Suggestions to choose between Slate Digital vs Plugin Alliance vs Fabfilter

[4damind]

Yep, it is kinda the mix that makes it. I like the slate UIs a bit more I guess (for some of the stuff at least). But I don't want to load up the VMR each and every time just to add a compressor. So if I have 10 tracks that need compression, I end up loading VMR 10 times. Seems a bit too much. Also, I read a lot about Slate Digital as a company (not just the software) and I'm leaning more towards PA at this point.

If you use the console emulation VCC, you should already load VMR on every track at the beginning. But this is not a problem because it requires very little CPU.
However...I don't think Slate really has that many plugins that are so outstanding that a subscription or the purchase of a big bundle is worth it. I actually only use VCC and VTM (Tape Emulation) regularly. For the other stuff I use other plugins (PA is certainly not a bad choice).

As for Fabfilter - agreed, Ableton stock plugins would do just as fine in this case imo. Clean digital stuff. Yes, Fabfilter might be somewhat more versatile with extra loaded features in single plugins, but eventually it's the same digital stuff for me, that I already get with the DAW. Although I have to say, Fabfilter do have beautiful GUIs and despite of that, they handle CPU very well.

Yes,Fabfilter has the best GUIs but you really have to think carefully about whether you really need all the features

[jens]

Although I'll be honest I'm leaning more towards Slate or PA because of their pocket friendly subscription models. Slate is only $10 for the first six months and then $15 for the rest of the year which is pretty reasonable imo. Plugin Alliance is $15 for the mix and master bundle from the get go, but they end up giving you a voucher after 12 consecutive payments, which is nice.

In the case of PA it makes sense to pay the yearly fee right away, because then you can use the voucher during the Christmas sale and get a lot (if not everything) of what you really like and use.
Otherwise the year ends and you either have to renew right away or have to stop using what you ended up liking and getting used to.

I am not a fan of subscriptions at all - but this model really is a thing of beauty, i think. It's a win-win for both the user and them.

[Ploki]

FabFilter.
It is well maintained, has top notch quality plugins.
PA is a lot of reused code with fancy GUIs and bugs that are never fixed.
Slate is maybe better, but a bunch of empty promises.

Btw, since going M1 and FabFilter being one of the first to support it, i rekindled my love for FF and started using a lot of it i haven't used before. It's not like your DAW's stock plugins, not by sound (compressor, saturator, reverb) and not by workflow - not even by a stretch. It's so easy to work with.

I don't know whats up with audio guys and hard to use pointless GUI/UX...

[ramseysounds]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I've finally decided to go with PA.

You won't go far wrong with PA. I use them all the time and love them. The install manager is a breeze as well. A lot of them now have resizable GUI's which is a bonus too. Have fun.