OK, tha'ts it, I'm doing it(!) Deleting Excessive VST's

[zerocrossing]

If anyone wants to transfer their excess plugins to me, I’d appreciate it and I promise I wouldn’t make great tracks with them and then flaunt it in their face.

I'm just at that point to where I want to know all the details of the plugins I use, I'm rarely satisfied with presets and enjoy patch creation as part of the process. It ticks me off I have dozens of plugins I only know the common parameters of, not their unique features. I enjoyed using Abysnth and knowing it in and out for the most part. I have 575 AU's and 470 VSTs. From memory I think 130 of them are instrument plugins.

I'm in the maximalist category for the most part, but it's not bad to look at it from the other perspective.

I feel the same way, though I do enjoy going to a synth that I don’t know all that well and just spending time digging into it and trying to unlock its secrets. Sometimes the most relaxing thing is picking a plugin that I’ve rarely used, maybe it’s because it came with a bundle and I wasn’t all that interested in it, and just forcing myself to make something with it.

[machinesworking]

I feel the same way, though I do enjoy going to a synth that I don’t know all that well and just spending time digging into it and trying to unlock its secrets. Sometimes the most relaxing thing is picking a plugin that I’ve rarely used, maybe it’s because it came with a bundle and I wasn’t all that interested in it, and just forcing myself to make something with it.

I have the MPC for that, it comes with some basic synths, and the Air MPC compatibles are pretty cheap on sale. I come from the perspective of samplers at the forefront since you could get so many more sounds out of a single hardware sampler, and I still think that's valid, how many synths can you layer on a song before it's just redundant?

I'm going to say something that might be a sin around here, but you really only need 3-4 good versions of a synthesis style before it's redundant. Same goes for FX. I have three different SEM clones, three different Junos, at least that many Pultec EQs, at least five different mastering limiters. I own all or most of IK, Nomad, NI, U-He, iZotope, PSP, etc. I think I have at least a dozen bundles from various manufacturers.

Oh and Digital Performer, Reaper, Logic, Reason, Live 12 Suite, Bitwig 5, MPC 2, and an old copy of ReNoise. I think I just like the challenge of learning new things, and like you pointed out it does inspire, but in a polar opposite mindset, I'm super versed in DP, and worry about it's future and having to roll some of the things i've done for it into some other DAW, I've got a Metagrid setup where it's a one button push for any quantize setting etc. I could get up and running in Logic or Reaper in a month or less, I've got years in Logic in the past and a solid year with Reaper. I hate pretty much every other DAWs GUI though, except Bitwig.

[audiojunkie]

I feel the same way, though I do enjoy going to a synth that I don’t know all that well and just spending time digging into it and trying to unlock its secrets. Sometimes the most relaxing thing is picking a plugin that I’ve rarely used, maybe it’s because it came with a bundle and I wasn’t all that interested in it, and just forcing myself to make something with it.

I have the MPC for that, it comes with some basic synths, and the Air MPC compatibles are pretty cheap on sale. I come from the perspective of samplers at the forefront since you could get so many more sounds out of a single hardware sampler, and I still think that's valid, how many synths can you layer on a song before it's just redundant?

I'm going to say something that might be a sin around here, but you really only need 3-4 good versions of a synthesis style before it's redundant. Same goes for FX. I have three different SEM clones, three different Junos, at least that many Pultec EQs, at least five different mastering limiters. I own all or most of IK, Nomad, NI, U-He, iZotope, PSP, etc. I think I have at least a dozen bundles from various manufacturers.

Oh and Digital Performer, Reaper, Logic, Reason, Live 12 Suite, Bitwig 5, MPC 2, and an old copy of ReNoise. I think I just like the challenge of learning new things, and like you pointed out it does inspire, but in a polar opposite mindset, I'm super versed in DP, and worry about it's future and having to roll some of the things i've done for it into some other DAW, I've got a Metagrid setup where it's a one button push for any quantize setting etc. I could get up and running in Logic or Reaper in a month or less, I've got years in Logic in the past and a solid year with Reaper. I hate pretty much every other DAWs GUI though, except Bitwig.

