What plugin/technique/etc do you embarassingly (over)use?

[jrisreal]

I use eq too much...I like polishing everything

[Sine69]

I use parallel compression every time I do drums. And it seems like 90% of the tracks in my tunes have at least 1 WOW filter on them. I love that thing

[Manic Harmonic]

I deleted the michael norris plugs, because it seemed they were introducing a lot of noise, and since the controls are so sensitive, i was convinced that i was creating infinite overlapping grain-clouds/spectral shifting drones of noise that i couldnt get rid of. I later realized, my tracks just got noisy after enough audio tracking and processing. The plugs work great and probably had nothing to do with the hisses that still plague me. Think i can re-download the AU's and put 'em back in the roster? Also, does anyone else seem to think the grain-stretching and whatnot could have been the source of extra noise?

I would, I don't really get any noise from them unless I'm using a vinyl sample or something that's already noisy, really depends on the harmonic content. Personally I never delete plugins, if I don't use them I still might be able to find a use for them later.

[hasezwei]

I use eq too much...I like polishing everything

beware bro, it's easy to overdo it and cut too many frequencies trying to prevent them from clashing. that results in a sterile sounding mixdown, i lately prefer very low filter slopes to get rid of unwanted frequencies to keep shit natural sounding. same goes for notching out frequencies, do it slightly and with a wide q, or if you gotta have it really sharp/precise use a multiband compressor with sidechain to tame the unwanted frequencies.

[wub]

I use eq too much...I like polishing everything

beware bro, it's easy to overdo it and cut too many frequencies trying to prevent them from clashing. that results in a sterile sounding mixdown

Ideas > Mixdown

[Mad_EP]

AD's Fluid (chorus) - gets thrown on just about every synth pad/lead as standard. I use it very subtlely, but it gives nice shape.


...and and even tho it is supposedly a *naughty* thing to do, I have a very slight compressor on the Master (*gasp*!)

Basically, I don't really use it to compress the Master, but rather to act as a glue and to color the mix a bit. I have it on the Master from the very beginning (ie - not added later if I have trouble keeping the levels green) and I have it on a super subtle setting.

[Gurnumsbug]

Vinyl noise...Punchy Kicks...Reverb(TAL-Reverb-2)...reversing samples...rain...& distant mumbling vocals

[stranger_sounds]

fl studio's soundgoodizer

even the name makes me cringe

[mikeyp]

the arp pad sytrus preset, untouched

and ^^^ lol soundgoodizer too, i don't know exactly what it's doing but i like the way it makes things sound

[jrisreal]

I use eq too much...I like polishing everything

beware bro, it's easy to overdo it and cut too many frequencies trying to prevent them from clashing. that results in a sterile sounding mixdown

Ideas > Mixdown

agreed.

[drooka]

fruity delay bank...
id delay a bass if sound physics would allow me to

[hasezwei]

rhodes with tape delay.

every fucking day i just jam pointlessly. i can't even play keyboard/piano but it just sounds gorgeous.

[Grimenoceros]

I use parallel compression every time I do drums. And it seems like 90% of the tracks in my tunes have at least 1 WOW filter on them. I love that thing

This this and more this. Parallel comp is the only thing saving my kicks nowadays and the vowel rejecter preset goes on at least one snarling bass in every track. Usually multiple of them stacked.

I saw something about Transient Shaper, is that a specific plug or are you talking about the general category as a vst? Cause I'd look into it if there's a better one than on iZotope Alloy.

I like wub's idea for rough cuts, that is a damn dirty little trick that I might use from now on if I'm in a hurry. Oh and yes sidechaining. And as someone else mentioned, untouched Sytrus presets for my pads/atmospheric shit I've been so very naughty..

[Manic Harmonic]

AD's Fluid (chorus) - gets thrown on just about every synth pad/lead as standard. I use it very subtlely, but it gives nice shape.


...and and even tho it is supposedly a *naughty* thing to do, I have a very slight compressor on the Master (*gasp*!)

Basically, I don't really use it to compress the Master, but rather to act as a glue and to color the mix a bit. I have it on the Master from the very beginning (ie - not added later if I have trouble keeping the levels green) and I have it on a super subtle setting.

I do the same thing with the compressor, just a little bit on the master channel in pretty much every song. works great for me. and i usually throw either logic's ensemble or betabugs monstachorus on pretty much every pad.

[symmetricalsounds]

rhodes with tape delay.

love it.

i don't feel like i over use plugs. i have a template setup with 4 reverbs, distortion, tube warmth plugs on every project. i use operator for 90% of my synth work. i use what i know to get the results i want. no point spending time learning a new synth when i know i can get the sound right in operator.

if a plugin is doing the job it needs to do then why change it.

[dublerium]

fl studio's soundgoodizer

even the name makes me cringe

Was flicking through this http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/guita ... s-236311/5

Which led me to looking at what the soundgoodizer is...

The name's terrible, and I hadn't even looked at it till now, my head says no to it but just played with it and sticking it on the master on a few of my tracks does improve the overall sound. Read a few buts on it like this http://www.futureproducers.com/forums/h ... -250576/2/
But would like to know whether it is worth utelising if it does happen to work well for a mix... I don't want to get into a habit of using something which is shit but sometimes if it sounds good it sounds good, surely it can't be that easier to get a better sounding mix tho!?

Shit post but would like to know more!

Edit: this led me to fully checking out maximus, the names are such cringes, preset pow!

[billybuxton]

i use operator for 90% of my synth work

I really need to sit down and figure out Operator and the other Ableton instruments

[amphibian]

Well, I've been noticing I overuse certain techniques, and even plugins, and it had me wondering what everyone else's guilty pleasure may be.

I reverse reverbs far too often for builds... gotta try something new here.
And plugin wise... errr I use Dada life's sausage fattener a bit much

Reverb. Thanks to chewie's awesome advice, I have now backed off it in certain ways and it's cleaned up my tunes a lot

[amphibian]

i use operator for 90% of my synth work

I really need to sit down and figure out Operator and the other Ableton instruments

Just limit yourself to JUST using the built-in stuff. It's pretty awesome

[Shum]

On all my piano ballad stuff I've written over the past 3 years or so I've only ever used one Altiverb preset I made up when I first bought it.