A new plugin is supposed to help improve your mixes, production, or maybe even your workflow. It is not supposed to be a crutch, but when do you take the road of recreating the preset that you’re really going for or fork over a couple more dollars for the new one? This is a question that I always ask myself when it comes to making this purchasing decision. I’ll be honest, it pays to be the kid with the newest shoes but the kid that learns how to sew is always the standout.
Many years ago when I delved deep into music production like most new comers I was googling how to do just about everything. Once I got the basics down I noticed, obviously, that my beats and demos didn’t quite sound like a Mr. Porter or Travis Scott, and most definitely not like a Max Martin. I was in that stage of not knowing what I didn’t know, but I was eager to learn and started to go down a rabit hole vortex when I discovered Blue Cat Audio’s free suite. I knew nothing of Flangers, Phasers, Multiband EQ’s and compressors. I always saw them at the studio I would frequent on the weekends, Wired Road Studios, but had no clue on what they did. When I YouTubed some tutorials my eyes lit up. “You mean to tell me I can get my beats to sound like “that” with this!?” After that, I looked in every reddit page, YouTube Link, and 3rd party site I could find to download as many plugins as possible. My only goal was to sound like the pros. I didn’t know that my main problem was sound design, sound selection, and a little music theory.
Now today in present day after doing this for awhile I can always tell when the new toy is just a few new presets on and older one. Now you can create chords in seconds, choose from thousands of presets, and add on effects that emulate what a live band can do. Nothing wrong with that but I feel like, maybe we as a producer community is relying too heavily on these things. At some point there becomes a thin line between skill and preset. The production is amazing, but when other producers can recreate your beat by clicking a few buttons then it takes away the allure of it all. Of course the purpose has always been to create a dope record, but there is something to be said when even producers hear the production and go “how did they do that!?” Its the reason why we love Dr. Dre, Quincy Jones, and even Dr. Luke. When a magician can amaze another musician then you truly know you’re in the presence of a true master at work.
So the question I have for the producer community is, as stated above, do you really need another plugin? Is what you’re looking for really on plugboutique.com, Native-Instruments, or WAVES? Maybe what you’re really looking for is a tutorial on how to create a folder for your own presets in that plugin. Not only will it save you money, but it’ll also make you that much better. A cook is a great cook because he/she can create something amazing that you can’t get at a restaurant. Its the reason why your mother’s cooking keeps you coming back home and why you make sure to be around your dad when he’s at the pit every 4th of July . You can always get a nice steak at Ruth Chris, or go to the local grocer and get your own ingredients at the quarter of the price.
Plus, it's a good skill to have when you’re dating.
