What category of plugin do you really feel you’ve finally got enough of?

[MrFigg]

So many devices. I’ve been thinking for a while now ...”right I’ve got enough synths. I don’t ever need to buy another one.” But I know that’s not true and I know I will.
But...I truly believe I finally have enough delays/echos. I really do. I’ve got loads. I don’t need or indeed want any more.
Reverbs on the other hand? Man I have so many and I will never have enough. Never ever.

Do you have a particular category of device you finally feel in your heart that you’re done buying?

[BRIGGS]

I have most of what I need. Only, new and unique devices, get my attention.

[motuscott]

I'm not through with compressors, nor do I even understand how they work, but being 65yo and a drumkit player who grew a pair during the seventies, that's my sound!

[TritoneAddiction]

Pretty sure I won't buy any new EQs. By EQ that I mean "normal" EQs. Not counting things like dynamic EQ or if anything special shows up.
I just don't see why I should buy more of them. They're not even part of the fun when creating music. They are just necessary. I tried a couple of my less used EQs in a recent song, just because I never use them. Turns out it didn't make things more fun, or better, or easier. In the end I pretty much returned to my go-to EQ, GQ-7. Using things I didn't know as well just made things a struggle. I usually stick to 3 different EQs. Seems to be enough for me.
The last EQ purchase was in 2016, so that should tell you something.

Maybe I'll buy another compressor sometime down the line in case something special shows up in the shop. But I might as well go 5 years without buying another one. There's about 6 different compressors that I all use fairly regularly for different occacions. And I know them pretty well at this point. The other ones are just collectuing dust.

The more interesting REs for me are instruments/synths, creative effects, players, or niche REs that are either unique or fill a gap.

[guitfnky]

synth and probably EQ, at least for quite a while. Suite has me at a loss for even where to start with all the new synth options. and after purchasing the Toneboosters EQ, I really never reach for anything else.

I’m good with compressors too, now, I guess—so many great options at my fingertips.

also reverb...

yeesh, I’ve got too much stuff. 🥳

[cymek74]

I've really got everything covered and then some, I should never ever buy another synth, it's just silly, I have pigments 2 and Hive 2 and hardly use them, I make EBM/Industrial type stuff for the most part, so I'd rather combine 3 or 4 Noise Engineering synths with a random RE synth and 10 LFO CV inputs together than make another nice bass or pad.
After buying quite a few VSTs, I find myself more interested again in the RE market, interesting or unusual effects, utilities, and players are really what I'm getting a kick out of now.

[loopeydoug]

Synths, of course.

[VariableX]

all of them!
If i can't make music with the plethora of soft synths, drum machines, players and effects that i already own i'm wasting money buying anything else....

[PhillipOrdonez]

I think I got enough compressors.

I'm not buying more EQs.

Don't need more distortions.

One thing I've never bought much of is instruments I don't have any of those so called top drawer synths. I've been doing fine with Reason's own for a while and got a couple of hardware ones in the past year ‍♂️

[Jackjackdaw]

The internet is terrible for making you want stuff. It used to be that the only time I got gear lust was when I visited a music store. The rest of the time I would just have my guitar and just play it and write songs and do gigs. And that was music. A few years ago I got into electronic music so started buying software and researching what I needed to buy to get set up. Now when I'm playing guitar i'm constantly scrolling, looking at all these other guitars and amps and stuff and always seeing what I 'need' to buy next. Consumer brain rot.

[zabukowski]

You can never have too many plugins

[miyaru]

You can never have too many plugins

Oh shurely you can, the less you have, the more you can concentrate on music making.......

That said, in addition to the stock stuff of Reason and Ableton Live - both Suite - I have Predator2 and Massive,,,,,,

[SebAudio]

You can never have too many plugins

Oh shurely you can, the less you have, the more you can concentrate on music making.......

