I wholeheartedly agree. I’ve been on this audio journey for decades and found the same thing. I’ll go a step further. Most DAW stock plugins today will do 85-90% of what you need.
My advice: DOWNLOAD AND TRY THE DEMO. Compulsive tendencies happen over a super sale / cheap price. Trying the demo will cool your wheels and lead to a smarter buying decision.
Barry you are absolutely spot on. Here’s the irony. I heard another UA-camr giving the exact same advice 5 years ago. Did I listen?? Did I heck 😅 I have learned that now for sure!
Let me just say thank you for saying this. Too many people and companies have gotten so far out of hand, it's ridiculous. And thank you for addressing elephants in the room in many of your videos. It's not always easy to publicly say what needs to be said. You're from the heart, honest, and NOT trying to sell something.
Such an amazingly beautiful soul you are sensei! I don’t know, where’s these tears are coming from! Stay well, and stay safe, I’d happily sacrifice my 20 years of life time for you. Godspeed!❤❤❤❤
Absolutely love you Barry. You are speaking so much truth in this video. When I started my journey I initially thought I needed a lot of plugins and of course waves was it until I learned better. I did waste a few dollars but not too much as I quickly noticed the game. I only have a few plugins, none by waves as your stock plugins are better than ANYTHING by them. Thank you for calling out these famous mix engineers as they should be ashamed for prostituting themselves and taking advantage of people's lack of knowledge. I have no respect for them for those that do it. Everything you said in this video is correct. Me personally, my plugin list is a two channel strips from BWX, one two from soft tube and a few from Fabfilter and called it good. Keep up the good work.
I realized that having your really good recording chain is the key to a song sounding like a record. The problem with plugins is that we record straight to the interface and then we try to emulate a signal chain with plugins in a mix. Spend more time getting better at recording.
That might be true, but that doesnt help if you have to mix stuff you did not record yourself, which at least in my case is around 95% of what I have to do.
Cool Video! I threw away my Computer and bought a fourtrack.... Best decision in my life as a (home) recording enthusiast. I got bucks for vacation and stuff now! Can u imagine?!?
100% agree! I do love waves plug-ins but I literally use the same ones on every mix. Mainly to learn them in and out. No need for all the other ones. A few plug-in alliance and one or two izotope plugins. The secret sauce is in learning the product. It’s the same rule in the studio with hardware.
What kills me are consumers on forums complaining about mistakenly double buying plug ins. They then blame the company some how and never stop to think that maybe they are buying way too many plug-ins , if you don’t even remember that you already have one.
I am thankful for the work of Paul Third in this respect. His analysis of Waves plugins-and that company’s predilection for releasing new plugins based upon the features and EQ curves from their previous releases-has helped me curb my impulses for acquiring new titles. Your videos offer even more practical advice in this regard. Thank you.
It's also nice to have plugin clones of stuff we can't affoard, like à Fairchild ou a pulltec...And once you go down that road It's a never ending tunnel.
So true. Oh gosh been there done that. It’s addictive. I’m just a serious hobbyist using Cubase Pro 12 and did a short experiment. I remixed a song with only stock plugins. Asked several of my friends to listen to it and compare it with the version on which I used Plugin Alliance, Waves, NI plugins, etc. Almost none of them could really hear a difference. That was a trigger for me. From now on, my discretionary $$$ will go to courses and training, or simply to more fun stuff with my significant other. That will have a bigger impact, both for my music and my life in general. Thanks Barry for all you publish on your site.
Very true. I always get asked about how I get such a deep and punchy sound on my drums. I tell my buddies and the people I teach “ logics overdrive plugin, logics bitcrusher plug-in, and oh I forgot. Logics eqs and compressor. “ lol that’s all you need.
So glad I came upon this video. Was thinking about buying another plug-in that intrigued me, but I kept thinking I already have a bunch of great plugins that already cover this. Yes, there was a new angle to it, so I almost pulled the trigger. Your video was exactly what I needed to see. Don’t need that plug-in.
Still lovin' on you Barry. I'm still subscribing to Plugin-Alliance and like you said, they actually help you buy the plugins you actually want. I was able to get the SSL essential pack last Xmas and that was a steal. I have the 9099 channel and a few other plugs from P/A that have become valuable in my mixing. I use those along side the native plugins from my 2 DAWs I own. Great advise and great video. Now, I'll update my Nomad stuff and use those on my inputs.......
I'm guilty of this at times but not too bad about it. One major thing I changed in my buying process was going to Slate. I was not a Slate fan in the beginning. I am now an All Access sub and also own Trigger 2 and SSD5. Most of my other processing options now rarely get used. I'm not a subscription fan but the value and options I now have are really great. Trying out different configurations is now super easy and I've learned more new tricks now that I am a Slate user. I now use a select few from Waves and combine them with the Slate stuff. My workflow has sped up and my processing templates are more streamlined and productive now.
I decided "I love you" and subscribed... (Great personality, great delivery, insightful commentary and lots of interesting topics in your video list...)
