The Sound Board

Occasionally, I’ll acquire a new plugin that’s a little on the complex side and work with it for a while, probably do at least one demo with it. Then I’ll put it aside.

If a long enough period of time goes by and I go back to it, I find I have to re-learn it almost from scratch, to the point that I’m reluctant to get back into it!

(In this case I’m talking about the vocal plugin Synthesizer V.)

Does this happen to anyone else?

Avoiding re-learning plugins is why for 97% of the time I only use 3% of all the plugins I own.

Guy Rowland wrote: ↑May 06, 2025 5:39 pm Avoiding re-learning plugins is why for 97% of the time I only use 3% of all the plugins I own.

And yes, Larry, I expect that is true for many of us!

I take the jack-of-all-plugins, master of none approach—trying to get a good overview of most of the plugins I have and then learning more as needed.

I too may need some review after not having used a complex piece of software for awhile, but review always takes less time than learning from scratch.

Best,

Geoff

Geoff Grace wrote: ↑May 07, 2025 1:43 am I take the jack-of-all-plugins, master of none approach—trying to get a good overview of most of the plugins I have and then learning more as needed.

I too may need some review after not having used a complex piece of software for awhile, but review always takes less time than learning from scratch.

Best,

Geoff

True dat, Geoff-a little hyperbole on my part.

That said, try (if you haven’t) learning to make a natural sounding vocal in Synthesizer V and then re-learning how to do so a year later! It’s a genius plug in with its vocalist Solaria but it’s a process.

Lawrence wrote: ↑May 06, 2025 4:43 pm Occasionally, I’ll acquire a new plugin that’s a little on the complex side and work with it for a while, probably do at least one demo with it. Then I’ll put it aside.

If a long enough period of time goes by and I go back to it, I find I have to re-learn it almost from scratch, to the point that I’m reluctant to get back into it!

(In this case I’m talking about the vocal plugin Synthesizer V.)

Does this happen to anyone else?

Really no idea at all what you are talking about Larry

I have it with Reaper. I figured out once a good setup for some sampling and editing and then for a few other projects I did not had to use Reaper. A few months later I wanted to start again with a new editing and sampling project in Reaper and I completely forgot my setup and it dreaded me to figure out how I had set it up, so i went back to my old routine again with Nuendo and wavelab. It is more time consuming, but I have done it so many times that it is just a great routine. Everytime I want to pick it up in Reaper again, but the whole figuring it out is just killing it for me. The human mind is a weird thing...

Jaap wrote: ↑May 07, 2025 2:41 am

Lawrence wrote: ↑May 06, 2025 4:43 pm Occasionally, I’ll acquire a new plugin that’s a little on the complex side and work with it for a while, probably do at least one demo with it. Then I’ll put it aside.

If a long enough period of time goes by and I go back to it, I find I have to re-learn it almost from scratch, to the point that I’m reluctant to get back into it!

(In this case I’m talking about the vocal plugin Synthesizer V.)

Does this happen to anyone else?

Really no idea at all what you are talking about Larry

I have it with Reaper. I figured out once a good setup for some sampling and editing and then for a few other projects I did not had to use Reaper. A few months later I wanted to start again with a new editing and sampling project in Reaper and I completely forgot my setup and it dreaded me to figure out how I had set it up, so i went back to my old routine again with Nuendo and wavelab. It is more time consuming, but I have done it so many times that it is just a great routine. Everytime I want to pick it up in Reaper again, but the whole figuring it out is just killing it for me. The human mind is a weird thing...

Ha!

I spent a few hours with Reaper and went running back to Cubase.

True about trying to get a natural singing from Synth V, though in my case I have not tried to go there yet… the default output is good enough for sketching. I have the same problem re-learning plugins when I haven’t used them for a while, and even programs. Like after a year using Sibelius exclusively returning to Finale has been a pain, forgot all the keyswitches etc. Age could be a factor too

It does happen but rare for me. The latest plugin that I will likely have to re-learn from scratch is Dust by Sound morph. It’s been a while!

I can get a little foggy here and there but it comes back fast. I also use less things so that may be helping.

