The value of a simple setup

[VitaminD]

After spending the past few days reinstalling all of my software on a new hard drive, I've come to further appreciate the concept of a small/simple setup.

I still have not completely got all the software installed yet, but I'm most of the way.. and I decided to load a song on which I've been working (before the new hard drive), only to discover my pathing was little different on the old drive so there was a bit of maneuvering with that too.

The more plugins, presets, and sample libraries involved, the more convoluted and troublesome it becomes to keep it all together. Especially if one wants to keep their projects 'archive friendly.'

This is why I've tried to stick to a few vendors for much of the software I use.. it makes it a bit more sane of an ordeal to reinstall and keep up with what I have and do not have installed. Or, should the drive tank again, if I need to reinstall, there are little pieces to the puzzle to remember. Even then, it is still a chore.

An interesting bit of software would be some kind of aggregate software.. where it could scan your song files, see what plugins and versions of those plugins you're using, then give you a list of what you need. OR, in a world where there was less red tape, have the app automatically retrieve those versions and auto install.

Backups on Windows stink due to the registry, so I'm not sure I'd want to go the packaged backup route.. if only more vendors did some kind of portable install using an in-installed-directory ini or other text document for settings (Then I think it would be as easy as drag and drop backups). I like a clean install.. but not so much the tediousness of getting humpty dumpty all back together again.

I wonder how many buy and buy and buy and buy from all sorts of developers and vendors without a thought of their backup plan and, further, what it would take to get all of that back in their PC if they should ever see the need.

[Hink]

After spending the past few days reinstalling all of my software on a new hard drive, I've come to further appreciate the concept of a small/simple setup.

I still have not completely got all the software installed yet, but I'm most of the way.. and I decided to load a song on which I've been working (before the new hard drive), only to discover my pathing was little different on the old drive so there was a bit of maneuvering with that too.

The more plugins, presets, and sample libraries involved, the more convoluted and troublesome it becomes to keep it all together. Especially if one wants to keep their projects 'archive friendly.'

This is why I've tried to stick to a few vendors for much of the software I use.. it makes it a bit more sane of an ordeal to reinstall and keep up with what I have and do not have installed. Or, should the drive tank again, if I need to reinstall, there are little pieces to the puzzle to remember. Even then, it is still a chore.

An interesting bit of software would be some kind of aggregate software.. where it could scan your song files, see what plugins and versions of those plugins you're using, then give you a list of what you need. OR, in a world where there was less red tape, have the app automatically retrieve those versions and auto install.

Backups on Windows stink due to the registry, so I'm not sure I'd want to go the packaged backup route.. if only more vendors did some kind of portable install using an in-installed-directory ini or other text document for settings (Then I think it would be as easy as drag and drop backups). I like a clean install.. but not so much the tediousness of getting humpty dumpty all back together again.

I wonder how many buy and buy and buy and buy from all sorts of developers and vendors without a thought of their backup plan and, further, what it would take to get all of that back in their PC if they should ever see the need.

every fresh install, new machine, HD failure or what have you always seems to result in me asking myself "do I need this plugin?" and I always install less and less. Now that I have been at this whole computer music game for a long time I have seen (and I sure you have to) that so many people go out and get every free synth and plugin they can find (I know I did)...but eventually we come to the same realization as you have. I thinks it combo of getting tired of installing and also a process of learning and determining what we really need, what works best for us and what doesn't. Between the two we learn to streamline and somewhat personalize our studios to suit our specific needs...I am thankful that with all the learning I did then I now use a host that has a lot of what best suits my needs...there is a clear downward trend from year to year on new software I buy. In fact I cannot at this time think of any software I have bought in 2013...I'm pretty sure besides patches I did not upgrade anything in that time and I do not see much in new software heading my way this year (the exception being my cousins plugin when the full version comes out). But still all that experimentation was not for nothing

[VitaminD]

Exactly, yes. And a good point there in it really can be seen as an opportunity to further fine tune the setup more.

A big issue with this, however, is when a plethora of plugins are used in various projects.. then you need to have those back on the system to open these various old project files. I guess this is why some export to wav tracks. But that reduces editing ability. Always a trade off there.

I must say, Native Instruments has both a comfortable and annoying method of installing their products. Or at least, the only way I see to doing it.

