Just think how much better Sgt Pepper, Dark Side of the Moon, Brothers in Arms etc. would have been if they'd had plugins!

Just think how much better Sgt Pepper, Dark Side of the Moon, Brothers in Arms etc. would have been if they'd had plugins!

I'm sure you might have said that tongue in cheek, but my reword would be:
 
Just think how much different Sgt Pepper, Dark Side of the Moon, Brothers in Arms etc. would have been if they'd had plugins! 

Blades

Just think how much better Sgt Pepper, Dark Side of the Moon, Brothers in Arms etc. would have been if they'd had plugins!

I'm sure you might have said that tongue in cheek, but my reword would be:
 
Just think how much different Sgt Pepper, Dark Side of the Moon, Brothers in Arms etc. would have been if they'd had plugins! 

Some moron would have used Auto-Tune on the vocals for Michelle

I've found that most of the dozen or so plugins that I use regularly are certainly helpful, but none of them "are" the sound I achieve.  I think a good deal of the plugin obsession comes from advertising/reviewing hype.  For instance here is part of ad ad for a compressor plugin:
 
"I have not heard anything quite like the XXX compressor. If I could describe the sound of pure cream being drizzled slowly into and over a mix, then this might start to say something about the velvety and liquid rich sound of compression that the XXX is known for."
 
I demoed it.  I listened hard.  I didn't hear any cream.  Didn't taste any either.  But the ad certainly implied that if we used XXX compressor we'd have tons is ooey-gooey goodness in our mixes. 
 
To quote Mudgel above: "My observation is that the experts seem to work so fast. Half the reason is because they start with great tracks and don't just throw plugins on because they have them."
 
Maybe if we learn to record better our mixes will sound better.

hype is definitely part of it.  
 
Watch the videos by dave pensado.  He's always talking up a couple plugins no matter what he is covering.  I generally like listening to what he has to say...  but it always struck me as forced.  Probably for the sake of advertising, and not actually because he stuffs all those plugins in all his mixes.  no doubt he uses some, but not to the level that he acts like
 
for confirmation... watch the pensados place episode with andrew scheps.  Scheps starts talking about how he has transitioned to 100% in the box and pensado was blown away.  He responded like "surely you dont mean you dont use any outboard gear for mixing.  or what about just for mixdown etc".
 
sheps just kept saying "nope...  Im 100% in the box now." and pensado was pretty shocked
 
know what that tells me?  all that surprise in his response sure makes me think that pensado doesnt truly have as much faith in plugins as he makes it seem like he does while regularly hyping them.
 
 
 for the record....  im totally on board with in the box.  capture good stuff at the start and mix it totally in the box and you can get great results. lots of people are nowadays
 
eventually the plugins truly will be as good as the original gear that they are trying to emulate.  they wont simply be 'like' that gear.  they will truly respond just as well.  when we get there...  then it will be all about the plugin to a degree
 
 
 

greg_moreira
sheps just kept saying "nope...  Im 100% in the box now." and pensado was pretty shocked

It is pretty shocking for someone of Scheps pedigree to go completely in-the-box. He uses headphones, too! I haven't heard of any other "name brand" engineers who have. Even Pensado's latest guest who mixes for RTJ uses outboard gear.
 
I'm sure you're right about Dave putting on for the camera, though, and I'm sure sponsorships and endorsements have some influence, as well.
 
Still, it's one of my favorite episodes because I felt it validated (on some level) my decision to be completely in-the-box. I'm sure my plug-in library pales in comparison to Scheps.

 

I'm sure my plug-in library pales in comparison to Scheps.

I'm sure Scheps does have a massive plugin library, but I'm willing to bet he could take the plugins you or I have and still turn out a great mix.  I truly believe great gear makes a difference in mixes, but that it's NOT the difference in mixes.  Give me the same gear that Scheps has and I'll turn out a bad mix.  Give him the gear I have and he'll get pro-level results. 
 
All artists use paint, but not all artists turn out a Mona Lisa.  Even if I had DaVinci's paint I couldn't do what he did.  The Mona Lisa didn't happen because he had magic materials, it happened because he is a genius who knew how to use what he had. 
 
Anyway, my .02

jude77
 
I'm sure Scheps does have a massive plugin library, but I'm willing to bet he could take the plugins you or I have and still turn out a great mix.

Yeah, I was trying to be cheeky (hence, the smiley) with a nod to the OP, but I guess it didn't land.
 
But one has to wonder, if the pros don't use all those plugins, then why have them cluttering up their menus? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

telecharge

jude77
 
I'm sure Scheps does have a massive plugin library, but I'm willing to bet he could take the plugins you or I have and still turn out a great mix.

Yeah, I was trying to be cheeky (hence, the smiley) with a nod to the OP, but I guess it didn't land.
 
But one has to wonder, if the pros don't use all those plugins, then why have them cluttering up their menus? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

they are still mortals like us....and they love this stuff....  so Im sure they do in fact geek out in trying all the new stuff like a lot of us would just to see what they can do with it.
 
i think when it comes down to it...  they rely on them in a bit of a different way.  many of these guys already have everything they need....  so they probably arent on the hunt for 'that sound' when auditioning plugins.  but rather.....  they are trying to see if any of this stuff can actually act as a suitable replacement for the real deal.
 
just different perspective is all but i have no doubt that they tinker around like the rest of us even if only for the sake of curiosity

Its also likely that a lot of pros are given the plug-ins in hopes that they will use them, think they're awesome and promote them either directly or indirectly.  Who ever turns down free stuff, even if you're not going to use it?