[LAU] The future of audio plugins ?

[jonetsu]

On Thu, 20 Oct 2016 10:26:53 -0700 (PDT)
Len Ovens <len at ovenwerks.net> wrote:

> It was not that long ago that all inputs were analog (even synth).
> Now, it is unusual to record an anolog synth, but people still do.
> There are people who have made things that are all synth and the
> analog part of things is not seen till after production for any part
> of them... yet there are still many recording that have only mic
> inputs (or other anaolg pickup). There have been for years (from
> before computers were consumer affordable) beat boxes and now the
> computer can generate the whole rythum section. This technology has
> even been used on "hit" (whatever that is) records. (I can think of
> at least two "top 10" songs without thinking at all)

Yes, but this has nothing to do for instance, in the use of compressors
since just about radio broadcasting started.  And then the use of
compressors in order to prevent cutting through the lathe when making
LPs.

> The big picture in plugin use is not big name or profesional studio
> use but Johnny Two Fingers in his bedroom dreaming of being a rock
> star before he goes to college to learn how to cook... or wire
> houses... or litigate software users and venders over patents or
> something. Just the same as the big use for automatic accompaniment
> is Grandma playing along with the oldies in her appartment.

There is a market for 'plugins' (general sense - like saying the
'internet' as in : "I read that on the in-ter-net") as with anything
else.  But there is also basic 'plugin' use in all main recordings that
goes to the market.

At this point one can object, nah, I can record things without adding
any reverb or anything else, not even EQ and certainly not compression.
Sure. But what would be the point in doing so ?  

I guess we could have a contest consisting of a plugin-free song.  If
we want to stretch the concept it would have to be recorded in a
complete acoustically dead room because after all, exploiting the room
acoustics would be akin to add ER or reverb.  Which would be forbidden
by concept.  And absolutely no use of Ardour-Mixbus !

This is to say that 'plugins' are used in recordings and this has
at its root nothing to do with marketing and their target, the
aspirations of customers.