Today I’d like to go on a little video rant. There seems to be this notion that you can’t get a good mix using only the stock plugins in your DAW. I’m not sure where this myth originates, but it’s totally spread on thick in the audio world. In today’s video, I show you some before and after audio samples of what stock plugins can do for your mix…if you use them properly. Let the rant begin!
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My name is Graham Cochrane and I'm the founder of The Recording Revolution, one of the world's most loved audio recording and mixing blogs with over 200,000 readers each month. 
To your point, Graham – even after trying some Waves products, my “go to” plugins for EQ and Reverb are the stock plugins. I am the most productive and get the best sounds there. The SSL package is nice, but if I can get results without buying it, in my mind that’s $500 saved.
That Was Awesome! Thanks!
What a difference man.Congrats from Brazil, I’m an avid follower of your website.Keep up with the good work.
yup thats true you can get great mix with stock plug ins, but if you doing your own mastering.. you have to use Universal audio UAD card, Tc powercore plug ins!! i don’t like waves bundles…. it missed low end punch… but UAD,TC power core has low end great punch….
thanks for the reality check.. i’m feeling this burning desire to get more plugins other than those that come with ProTools
But i have yet to even exploit/understand all the possibilties of those that i already have.. THen again, instead of getting that Signature Les Paul last month, i could have gotten Waves’ Platinum or something.. sigh…
Pro Tools has some GREAT plugs. It’s worth discovering them for sure.
what’s really embarrassing is that several of my friends/acquaintances from growing up here on the peninsula, WORK (and were part of the original development team waaaay back in the day) up in Daly City at the Avid/Digi HQ… then again i’m an accountant who only does this at home as a hobby…
Great video, but kinda helps when you’re a mixing GURU Graham! 😉
ha! Really inspiring stuff Graham. I’ll admit, feeling a bit deflated after watching that (“oh WHY cant I get the clarity Graham gets?!”)
I already bought your mixing videos and I’m going to watch them again!
Thanks for this!
BTW, I use Logic 9 and the Stock Channel EQ is my go to EQ 100% of the time.
Hi John,
Have you picked up REthink Mixing? It walks you through my entire process. After that it just takes practice my friend! http://rethinkmixing.com/
I work to 90%with Stock plugins and 10% freebies!!
I’ve learnt here at the R R that it aint the Gear that cuts it but the dude behind the desk!!
Many thanks Graham!
Yep!
I have a question: what if my stock plugins are the same with somebody else’s choice/purchase/upgrade plugins, and the other way around? For instance, the SSL channel strip (in fact, a whole mixing console emulation) is stock, for me, in Reason 6. And I was looking at the 7 band eq in PT, thinking of getting one, as Reason rack upgrade. It seems these two categories might get mixed up. What do we do then?! 🙂
The point is that you should focus on using the plugins that you have in your DAW and not spending more money. Doesn’t matter what kind of plugin you have stock. Just use it.
I know, Graham. What I was saying was actually to enhance the point even further. It was a jokingly way of saying that, in many cases, there really isn’t a difference in grade between ‘stock’ and ‘choice’ plug-ins, to begin with – it’s just a question of who teams up with whom, for their stock products – so even the differentiation between the two categories is arbitrary/subjective and irrelevant, before actually thinking of choosing between them.
Graham,
I really liked the sound with those stock plugins, but I may sound like my parents did way back, even though I could understand most of the vocals then, I couldn’t understand the lyrics on your mix. I had no idea what they were singing about. You probably did because you probably knew the lyrics ahead of time.
I just thought you might like to know.