This is where I am with it too. I have determined that most sounds can be created with a couple of quality samplers/synthesizers of each type: sampler, subtractive/VA Analog, FM, Wavetable, and Granular--and we can't forget Modular. I tend to always have many more sampler types than I really need, but then again, I love samplers.

Even with Linux, I have way too many tools--much more than I really truly need, and so I am constantly trying to reduce my plugin list to things that I like and know well. (And although I say that, I am also constantly looking for better tools than the ones that I currently have). Things that I would consider better would be a synth/sampler that does the same thing as one that I already has, but improves sound quality, or is easier to use, or does something new, in addition to doing what my current tool already does.

In all honesty, who really NEEDS more than this:

* Diva
* Hive 2
* Repro
* TX16Wx Sampler (coming soon)
* Tal-Sampler
* Tal-Drum
* Apisonic Labs - Speedrum 2
* Uhbik
* Decent Sampler
* Sfizz-UI
* Fluida
* Bliss Sampler
* X42 Plugins
* Surge-XT
* Surge-XT Effects (a separate plugin)
* ShortCircuit-XT (coming soon)
* Yoshimi
* Linux Studio Plugins
* Cardinal
* Guitarix.vst
* GxPlugins.lv2
* ToneTwist Plugs
* Geonkick
* Vaporizer 2
* Dexed
* Dragonfly Reverbs
* LibreArp
* MVerb
* Tal-Filter
* Ildaeil
* Delay Architect
* Aether Reverb
* Airwindows Consolidated
* EOS 2
* CreaTools Piano XS
* CreaTools Keys

Windows Plugins (for use with WINE/yabridge):

* SynthMaster 3
* Sforzando
* KarmaFX Synth
* VSTSynthFont64 v3.x
* Sugar Bytes Guitarist
* Sampletank 4
* Scaler 2
* XotoPad

The software listed above, along with about 200+GB of samples in the following formats: Decent Sampler, SFZ, SF2, WAV, covers way, way more than I will ever really need. And yet, I have a list that is about as long as all of the above listed items, that will supercede and replace items in the above list when it purchase them.

Examples of tools I want to buy:

* MusicLab guitars -- Kontakt doesn't play well with linux, but these do. (WINE/yabridge)
* U-he Colour Copy
* Audio Damage Quanta 2
* Loomer Strings
* Venomode Phrasebox
* HY-Plugins' HY-Slicer 2
* Synthesizer V
* Kushview Element
* MuLab (through WINE/WINEASIO/yabridge)
* Ample Sounds guitars -- Just like MusicLab, and a guitarist with bad hands can always use more virtual guitars. (WINE/yabridge)
* U-he Zebra 3 (When it comes out)
* AudioThing - Several unique tools from them that I want
* Loomer Aspect - One of the best sounding synths I've ever heard that DOESN'T use effects to mask the sound of the oscillators and filters
* Audio Damage effects
* SineVibes effects
* Etc
* Etc
* Etc

There is so much out there now for Linux, that even Linux users are able to be picky and choose what they want to use. It simply makes sense to use the highest quality tools available, avoid redundancy, and learn the tool inside and out.

[zerocrossing]

I feel the same way, though I do enjoy going to a synth that I don’t know all that well and just spending time digging into it and trying to unlock its secrets. Sometimes the most relaxing thing is picking a plugin that I’ve rarely used, maybe it’s because it came with a bundle and I wasn’t all that interested in it, and just forcing myself to make something with it.

I have the MPC for that, it comes with some basic synths, and the Air MPC compatibles are pretty cheap on sale. I come from the perspective of samplers at the forefront since you could get so many more sounds out of a single hardware sampler, and I still think that's valid, how many synths can you layer on a song before it's just redundant?

