I think this line sums up all what has been said on the subject..

Try all, select a few.

Any sane sound engineer would not skip the chance to try new hardware gear but, money being no object he/she would still buy/get what would be considered as "best" for a given job.

However, the REAL problem is knowing how to assess such gear or what to listen for when comparing. This apparently simple task requires understanding/knowledge of the gear/VST on test, something that only experience will give us.
But this is probably material for a new thread.

 

Couldn't agree with you more JayAR!

and on that note..

does any one know what synth will make me sound like deadmau5!?


















jk

 

NOOOOOO... PLEEEEEEEASE.... AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH... it's not an opportunity, it's a TRAP !!! I don't have the time to test them all for finding those which works best for me .
Of course one will argue there are some "benchmark" you can't go wrong with, but even if I cut down to only those ones, I will spend the rest of my life to learn how to use them the right way before being able to make a choice...

Thanks to you, for the very first time I'm creating a new project with Cubase 5 and the included plug-ins ONLY.
It's far from over, but contrary to popular belief, it sound pretty good, and even better than others made with Arturia's instruments and some of the best drum samples. Also, I work a lot faster...

I will try to finish it for the end of this week, but hey Doctor, you know it's so hard not to pass here to see what comes out...

 

The more I think about this, the more i think, while Budhead is right, for some folks, with his general advice, there's really nothing wrong with having half a dozen plugins, all flavored and colored a bit differently to do the specific job...

I mean.. perhaps, if u HAVE to limit yourself to 1-2 plugins per effect... maybe you just don't have the mental capacity to manage a more vast library of tools, maybe music production isn't for you. I have to think that most of the better producers around don't have 15 plugins in their arsenal... do they?

Maybe.. its good advice, for those folks out there, that cant seem to concentrate on more than one thing at a time.. but i suppose some musicians, producers like to embrace a wider palette of options and aren't necc. paralyzed by the specter of 'too many choices'

After all... some people thrive.. on crack... right?

 

Obviously you don't have the mental capacity to manage the limited library of words written in this topic, whose elementary combinations form intelligible sentences for most people with a normally constituted brain. So I will repeat specially for you : The problem is NOT to manage 1, 10 or 30 plug-ins per effect (or as instruments), but - because of the "warez addiction" - to have to TEST 1000 plug-ins for CHOOSING those 1, 10 or 30. Can you dig it ?

Stop chewing before launching your web browser, I'm sure you will have a better understanding of what I meant...

I'm not pretentious as you are to think of being part of the "better" producers around, so I do not really feel obliged to have so many plug-ins as they have.

 

Apparently you have a different understanding of the topic.. and ..what I was referring to... no need to get touchy, wasn't personal mate :dancing:

 

Cmon guys... lets all kick back... theres no for any negative emotion in this conversation.

Smoke a bowl. Realize.

This thread is about having "Too many vsts". This is a real psychological issue that DOES exist, so we need to approach it from a logical standpoint that looks at it from a different point of view.

Why are you collecting plugins?

Heres my personal answer:

1) I have gone through the phase of collecting plugins for the sheer fact that I could. I was able to download and buy them, so why not!? The more I have, the more I will be able to do.. right?

2) Also, it feels good to get something new... Just as we get excited for UPS or FED-EX to come when we are expecting a package...doesn't matter if its a damn dog collar, because the act of receiving something new is exciting. Period.

3) Lastly I love learning about the new shit on the market. I am a research whore and will hop on any opportunity to learn about the latest and greatest in the domain of audio technology.

Notice something... none of my answers were.. TO MAKE BETTER MUSIC.

The simple fact is that whether you know it consciously or not... you are probably not collecting plugins because you know its gonna help you make better music. Deep down you know that what makes great music is hours upon hours of WORK. Tedious, repetitive, sometimes boring and frustrating WORK!

Music (especially electronic music) is not created in a few hours of making some weird synth sounds and dropping them over a quick drum beat. You can spend 2-3 hours on creating a fucking kick drum alone! Making music is a skill takes time to develop. You will only improve your skills by working. Stop thinking that collecting plugins and trying new shit out is a substitute for working.

Why not learn to rock what you have first? If you cant even do that, how do you expect to master 40 new plugins you have spent less than 5 hours on each?

Don't be retarded. Better synths/plugs will not make you a better producer.

Just get working, and when it gets hard... KEEP WORKING. Pushing through the hard part is where you begin to get in touch with the most important part of yourself. Your Creativity! <--- this is the purpose of music

When you set up the right conditions for yourself (limitations), you allow your creativity to flourish. On the contrary, if you create a overly complex and overwhelming environment for yourself, you will stifle your creativity and not get much done... then its back to worrying about your plugins.

