The Endless Pursuit of a Better Sound
Over the past 15 years or so, I've spent a lot of time (and money 😬) trying out plugins and gear. I've been a musician, mixing engineer, and producer for quite some time, and like many others, I've fallen into the trap of constantly chasing the latest and most exciting software or equipment, believing it’s the missing piece for better sound. I want to help other musicians, engineers, and producers by sharing the plugins and gear I use, and what I don’t bother with, to bust some myths about what’s really needed to get good work done. I’ll talk about the tools I choose and why, focusing on creativity and solving problems quickly and effectively.
The Marketing Machine
This constant chase is a big part of the music industry. There are countless plugin manufacturers out there, and their business model relies on encouraging us to buy more plugins and upgrade to the latest versions, whether we actually need them or not. They are marketing machines designed to keep people in a cycle of spending. I’d hazard a guess that many young producers and engineers spend more on plugins than they earn from their client work.
The truth is, you don’t need to own hundreds of plugins or the latest gear to do great mixing and production; it’s about mastering a few tools inside out and just getting on with the work to build skills and experience. Yes, sometimes a plugin comes along that fills a gap or significantly improves your setup, but don’t get caught up in the hype. Waiting six months after a release can be a good move - listening to other practitioners' experiences can help you decide if it’s worth buying.
Introducing "My Sonic Toolkit"
My aim with this new article series is to help you cut through the noise and point you toward more useful tools. By sharing my experiences, I hope to save you the time and money I've spent on the lengthy trial-and-error process. I’ll dive into the specific equipment and software I rely on, explaining why I repeatedly turn to these particular plugins and bits of gear, even with countless other options available. These are the tools that shape the n1ghtmar3cat sound, as well as my other mixing and production work.
What's to Come in the Series
In the coming weeks and months, I’ll cover a range of topics and tools, including:
- EQ plugins
- Compressors
- Multi-band tools
- Distortion
- Reverb
- Delay
- Spectral dynamics and unmasking
- Vocal tuning
- Multi FX
- Master-bus plugins
- Hardware interfaces
- Microphones
Here’s a quick preview of what I’ll cover in my first article from the series, which will focus on equalisers (EQs), and more importantly, why I only mix with one EQ plugin - the Fabfilter Pro-Q4.
To set the scene, I just spent five minutes in Pro Tools (my audio workstation) counting through the list of EQ plugins I have installed on my computer, and the current total is… DRUM ROLL PLEASE… over 50!
Many of these plugins are great quality EQs, including some of the best hardware emulation plugins you can get (I’ve got all of the Universal Audio plugins, and their hardware emulations are fantastic). So why would I only use one EQ plugin?
That’s what I’ll be writing about next. If you find these articles helpful and would like them sent to you directly, subscribe to my Substack mailing list - it’s free.
See you next time!
💬 What tools are missing from your creative toolkit? Comment if you’d like any recommendations!