I'm going to say something that might be a sin around here, but you really only need 3-4 good versions of a synthesis style before it's redundant. Same goes for FX. I have three different SEM clones, three different Junos, at least that many Pultec EQs, at least five different mastering limiters. I own all or most of IK, Nomad, NI, U-He, iZotope, PSP, etc. I think I have at least a dozen bundles from various manufacturers.

Oh and Digital Performer, Reaper, Logic, Reason, Live 12 Suite, Bitwig 5, MPC 2, and an old copy of ReNoise. I think I just like the challenge of learning new things, and like you pointed out it does inspire, but in a polar opposite mindset, I'm super versed in DP, and worry about it's future and having to roll some of the things i've done for it into some other DAW, I've got a Metagrid setup where it's a one button push for any quantize setting etc. I could get up and running in Logic or Reaper in a month or less, I've got years in Logic in the past and a solid year with Reaper. I hate pretty much every other DAWs GUI though, except Bitwig.

Oh yeah, super redundant. They know just how to get me though. Sometimes, it's by putting things in a bundle where it makes more sense for me to buy the bundle than to buy just the synths I want/need, and before I realize it, I have two OB-Xa emulations. Other times, I have a synth that I like, like say The Legend, and I find myself buying the upgrade of Minimonsta because they added their X-Mod system, which is really nice to have for sounds that are a lot more creative than standard Model D sounds. Of course there are just synths I buy because of technological progress. I have CS-80 V because it came with the V Collection Bundle, but am I going to deny myself Model 77 for a few dollars when I think it sounds better? Would I sell CS-80 V, even if I could? No, because it has a great modulation system that makes it a different thing.

I'm a lot like my grandmother. She lived most her life poor and made all the clothes for her family, cooked, etc. At some point they began doing better and she packed her crappy apartment full of crap to make her think she was French royalty. My mom too. Super poor but became a teacher after putting herself through college and now has a ton of gaudy jewelry like she's a mom wife. There was no money to buy even a Juno 106 when I was young. Four of us pooled our money together (footnote: my brother later admitted that his share of the money came from stealing from me over time. ) and passed it around on a week-to-week basis. I was a bottom feeder, scrounging anything I could get my hands on. I used to spend the day in a recording studio, surrounded by cutting edge everything, and go home to a Casio though an Ibanez delay pedal.

[mjolnir]

"* ShortCircuit-XT (coming soon)" <-- that's really good news!

[machinesworking]

I'm a lot like my grandmother. She lived most her life poor and made all the clothes for her family, cooked, etc. At some point they began doing better and she packed her crappy apartment full of crap to make her think she was French royalty. My mom too. Super poor but became a teacher after putting herself through college and now has a ton of gaudy jewelry like she's a mom wife. There was no money to buy even a Juno 106 when I was young. Four of us pooled our money together (footnote: my brother later admitted that his share of the money came from stealing from me over time. ) and passed it around on a week-to-week basis. I was a bottom feeder, scrounging anything I could get my hands on. I used to spend the day in a recording studio, surrounded by cutting edge everything, and go home to a Casio though an Ibanez delay pedal.

Yeah that is part of it for sure. I started off with a Radio Shack Realistic™ Moog. I spent the 2k I got when my grandmother died on a better Moog, but for decades you were dealing with a Mirage, then later a used Emax III, plus a synth or two. I like probably most of us who were teenagers in the 80's wanted a Synclavier, Fairlight CMI or at least access to one. By my late 20's DAWs replaced our sequencers and things got easy. So the ache for more was there when people were accessing better gear, and now that it's within reach we gorge. Bundles make for some redundancy for sure, I pretty much use the CS-80, Jupiter, and CMI from V-Collection. The rest I probably use maybe on one song. Same with other collections.

I mean if I think about it, I basically already strip things down though, there are about 10 synths I use, plus MPC 2, Atlas, Kontakt, Falcon, and Amplitube. The rest are basically just for the occasional use.