Its like a guy building a house who has never built a house before, complaining that it's hard work and that the house looks like shit. He then goes on to blame the hammer, and that if he had more/better hammers the house would look amazing. WRONG. silly man, hes just a newb at building houses. He needs more practice and experience. DONT BE THAT GUY.


Here is a track that I have been working on the past 2 days. Mind you, this is no where near complete and is still very rough around the edges. But the fact that I am finally working on tracks and actually trying to complete something start to finish without worrying about what I USED, is proving to be very beneficial to me. I am seeing my production improve before my very eyes, just by doing boring work. This track has prolly had about 12 hours spent on it, and with another 12 it could actually be something worth while.

But I am absolutely sick of working on it, and to be quite honest I am pretty tired of it all around. But this is what I am trying to convey to you guys. Just push through the hard work and you will see results in your own personal improvement. Another promise I will make you.


Best of luck guys, you can do this!

Just remember, setting limitations for yourself is how you will master learning how to release your creativity.


Heres my stupid song ... http://www.mediafire.com/?o6bo5m6n9ay0708

 

Mmm.. yes, the download & "try that and that.. or.. whatever plugin" addiction.

I´ve to say that I pass through that situation recently, and it sucks.

It was hell for me when I dont had an internet conection and I only could use some crap vst pianos or fx...

So, when I could start to download and try some good sounding instruments it drives me crazy.. and I downloaded a lot of ultra heavy 40GB (or more) pianos and other great stuff.

I was happy until I had to format my hard drive, backup all the files and move to a new pc. It took A LOT and insane amount of time and headache, and being me an organized guy with files, a lot of files get lost in nothing, and is unpleasant when you open an old session to finish a track and you lost time finding or downloading again a vst, sample or anything. Or when you note that your number 10 dvd of a backuped instrument installer is broken...

So.. be organized and clean with files, and select and go deep in the tools or stuff you use usually.

Sorry if my english is bad, but it´s a great forum and a good topic.

Greetings.

 

@budzmaster what reverbs do you use friend?

 

nice track budzmaster

 

One Reason - Hey! thanks buddy! The track is just a rough sketch of something I was working on when (extremely) baked. I worked on it for like 12 hours straight and had it stuck in my head for the next 2 days nonstop! Even in my dreams!!

But, I think I will sit down with it again and actually try to make a completed track out of it.

John C. - The only verbs I use are Redline Reverb and EOS extensively. I have used every reverb on the market, and feel that these satisfy all of my needs perfectly. No need for convolution here ;)

 

Still loving this thread.

Seems the addiction runs deep within our community.

I promised at the start of this thread to start afresh, but it aint easy. I mean, get rid of that one, But what if........!? Soooo, still at square one here. I have put a complete STOP on DLing anything new tho, vst, vsti. I am gonna follow a few tuts, both video and magazine, use the suggested plugs and see if I can make an EDUCATED choice.

Please keep up the excellent work You have put into this thread BUDZMASTER, You have a great turn of phrase and are BORN to this kinda writing!!

 

Suggestion.. every 2 or 3 months (or 6 if you like.. but at least twice a year) have a look at your VST folder and delete all those VST you've never ever use once BUT..
keep all the vst installers in a folder in your hardrive and I mean ALL vst.. even those that dates back 5 or 6 years (if you've got any).

This way you will have a clean small-ish vst folder for your projects but you will also be able to go back and dig out and re-install an older vst should you wish or need to (an old project or something).
And before you download something (it is good to try.. nothing wrong with that, as long as you are then capable of uninstalling what gets a fail!) all you need to do is ask yourself.."how bad do I need this?"

 

Basically its like this:

What are you trying to achieve? Do you even know? Do you even have a goal? How are you supposed to know what you need or want if you don't even know what it is or why it is that you want something?

Before I continue, I just want people to know that if they are reading this and think I am some kind of Guru who knows everything and has the answers to everything, I will state now that I do not. I will also state that NO ONE DOES. The answer for you, lies within you.


Look I have been, in the EXACT same position as most of you reading this. In fact, I am still working my hardest everyday to break free of it. But what is it?

What is this that we are trying to break free from exactly? Could it be our addiction to the feeling we get when we find something new? Could it be that we just love trying out new plugins because we think we are going to find the magical one that will make our sounds FRESH and AMAZING?

Or could it just be that we are lazy, and that procrastination feels so much better(temporarily) than having to think about work?

