Do plugins suck? Or is it how we use them?

I have opened a lot of different sessions from lots of different people to mix over the years, and there are tons and tons of plugins all over it. Having access to tons of plugins can be a good thing, and it can also be a bad thing. You’ve heard us talk many times about how sometimes you just mute all the plugin and a recording actually comes to life. This doesn’t happen all the time, but it does happen sometimes. We live in a world where we can now access many great plugins that can do anything we want, and sometimes that takes over our recording and it gets lost under all the plugins.

If you look around my studio, you will see tat I have acquired a lot of stuff over the years, including an SSL console, various speakers, mic pres, microphones, and more. What does all of this equipment do? It imparts a sound when I am recording.

So what is the use of plugins? Plugins can also impart a sound on your recordings, which is great when you are dealing with virtual instruments, or an inexpensive microphone without a nice mic pre or compressor. However, you must know your intention.

Intention is the most important element of any recording. If you are trying to get something that glues together and feels like a vintage recording, you need to apply that intention to it. Today, you have access to hundreds of plugins, compressors, EQs, delays, reverbs, and more – which can lead to a bad case of “optionitis”. But the reality is, that when those vintage recordings that inspired you were created, they did not have access to hundreds of plugins, they were very limited, and so it really is less about the options and the number of effects you apply, and more about the intention.

Before you even being recording, paint a mental picture of the sound you want to create, because this should be what is influencing you right from the beginning. For example, are you listening to a vocal acoustic sound? You could just generically record it, and then use all the fancy plugins to pull out any peaks and troughs and all that kind of stuff, or maybe you could pull the microphone back a bit on the guitarist and get a little bit of room tone in there, and create intention.

In the long run, this will make your recording sound that much better, and also make your mixing process easier. Many of us are mixing our recordings ourselves now, so if we begin our recording with intention and create the sound we are aiming for right from the beginning, that will mean we need to do less at the end, and won’t end up with too many plugins on our mix.

Whether you are recording classic rock, modern metal, country, EDM, or anything else, work with intention!

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[Producelikeapro]

How do you avoid using too many plugins on your recordings?

[davetbassbos]

If you go to food store intent on steak and onions, it won't matter how many salad dressing options there are, you'll just walk right by them!

[timcanon]

Words of wisdom from a guy who knows what he is talking about!

[corymiller]

I'm so glad I'm not crazy for doing this. I've been intentionally limiting myself for awhile now trying to recreate some old signal chains from the 60s with plugins. It really helps you get creative when recording because you know you can't magically fix it later in mixing. If you want a good bass tone, well you better record a good bass tone and figure out the best mic placement, tone settings, etc. The more I've done that the more I've discovered my "sweet spots" and go-to mic placements.... Just like they did in the 60s.

[tombarnaby]

Well I'm confused. I googled for the "Intention" plugin and found nothing.

[readaloud]

I'm 74 and been messing about with my hobby 'studio' for years. Now I know why most of my projects go unfinished and only semi-satisfying ... if you don't start knowing where you're going it's hard to know when you get there and far too easy to get lost. Thank you!

[strobelightstrobelight]

Warren, the quality of your channel is incalculable. THANK YOU.

[ryanshreevedrums]

Intentions in sound during the production and recording stage is something my band is currently working on and the results are incredible! Our rough mixes sound very close to finished! This is huge

[wyshwood]

Possibly the most inspiring commentary you have done, Mr H.

[edkrausmixengineer]

What an enlightening perspective. Thanks Warren! What is has become clear to me over time is that better results will come from making decisions as early in the process and sound source as possible, starting with instrument selection, what model of bass. Then microphone and preamp selection. Mic positioning, etc. When mixing, don't fix things on the busses, but on the source tracks. What you are saying seems to dovetail with this nicely.

[jacobwhite]

Warren, great quote!!! I'm constantly telling my daughter (same age as your son) that the trick to being productive is acting only with intention.

[Beatledave]

That is wonderful advice Warren! Agree all the big records were recorded with intention & the sounds they wanted were done at the time of recording & mixing was tidying it up at the end.

[TeamUltraSlow]

Loved this. I think people definitely miss that some of their old favorites are not “perfect” audio. And like you said, that’s exactly what makes them what they were. Especially liked the tip of using specific EQ, compression, etc and not using an infinitely adjustable EQ when the sound was shaped with something basic.

[mcsweet]

The more I learn from great engineers like you, the more I realize that most of the time they don`t care about the technical side or witch plugins they use as long as it does the trick. I love when they just switch from one plugin to another looking for a sound, a vibe or just because they feel like it and that most of time they don`t know or care what was the specific setting it just sound and fell . Thanks for another great Video

[JonnyLipshamStudios]

There is one word to sum up this video, without "intending" to inflate your ego at all: BRILLIANT! A Cricket analogy - It's like one of Jofra Archer's slower balls. The intent is to deceive the batter. OR, a knuckle ball in Baseball.

[BD-menk]

Your intention was to deliver a message which when done successfully equates to great content and once again you knocked it out of the park. Great video.

[hazzardsound]

Great video Warren thank you!

I've been doing this recording thing for a while too and it still surprises me how many times I hear,

"Don't worry too much about my sound while I'm tracking, I'd like to do all that in the

Intension is missed and very often misunderstood during communication too!

Thanks again desperately needed to be said, love your work!

Ajay.

[mikeseder]

Great video. I tend to go into projects without a clear intention. When I do, the most effective solution is to fiddle around with plugins until something clicks, then scrap everything and start over -- recording and all -- with my new-found intention.

[scottakam]

Your advice applies to many things in life beyond recording and mixing. Before can can decide which direction to go you need to know where you are and where you want end up.

[warrenthomas]

Great post mate. You explain mixing so easily to understand. Directly after your "intention" then "Commit to the sound", which I think is your best word of advice. Rock on brother!