[mjolnir]

I like reading your war stories, guys. Nice. LOL

[NWSM]

* Audio Damage Quanta 2
---
* HY-Plugins' HY-Slicer 2

I tested Quanta2 on Linux as native CLAP...please first try demo i got some serious issues with.
Hy Plugins: Slicer 2 is insane i gave HY some GUI influences and beta-testing it as well on Windows...Try DEMO before buying. The Sample Slicing is kinda unsatisfying but maybe a question of taste.

[Touch The Universe]

Why not just force yourself to use them - all of them. Requires the same amount of conviction but alteast you'll get use of them and maybe learn stuff.

[ghettosynth]

Somehow I went from collecting one of each effect to having WAY TOO MANY VST's.
I finally decided that I just can't keep track of them and can't concentrate on which ones to use when.
So, I'm going to start deleting all of them except for a small few, if possible.

Has anybody else done this too? What were your experiences and results?

For me, they just don't get reinstalled when I upgrade or simply change my workstation. Since I've gone back to using a lot of hardware, my installed plugins are mostly those that are easy to install via bundle or are essential, e.g., Uhe synths.

[ToneCarver]

I started writing a python script to randomly select a given number of Kontakt libraries or synths as the main soundsources for a piece. The idea is to run the script, specifying the number of instruments to pick, and then use whatever is chosen to make a track, embracing the "limitations force creativity" strategy. This way the libraries and instruments that don't get much regular use have a good/equal chance of being used again.

[Touch The Universe]

I started writing a python script to randomly select a given number of Kontakt libraries or synths as the main soundsources for a piece. The idea is to run the script, specifying the number of instruments to pick, and then use whatever is chosen to make a track, embracing the "limitations force creativity" strategy. This way the libraries and instruments that don't get much regular use have a good/equal chance of being used again.

I like this

[Shabdahbriah]

I started writing a python script to randomly select a given number of Kontakt libraries or synths as the main soundsources for a piece. The idea is to run the script, specifying the number of instruments to pick, and then use whatever is chosen to make a track, embracing the "limitations force creativity" strategy. This way the libraries and instruments that don't get much regular use have a good/equal chance of being used again.

I like this

Indeed... Very clever.

[metamorphosis]

Somehow I went from collecting one of each effect to having WAY TOO MANY VST's.
I finally decided that I just can't keep track of them and can't concentrate on which ones to use when.
So, I'm going to start deleting all of them except for a small few, if possible.

Has anybody else done this too? What were your experiences and results?

I regularly funnel VST's into a 'deprecated' folder so that older projects will still load, but newer ones I won't be distracted by looking through stuff.
Likewise I've found over the years I only use a few of each category. But it's fun to have some stuff for special effects, or unique passages.

[ugo]

I started writing a python script to randomly select a given number of Kontakt libraries or synths as the main soundsources for a piece. The idea is to run the script, specifying the number of instruments to pick, and then use whatever is chosen to make a track, embracing the "limitations force creativity" strategy. This way the libraries and instruments that don't get much regular use have a good/equal chance of being used again.

I did something similar with a spreadsheet a number of years ago. On one page I made a list of synths and guitars, and a short list of numbers. The other page randomly filled in an instrument, how many measures per part, and how many notes allowed per measure. Didn’t end up using it at the time, but saved it because I liked the general idea. I should try breaking that out again and update/expand it.

Edit: it would be cool to have something like this built into a DAW, with it creating a random project based on rules you set. Could be fun to sometimes set that as the default too. Start DAW and work within unexpected limitations already setup and ready to roll.

I used to be swimming in plugins. Left a ton behind when I switched from Win to Mac, then let some more fall by the wayside when moving from a mini to a pro in 2015. Earlier this year I had to replace the old pro’s drive and decided to reinstall very few things. I love having lots of options but I also easily fall victim to option overload, so keeping things a little more minimal has been helpful for me. “Minimal” is a relative term though…it’s not like I have any shortage of hardware synths and basses.