Thank you for the video. I have been a business man for most of my life and have decided to get into the music recording environment. I must say that I am thankful that my business experience is keeping me from the desire to buy everything and then to be the master of none! You really hit the nail on the head when you stated that you need to master what you have and then wisely choose your next product. Really it appears to me that this might be one of the many reasons that people in this business get discouraged. There is just sooo much toys in this field to distract you. Don’t get me wrong - some are really good, but as you said, you get what you paid for. You gave good advise!
Spot on Barry. Last month I just shed 9 plugins I don't use anymore . I'm down to my SSL Channel Strip, Ozone 9, some great synths, Addictive Drums/Keys, and some good Guitar VST's and select effects like Blu-cat, built in Studio One, MS20 filter and several others.
Hello Barry! Well, at the end if your video I can’t say whether I love or hate you. But you sure knocked Waves Plugins. As for “new” plugins every week, besides Waves I get at least TWO emails a day from Waves, Antares, Softube, Plugin Alliance, Spitfire, Izotope at al. So it’s not just Waves. It’s also funny that all their “special sales” are ending soon - since December last year! One thing I whole heartedly believe in is that your DAW has all you need if you are just getting started. Growing your talent comes first. Then comes adding equipment that can boost your productivity. And I agree that you should shy away from the guys or gals on You Tube who say, “ You wanna be just like me? Then this is what you need.” Today was the first time I came across your channel. I clicked on “About” and all it said was you have “merch” for sale. So what is Barry all about? Cheers and best to you, Gianni ❤
I agree, wholeheartedly. And don’t forget that many plugs included with DAWs are great, too. I can easily make a great mix with the stuff included with Cubase.
Great video. Fortunately I'm using Harrison Mixbus 32Cv9 as my mixing DAW. The eq, compressor, gate is in my channel strip on each track as default. I like the simplicity.
Barry, 100 percent agree. I started down that road and have already come to the conclusion you are talking about. I pretty much use a few Softube, a few Plug-in Alliance along with primarily UAD Spark and that is way more than I need. Oh and I also find myself reaching for the Logic Channel EQ. That said, when you make up your mind to stop buying the next new thing, it becomes easier and easier to resist those emails and ads.
Amazing my UA-cam feed brought me to you. My stock is Fabfilter, Kush for coloring, Izotope and Plugin Alliance, and I am so happy with that. I do love HOFA IR reverb, but to expensive for me. I was looking forward for softube, but no waves. I will dig you channel sir! thanks for sharing
I'm older. I look for free plug-ins to get that inspirational fix. A new compressor, EQ, reverb is usually moot in capabilities. The only stuff worth it is noise reduction and the like. There's a plug-in called Sooth that takes a lot of harshness out of a track. Stuff like that is worth it. Everything else seems to have a free version.
i never bought plugins impulsively and has this mentality to use whatever I have to the fullest before even looking out for something else and this mindset had helped me a lot in my music journey, also one of my song went on tv and radio which was created on mobile phone using bandlab and fl mobile which also made it really clear to me that its not the gear its the person behind the gear. Now I use reaper and bunch of free plugins (From analog obsessions, tokyo dawn records, native instruments, and more) to make the music, also I have few paid plugins for particular uses but that's pretty much it!
This is so true as Barry only gives, how much do we really need and I'm guilty of overloading my plugin catalog with thing I don't need and have yet to use, Thanks Barry I will be using this knowledge going forth..
This is great Barry; especially for a Newb, trying to sort through the UA soft/hard product workflow. Thanks so much! Seriously thinking about abandoning DSP and all the front loaded Plug-in expense due to having an M1 Max chip in my workstation.
I liked the video just for the BTS 😂.. I totally agree with this. It's the deception that you are a better producer/mixer because you have the most plugins
This is a great editorial Barry, thank you. I've added fewer plugins in recent years, mainly filling a few holes. E.g. I finally bought my first tape simulator - Softube tape - on deep discount. I favor newer plugs like Soothe2 that do not try to emulate legacy hardware. And generally I favor utility over flavor. E.g. FabFilter is my go-to collection when mixing; I insert a few flavor plugins when specifically needed. Taking inventory of one's collection and actively managing is sound advice.
I will say, I've seen that Softube tape demo and holy cow, is it better than anything else I've seen out there. But, I will wait for it to go on sale again before I buy it. It is one of the plugins I really do want. I have the Slate one, I have one or two of the Waves ones, but nothing sounds like Softube. I also use their saturation knob on vocals, it just sounds killer. Softube has nailed saturation.
I like recording with the Apollo interface and plugins but when it comes to mixing I only use Harrison Mixbus32c with just a few reverb/delay options for fx. The whole session might have 4-5 plugins total.
I agree with you. Your spot on. I am guilty of having way to many plugins. I probably have tried them all out at one time or another ( just to see what it would add to the tracks ) and wound up consistently using about a quarter of what I have. I do have the Plugin Alliance mastering and recording subscription, which I am very happy with , even though there is such a plethoria of processor choices that if taken into consideration while recording and mixing and having to experiment with alternate choices can slow down your work flow. I do use other manufacturers software ( such as Acoustica and Waves ) and after having time to use these plugins, I found the ones that work almost well. I do check out the latest and greatest when advertised, but I have no plans of purchasing any more processing plugins for quite awhile. Thanks for taking the time to create this video.
plug-in addiction is not good, but it's probably better/cheaper than getting addicted to hardware 😂 Thanks for the awesome video man. I'm gonna do my best to buy less & create more this year.
