plugin addiction

JUST HOOK THEM INTO MY VEINS !!!!!!!

!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~!!!!

Getting a new computer's been a real great experience for me... losing all the shite VSTs you build up after a couple of years of music making really makes you focus on what you actually need. Get a lot more done!

Same here... Also really evaluating why you have each plugin...and before you...erm "buy" that next one, see if you really need it, and if you do, what don't you need anymore, etc.

A few good synths...a few good eqs..a few good compressors...generally 2 of everything is my rule...depending.

  Captain Cooper said:

Getting a new computer's been a real great experience for me... losing all the shite VSTs you build up after a couple of years of music making really makes you focus on what you actually need. Get a lot more done!

[/quote

I agree and disagree. I am constantly adding new plugins (bought or otherwise). those smartelectronix kids keep making me add new shit. I feel that sometimes composing music to me has a lot to do with pushing the process and anything new that can create interesting or new sounds will make it's way through...

Then there is always the bread and butter for tasks (URS Eqs, Sonalksis compressor, etc)

I try to limit myself to a few vst's just because my computer will slow to a crawl if I use too many. I like to have a lot of different colors in my music, though, so I use many different synths/plugins.

i had to reformat last week, causing me to lose my registry and in turn all my pirated vsts. now i've only got 3 synths, a few basic effects, my sample collection, and i love it

I practically can't make a song unless I use a new vst of some sorts.

I accidentally deleted my VST folder the other day. I found it really liberating and had to compile a whole new folder which is now much more spartan and efficient. Had to get ABL Pro back though...couldn't get it anywhere either....luckily I found that I'd made a back up on my work computer....

i've been debating keeping multiple VST folders, for different moods. opinions?

I can't even use programs that attempt to precompensate/scan my vsts to allocate ram before runtime.

I tried out Cubase recently, and in order to run it allocates a nice 900 megs of ram on my computer! So FL Studio, Wavelab pro, Renoise.... all those programs are out the window for me.

I've reduced/deleted/reorganized my folders many times, one time COMPLETELY deleting everything, but it all comes back. You either need to make a lil something something in max msp, synthedit, reaktor that doesn't exist, or you really like the filter/arp/dist of something else. I have no problem deleting vsts and uninstalling them as I'm constantly cycling thru, its a transient process, some make the cut and most don't.

I've even gone as far as attempting to render everything to wav before I sequence and I'll still find myself making custom plugins or loading a zillion things, freezing tracks, chaining effects, mastering...

Hi my name is acid1, and I'm an addict.

  acid1 said:

I can't even use programs that attempt to precompensate/scan my vsts to allocate ram before runtime.

 

I tried out Cubase recently, and in order to run it allocates a nice 900 megs of ram on my computer! So FL Studio, Wavelab pro, Renoise.... all those programs are out the window for me.

 

I've reduced/deleted/reorganized my folders many times, one time COMPLETELY deleting everything, but it all comes back. You either need to make a lil something something in max msp, synthedit, reaktor that doesn't exist, or you really like the filter/arp/dist of something else. I have no problem deleting vsts and uninstalling them as I'm constantly cycling thru, its a transient process, some make the cut and most don't.

 

I've even gone as far as attempting to render everything to wav before I sequence and I'll still find myself making custom plugins or loading a zillion things, freezing tracks, chaining effects, mastering...

 

Hi my name is acid1, and I'm an addict.

What? I don't get it? What processor/hardware have you got? I used to use Fruity Loops 3 (which is VST) on a Pentium 1 166mhz (not Ghz, MHZ...166 Mhz!!), with 97 MB RAM and a Creative Live sound card. It ran quite slowly and I couldn't use more than one plug in at a time, but I could still play samples in it no problem and have one VST running. Made some quite good tracks with all that. I nicked the computer from work too. He he he...

Cubase VST is stupidly processor intensive. I tried running it on a 1.1 Ghz AMD machine (OK, not the fastest), and it totally wouldn't work properly, glitched up and ran too slow to use even without loading any VSTs. FLoops/ACID Pro even Logik all ran on the same machine no problem. And no, it wasn't a dodgy pirated version.

This is why I do not rate Cubase and would never recommend it.

Anyway, back to the problem....what's your computer spec?

oh man, I used Cubase for years. fuck that. Sadly I still use Nuendo but it's just because I know the app so well. I would love to transition to something that had a much smaller footprint but still had my desired functionality. I'm sure there are better options but I just haven't taken the time to relearn a sequencing environment...too busy making tunes.