That said, in addition to the stock stuff of Reason and Ableton Live - both Suite - I have Predator2 and Massive,,,,,,

I too wanted to focus on music making with less plugins. But the quality of some emulations is so better with time that I can’t let them apart. At some time I thought Thor was the only synth I needed. Then Repro, then Jup-8 v4 ! Then bx_Oberausen at 9$ !!! How can we resist ? I don’t think my tracks are « musically » better but I think the sounds are better (and I can make them alone whereas with Thor I relied on designers such as the great eXode).
Same with Scream4, Rv7000 : so much better sounding in the vst world and a lot of them are free ! Or very cheap with the quasi permanent sales !

[Popey]

Definately synths as I have far too many. Would hate to think how much I have spent on plugins over the last two years but actually now there is nothing I feel I need. Bet that doesn't stop me spending money in 2021 though if something new or unique turns up as my email inbox is flooded daily with offers and new products..

[Tiny Montgomery]

Synths. Couldn't even be bothered to pick up Vital for free. I have Ableton upgrade on pre-order and won't be spending money on any software or plugins for the foreseeable. If Reason 12 comes out with a good upgrade price with GUI upgrade already in place I'll consider it. If Arturia offer me V collection upgrade for less than 100 quid I'd also consider it but don't 'need' any of it.

[MrFigg]

I could really have done without the RP eXplorer 5 bundle.

[visheshl]

its really wierd, in almost twenty years i never felt the need to hoard plugins, i knew i had reason and i was content with it always....then i switched to ableton, yet i was content making mudic with rewire....but since i upgraded to reason 11 and got the reason rack plugin, i felt this sudden hunger for hoarding Rack extensions whether i needed them or not...and now im afraid it is also engulfing vsts...i want to stop but cannot. MOAR PLUGINS

[stuk71]

I feel that I am now more than covered for synths, compressors, and eq - but I still can’t get a mix to sit right.

It’s a very thin line between enjoyment and frustration don’t you think?

[sonicbyte]

CV and router utilities

[Tiny Montgomery]

One way I justify this to myself, and I think this speaks to Figgs point about his love of reverb, is that once you have been doing this for a while and doing your best to really listen you notice that different software and hardware instruments and effects sound different. Not necessarily better or worse but different. Seems an obvious thing to say - but when you think about it the sum total of your production decisions around what you use add up to completely different feels and tones and results.

You don't have to have everything but choices can be nice. That being said anyone with a bit of talent and nous should be able to make commercial level music with a base level DAW and free or cheap plugins for additional flavour if needed. Sgt Pepper was made on a 4 track etc etc....(they might have had a slave 4 track making 8, can't be arsed to look it up). You need good material and tasteful production choices to match that material ultimately imo.

[Tiny Montgomery]

Or just have fun making noise and having jams, it's not compulsory to take it seriously or treat it like a second job or vocation.

[EdGrip]

The only things that are guaranteed to catch my eye these days are delay and reverb - once a guitar player, always a guitar player. Even those, I have enough. A good spring reverb, maybe...

[Billy+]

Drum Machines
Mixing & Mastering plugin's (EQ,Comps,Lim,Max)
Synths

Only things I've been looking at are effects devices such as shaperbox etc. Any recommendations welcome.

[Mataya]

Drum Machines
Mixing & Mastering plugin's (EQ,Comps,Lim,Max)
Synths

Only things I've been looking at are effects devices such as shaperbox etc. Any recommendations welcome.

Checkout Unfiltered audio stuff. It's on sale now at plugin alliance and you can get some of them for free, but also SpecOps whic you can get for 9bucks if you apply voucher. Very cool program.

M

[mcatalao]

Drum Machines
Mixing & Mastering plugin's (EQ,Comps,Lim,Max)
Synths

Only things I've been looking at are effects devices such as shaperbox etc. Any recommendations welcome.

Yep, this. Lately i bought Respiro, wich is a synth more thought for wind instruments, and i bought BBC SO Core as the library i had is quite dated.

IMHO it's easier to answer what plugins i think I'm still more in need. 10 years of Re's and 3 or 4 of VST's in reason have been a menace to my pockets... :/