This is absolutely true! When I first got into photography, I was overwhelmed with all the different camera types, lenses, filters, raw processors, etc., etc. There is no end to the number of gizmos and gadgets that exits in the photography world--all promising to magically make you into the next _Ansel Adams_ or _Annie Leibovitz._ It wasn't till I purchased a fully manual camera (Mamiya RZ67) and only two fixed lenses that my photography began to improve. I wish I had 5¢ on the dollar for all that other sh!t cluttering my space. So I've decided to do the same with my _"ear photography"_ and UAD plugins. I'm intentionally limiting myself to the Neve 1084 pre, the C-Vox, and the Neve 2254 compressor/limiter. Is this the best stack for every possible use? Obviously not. But it's good enough for my current state of understanding and my ability to hear sound. It has taken me years to _see_ good photography, and I suspect it will take me some time to _hear_ good audio. Having *too many* options is a confusing and time-wasting endeavor.
I've purchased very few plugins ($300) most of what i use is 3rd party free. I did pay for waves SSL, PEQ -1, and a couple other. Thanks forvyour advise, it is wise.
the must have plugins are the ones... you need and your DAW doesn't come with similar ones that can do the same task you ask for. if you are going for flavor you will never know where you will end up
For the last year I have been moving toward using stock Reaper plug-ins as much as possible. Been doing this since 2007 and got caught up in the Waves game early. Of course, for plug-in instruments I can’t use stock Reaper because Reaper doesn’t have softsynths or guitar amp models. But for mixing tools, I’m trying to stay within Reaper’s vast offering of plug-ins. For free stuff, I use a lot of TAL. I completely agree with you about Fabfilter. I love to use their MB comp because of the user interface and how easy it is to use. Also something we don’t really talk about: I love Fabfilter’s preset management. So easy to go find where your user preset is and to keep it somewhere to use on another computer if you want or need to.
It's kind of interesting that I'm watching this video of yours while continuing with my new MacBook setup. I just got an M1 Max MacBook Pro and one of the main goals I set for myself before purchasing was to, whatever machine I'd get, I would not include all the plug-ins that I have in my bigger PC system. Not only because of storage but because: do I really use them all? I really don't. When mixing, I've settled with Slate Digital, Plug-in Alliance, Stock Pro Tools plug-ins, some extra ones here and there and for recording, mainly virtual instruments and some amp sims here and there. Definitely, it's not needed to have a gazillion plug-ins in our systems but heck we do collect software...
i quit buying plugins 2 years ago instead i buy diffrent daws that got diffrent plugins ableton cubase bitwig have all defult plugins i ever need, love your point in your video.
I have stopped buying plug-ins period. Nothing is better than my close friends telling me want is wrong with my mixes and recording. No plug-in is going to fix a thing. I have dropped the Slate program, Waves...etc.. And refused to by another UAD plug-in. Thanks for your content.
I had to learn this as well. Constantly updating my NI collection to the latest and greatest. I stopped at Ultimate Collectors 12 when I realized I was only using about 4 Kontakt instruments and none of the new stuff....
The great point you bring up is not only that you don't need most of these plugins - the challenge becomes the sheer variety and volume of options and its suddenly overwhelming. Then nothing seems to satisfy your needs and you probably end up buying one more plugin..
I bought into the whole "I need this plugin and that plugin" thing for a long time. Consequently, I have a ton of plugins and find that there are a select few I use all the time and some I just never touch. I have more freakin' compressors that I know what to do with, but only use a few of them. I do use a lot of Waves plugins because, as you mentioned, they were cheap. I have a number of Slate plugins, and a handful of other companies' plugins. But as others have mentioned, stock plugins will get you most of the way there. I've learned to minimize the amount of plugins I use, and consequently, I don't use the vast majority of what I have.
Agree 100%, like Clavia with the new Stage 4, They add a little here and have insanely increased the price. As a keyboard player I own 3 board, they're all awesome, but I really don't need 3 boards today and sometimes I lose so much time having fun cuz my boards are great but in the end I get nowhere. Instead of spending money we all should be more concerning into learning what we already have.
Yeah. The stage 4 is expensive but functionally can put you at an advantage if it’s your first NORD because its 3 boards in one. Having 3 different keyboards can be enough, but also may not be enough depending on what you’re trying to achieve as a producer and sound creator.
Lately! I have had more fun with my old 4 track cassette recorder. Limitations lead you to creativity. I have a old Mac laptop strictly for digital transfer so friends can listen on their little Bluetooth speakers.
