New Vst plugins knock others out

[mr_es335]

Good day,

... that's insane!!!Bob L ... Ditto!!

PS: I use only three!

[MMP]

It really doesn’t take much when you are using some of the plugin bundles out there. UAD have both mono & stereo for every plugin, and sometimes have many flavors say of something like an 1176. There’s probably 12 just for that one compressor. If you own a larger Waves bundle, they have 100’s of plugins. I do have a “Hide” folder with the ones that I don’t ever use, but there really is a huge number of them that get used in my larger music mixes.

There are also a number that I haven’t been able to remove from my system. Like all the DX one’s that Acid loaded in. They go against the count, but never get used.

[cgrafx]

It really doesn’t take much when you are using some of the plugin bundles out there. UAD have both mono & stereo for every plugin, and sometimes have many flavors say of something like an 1176. There’s probably 12 just for that one compressor. If you own a larger Waves bundle, they have 100’s of plugins. I do have a “Hide” folder with the ones that I don’t ever use, but there really is a huge number of them that get used in my larger music mixes.

There are also a number that I haven’t been able to remove from my system. Like all the DX one’s that Acid loaded in. They go against the count, but never get used.

I'm always curious about how any project could end up using 100's of different plugins. (not talking about multiple instances of a few plugins).

What exactly are those plugins doing that actually couldn't be done with just a handful?

How many variations of a compressor or reverb or delay actually produce functionally different results?

Would one not be better with a core set of tools that you become expert in, rather than the shotgun approach in which you never really utilize any of them to their full extent?

When studios used real hardware, they didn't have 500+ variations of compressors, limiters, gates, reverbs and yet somehow they managed to produce some of the greatest musical releases of all time. In most cases putting to shame 90+ percent of the stuff that is being done today.

Less generally really is more.

[MMP]

I doubt that I ever use even twenty different plugins in any particular mix. However, each mix may have a number of plugins not used in the other.

Many plugins I use are for very specific issues that don’t come up all the time. For instance, I have four different noise reduction vendors whose plugins I use and some are better than others on specific issues. My film mixes would not be as good without these choices being available to me.

The set of plugins I use for a museum surround sound design job is likely to be very different than a folk album, or a rock mix, or a radio commercial.

I do a wide variety of project types and I don’t really need anyone second guessing my production choices or software choices and if three plugins are enough for you for all the work you do, then more power to you.

My needs are different.

[MMP]

Just in the reverb department, I use a number of different reverbs depending upon the project. I have Lexicon emulations for that sound, I have plate reverbs, chamber reverbs, spring reverbs, resonant reverbs, convolution reverbs, etc.

I suppose I could get by with one plate reverb program for a number of things, but I hear huge differences between all of these plugins and I make creative choices of which to use in what circumstance. For instance, I would choose Altiverb to reproduce the interior ambience of an automobile for a film instead of using a spring reverb. I believe that would truly be a functionally different result.

While I do feel that less is more fits many circumstances, I also believe in the right tool for the job. It just so happens I stay busy by doing a lot of different types of audio jobs.

I'm always curious about how any project could end up using 100's of different plugins. (not talking about multiple instances of a few plugins).

How many variations of a compressor or reverb or delay actually produce functionally different results?

Less generally really is more.

[cgrafx]

I doubt that I ever use even twenty different plugins in any particular mix. However, each mix may have a number of plugins not used in the other.

Many plugins I use are for very specific issues that don***8217;t come up all the time. For instance, I have four different noise reduction vendors whose plugins I use and some are better than others on specific issues. My film mixes would not be as good without these choices being available to me.

The set of plugins I use for a museum surround sound design job is likely to be very different than a folk album, or a rock mix, or a radio commercial.

I do a wide variety of project types and I don***8217;t really need anyone second guessing my production choices or software choices and if three plugins are enough for you for all the work you do, then more power to you.

My needs are different.

I'm not second guessing your choices, I'm just trying to understand. You made it sound like you use 100's of plug-ins in a single project which you've just clearly stated is not the case (and you've actually made my point).

Obviously there are special use tools for specific challenges, particularly when your talking about things like noise reduction (which is a very special case and one that there is no single best option for).

Plug-in vendors that bundle 100's of plug-ins is not about helping the craft, but about selling product.

The product pitch is buy this package of magic pixie dust and we'll transform your music in to polished gold.

This is of coarse rubbish. 12 versions of an 1176 compressor is a sales pitch not a highly-crafted tool.

Everyone is of coarse free to do as they wish and what ever they feel suits their purpose, its just that in the vast majority of cases quantity over quality rarely results in a better end result.

[MMP]

Well, I don’t load all 12 versions of the 1176. I have one mono and one stereo of the version I like best. A lot of my plugins are virtual instruments of different sorts. Being a keyboardist & composer, I do have a huge collection of sounds as well, and I think I do have every SAW plugin ever made on the system. Some would go away if VST automation were to ever make its way into the program.

[cgrafx]

Just in the reverb department, I use a number of different reverbs depending upon the project. I have Lexicon emulations for that sound, I have plate reverbs, chamber reverbs, spring reverbs, resonant reverbs, convolution reverbs, etc.

I suppose I could get by with one plate reverb program for a number of things, but I hear huge differences between all of these plugins and I make creative choices of which to use in what circumstance. For instance, I would choose Altiverb to reproduce the interior ambience of an automobile for a film instead of using a spring reverb. I believe that would truly be a functionally different result.

While I do feel that less is more fits many circumstances, I also believe in the right tool for the job. It just so happens I stay busy by doing a lot of different types of audio jobs.

Again I'm not challenging your choice of tools, or even suggesting that one plate reverb for example is enough.

Clearly film production is a specific area of sound production that requires a larger palette of options.

This is also true of soundscape for film as well, much bigger range of tools required.

[MMP]

And just one more thing while I am feeling all defensive. I have a number of plugins on the system that are just older versions that I need to keep for older projects. While RX7 is the most recent NR suite from Izotope, I also have to have RX6 & RX5 ready to go for old projects that come back to haunt me. Multiply that by a few plugin suites and the count keeps going up.

[cgrafx]

And just one more thing while I am feeling all defensive. I have a number of plugins on the system that are just older versions that I need to keep for older projects. While RX7 is the most recent NR suite from Izotope, I also have to have RX6 & RX5 ready to go for old projects that come back to haunt me. Multiply that by a few plugin suites and the count keeps going up.

Yes, but that of coarse is the plight of all of us that have been using computers for more than a second or two and have the need to still access old archives.

It certainly would be cool if plugins could be loaded dynamically with the session that uses them.