Clear your vst folder

#1

I think that I have too many plugins, I need to remove half. Just for some reason, I’m in creative stagnation. I do not want to open a workstation and see a choice of 200-300 plugins. What do you think?

#2

Sounds like too many to me. I did a little cleaning last night. I think I have maybe 50-ish, between instruments and effects that I use, and maybe 100 total. Most of that is stock plugins.

Hard drive space is constantly at a premium for me, so I have to be very honest about what I need.

#3

I use lots of plugins, but all in separate folders and with additional prefixes. So the folder structure is:
FX1 Midi
FX2 Spectral
FX3 Crush
FX4 Motion
FX5 Dynamic
FX6 Ambience
FX7 Various
FX8 Restore
FX9 Video
SYN1 Analog
SYN2 Complex
SYN3 Sampled

And in most folders I use additional prefixes for names such as:

… for character EQs:
EQC Enceladus
EQC Luftikus
… for dynamic EQs
EQD FabFilter Pro-Q3
EQD Trackspacer
… for EQs I like mostly for mastering and groups
EQM Newfangled EQuivocate
EQM SplineEQ

and so on…
Helps with keeping order and finding and selecting stuff really fast.

#4

I use like 4 plugins nowadays. Anything that can be done natively doesn’t always need a fancy UI, imo.

#5

For sure, but get me a DAW that does something like Zynaptiq Morph, Adaptiverb, PitchMonster, Trackspacer or Elevate natively with a few clicks. Or resynthesis like Icarus or Infinite. Or restoration like the RX plugins. There is some really awesome stuff out there nowadays. And a lot of completely unnecessary stuff that’s a lot of fun, too… ^^

#6

Not counting native plugins I probably only use 30 total.

#7

You guys are showing some real discipline and very low software GAS levels. I’m impressed. :smiley:

#8

That is also why I switched to hardware, less choices and more focus.
I had a similar issue with the IPad bought too much stuff. Ended up deleting lots, not buying more and just getting to know my shit.

Still lacking inspiration but at least I don’t blame the choices anymore.

#9

Thanks to all

#10

I did it many times when I cleared the unused VSTs, and samples. I downloaded and installed many and use a very few of them. This not clears you storage space, also clears you mind too.

#11

Im gonna go ahead and not get rid of any of my plugins!

I’ve bought them over the past 10 years for specific needs/purposes and since its been over the course of that amount of time I’ve found where many of their strengths and weaknesses are and have some specific tools for specific jobs.

I’ve been updating NI Komplete every other year since version 6 and went in w a few production friends on the Arturia Collection. I recently considered ditching my Roland Cloud but was hooked up w a free account via a collaborator/associate. Ultimately, I don’t NEED all this stuff, but I use 90% of it for my job so… tools, gotta have them.

#12

I’ve been debating this switch recently myself. At first figured I might limit myself by building out a DAW running XP SP3 based around a Pentium D that I have. But then I started thinking about how much more productive I was back in the 90’s when I had only a few pieces of hardware and used my 486 for sequencing. Figured maybe go for a handful of hardware synths and either a hardware multi-track or a simple PC strictly for audio and sequencing to go with the stuff.

I’ve actually been getting excited about the thought of using a Sound Canvas for a sound source again… imagine that.

#13

One of us. One of us. One of us.