Plugins are reducing my practice time!

[Seif J]

Help! Every time I try to practice guitar I just spend all my time trying to find the best guitar sound/tone... I got my studio one license when i bought a Presonus interface recently and i just keep trying all the presets and sounds. This didn't happen when I just used an amp with some pedals.

 

Anybody else suffers from this like me? It's really affecting my practice. 

 

 

[Cody]

its probably more common than you might think. I mean when you can take one note and do anything you want to with it even post recording, it's no wonder some spend years getting one tune done  

[john]

I set aside time for learning skills, and time for using those skills. I find it a far more effective way to work. Of course I learn when using skills too... but it is not my focus at that time.

 

I practical terms that means doing batches of quick projects with a strong focus on learning and experimentation, and expanding ideas. I also set aside time for full projects to create finished tracks.

 

When experimenting I delve into sound, sound colour and shape, I find and play with patches and VSTs, I try sounds and effects, I create overall sound productions of short slices of songs that interest me working out and recreating this sound as a pastiche. I also try ideas, but stop short of developing either into finished pieces.

 

When creating a track I have a rule.... this is when I apply what I have learned. I use my knowledge. I try to resist delving, investigating etc. It keeps my process clean, and I rarely waste or lose time.

[GregB]

'DIgital' is a wonderland of infinite choice that I get easily lost in in.  Every plugin instrument consists of long LISTS, and each list item can be tweaked further via knobs and sliders.

 

The problem is that there is no STANDARD for DESCRIBING sounds (other than for orchestral instruments).   E.g. open a synth plugin and you get a MASSIVE LIST where all the names are from the author's flowery imagination.

 

In my early home studio when starting to arrange/record a new song, I too would spend hours trawling through and testing these arbitrarily-named instruments.  If unable to find something perfect there was no way to remember (unless I'd written it down) a lesser but acceptable sound.  I could spend hours of increasing frustration without success.

 

As a result, I ended up using just a handful of synth, organ, guitar and bass tones.  Not only was I SO much more productive, but the results were great ... to MY ears at least    

 

Greg

[Jezuz Productor]

I recommend the service to unlock all UAD plugins. This is not a crack, keygen, torrent, but an add your device Universal Audio Apollo, Arrow, uad-2, Twin, Satellite, ... to the real license of officially purchased all uad plug-ins. You can free download uad plugins unlock here: https://uadplugins.club

[Glammerocity]

It's easy to get carried away with plugins and there are so many YT videos for "Ten Essential Free Plugins," "My Top 40 Free Plugins," and on and on. But there are far fewer like this:

 

 

 

Necessity: still the mother of invention.

[Cooper Jack]

The challenge lies in the absence of a standardized vocabulary for describing sounds, particularly when it comes to digital synthesizers. Upon opening a synthesizer plugin, users are often confronted with a vast array of instrument names, each concocted by the developer's imaginative flair.

 

In the early days of my home studio endeavors, when embarking on the process of arranging and recording a new song, I too would find myself devoting countless hours sifting through this labyrinth of instruments, testing each one in the hopes of discovering the elusive perfect sound. If, however, I couldn't locate the exact sound I envisioned, there was no reliable way to recall a suitable alternative unless I had meticulously noted it down. This could lead to hours of growing frustration and a sense of stagnation.

 

Consequently, I eventually opted to limit my palette to a select few synth, organ, guitar, and bass tones. This not only vastly increased my productivity but also yielded results that were deeply satisfying to my own ears, which, ultimately, is what truly matters in the realm of music creation.

Cheers 
Cooper Jack

[Cooper Jack]

Consequently, I eventually opted to limit my palette to a select few synth, organ, guitar, and bass tones. This not only vastly increased my productivity but also yielded results that were deeply satisfying to my own ears, which, ultimately, is what truly matters in the realm of music creation.
 

[Steve Klatt]

I keep it simple... instead of a thousand mainly sub par plugins... I stick to high quality but just what I really need. Like my neural dsp amp vst (can't live without) a full Izotope suite. A full Eventide suite. Melondyne studio. And my Reaper DAW... I do have amplitude 5 & Strack pack. That I use on occasion. And the Stienberg mastering plugins that come with wavelab.

Ohhh I have U-He diva and EZ drummer3.

 But I stick to the same plugins mostly.

I really have learned that less can be more 99% of the time

[El Diablo Songwriter]

On 8/12/2020 at 4:53 PM, Seif J said:

Help! Every time I try to practice guitar I just spend all my time trying to find the best guitar sound/tone... I got my studio one license when i bought a Presonus interface recently and i just keep trying all the presets and sounds. This didn't happen when I just used an amp with some pedals.

 

Anybody else suffers from this like me? It's really affecting my practice. 

 

 

Native Instruments Guitar Pro 6 has "STARS" where you can rate each sound from 1-5 stars... Then you can search for your favorite sounds faster!