation.
2) Set Goals, Write them down, and accomplish them. This promotes focus on accomplishing tasks and takes your mind away from distractions.
3) Approach making music with a limited arrangement of tools. This will cause you to be decisive, and will stimulate creativity.
4) Take psilocybin mushrooms, or other ethnobotanical tool of your choice. But prepare to boost your antenna's reception like +20db. You not be ready for what you tune into.. Yet, things should become much clearer.

 

Even if I can't agree more with you on that point, I'm not sure it was the best advice to give on a warez forum... unless you want it closed for lack of members .

Fortunately, AiR lets us complete our tracks for now...

 

Haha.. touche my friend.

However, this site provides the perfect opportunity to find what plugins work best for you so you can narrow it down to a select few.

Also, I am pretty sure that just because I speak my mind on a forum, nobody is going to stop downloading and sharing files

 

budzmaster = GURU, The New Messiah!!

I Love it Bro, You need Your own thread . So far I reckon You have given more advice that is REAL than ALL the vids I watched in 2 years.

Errrrrrm, is the psilocybin completely necessary??

I went for a rather unpleasant stroll with Mescaline a few years back. Let`s just say, I possible chose the night that George A Romero was transmitting on ALL frequencies!!! Haven`t been able able to visit those corridors since!

Please keep these nuggets of purest brilliance coming budzmaster.

THANK YOU!