Logic plugins seem to be as good as some 3rd party ones?

Hey everyone. I recently got a new MacBook Air with Apple silicon. After four years of not being able to update logic I’m finally on the latest version. there is a lot of good stuff in there now! I finally got a taste of the chroma reverb. I am impressed. I also downloaded the trial version of fab filter plug-ins including their highly praised reverb. Is it just me or if you tinker with settings you can pretty much get the same kind of reverb from chroma verb? Or is it my untrained bedroom musician ears?

Also, the new console etc EQs are sounding very good in logic as well!

Am I at the point that I don’t have to buy a lot of third-party plugins now?

I also got a chance to play around with some U-HE instruments and I got to the conclusion that alchemy is actually very very capable.

I guess I would have to improve my mixing skills to get better results rather than getting third-party instruments and effects? Your input is appreciated.

Logic plugins are very underrated.

Of course for certain things you have better plugins, period. But you need to shell out accordingly.

For the average listener, they can't tell the difference if you use Logic plugins or Fabfilter or whoever.

If it sounds good to you and you achieve what you want, no need to spend hundreds of dollars on plugins just because you HAVE you have 3rd party stuff.

General rule of thumb is, if it sounds good to YOU, then the rest don't matter. I think there is "something for everybody to hate" when it comes to VST's, effects and plugins, be they stock or 3rd party. You've been at this a moment so I defer to your knowledge about stock plugins. Some folks do stock out of necessity; others, to prove a point to others who swear stock is wack. I'm like, "Hey, whatever gets the job done, yo..."

you could live your whole life just in logic, and all would be well. the effects, etc are all as good as can be.

 

having said that... it's nice to have choices. so yes, it's up to you. (for me, i prefer the fabfilter plugins, and 95% of what i use is 3rd-party; but if i got washed up on a desert island with a macbook and just logic... i'd be perfectly happy).

You’re preaching to the choir, here! Logic plugins are under-rated. I can see several reasons why engineers/producers like 3rd party products.

 

1. Some people are just more productive with 3rd party plugins they know.

 

2. There’s pressure to try and buy 3rd party plugins from vendors.

 

3. The ‘analysis’ functions in some 3rd party plugins goes further than Logic. Although I have found by chaining 2 Logic plugins together, I can usually get the same results.

 

The sound and quality of Logic plugins is second to none. I’ve be swayed to buy 3rd party plugins and self justifying the purchase only to find Logic delivers the same, but I didn’t know how to use it! Silly, huh?

You’re preaching to the choir, here! Logic plugins are under-rated. I can see several reasons why engineers/producers like 3rd party products.

 

1. Some people are just more productive with 3rd party plugins they know.

 

2. There’s pressure to try and buy 3rd party plugins from vendors.

 

3. The ‘analysis’ functions in some 3rd party plugins goes further than Logic. Although I have found by chaining 2 Logic plugins together, I can usually get the same results.

 

The sound and quality of Logic plugins is second to none. I’ve be swayed to buy 3rd party plugins and self justifying the purchase only to find Logic delivers the same, but I didn’t know how to use it! Silly, huh?

 

much of this is personal preference; theoretically, 4 different EQ plugins boosting, say, 2db at 6K should sound the same; so yes, sometimes it's the GUI that matters.

 

what pressure is there from 3rd-party vendors?? because if someone is coming over to your house and threatening you to use their EQ... i'd call the poilce.

 

and i don't understand how 2 LP plugins can do what 1 3rd-party plugin does; can you clarify? either way, i prefer the sound & functionality of the fabfilter plugins, for example; and there's no LP synths that can do what vital, or dune3, or plasmonic (for example) do (altho alchemy comes close, and has it's own great qualities).

 

i record regularly at a studio with a different logic setup; i've mixed a few things there too... all with default plugins... and it's fine. but i prefer what i have on my own setup.

 

again, it's great to have choices...

I use 90% Logic native plugins/instruments.

 

In my workflow, logic has almost all the things i need to produce my own music, except 2:

 

1) Realistic sounding piano.

2) Reliable Limiter.

 

I haven't found a solution that could fix issue (1) within my budget. Sure, there are many good sounding piano samples out there, but i bought logic for $199 and am little hesitating to pay more just for a piano instrument plugin.

 

For issue (2), logic's own adaptive limiter just doesn't cut it. I faced some issues including where audio waveform is moved forward in time (i don't know what the technical term is, but when i do a null test and matching the gain, adaptive limiter has a 'delayed' audio slightly in miliseconds) among other issues of it not being transparent and unpredictable gain.

 

So i use the cheapest but reliable limiter with 24 bit TPDF dither that i could find: Toneboosters Barricade 4 and solved issues (2).

 

I'm aware of other preferable limiters out there like iZotope Ozone, Voxengo Elephant and FabFilter Pro L2 but i had to work within my budget.

 

I'm also aware of all the nice toys out there like from u-he, slate digital and the likes, but i'm just a poor musician who doesn't want to pay more than what i paid for logic

you could check out pianoteq; the basic is $149, and it's pretty much all i use for piano these days. and you can google for free or inexpensive limiters (make sure there's an AU for logic, and they're current). check out klanghelm's stuff, too... affordable, and really nice...