First, with Komplete, one must install the base files off of the DVDs. THEN they are allowed to pickup updated versions. I suspect the updates really aren't updates but the whole versions updated. So, in essence you are installing twice. It would make wayyy more sense to me if one could just install the Service Center and download what they want from there. Instead of having to do it twice. Plus the NI Installer for Komplete is atrocious for pathing options. It seems there are 3 or 4 various paths from which you can pick for the whole setup, so one needs to be careful with naming conventions. BUT THEN it goes and installs some still on the C:\ partition even if you are installing the rest of it on another! It does, however, auto install without any extra dialogs when updating through service center. So there is that.



U-he software seems to be the best so far I've seen. Individual installers but the software automatically remembers your install paths and installs accordingly, even other products from them!

So if you have Zebra installed in X:\VSTPlugins\64-bit\Instruments\ and then go to install ACE, it will automatically pickup in the installer that it needs to go to the same location.

HOWEVER, if installing any of the u-he effects, It won't dump them in your Instruments Folder! You get to pick and it stores Effects in a separate pathing structure (for me X:\VSTPlugins\64-bit\Effects\) that will automatically get picked up for other U-he Effects installed later.

I guess this is all small potatoes... and I'm thankful for having these kinds of problems. But I still think the setup and installation procedure could be more streamlined and, perhaps, even automated much more.

[spaceman]

I pretty much use Zebra and Alchemy exclusively now, together with Logic's build-ins.
I sometimes add MicroTonic to that or Surge.

But I'm still the most creative in Reason. And the reason for that is most certainly the lack of plugin distraction.

I also love using just Renoise with only samples to create all sounds.

I have a license for AudioGL as well. Waiting for the OSX version there. That will be even more back to fundamentals and relying on creativity.

[nasenmann]

I use 3 synths these days, and am getting to know each one much better. It feels good.
Also bought two valhalla plugins (used to mostly use freeware fx) to get rid of several reverbs, delays, choruses etc, of which each had a more limited niche task.
I used to not care about redundancy in my setup in my more chaotic noob days, but it has changed. While each good synthedit plugin probably has a little bit of unique sound to it, the overlap is infinitely greater.
And even if there's no overlap, i've found that i don't really need every single synthesis method at my disposal.
I prefer a few things to dive deep into, simple enough to patch some shit together quickly, complex enough to surprise you sometimes.
I think my sweet spot for simplicity is at a level that can be compared to a moderately well equipped hardware studio. It makes sense as a model to me.

[Bronto Scorpio]

Limitations can be the most inrpiring thing!

There is a limit to it though

I currently have to use an old notebook (Pentium 4), it doesn't have a keyboard anymore, so I have to use an external PS2 keyboard. The screen also doesn't really work anymore, so I connected an old 17' 1280*720 CRT monitor

Not a very inspiring setup to work on
The worst thing is that I don't have a MIDI keyboard anymore, so I have to play using the computer keyboard

Cheers
Dennis

[ghettosynth]

Limitations can be the most inrpiring thing!

There is a limit to it though

I currently have to use an old notebook (Pentium 4), it doesn't have a keyboard anymore, so I have to use an external PS2 keyboard. The screen also doesn't really work anymore, so I connected an old 17' 1280*720 CRT monitor

Not a very inspiring setup to work on
The worst thing is that I don't have a MIDI keyboard anymore, so I have to play using the computer keyboard

Cheers
Dennis

If it's worth anything to you Dennis, I find inspiration in your Diva patches.

With respect to the OP's process. I'm right there too. I don't even reinstall plugins that I've paid for either as bundleware or outright. I have a license for ultra-analog that I just haven't bothered to reinstall and even though I like the Waldorf Attack drum synth, I just can't be bothered.

I don't really think that there's anything that I need. I've wanted a couple of Sonic Coutre libraries for a while but I keep missing their two for one sales. There are some things that I want from NI, but, I'll just wait until they either show up in a major rev of komplete, or, I go for the summer komplete ultimate upgrade sale.

I think that the way to deal with going back to old projects is to go through them right before you upgrade and freeze the tracks at that point. Leave the midi in place and make notes about what you were using. Now, they will load in your new environment and the notes will help you create a similar effects chain. You have the frozen track to compare with. I suspect that more often than not, it won't really be a problem. Just use the frozen track and be done with it.