uphillbothways
Joined: 19/11/09
Posts: 190
|
Best value starter plugins bundle?
#1020117 - 24/11/12 09:23 PM
|
|
|
|
I often get asked to recommend a DAW, invariably by novices on a budget. I'm increasingly
inclined to suggest Reaper, but unlike most of the other big DAWs it doesn't come with
much in the way of bundled plugins. Even the cheapest versions of the major DAWs come with
loads of toys, and although Reaper has the basics covered, it feels terribly bare if you
haven't got a stack of software already.
I've often heard the argument that
"Reaper is cheaper than the other DAWs so you can spend the money you've saved on
plugins", but what exactly can you get for that money? The obvious option is Komplete
Elements, but what would you all suggest?
|
The Elf
active member
Joined: 14/08/01
Posts: 8216
Loc: Sheffield, UK
|
Re: Best value starter plugins bundle?
[Re: uphillbothways]
#1020137 - 24/11/12 10:49 PM
|
|
|
|
TBH for a starter/novice I'd strongly advise them to ignore anything beyond the basic
plugs included with their DAW. Beginners can become lost looking for the 'magic plug-in'
when their attention is better spent on learning the basics.
That said, if a
bundle of relatively sophisticated plug-ins is a genuine early requirement then there are
plenty of freebies to try. There are some very good plugs from the likes of Variety of
Sound - their NastyDLA, for just one example, is the equal of most costly delay processors
I've used.
--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.
|
oggyb
Joined: 09/02/08
Posts: 1448
Loc: Leeds, UK
|
Re: Best value starter plugins bundle?
[Re: uphillbothways]
#1020158 - 25/11/12 12:58 AM
|
|
|
After pausing to check for the relevance of Elf's wisdom to your situation, head on over
to http://antress.blogspot.co.uk/ and help yourself to the Antress plugin
bundle.
-------------------- Composer;
www.ogonline.org
|
uphillbothways
Joined: 19/11/09
Posts: 190
|
Re: Best value starter plugins bundle?
[Re: The Elf]
#1020162 - 25/11/12 05:29 AM
|
|
|
Quote The Elf:
TBH for a
starter/novice I'd strongly advise them to ignore anything beyond the basic plugs included
with their DAW. Beginners can become lost looking for the 'magic plug-in' when their
attention is better spent on learning the basics.
That said, if a bundle of
relatively sophisticated plug-ins is a genuine early requirement then there are plenty of
freebies to try. There are some very good plugs from the likes of Variety of Sound - their
NastyDLA, for just one example, is the equal of most costly delay processors I've used.
Thanks for the tip on
Variety of Sound. I think you're somewhat missing the point though.
My issue
with Reaper's standard plugins is twofold - firstly that the UI is intimidatingly
abstract, secondly that all sorts of stuff is absent that is fairly standard. On the first
point, Reaper is a bit of a blank canvas, which is brilliant if you know what you're doing
but absolutely hopeless if you don't.
Take ReaVerb as an example -
fantastically powerful, but if you stick a novice in front of it they flounder because the
design is horribly unintuitive. It doesn't open with a default patch and doesn't actually
do anything until you've selected an obscure option from a hidden menu - adding an impulse
generator. The list of impulse sources is alphabetical, so the one you probably want most
of the time ("reverb generator") is in fifth position. The comparison between ReaVerb and,
say, Logic's PlatinumVerb is rather stark.
To use the applicable jargon,
Reaper's plugins have extremely poor discoverability - if you're not certain of what
you're looking for, it's very hard to find it. It's perfectly straightforward if you sit
down with The Reaper Book and work through it, but only spods like us actually read the
manual. Arguably that's the case for the rest of the interface, but there's inherently a
steep learning curve in that respect, the alternative being Propellerheads-style
Skeuomorphism and the muddled thinking that tends to result.
The second issue
is the stuff that's missing that is standard in a DAW these days - amp and cab simulation,
creative effects, a couple of softsynths, a sampler with a decent set of bread-and-butter
patches and so on. You could genuinely produce a modern pop album with nothing but Logic
Pro, a MIDI keyboard and a vocal mic, which can't be said for Reaper. It's far harder to
avoid magical-plugin-chasing if you're told "go and have a rummage on the internet for
some freebies" rather than "that box contains everything you need bar the talent". Most of
the obvious options for filling those gaps involve either shonky Freeware plugs, severely
cut-down evaluation versions or major expense. Say you want to dabble with orchestral
arranging - no problem in Cubase or Logic, but what does a Reaper user do? Even the most
basic license for an orchestral sample library is close to the cost of a DAW that comes
with it's own.
|
Zukan
Zukan
Joined: 12/09/03
Posts: 8557
|
Re: Best value starter plugins bundle?
[Re: uphillbothways]
#1020187 - 25/11/12 11:05 AM
|
|
|
If you discount the 'big boys' with the price tags to match bar any Black this or that
sale then you are left with what I think are even better value: the smaller companies that
make usable and cheap or free plugins. I could start a list here but it's Sunday and I'm
gearing up for a heavy lunch followed by watching Bartha whoop some ass. Go
over to KVR audio and spend a few weeks there and you'll eventually get through all the
plugins and their reviews and prices. Great resource site. As for Reaper and
any DAW, the bundled plugins, as the Elf has stated, are good for learning on and some are
actually very good. Personally, and this is subjective, I prefer to collate my own list of
plugins to use in a DAW.
-------------------- Samplecraze
Stretch That Note
|
SafeandSound Masteri...
Joined: 23/03/08
Posts: 857
Loc: London UK
|
Re: Best value starter plugins bundle?
[Re: uphillbothways]
#1020205 - 25/11/12 01:15 PM
|
|
|
If you are looking at very good quality software for a low price look no further than
Voxengo, this guy has some great plug ins (and some really useful freeware) and for very
reasonable prices relative to other developers. Characterful, quirky and sound good. Cheers Safe and Sound Mastering
|
Previous
Topics
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
