I’m seeing a lot of ‘My Top 3 (Bass/Guitar/Drums/Mix Buss) Plugins’ videos around at the moment. The concept behind those videos is valuable but the execution is sometimes not as valuable. They can create plugin envy and create a desire in you to go out and buy the plugin you see in the video.
Ever had that feeling? Yeah, me too.
The bottom line is that we need to use plugins when we’re mixing. Some EQ will always be needed, at a minimum.
But plugins are not the solution. I’m not even talking about premium (third party) plugins here… I’m talking about any plugin, whether it comes with your DAW (stock) or not.
It’s up to you if you want to go and invest in stock plugins but my take on it is that premium plugins beat stock plugins because they make your life easier. If you want to know more about what I think about plugins, I’ve written about it here, here, here, here, and here.
As you can see, plugin obsession is a common trend and I’m doing my best to change that narrative. Like many more before and after me, I used to look for that perfect plugin that would make my life complete; that missing piece of the puzzle that would make my music sound like whoever I was obsessing about at the time.
Do you know what I found?
Nothing. The perfect plugin doesn’t exist.
And if it did, would you want a machine to do the work you’re trying to do anyway? Wait… I can hear someone knocking on my door. Oh, it’s the lovely man from big tech. The rest of this article will now be written by AI.
Not really… I’m still here… telling stupid jokes.
I found that investing my time, energy and money into improving my skills gave me the biggest and best return. Investing in plugins does not.
It’s the equivalent of buying a Lamborghini without knowing how to drive. If you take it for a spin, it’ll probably be fun for 30 seconds until you run into… problems.
Yes, I’m saying that loading your mix full of plugins without knowing what they do will give you the sonic equivalent of a high performance car wrapped around a tree.
Or doing this…
But here’s a great comment I got that shows you what plugins can do for your mix when used the right way:
Now, I first want to say that I don’t care if you spell my name wrong when you’re giving me success stories like this. You can call me Queen Amidala for all I care. If you’re getting results, I want to know about it because it makes my day.
The point he makes is very clear…
The song needs to sound good and you need to feel it before you touch a plugin. Take a little bit of time at the start of your mixing session to balance the mix and you’ll get infinitely better results.
Use your faders and pan pots to get you 80% of the way there and you’ll notice that everything else looks after itself. Yes, it’s that easy.
The plugins then added are the “cherry on top”, as Kash points out. And in case you’re wondering, he’s only talking about the plugins that go on the stereo bus to add the initial “glue” and cohesion to the mix.
He’s also right about the Kramer Tape plugin. It is fun to use but you don’t need to buy it. As I mentioned here, you can get a free plugin from Softube that does the same thing.
If you really want the Waves plugin, head over to their site and buy it for whatever it’s on special for today. I’m not going to stop you.
But if you want to get the greatest return on your time and investment, I have a better idea.
Why don’t you take the money you’d invest in a plugin and invest in your future as a musician?
The comment that I’ve listed above is from my flagship course, ‘Perfect Your Mixing Method’. While I do not believe in the perfect plugin or a perfect piece of art, I do believe that you can strive for perfection in your method.
Taking an approach that nails down the fundamentals and then building on those rock solid foundations will give you the mixes you’re looking for.
If you don’t address the fundamentals and skip to “the fun stuff” like playing with plugins, your mix will fall apart.
Your inbox is full of plugin promotions right now and I know you’re tempted. I am too. They’re so shiny and they’ve got so many buttons to push.
But I’d recommend you take the money you’d spend on that plugin purchase and invest in your future self and your education as a mixer.
You signed up to hear from me because you want to improve your mixing. So, let’s get you some results like this…
And this…
Yes, those comments give away tips and spoilers but I don’t care… you should know them too.
The best way I can possibly help you get amazing results like this and get years ahead is by signing up to my flagship mixing course.
Click here to join Perfect Your Mixing Method.
You’ll learn absolutely everything I know about mixing in no time. What I’ve mentioned in this article is the tip of the iceberg in comparison to what you’ll learn when you sign up.
I can also then give you hands-on help, depending on which option you take.
And listen… I know it might not be for you right now and that’s cool too. 98% of my content will remain free forever. I’m going to keep dishing out the free stuff on a weekly basis and tailor things to your needs because that’s just who I am.
My mixing course is only for those who want to skip the frustration and hit that next level in no time.
If you only want the free stuff, then do nothing and I’ll keep giving you the goods. In this article alone, there are links to 7 free articles you can use to make huge improvements to your mixes today.
If you want the next level, then click here to join Perfect Your Mixing Method.
I’ll be back with another video later in the week.
Have fun making great music!
professional sounding mix every time...
Leave a Reply