I agree. In my first year of learning mixing I stuck to all stock plug-ins, then I splurged on a bunch of Waves stuff. I’d say that of the 15 or so PIs I ultimately bought from them, I regularly use 8 of them. Another 2 occasionally for specific scenarios, 3 not at all b/c they’re not worth the CPU load. And two I haven’t even tried! The thing I noticed is that the 8 I use are the ones I bought to upgrade my toolbox: that is, increase the quality of a tool that I already had and understood and used. I think for those of us learning in the box and drawing so much info from online as a substitute for having a dedicated mentor to guide (and warn) us, it seems like getting duped into buying some fancy PIs is part of the learning curve. I’m grateful that I did have a mentor early on who advised me to learn the fundamentals using the basic tools at hand, then only after really understanding how the tools work and can be used, then does it make sense to explore expanding the toolkit with paid PIs. These days I find myself starting with the question “what am I trying to achieve” and working backwards from there to the tool selection, rather than doing the tempting thing of starting with throwing up a PI assuming it will be a solution to an aim I haven’t even taken time to define. This helps me see exactly what’s being put across in this video: We can achieve most of what we need to do in a mix with a relatively short list of well-used tools 🙏🏽
Yes I totally agree with you Barry! I’ve forwarded this to a few of my audio engineer buddies and yes we do get addicted to buying plugins!I sell music software and yes you can create great mixes with stock Logic , PT, Cubase plugins and the companies you mentioned Fabfilter, UA , Plugin Alliance create great stuff to add onto your core DAW software!
I agree, but I also think some engineers/producers like some plugins because it increases their work efficiency and flow. Whether my FabFilter Eq sounds the same as the stock, I prefer Fab because its much more comprehensive
Ok there are a few that make a difference to me. Fabfilter bundle, RX Adavnced, Soothe. Tokyo Dawn Labs bundle. Altiverb reverb. Aruria plate and spring reverbs. Eventide clipper... The rest I could do without now... It's like the story of the alchemist
Barry, I love your videos man! You hit the nail on the head. I’ve actually just been thinking myself. What plug-ins do I need? What plug-ins do I have and which ones my gonna continue to use and update over my life basically. My personal opinion is the native instruments bundle is too much for me the type of music I make leans more on electronic sounds And I have found that Rob, Papen, Steinberg, Arturia, and Korg… Between those three my needs are pretty much met… I’ll call my sprinkle on top of the Sunday, synapse audio, if you haven’t tried the synthesizers you haven’t lived lol. They just sound really good.
So true, thanks Barry, you're like the Gandalf of audio. and yes I couldn't agree more, specially with Waves, they are just reusing the same code with a. pretty new GUI
Great video. I decided I'm only gonna use the waves ones that have been around for decades now, and I really like soundtoys. I'll also use iZotope for mastering, then ez drummer/kvlt drums, and torpedo wall of sound. That's 95% of it. I want to buy hardware that will last with me through the years and not need to be repurchased when the new OS comes out. 🙄
This ending is HILARIOUS! Definitely guilty of being a plug-in head. After my PC Build, I'll be going for selected bundles as my core go-tos and various one-offs as needed.
Thanks for the gut-check, Barry. Another impact I've noticed from the constant influx of plugins is that we as consumers like to assume that putting out plugins is easy and cheap, and thus start to expect anyone that puts out a digital/DSP-based piece of audio or studio gear should also give us the "plugin version" of that piece of gear as well. We saw that most recently when Strymon put out the Big Sky plugin and people couldn't believe it was $199 US, or with complaints about what's taking UAD so long put put their plugins out natively. It's so much harder to quality control a plugin that needs to work everywhere vs. on a specific device, and I would like to be better at appreciating the engineering that goes into a change like this.
I wholeheartedly agree. I’ve been on this audio journey for decades and found the same thing. I’ll go a step further. Most DAW stock plugins today will do 85-90% of what you need.
Amen
Very very true. Ableton and Logic have awesome plugins. The two DAWS I use.
I swear there is literally no reason to buy a plug-in for reaper .
yeah i realized when i buy a plugin i'm just paying for a new skin
I'm a new musician myself. So Ableton, Logic and Reaper are good DAWs to use?
My advice: DOWNLOAD AND TRY THE DEMO. Compulsive tendencies happen over a super sale / cheap price. Trying the demo will cool your wheels and lead to a smarter buying decision.
Barry you are absolutely spot on.
Here’s the irony. I heard another UA-camr giving the exact same advice 5 years ago. Did I listen?? Did I heck 😅
I have learned that now for sure!
From Russia with love !
Fully do agree. Good songwriting and arrangement will give you 90% of a good song. 6-7 plugins will do the job.
Let me just say thank you for saying this. Too many people and companies have gotten so far out of hand, it's ridiculous. And thank you for addressing elephants in the room in many of your videos. It's not always easy to publicly say what needs to be said. You're from the heart, honest, and NOT trying to sell something.
Such an amazingly beautiful soul you are sensei! I don’t know, where’s these tears are coming from! Stay well, and stay safe, I’d happily sacrifice my 20 years of life time for you. Godspeed!❤❤❤❤
Thank you Barry for always telling us the hard truth.
Absolutely love you Barry. You are speaking so much truth in this video. When I started my journey I initially thought I needed a lot of plugins and of course waves was it until I learned better. I did waste a few dollars but not too much as I quickly noticed the game. I only have a few plugins, none by waves as your stock plugins are better than ANYTHING by them. Thank you for calling out these famous mix engineers as they should be ashamed for prostituting themselves and taking advantage of people's lack of knowledge. I have no respect for them for those that do it. Everything you said in this video is correct. Me personally, my plugin list is a two channel strips from BWX, one two from soft tube and a few from Fabfilter and called it good. Keep up the good work.
I realized that having your really good recording chain is the key to a song sounding like a record. The problem with plugins is that we record straight to the interface and then we try to emulate a signal chain with plugins in a mix. Spend more time getting better at recording.