Tanuj Tiku wrote: ↑May 07, 2025 5:36 am It does happen but rare for me. The latest plugin that I will likely have to re-learn from scratch is Dust by Sound morph. It’s been a while!

I can get a little foggy here and there but it comes back fast. I also use less things so that may be helping.

Yeah Tanuj, that seems to be a theme. I use many of the same things as well-and then I need something I don’t use often, and it’s back to the learning process.

Not just plug-ins. I wrote a well regarded book about the score editor in Logic Pro, but since these days I rarely am hired to print out scores for other composers because they don’t have the budget for a live orchestra , I mostly just do chord charts and lead sheets.

So when I am called upon to do more complex things I have to open the book and see what this guy Jay Asher said to do

Ashermusic wrote: ↑May 07, 2025 12:23 pm Not just plug-ins. I wrote a well regarded book about the score editor in Logic Pro, but since these days I rarely am hired to print out scores for other composers because they don’t have the budget for a live orchestra , I mostly just do chord charts and lead sheets.

So when I am called upon to do more complex things I have to open the book and see what this guy Jay Asher said to do

Ashermusic wrote: ↑May 07, 2025 12:23 pm Not just plug-ins. I wrote a well regarded book about the score editor in Logic Pro, but since these days I rarely am hired to print out scores for other composers because they don’t have the budget for a live orchestra , I mostly just do chord charts and lead sheets.

So when I am called upon to do more complex things I have to open the book and see what this guy Jay Asher said to do

At least he’s a good resource!

A couple of years ago I had to programme some demos for a movie, and I realised that I hadn't done this for nearly 10 years. Not only was all my software out of date, but I had no idea how to use any of it. It was quite a sobering experience and a steep learning curve. At least I knew what was (or used to be) possible, so I had a head start on someone starting from scratch.

I'm currently working on a project that will be a combination of live and samples (to be performed live) so am putting my "new" knowledge to good use...!

Happens all the time!

Being just a bit of a dinosaur, I go back to my "roots"... granted it was much easier with hardware since I owned very few devices, but the idea remains the same.

Back then each new piece of gear received a workout with the type(s) of tracks for the expected use. After that I kept a little note book, when I learned a new trick I'd make a note of the settings and the effect. (And I'd give my eye teeth to find that notebook!)

The actual process was pretty simple - zero the device out and then run each setting at max and min. This provided a roadmap for additional tests. None of these processors were particularly exotic, so it didn't take a long time to learn how each control worked.

For simple plugins (e.g. compressors, equalizers, delays, etc) I follow the same path. For more complicated plugins I read the manual, watch a couple videos, and then follow the same path.

REALLY need to start a new notebook, because as others have said, sometimes I just fall back to a handful of plugins I've used the most.

“For simple plugins (e.g. compressors, equalizers, delays, etc) I follow the same path. For more complicated plugins I read the manual, watch a couple videos, and then follow the same path.”

That’s what I find time consuming and flow-killing!

I take a lazy approach that probably most of you would never settle for.

I try presets until I find one that puts me in the ballpark of what I want it to sound like. If I get the result I want I save it as a user preset.

Since I understand the basics of what most plugins do I frankly don’t give a flying you know what about why and how any specific plugin does what it does or why.

Obviously I should be nobodies role model:)

Lawrence wrote: ↑May 12, 2025 12:11 pm “For simple plugins (e.g. compressors, equalizers, delays, etc) I follow the same path. For more complicated plugins I read the manual, watch a couple videos, and then follow the same path.”

That’s what I find time consuming and flow-killing!

And it would be, no question, so I (try to) avoid that at all costs. Applies to libraries as well. I try to purchase, and install, any new software before I really need it, giving me time to figure out what I will do with it.

It is a tricky bit - buy too soon and you might not need it after all, buy too late and you are fighting the new tool, and the assignment.

A long time ago this was a real problem for me. These days there is little chance that I need a new tool desperately, so I wait until I have the money, or there is a really good deal.

Which does nothing for the problem of re-learning something. Not sure there is an easy answer, except to start re-learning before you really need it, and I don't think that will work every time.