Are we seeing the decline of the plug-in industry?

[ontrackp]

Pro Tools is not a "divine" DAW, however it is the industry standard for mixing on a pro level. I think we have to differentiate between the thousands of people who are doing fantastic musical work in their bedrooms or basements and the pros who are scoring films and mixing television programs and making a living from using the various software.

There has been a great democratization of technology. And developers who provide freeware and cheapware are only helping that, and that's a good thing. Making great sounding music is a terrific hobby for lots of people, it's creative, it's fulfilling and it could lead to becoming a pro. It's wonderful that people who 15 or 20 years ago would never have been able to make a recording can experience the creative thrill of professional sounding work at a very low cost.

For the professionals though, we need super-reliable high quality tools to work with, and the support that comes with it. Like it or not, AVID is better equipped to deal with the community of editors, big studios and network operations centers than any of the other DAW companies. Even Apple gave up on the pro market when they came out with FCP 10 and stopped their FCP server projects. I'm not just hyping Pro Tools (although I use it for mixing tv shows) but it happens to be a great program that is rock solid and sessions can be easily moved between pro studios without worrying about compatibility and file formats. I'm not saying you can't get the same results on other software, I'm sure you can, but there is a real industry with standards that work for a reason. PT won the pro mixing market because it was better than the other options at the time.

Same with soft-synths. There are many, many free small subtractive analog emulations out there and each has it's own little quirks and sound. If you like them -- great. If you're creating music that is going to be reviewed by a committee of network execs or film producers, chances are you need a different level of quality -- not just in your software, but also in your monitoring setup and hardware. Developers should be able to make software that is priced appropriately for this market -- it's their choice.

Everything is not going to automatically get cheaper and cheaper, and there is no doubt there will be a shakeout at some point as more and better options become available at a lower price.

But just like in everything else, I think it's reasonable to pay for quality and service, and the companies that provide it deserve to be able to make a living.

[Delfinoverde]

ontrackp - You may be right on some aspects about Pro Tools standards.
But a software company that isolates you from other Plug-In platforms isn't a great idea - except for the profit they make with this exclusivity!!

Luckily the "great democratization of technology" will continue and at the end break down the last walls erected by snobby Elitists worldwide - in order to make an open access to interested people worldwide, regardless of their location (1st, 2nd or 3d world).

[izonin]

Even Apple gave up on the pro market when they came out with FCP 10 and stopped their FCP server projects.

Does this mean that David Guetta is not a pro, but people who mix for tv reality shows are?

[ontrackp]

I agree with you Delfino, but if AVID feels that their business model is best served by exclusivity, they will either succeed with it or get run into the ground as their user base starts to switch to other platforms (remember Opcode, Sonic Solutions, etc...). There is no question that a closed standard is risky, but they are in business to make money.

I'm not sure who the snobby elitists are though.

Interesting conversation!

[ZenPunkHippy]

Luckily the "great democratization of technology" will continue and at the end break down the last walls erected by snobby Elitists worldwide - in order to make an open access to interested people worldwide, regardless of their location (1st, 2nd or 3d world).

For the most part, what you just described is already here:

• Free hosts - CHECK
• Free virtual instruments - CHECK
• Free effects plugins - CHECK
• Free sample libraries - CHECK
• Free audio editors - CHECK

The only thing missing from this list is free hardware (computer, sound card, speakers), but some or all of that can be acquired with a bit of thoughtful scavenging, dumpster diving or enquiring at a local tech charity (these are becoming well established in most cities).

Basically, we never had it so good!

What about the elitist snobs? Well, they're not going away any time soon

Peace,
Andy.

[whyterabbyt]

Just like many folks out there think that Pro Tools is a 'divine' DAW, only because it titles itself "Industry Standard". LOLLL!!!

great straw man, undermined somewhat since it is an industry standard. still, never let inverse elitism get in the way of the facts eh?

[vurt]

im elitist, but im no snob.

[Frantz]

What if we did put all these Messiahs together for a 6 months hollydays on a desert island, and then count the survivals ?

They would eat CRACKED coconuts, and the whole coconut industry would decline...

Watch out for CRACKED coconuts! Many contain time bombs. You eat them and one hour later you have a weird feeling in your stomach.

[fluffy_little_something]

But I suppose many of the most creative people can't afford Pro Tools and make the best of whatever mediocre stuff they have. Once artists are successful and can thus afford the best stuff money can buy, they often cease to be creative. I mean, most new music we hear on the radio and in movies today is made using Pro Tools and other expensive gear, but do I want to listen to that music? In at least 9 out of 10 cases I don't...

[Tricky-Loops]

But I suppose many of the most creative people can't afford Pro Tools and make the best of whatever mediocre stuff they have. Once artists are successful and can thus afford the best stuff money can buy, they often cease to be creative.

They are getting less creative because they have Pro Tools??:o

I think they're getting less creative rather because they want to make mainstream music, and maybe because their record label dictates how their music should sound to be suitable for the Pillboard Charts.

[whyterabbyt]

But I suppose many of the most creative people can't afford Pro Tools and make the best of whatever mediocre stuff they have.

Well, at £450, PT LE is more expensive than some options, but its not that much more expensive than some of its competition (eg Cubase, Live Suite), an MPC, a laptop, a pair of half-decent decks and a mixer, or a decent strat copy, and plenty of the most creative people can manage to afford them so why single out one product on that basis?

I mean, most new music we hear on the radio and in movies today is made using Pro Tools and other expensive gear, but do I want to listen to that music? In at least 9 out of 10 cases I don't...

In 99 out of a hundred cases I dont either. But its got bugger-all to do with the equipment they use.

[ontrackp]

Fluffy --

Making a generalization that by the time artists are successful they often cease to be creative, with all due respect, is absurd. You don't have to like it but a key measure of professional creativity is financial, and that requires distribution channels and ways to collect money for music.

If your goal is to be a creative "fine artist" and not worry about making a living making art, but rather get personal satisfaction for making your music, that's great. It's amazing that there is a community like KVR and soundcloud groups out there to support that. These outlets did not exist years ago. Hopefully, if you're a genius you will be recognized and reqp the financial rewards. If not, at least your mental health will probably be better than people who have no creative outlets.

If your goal is to make a living in audio production -- composing or producing, then you have to be willing to pay your dues, and then play in the sandbox with the distributors, radio stations, record companies, etc... It's their sandbox so they make the rules. If you want to compose music for TV, you have to be willing to be directed by a group of nimnuts who know nothing about music and will stifle your creativity at every turn. On the other hand your ASCAP checks will come and they will pay you enough so you can have a great studio full of top line hardware and software and can explore your art on your time.

[schnapsglas]

If your goal is to make a living in audio production -- composing or producing, then you have to be willing to pay your dues, and then play in the sandbox with the distributors, radio stations, record companies, etc... It's their sandbox so they make the rules. If you want to compose music for TV, you have to be willing to be directed by a group of nimnuts who know nothing about music and will stifle your creativity at every turn. On the other hand your ASCAP checks will come and they will pay you enough so you can have a great studio full of top line hardware and software and can explore your art on your time.

+1. Unfortunate but true.

[fluffy_little_something]

Yes, 'music industry' and 'industry standard' already imply what is going on. I am more interested in the artistic side of it. Never would I allow anyone to interfere with the music I make. I prefer being poor.

Call me naive, but I think a talented person should be able to make fine music with a simple DAW under 100 bucks, free Tal and similar plugins, a microphone and maybe an instrument they play.

[ontrackp]

I wouldn't call you naive. I think Society in general need people like you who are willing to give it all for art. It's the dreamers and altruists who advance civilization!