Software Hoarding

[psycho45039]

When I just booted Logic it said I have 1770 AU plugins. The sad thing is 99% of them are never used now.

[Uncle E]

The tool analogy sucks, I've never needed 18 PHZ-2 drivers with different shaped and coloured handles, or 7 angle grinders from different brands or 59pcs of 13mm ratchet wrenches. Which is what large plugin collections essentially are, dozens of minutely different variants for the same purpose when a couple would suffice.

Or maybe I just suck at hoarding in general, I only have a handful of guitar pedals too.

Honestly, my toolbox closely resembles my plugin folder. 99% things I rarely use but am unwilling to get rid of in case I'll one day need it. It's a complete mess, too.

[Funky40]

I install VST3 and AU.

Do you have good reason to install both?
Such as you use an AU exclusive host like Logic that you need them for?

i have different DAWs yes.
It´s for me best to just install both, AU and VST3.
while i mostly work just within a live-play host, and would mostly use just the AUs

[BONES]

Are you installing both the VST3 and AU versions of each plugin? What about VST2? I make sure to have only the VST3 version installed. And I’m at nearly 600. Easily that and beyond, if I installed all of the ones I have.

I install VST2 and VST3, as Orion doesn't support VST 3 and it never will. TBH, though, I really only ever run Orion when I want to dredge up an old song for a live set but I still lie to think I'll use it for other things one day, so I keep installing VST 2 when it's available.

For a while I only installed the VST2, as they work in both Orion and Studio One and I can't see any reason to prefer VST 3 over VST 2, but lately I've just been installing both.

[_leras]

For a while I only installed the VST2, as they work in both Orion and Studio One and I can't see any reason to prefer VST 3 over VST 2, but lately I've just been installing both.

Good thinking. You're nearly ready to try Bitwig. :hehe: it has a flag that will hide vst 2 versions.

[_leras]

The tool analogy sucks, I've never needed 18 PHZ-2 drivers with different shaped and coloured handles, or 7 angle grinders from different brands or 59pcs of 13mm ratchet wrenches. Which is what large plugin collections essentially are, dozens of minutely different variants for the same purpose when a couple would suffice.

To be fair, some of the these are more varied than you might think.

I have multiple distortion and saturation plug ins and they all have a different tone.

Same goes for delays and reverb, I have quite a few but the pretty much all have different flavours.

Of course there is some overlap and of course that many flavours are probably not needed...

[Funky40]

to have many plugins of same sort, same type, IS finally the key to learn which ones work best for one self.

More than just that:
Dealing with many of same, side by side, creates a much higher contrast vs. our own perceiption of these single plugins. It´s way easier to start to see the specific charateristics. Afterwards, after having had them side by side would i hear them different. Instead of a Reverb that sounds just nice. Would i hear and understand "why" it sounds nice to me.
The win in having many plugins can totally lie on such sides, rather than beeing a direct win.

with Reverbs for example have i landed in the "should sound neutral" land.
I for example don´t like that studio Reverb sound of the past.
It was allready "in small" what has turned nowadays into a pester: clickbait it, overemphasize the things, make it more than just good or better etc.

SW wins by having options. And in fact, so was it for many with HW.*
There was a reason why big studios just had the better sound. They knew which tool works best on what.
That knowledge comes from somewhere. ......From having options. Compare the things side by side. It will teach you.**
*/** That´s how i see it.

It´s the same again right now, just ITB with SW.
And: now available for nearly everybody of us.

Looks good to me

[crimsonwarlock]

59pcs of 13mm ratchet wrenches.

You can never have enough of 13mm wrenches, they tend to strangely disappear by the dozen

99% things I rarely use but am unwilling to get rid of in case I'll one day need it. It's a complete mess, too.

"Old stuff" is the things you need, 2 weeks after you got rid of it

[vurt]

tools, i have 2 screwdrivers (both phillips 3m) 1 claw hammer, 1 rubber mallet. 1 drill, 2 bits, both 3m. 2 little monkey wrenches.

if a job needs more than these, i call someone.

[krzys]

A number of years ago I was attending a Logic Pro & Waves promotional event in Vancouver. Representatives/engineers from both companies were there as well as Eddie Kramer as their special guest (his appearance may have coincided with the release of his Waves package). As is the case for these type of events, there was all manner of proclamation about the capabilities of the plugin/software being presented. At one point one of the presenters mentioned the thousands and thousands of presets and hundred and hundred of plugins available for the user of the software. This thousands/hundreds comment stuck in my mind for the rest of the presentation. When it was time for Mr Kramer to speak and answer questions I put up my hand and asked “In the past were you more creative when you had fewer hardware (now: software) choices available?” Without a breath he said “Yes”. This brings up a question I have regarding the software debate. ‘Would I rather have a known limitation that enables me to have greater creativity within that limitation or a bounty that allows me to have more choice?’

[crimsonwarlock]

if a job needs more than these, i call someone.

As long as you don't call me, I'm fine with that

[vurt]

if a job needs more than these, i call someone.

As long as you don't call me, I'm fine with that

[seafire]

tools, i have 2 screwdrivers (both phillips 3m) 1 claw hammer, 1 rubber mallet. 1 drill, 2 bits, both 3m. 2 little monkey wrenches.

if a job needs more than these, i call someone.

Philips? You don't have a pozi 2 and pozi 3? Are you mad?

[CrystalWizard]

A number of years ago I was attending a Logic Pro & Waves promotional event in Vancouver. Representatives/engineers from both companies were...
...This brings up a question I have regarding the software debate. ‘Would I rather have a known limitation that enables me to have greater creativity within that limitation or a bounty that allows me to have more choice?’

Somewhere between~?~
Choice overload is real for many folks (overstimulated). Others are (just nicely) stimulated by choice.

[IvyBirds]

I put up my hand and asked “In the past were you more creative when you had fewer hardware (now: software) choices available?” Without a breath he said “Yes”. This brings up a question I have regarding the software debate. ‘Would I rather have a known limitation that enables me to have greater creativity within that limitation or a bounty that allows me to have more choice?’

The more tools and choice you have, the better the odds are that there will not be a technical limitation that prevents you from achieving your goals

In 1967 Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys had a mental break down because he had a creative vision to make a record called "Smile". The technology didn't exist to easily make a cohesive record out of the bunch of small snippets of audio recordings that he wanted to along with repeating loops.

What he needed was a DAW and a sampler, instead he was cutting analog tape with a razor blade and trying to splice it together with adhesive tape

So instead of recording another album to follow up "Pet Sounds" in the traditional way, he tried something new but the technology got in his way, despite the fact the studio technology of the day was a limitation many would say that should spur creativity

The issue is it's very easy to get stuck in a rut and just make the same things over and over again and think we are being creative in the process, because we are to lazy and fearful to explore new things, and new technology

Why learn a new plugin or a new DAW? Why explore new features? When we can just use the same old same old with the same limitations we always have