That might be true, but that doesnt help if you have to mix stuff you did not record yourself, which at least in my case is around 95% of what I have to do.
I just bought CLA underwear 😂 , Dam he’s a good salesman, and thanks for your content Barry
Haven’t even finished watching the video, subscribed at 3.06. This is wisdom, pure untainted integrity there! Sensei, stay well!
Took me a while, but I landed where you are on this.
It's much easier on the pocket book and my wellbeing, no more acquisition anxiety.
Cool Video!
I threw away my Computer and bought a fourtrack.... Best decision in my life as a (home) recording enthusiast.
I got bucks for vacation and stuff now! Can u imagine?!?
100% agree! I do love waves plug-ins but I literally use the same ones on every mix. Mainly to learn them in and out. No need for all the other ones. A few plug-in alliance and one or two izotope plugins. The secret sauce is in learning the product. It’s the same rule in the studio with hardware.
What kills me are consumers on forums complaining about mistakenly double buying plug ins. They then blame the company some how and never stop to think that maybe they are buying way too many plug-ins , if you don’t even remember that you already have one.
I am thankful for the work of Paul Third in this respect. His analysis of Waves plugins-and that company’s predilection for releasing new plugins based upon the features and EQ curves from their previous releases-has helped me curb my impulses for acquiring new titles.
Your videos offer even more practical advice in this regard. Thank you.
He's a good lad that fella
Lol.. helllooo
It's also nice to have plugin clones of stuff we can't affoard, like à Fairchild ou a pulltec...And once you go down that road It's a never ending tunnel.
So true. Oh gosh been there done that. It’s addictive. I’m just a serious hobbyist using Cubase Pro 12 and did a short experiment. I remixed a song with only stock plugins. Asked several of my friends to listen to it and compare it with the version on which I used Plugin Alliance, Waves, NI plugins, etc. Almost none of them could really hear a difference. That was a trigger for me. From now on, my discretionary $$$ will go to courses and training, or simply to more fun stuff with my significant other. That will have a bigger impact, both for my music and my life in general. Thanks Barry for all you publish on your site.
That’s exactly my MOJO
Very true. I always get asked about how I get such a deep and punchy sound on my drums. I tell my buddies and the people I teach “ logics overdrive plugin, logics bitcrusher plug-in, and oh I forgot. Logics eqs and compressor. “ lol that’s all you need.
Spot spot on this! I’m a UAD user but before i buy I try the demo, and I don’t have thousands of plugins. Only have the one necessary! Nice video!
I updated my komplete 13 but apart from that I’ve not bought any other.it’s work in progress great video Barry 👍👍
So glad I came upon this video. Was thinking about buying another plug-in that intrigued me, but I kept thinking I already have a bunch of great plugins that already cover this. Yes, there was a new angle to it, so I almost pulled the trigger. Your video was exactly what I needed to see. Don’t need that plug-in.
Still lovin' on you Barry. I'm still subscribing to Plugin-Alliance and like you said, they actually help you buy the plugins you actually want. I was able to get the SSL essential pack last Xmas and that was a steal. I have the 9099 channel and a few other plugs from P/A that have become valuable in my mixing. I use those along side the native plugins from my 2 DAWs I own. Great advise and great video. Now, I'll update my Nomad stuff and use those on my inputs.......
Thanks for this video. As a beginner, the plug in market is incredibly deceptive. I appreciate your insight 😊
I'm guilty of this at times but not too bad about it. One major thing I changed in my buying process was going to Slate. I was not a Slate fan in the beginning. I am now an All Access sub and also own Trigger 2 and SSD5. Most of my other processing options now rarely get used. I'm not a subscription fan but the value and options I now have are really great. Trying out different configurations is now super easy and I've learned more new tricks now that I am a Slate user. I now use a select few from Waves and combine them with the Slate stuff. My workflow has sped up and my processing templates are more streamlined and productive now.
Great talk Barry! I find my acquisition motivation for *anything* is inversely proportional to how much I am using what I already have...
Very true, we need to cover that issue a lot more often
I decided "I love you" and subscribed...
(Great personality, great delivery, insightful commentary and lots of interesting topics in your video list...)
Thank you for the video. I have been a business man for most of my life and have decided to get into the music recording environment. I must say that I am thankful that my business experience is keeping me from the desire to buy everything and then to be the master of none! You really hit the nail on the head when you stated that you need to master what you have and then wisely choose your next product. Really it appears to me that this might be one of the many reasons that people in this business get discouraged. There is just sooo much toys in this field to distract you. Don’t get me wrong - some are really good, but as you said, you get what you paid for. You gave good advise!
Good video. I used to stockpile plug ins and be overwhelmed with choice. Now I just use stock plug ins and get on with finishing tracks.
Spot on Barry. Last month I just shed 9 plugins I don't use anymore . I'm down to my SSL Channel Strip, Ozone 9, some great synths, Addictive Drums/Keys, and some good Guitar VST's and select effects like Blu-cat, built in Studio One, MS20 filter and several others.
Hello Barry!
Well, at the end if your video I can’t say whether I love or hate you. But you sure knocked Waves Plugins.
