I think i have too much plugins

[Junolab]

Gear is fun, but I think too many young musicians and to-be-producers are looking to much about getting the newest things instead of just diving down in to whatever they have to develop their skills. The software companies for audio plugins is 90% marketing and 10% development. Most make a really high quality now (incl many stock plugins)

Nah.... I think you'd be surprised how many just use Serum and Live or Fruity Loops.

I didn't say that many didn't use "stock"/cheap tools (you can argue Serum ain't cheap). You can easily use Fruityloops and still buy a lot of unnecessary plugins. The vast majority who buys plugins buy them because they believe a new plugin is automatically better than an old plugin and it can better their mixes where it's actually just their skills they need to improve.

[Dirtgrain]

My skills are sweet.

[briefcasemanx]

Just a couple more black Friday purchases and I'm good. Just a couple more. And maybe the new audio damage delay right now. And tone 2 Saurus 3. Okay just those two and then a few on black Friday and I'll finally be good. Oh and Traction Hyperion and Abyss too. Just those 4 and maybe a few on black Friday and I'm definitely done.

[Googly Smythe]

Saying you have too many plugins is like an artist saying he has too many colours.
There is only one reason not to indulge your GAS, and that's lack of finance (ie, don't get into trouble, financially, just because of a plugin).

Artists actually own only a relatively limited amount of colours, they mix what they need from them.

You could try the same

I do use only a few. I was stating a sorta principle.

[egbert101]

Just a couple more black Friday purchases and I'm good. Just a couple more. And maybe the new audio damage delay right now. And tone 2 Saurus 3. Okay just those two and then a few on black Friday and I'll finally be good. Oh and Traction Hyperion and Abyss too. Just those 4 and maybe a few on black Friday and I'm definitely done.

Don't forget to buy 2TB of sample packs and instruments, they're always useful and extremely expensive. Enjoy!

[Dirtgrain]

It's only wafer thin.

[Tj Shredder]

I also have to many musics, some I only listened once and still keep them in my archive… Sometimes I wade through my list of plugins like I wade through my music collection. Maybe I pick one and listen - can trigger an idea - or not - just for fun - or out of boredom - who cares…
I am also reading too many KVR posts - also responding to too many…

[hoxclab]

Ya I’ve downsized a lot this year. Somethings I found to be redundant. I’m selling Reaktor for instance because I’m liking The Grid with Bitwig and find it easier to work with. I’m also moving to Linux and only trying to use Linux compatible products and I like companies that are cross platform.

[rod_zero]

I have around 20 and seems like a lot given all the DAW stock ones, can't imagine 100 much less thousands.

I would have a breakdown from just looking to so many options and will consider going to therapy to manage this habit xD

[progtronic]

It's only wafer thin.

best.. reference.. ever..

[takaperry]

It's hard because once you delete / sell a plugin you no longer use you won't be able to recall old sessions, which just isn't acceptable in a professional environment when an artist you produced for 3 years ago crawls out of the woodworks and needs a instrumental mix for a TV sync in the next 24 hours...

My mix sessions over the years shows an evolution of using certain plugins for a while and then phasing them out for another plugin I started preferring, but for the reason above I just can't commit to deleting any old plugins, and hence the folder grows and grows...

I barely buy any plugins nowadays anyways, been rolling primarily with Plugin Alliance for mixing over the last few years, and am super familiar with most of the plugins they distribute.

[Ploki]

It's hard because once you delete / sell a plugin you no longer use you won't be able to recall old sessions, which just isn't acceptable in a professional environment when an artist you produced for 3 years ago crawls out of the woodworks and needs a instrumental mix for a TV sync in the next 24 hours...

My mix sessions over the years shows an evolution of using certain plugins for a while and then phasing them out for another plugin I started preferring, but for the reason above I just can't commit to deleting any old plugins, and hence the folder grows and grows...

I barely buy any plugins nowadays anyways, been rolling primarily with Plugin Alliance for mixing over the last few years, and am super familiar with most of the plugins they distribute.

Mixdown stems for every project you finish.
or just do a "export all tracks as audio files"

I don't do that, although i should, and it's 100% more future proof than relying on plugins that might disappear completely, license server dies - and activation is online, etc.

Professional means archiving is fool-proof, not that you keep tons of old crap "just in case"

[takaperry]

Mixdown stems for every project you finish.
or just do a "export all tracks as audio files"

It's a great idea in theory but can become tricky when you consider bus processing.

If I export all tracks as audio files I lose most of the bus processing, and the stems sometimes sound nothing like the song. If I export the buses I lose the flexibility of say, being able to remove a guitar solo from the guitar bus.

[Ploki]

It's a great idea in theory but can become tricky when you consider bus processing.

If I export all tracks as audio files I lose most of the bus processing, and the stems sometimes sound nothing like the song. If I export the buses I lose the flexibility of say, being able to remove a guitar solo from the guitar bus.

Sure - but it's 100% more reliable than relying on a plugin to be supported in couple of years to come.

you can bounce out both bus groups and tracks, in logic that's literally one click, in cubase export options are even miles better.