Maybe its all 3. Shit, maybe its more! But one thing I do know is that most people who have been in this position are very much like myself. What I have found for myself is that I have this insidious subconscious belief that there are magical plugins out there that just "sound professional" and will make my tracks sounds dope boy fresh. This is bullshit and we all know it.

I have heard some ridiculously tight music from nothing more than a dude on a mic with some footpedals. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhBoR_tgXCI&feature=relmfu

You think this guy gives a shit about the latest plugins?

If you are making electronic music which involves alot of synths....Pick a few synths (not more than 3) and master them. Music will flow out of you without you having to worry about your tools.

Some of the biggest club bangers have been made with just stock plugins! Its crazy!!!.... or is it!?

These dudes know their tools, they don't care what you hand them, then can make great tracks.

Im not gonna rant anymore because I've pretty much said all there is to say in previous posts. But in summary... its all about how much time you put into a track that is gonna make it sound good. I have friends who are releasing tracks for labels who only use stock ableton and stock logic plugins. We can do this together. Focus on the music and masting your available tools, if you need to do something you cant do with what you have and you know what it is you are trying to do... THEN go look for a plugin to satisfy your needs. Don't fear the work, its part of the journey in how you learn to use your tools in your own style giving you your own personal sound. Thats how artists sepperate themselves from every other producer out there. If you hope to go anywhere past your bedroom studio, embrace that shit!

I promise you can do it...

All you really need is
1 x sampler
1 x good sounding synth (whatever sounds good to YOU) ....I hate the timbre of Massive and can make wobbles all the same with other shit. (sampler + sylenth)
1 x stock plugins

Go for tools that make your workflow EASIER. If they are too convoluted and you cant tell if they sound better than plugin x but they have a cool GUI.... ditch it. Its just making you slower and more ineffective, which will make you not want to "work" even more.

blah ok im done get to work!

 

ON IT BRO!!!

 

Do as a few other have said, but a while ago I completey removed all "extra" plug ins.

Stuff like:

Izotope Trash,
Redline Reverb/Eq,
Massive,
Soundtoys
2c Aether,

Can all be used to create so many different types (of whatever they do) it's really best to learn how to use power plug inside out rather than 100 quick fix mini plugs. I don't even use battery for proper kits anymore, I build them into a kontakt rack because it has far more power.

I have a one in one out policy, If i want something new I remove something else.

Budz's list was pretty spot on imo if you are looking for stuff that's so good you will use it all the time.

Not aiming this at anyone here (or anyone at all) but some people cba to sit down for a few hours and read a manual, you wouldn't try and drive a car with no lessons so what makes so many people think they can sculpt amazing sounds and textures from pure waveforms by willpower alone?

Take a look at all of the d16 stuff too, simpler to get to grips with than sound toys but very nice sound.

 

With Ya HYPERBEAT!100%

I didn`t delete ANY of my plugz yet, but I did actually USE Ableton`s stock plugz and guess what. Me gots the START of a track!! I only resorted to imported Plugz when Abletons Phaser did not give me the sound I wanted.

SOOOOOOO, ALL of this advice given in this thread WORKS! I am gonna just go fookin wild with Your Uninstaller and have one HUGE clear out. Stick to the Platinum Plugz! Learn em proper and start to Go Forwards instead of marking time, WASTING TIME, on this most bizarre of obsessions!

Thanks to ALL who have posted in this thread. I am not out of the woods yet, but at least now I am prepared to face the cold turkey!!

AA session anyone? Apps Anonymous!

 

Less = More ...... Now before any so called google experts jumps on me, take this into account.


Below is a working anology (if you want to pull it apart then you might be missing the point)

If you had a choice of working all your life or any part of your life with either an SSL console or a Neve console what do you do. make a choice between them or use the excuse there isn't enough EQ choices.

My answer was to use what i had in front of me and learn it well.

 

Yeah I really love this thread, glad I'm not alone in my addiction lol. Trying to kick it.

It's funny how just three chords on an old acoustic with some meaningful lyrics can just blow you away, but thousands and thousands of dollars worth of the worlds greatest software can leave you cold and frustrated and unproductive. I keep telling myself that it's ok to just be a curator of plugins and that all I want to do is just make some cool sounds for entertainment and then just close the DAW at the end of the night with nothing accomplished, but that's BS and I know it.

And yes thanks to Budz, nothing new but eloquently expressed, much appreciated. Did you see that article recently about how they have started using psilocybin to help cancer patients come to terms with death? Pretty interesting. What's your thoughts on DMT and the creative process Budz?