As for “new” plugins every week, besides Waves I get at least TWO emails a day from Waves, Antares, Softube, Plugin Alliance, Spitfire, Izotope at al.
So it’s not just Waves. It’s also funny that all their “special sales” are ending soon - since December last year!
One thing I whole heartedly believe in is that your DAW has all you need if you are just getting started. Growing your talent comes first. Then comes adding equipment that can boost your productivity. And I agree that you should shy away from the guys or gals on You Tube who say, “ You wanna be just like me? Then this is what you need.”
Today was the first time I came across your channel. I clicked on “About” and all it said was you have “merch” for sale. So what is Barry all about?
Cheers and best to you,
Gianni ❤
I agree, wholeheartedly. And don’t forget that many plugs included with DAWs are great, too. I can easily make a great mix with the stuff included with Cubase.
Great video. Fortunately I'm using Harrison Mixbus 32Cv9 as my mixing DAW. The eq, compressor, gate is in my channel strip on each track as default. I like the simplicity.
Thanks for this great one Barry ! one from me and my ophthalmologist... don't rub your eyes at all ; this is the worst thing you can do to them...😊
😁
I hear U. I am one that like the Plug-in's I have and do not need an upgrade .. Love the one's I have and they are still great. Keep trucken Berry.
Barry, 100 percent agree. I started down that road and have already come to the conclusion you are talking about. I pretty much use a few Softube, a few Plug-in Alliance along with primarily UAD Spark and that is way more than I need. Oh and I also find myself reaching for the Logic Channel EQ. That said, when you make up your mind to stop buying the next new thing, it becomes easier and easier to resist those emails and ads.
Congrats, man. 20K subscribers is right around the corner.
I'm glad you pointed out this issue with selling your name on plugins
Amazing my UA-cam feed brought me to you. My stock is Fabfilter, Kush for coloring, Izotope and Plugin Alliance, and I am so happy with that. I do love HOFA IR reverb, but to expensive for me. I was looking forward for softube, but no waves.
I will dig you channel sir! thanks for sharing
I'm older. I look for free plug-ins to get that inspirational fix. A new compressor, EQ, reverb is usually moot in capabilities.
The only stuff worth it is noise reduction and the like. There's a plug-in called Sooth that takes a lot of harshness out of a track. Stuff like that is worth it.
Everything else seems to have a free version.
You are soooooooooooooooo right ! I'm chompin at the bit to get my Chris Lord-Alge , endorsed toilet paper.
You could make a video about how to turn knobs and I’ll still watch it with joy. Congratulations man love your studio talk…
Completely agree... beyond the stock daw plugs, I use any about 3 must-have plugs.
This is really sound musical/educational/financial advice, I imagine it really helps a lot of people, thanks Barry
i never bought plugins impulsively and has this mentality to use whatever I have to the fullest before even looking out for something else and this mindset had helped me a lot in my music journey, also one of my song went on tv and radio which was created on mobile phone using bandlab and fl mobile which also made it really clear to me that its not the gear its the person behind the gear.
Now I use reaper and bunch of free plugins (From analog obsessions, tokyo dawn records, native instruments, and more) to make the music, also I have few paid plugins for particular uses but that's pretty much it!
You made my day on this video. I need to watch more. Please tell me more on best plugin manufactures other than universal plugins...
This is so true as Barry only gives, how much do we really need and I'm guilty of overloading my plugin catalog with thing I don't need and have yet to use, Thanks Barry I will be using this knowledge going forth..
I usually leave videos early, but your bloopers at the end were hilarious 😂
I swear , with the stock plug-in that come with your DAW , Melda Productions Free Pack and a couple of more free plug-ins YOU ARE SET FOR LIFE
They’ll suffice
This is great Barry; especially for a Newb, trying to sort through the UA soft/hard product workflow. Thanks so much! Seriously thinking about abandoning DSP and all the front loaded Plug-in expense due to having an M1 Max chip in my workstation.
I liked the video just for the BTS 😂.. I totally agree with this. It's the deception that you are a better producer/mixer because you have the most plugins
This is a great editorial Barry, thank you. I've added fewer plugins in recent years, mainly filling a few holes. E.g. I finally bought my first tape simulator - Softube tape - on deep discount. I favor newer plugs like Soothe2 that do not try to emulate legacy hardware. And generally I favor utility over flavor. E.g. FabFilter is my go-to collection when mixing; I insert a few flavor plugins when specifically needed. Taking inventory of one's collection and actively managing is sound advice.
I will say, I've seen that Softube tape demo and holy cow, is it better than anything else I've seen out there. But, I will wait for it to go on sale again before I buy it. It is one of the plugins I really do want. I have the Slate one, I have one or two of the Waves ones, but nothing sounds like Softube. I also use their saturation knob on vocals, it just sounds killer. Softube has nailed saturation.
This channel is the best. Kudos.
I like recording with the Apollo interface and plugins but when it comes to mixing I only use Harrison Mixbus32c with just a few reverb/delay options for fx. The whole session might have 4-5 plugins total.