You’re preaching to the choir, here! Logic plugins are under-rated. I can see several reasons why engineers/producers like 3rd party products.

 

1. Some people are just more productive with 3rd party plugins they know.

 

2. There’s pressure to try and buy 3rd party plugins from vendors.

 

3. The ‘analysis’ functions in some 3rd party plugins goes further than Logic. Although I have found by chaining 2 Logic plugins together, I can usually get the same results.

 

The sound and quality of Logic plugins is second to none. I’ve be swayed to buy 3rd party plugins and self justifying the purchase only to find Logic delivers the same, but I didn’t know how to use it! Silly, huh?

 

much of this is personal preference; theoretically, 4 different EQ plugins boosting, say, 2db at 6K should sound the same; so yes, sometimes it's the GUI that matters.

 

what pressure is there from 3rd-party vendors?? because if someone is coming over to your house and threatening you to use their EQ... i'd call the poilce.

 

and i don't understand how 2 LP plugins can do what 1 3rd-party plugin does; can you clarify? either way, i prefer the sound & functionality of the fabfilter plugins, for example; and there's no LP synths that can do what vital, or dune3, or plasmonic (for example) do (altho alchemy comes close, and has it's own great qualities).

 

i record regularly at a studio with a different logic setup; i've mixed a few things there too... all with default plugins... and it's fine. but i prefer what i have on my own setup.

 

again, it's great to have choices...

 

Maybe “pressure” is the wrong word. I get continuous email discount offers. First 50% off, then 60%, then 90% off the list price. For a few bucks I might download and try a new plug-in only to find it’s no better than what I already use.

 

Some 3rd party plugins combine EQ, compression, and DSP features like aural exciters (love that term). Whereas these are typically separate plugins in Logic. I like to save a combination of plugins that I use frequently as a Logic setting.... say “Lead Vocal” as a starting point. Whether you like all-in-one or separate plugins really comes down to personal choice.

 

I’ve tried a 3rd party plug-in that performed “magic” on a vocal track, which might encourage me to buy it. But I’d prefer to know what it does and control the parameters, so multiple single function plugins is just easier for me to understand.

 

much of this is personal preference; theoretically, 4 different EQ plugins boosting, say, 2db at 6K should sound the same; so yes, sometimes it's the GUI that matters.

 

what pressure is there from 3rd-party vendors?? because if someone is coming over to your house and threatening you to use their EQ... i'd call the poilce.

 

and i don't understand how 2 LP plugins can do what 1 3rd-party plugin does; can you clarify? either way, i prefer the sound & functionality of the fabfilter plugins, for example; and there's no LP synths that can do what vital, or dune3, or plasmonic (for example) do (altho alchemy comes close, and has it's own great qualities).

 

i record regularly at a studio with a different logic setup; i've mixed a few things there too... all with default plugins... and it's fine. but i prefer what i have on my own setup.

 

again, it's great to have choices...

 

Maybe “pressure” is the wrong word. I get continuous email discount offers. First 50% off, then 60%, then 90% off the list price. For a few bucks I might download and try a new plug-in only to find it’s no better than what I already use.

 

Some 3rd party plugins combine EQ, compression, and DSP features like aural exciters (love that term). Whereas these are typically separate plugins in Logic. I like to save a combination of plugins that I use frequently as a Logic setting.... say “Lead Vocal” as a starting point. Whether you like all-in-one or separate plugins really comes down to personal choice.

 

I’ve tried a 3rd party plug-in that performed “magic” on a vocal track, which might encourage me to buy it. But I’d prefer to know what it does and control the parameters, so multiple single function plugins is just easier for me to understand.

 

sure, i think lots of us prefer to see what's happening; am not a fan of 'all-in-one' processors, but have no problem with them either. we use what we want.so, instead of logic eq>comp (for example), i choose to use fabfilter eq>comp. different tools to do the same thing.

 

and yes, 'pressure' is the wrong word. we all get continuous email offers, and junk or trash what we don't want, and consider what we do want. simple!

you could check out pianoteq; the basic is $149 ...

 

Nice, they even sell a single instrument for just 49.00 EUR. That seems like what i might consider buying soon. I'll explore the options they have, thanks for the suggestion

 

... you can google for free or inexpensive limiters (make sure there's an AU for logic, and they're current)

 

Already own a ToneBoosters Barricade 4. Happy with it. I actually love it so much. Think it was around 39 EUR or so, and it gets the job done, almost perfectly.

Logic plugins are very underrated.

Of course for certain things you have better plugins, period. .

 

Thanks. I thing these two sentences are summing up the situation well.

Logic's plugins are nice and you can do a professional mix with them easily.

 

However, I don't think I'd be able to live with Voxengo, FabFilter and U-he Synths everything else i can ditch and still be happy

I have said this before, probably several times but it is worth repeating. I own an embarrassing collection of plugins. Many of these are highly regarded and (of course) expensive. However when I step back and look at my projects I find that the vast majority, maybe 90% of them have the Channel Eq and Compressor on most of the tracks. These are great workhorse plugins. There are many more superb plugins in the Logic arsenal. Also for beginners, if they choose Logic as their DAW they can go for a very long time without having to buy 3rd party plugins.