Thread: You Can Only Keep 5 Plugins Forever – Which Ones?
Every producer has a plugin graveyard: hundreds of installs, used once. So here’s the challenge. Your hard drive is wiped. You can reinstall only five plugins (beyond your DAW’s stock tools). What makes the cut?
What the forums say
We dug through long-running threads on KVR, Gearspace and r/edmproduction to see which names keep coming up. A few patterns stand out:
- A wavetable synth almost always makes the list – usually Serum or the free Vital.
- FabFilter Pro-Q is the most-mentioned EQ by a mile; people value the visual feedback and dynamic bands.
- Valhalla reverbs show up constantly because they sound great and cost little.
- A saturator (Decapitator, Saturn, or a stock option) is seen as the “secret weapon”.
- Mastering-minded folks pick a limiter like Pro-L 2.
- Interestingly, lots of experienced producers say they’d keep fewer plugins, not more, and rely on stock tools.
Our team’s five
- Vital – does 90% of synth jobs, free.
- FabFilter Pro-Q – surgical and musical EQ.
- Valhalla VintageVerb – every space you’ll need.
- Soundtoys EchoBoy – character delay for dub and psy throws.
- FabFilter Saturn 2 – from warmth to destruction.
Honourable mention for a sampler – but most DAWs have a great one built in.
Why the exercise matters
Limiting your tools forces you to learn them deeply. Many producers report finishing more music once they stopped chasing new plugins. If you’re stuck, try a “stock only” month.
Your turn
Post your five in the comments, with one sentence on why each one earns its place. Bonus points for free picks others might not know. We’ll round up the most popular answers in a follow-up post.
So – which five plugins would you save?