I agree with you. Your spot on. I am guilty of having way to many plugins. I probably have tried them all out at one time or another ( just to see what it would add to the tracks ) and wound up consistently using about a quarter of what I have. I do have the Plugin Alliance mastering and recording subscription, which I am very happy with , even though there is such a plethoria of processor choices that if taken into consideration while recording and mixing and having to experiment with alternate choices can slow down your work flow. I do use other manufacturers software ( such as Acoustica and Waves ) and after having time to use these plugins, I found the ones that work almost well.
I do check out the latest and greatest when advertised, but I have no plans of purchasing any more processing plugins for quite awhile. Thanks for taking the time to create this video.
Oops...On the "almost" ...I meant "always"
Love the authenticity of the out-takes at 15:20 - ish to end, lol.
plug-in addiction is not good, but it's probably better/cheaper than getting addicted to hardware 😂 Thanks for the awesome video man. I'm gonna do my best to buy less & create more this year.
This is absolutely true!
When I first got into photography, I was overwhelmed with all the different camera types, lenses, filters, raw processors, etc., etc. There is no end to the number of gizmos and gadgets that exits in the photography world--all promising to magically make you into the next _Ansel Adams_ or _Annie Leibovitz._ It wasn't till I purchased a fully manual camera (Mamiya RZ67) and only two fixed lenses that my photography began to improve. I wish I had 5¢ on the dollar for all that other sh!t cluttering my space.
So I've decided to do the same with my _"ear photography"_ and UAD plugins. I'm intentionally limiting myself to the Neve 1084 pre, the C-Vox, and the Neve 2254 compressor/limiter. Is this the best stack for every possible use? Obviously not. But it's good enough for my current state of understanding and my ability to hear sound. It has taken me years to _see_ good photography, and I suspect it will take me some time to _hear_ good audio. Having *too many* options is a confusing and time-wasting endeavor.
You're so right, Barry!! Great video.
I've purchased very few plugins ($300) most of what i use is 3rd party free. I did pay for waves SSL, PEQ -1, and a couple other. Thanks forvyour advise, it is wise.
You spoke my heart ! Great video brother thank you
the must have plugins are the ones... you need and your DAW doesn't come with similar ones that can do the same task you ask for. if you are going for flavor you will never know where you will end up
For the last year I have been moving toward using stock Reaper plug-ins as much as possible. Been doing this since 2007 and got caught up in the Waves game early. Of course, for plug-in instruments I can’t use stock Reaper because Reaper doesn’t have softsynths or guitar amp models. But for mixing tools, I’m trying to stay within Reaper’s vast offering of plug-ins. For free stuff, I use a lot of TAL. I completely agree with you about Fabfilter. I love to use their MB comp because of the user interface and how easy it is to use. Also something we don’t really talk about: I love Fabfilter’s preset management. So easy to go find where your user preset is and to keep it somewhere to use on another computer if you want or need to.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Barry's always save from making impulsive decision. thank you Barry
It's kind of interesting that I'm watching this video of yours while continuing with my new MacBook setup.
I just got an M1 Max MacBook Pro and one of the main goals I set for myself before purchasing was to, whatever machine I'd get, I would not include all the plug-ins that I have in my bigger PC system.
Not only because of storage but because: do I really use them all?
I really don't.
When mixing, I've settled with Slate Digital, Plug-in Alliance, Stock Pro Tools plug-ins, some extra ones here and there and for recording, mainly virtual instruments and some amp sims here and there.
Definitely, it's not needed to have a gazillion plug-ins in our systems but heck we do collect software...
i quit buying plugins 2 years ago instead i buy diffrent daws that got diffrent plugins ableton cubase bitwig have all defult plugins i ever need, love your point in your video.
I have stopped buying plug-ins period. Nothing is better than my close friends telling me want is wrong with my mixes and recording. No plug-in is going to fix a thing. I have dropped the Slate program, Waves...etc.. And refused to by another UAD plug-in. Thanks for your content.
very excellent. how many do you need ------ very few ----- do not need 18 compressors
I definitely agree 👍 💯 on everything Barry said ..
I totally agree with you, use what you already have and save your money.
that's why I love Soundtoys
Chris’s waves plugins are really dope some might be considered outdated but I still find use for them.
It’s all a mindset thing… companies will put your mind in a frenzy to make you feel you need what you already have.
Came across Softube recenetly and really liked their stuff too.
Thanks for the advice! 😂 and thank you for the bloopers at the end! Happy mixing!
Absolutely true, spend time mastering ur craft
Fabfilter and oeeksound are absolute must have
I had to learn this as well. Constantly updating my NI collection to the latest and greatest. I stopped at Ultimate Collectors 12 when I realized I was only using about 4 Kontakt instruments and none of the new stuff....
Thanks again, Barry!
The great point you bring up is not only that you don't need most of these plugins - the challenge becomes the sheer variety and volume of options and its suddenly overwhelming. Then nothing seems to satisfy your needs and you probably end up buying one more plugin..
I bought into the whole "I need this plugin and that plugin" thing for a long time. Consequently, I have a ton of plugins and find that there are a select few I use all the time and some I just never touch. I have more freakin' compressors that I know what to do with, but only use a few of them. I do use a lot of Waves plugins because, as you mentioned, they were cheap. I have a number of Slate plugins, and a handful of other companies' plugins. But as others have mentioned, stock plugins will get you most of the way there. I've learned to minimize the amount of plugins I use, and consequently, I don't use the vast majority of what I have.