I wish sequencer suites (logic/cubase/nuendo/etc) had modular installations and I don't mean plugins. I don't need a score editor. I don't need half the shit that's included. Sometimes I wish I could recompile Nuendo's kernel with my own set of includes (or lack of)

Another thing I realized the other day is if I could have my own custom sequencer, i would remove every instance of visible numbers. No knob values, no time-line, no clocks, no track numbers, no aux send numbers. My ears will tell me if my phrasing is off...My ears will tell me where to hi-pass and low-pass. I don't need EQ values. Wishful thinking...

  version2006 said:

Another thing I realized the other day is if I could have my own custom sequencer, i would remove every instance of visible numbers. No knob values, no time-line, no clocks, no track numbers, no aux send numbers. My ears will tell me if my phrasing is off...My ears will tell me where to hi-pass and low-pass. I don't need EQ values. Wishful thinking...

Get FLoops. Niet numbers or silly values to annoy you....

That's the thing with Cubase-y type stuff, it's designed for like, making film scores on and shit. Proper orchestral compositions, or pop records with lots of instrumnets and overdubs etc. That's all fair enough if that's what your doing, but what about if you just want to knock up a quick acid track....or some minimal electro....be a right fucking mission with Cubase/Logik/Nuendo etc

The thing with FLoops is you could use if for really complicated stuff if you want, but you can also use it for simple compositions. It's almost of it it expands or contracts with what you want to use ot for. it's brilliant.

Everybody should get Fruity Loops 6 IMO.

yeah but it's called fruity loops.

I mean...

ok, nevermind. I'll try it out. I tried it back when it was version 1 or 2 and I'm sure it has improved leaps and bounds.

Never mind what it's called mate - it's quality. Only get v.5 or 6 though....they is the good 'uns.

P.S. I think officially, it's just called FL Studio now anyway....

oi. I'll be back with a report.

I think I actually tried ver 5 but I had so many plugins that the fruit loop locked up and became a fruit line.

I guess I would have to create a redundant directory with only the "known stable" plugs. That will take some time.

yeah i had to disable the plugins in sound forge because the scanning takes a couple of minutes, and everytime something changes it has to redo the whole scan.

but i wouldn't call myself an addict, i'll probably start weeding out the bad ones as i make more tracks. and i'll probably end up buying the ones i really really like.

buying plugins is an extremely satisfying cure to plugin addiction. i bought a sampler and i've been using it a whole lot, and it's great to really get into one piece of software.

that and h2o isn't around anymore :)

what happened to H20? they give up after pouring their soul into the digital dongle?

Dunno, I still find "their" stuff about here and there....

I got a hyper threaded 3.6 ghz with 2 gigs of ram, the problem isn't the computer, its the amount of plugins I have and the software. For instance, if cubase scans Kontakt it immediatly allocates 120 megs of ram to run cubase... not gonna give any more examples.

I will say I use energyXT which is incredible at VST handling (being able to replace vsts easily, morph presets, route anything modularlly) and only loads up stuff when I specifically tell it to.

When I open a fresh instance of energyXT and my system info reads 8 megs of ram, i smile like this --> :grin:

IMHO energyXT is just loads more sophisticated then floops.

I have a dual Athlon MP - two (seperate) processors at 2.13 ghz and 1 gig of ram. It's about 2.5 years old, at this point, and it still slices new systems to ribbons... Might buy it another gig of ram (PC2100 )

If I'm careful, I never run out of CPU for plugins. It's possbile to max it out, but that generally only happens when I've been working on a song for a long time. Or am trashed.

What I am really addicted to is getting plugins that are totally different from what I have. I don't go to great lengths to get some new reverb or EQ as I am fine with what I have there, but stuff like the dfx plugins... :grin:

  Quote

IMHO energyXT is just loads more sophisticated then floops

Can you please tell me more about energyXT? I'm reading on the website and I am very interested in some of the features.

Please tell me more...

Its somewhat endless...

Well it can be a vsti, vst, or standalone, so you can load instances of itself into itself (load energy xt as a vst in energy xt). This also allows you to load a piano roll or modular midi editing environment into something like renoise or buzz.

Its completely modular, so you can route anything to and from anything. Components can do everything from filter midi messages, to apply dsp effects, to set up chords per button...

It has a sequencer that rivals cubase/floops/logic etc. Full midi/audio editing. Can be typical left right PR, patterned based, or arrangement based.

Its developer is insane and actually listens to feedback and implements features.

Everything starts off minimal, like the mixer is single channel no send/inserts, but everything can be expanded, like the mixer can be expanded to 32 channels with 10 send/returns (i think). This applies to inputs, outputs, the sequencer tracks.

It has a live mode where you can trigger sequencers/sequences/notes/samples/whatever per midi input note or per sequence like arrangements.

I really can't get into everything, its just deep

Oh and Its 50 dollars.

  acid1 said:

Oh and Its 50 dollars.

Nice to see someone had the guts to offer competition at a non-inflated price.

People seem to think if it doesn't cost the same as the big dog software, it's not as good... nope, they just inflate their prices. Folks - you can afford $50 for a plugin, or sequencer. Pay them for being nice.