Agree 100%, like Clavia with the new Stage 4, They add a little here and have insanely increased the price. As a keyboard player I own 3 board, they're all awesome, but I really don't need 3 boards today and sometimes I lose so much time having fun cuz my boards are great but in the end I get nowhere. Instead of spending money we all should be more concerning into learning what we already have.
Yeah. The stage 4 is expensive but functionally can put you at an advantage if it’s your first NORD because its 3 boards in one. Having 3 different keyboards can be enough, but also may not be enough depending on what you’re trying to achieve as a producer and sound creator.
Thanks for this realistic analysis, you are 100% right....
Lately! I have had more fun with my old 4 track cassette recorder. Limitations lead you to creativity. I have a old Mac laptop strictly for digital transfer so friends can listen on their little Bluetooth speakers.
I agree. In my first year of learning mixing I stuck to all stock plug-ins, then I splurged on a bunch of Waves stuff. I’d say that of the 15 or so PIs I ultimately bought from them, I regularly use 8 of them. Another 2 occasionally for specific scenarios, 3 not at all b/c they’re not worth the CPU load. And two I haven’t even tried!
The thing I noticed is that the 8 I use are the ones I bought to upgrade my toolbox: that is, increase the quality of a tool that I already had and understood and used.
I think for those of us learning in the box and drawing so much info from online as a substitute for having a dedicated mentor to guide (and warn) us, it seems like getting duped into buying some fancy PIs is part of the learning curve. I’m grateful that I did have a mentor early on who advised me to learn the fundamentals using the basic tools at hand, then only after really understanding how the tools work and can be used, then does it make sense to explore expanding the toolkit with paid PIs.
These days I find myself starting with the question “what am I trying to achieve” and working backwards from there to the tool selection, rather than doing the tempting thing of starting with throwing up a PI assuming it will be a solution to an aim I haven’t even taken time to define. This helps me see exactly what’s being put across in this video: We can achieve most of what we need to do in a mix with a relatively short list of well-used tools 🙏🏽
Yes I totally agree with you Barry! I’ve forwarded this to a few of my audio engineer buddies and yes we do get addicted to buying plugins!I sell music software and yes you can create great mixes with stock Logic , PT, Cubase plugins and the companies you mentioned Fabfilter, UA , Plugin Alliance create great stuff to add onto your core DAW software!
You speak the truth & I admire your honesty
Yup - I got Softube Console 1 MKII, and most EQ'ing I need can be done with the stock SSL-strip that comes with it......
I agree, but I also think some engineers/producers like some plugins because it increases their work efficiency and flow. Whether my FabFilter Eq sounds the same as the stock, I prefer Fab because its much more comprehensive
I agree I use The Focusrite Red EQ & Comp on most things as well as the Cubase EQ and it's really all I need.
Agreed about Softube plugins. Totally worth it.
Ok there are a few that make a difference to me. Fabfilter bundle, RX Adavnced, Soothe. Tokyo Dawn Labs bundle. Altiverb reverb. Aruria plate and spring reverbs. Eventide clipper... The rest I could do without now... It's like the story of the alchemist
Aruria spring reverb is great.
Barry, I love your videos man! You hit the nail on the head. I’ve actually just been thinking myself. What plug-ins do I need? What plug-ins do I have and which ones my gonna continue to use and update over my life basically. My personal opinion is the native instruments bundle is too much for me the type of music I make leans more on electronic sounds And I have found that Rob, Papen, Steinberg, Arturia, and Korg… Between those three my needs are pretty much met… I’ll call my sprinkle on top of the Sunday, synapse audio, if you haven’t tried the synthesizers you haven’t lived lol. They just sound really good.
So true, thanks Barry, you're like the Gandalf of audio. and yes I couldn't agree more, specially with Waves, they are just reusing the same code with a. pretty new GUI
Great video. I decided I'm only gonna use the waves ones that have been around for decades now, and I really like soundtoys. I'll also use iZotope for mastering, then ez drummer/kvlt drums, and torpedo wall of sound. That's 95% of it. I want to buy hardware that will last with me through the years and not need to be repurchased when the new OS comes out. 🙄
On point…..UAD is disturbing in terms of the investment into hardware and now the sell out……
This guy is totally correct in what he's saying.
I bought the Audeze MM-500 to go with my monitor headphone amp. Game changer. I just use stock plugins and get what I want from there
Great new camera angle buddy 👌
Thanks 👍
This ending is HILARIOUS! Definitely guilty of being a plug-in head. After my PC Build, I'll be going for selected bundles as my core go-tos and various one-offs as needed.
Thanks for the gut-check, Barry. Another impact I've noticed from the constant influx of plugins is that we as consumers like to assume that putting out plugins is easy and cheap, and thus start to expect anyone that puts out a digital/DSP-based piece of audio or studio gear should also give us the "plugin version" of that piece of gear as well. We saw that most recently when Strymon put out the Big Sky plugin and people couldn't believe it was $199 US, or with complaints about what's taking UAD so long put put their plugins out natively. It's so much harder to quality control a plugin that needs to work everywhere vs. on a specific device, and I would like to be better at appreciating the engineering that goes into a change like this.