I got FX Collection for few months now and I have checked out some of the plugins and I find use of them but to be honest - I don’t know what most of them actually meant to be doing. Or rather I don’t know what the differences are between FX in the same category. I don’t have time now to really dive and read all of the manuals but maybe there is some quick overview of what each plugin does and when to apply it? I would imagine something like this is on Youtube maybe? Haven’t found it yet on my own so I thought I might ask here…
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There is a lot to digest. Personally, I dont like to think of what things are “meant” to do but rather how I can make use of them. You may be restricting your musical adventures by adhering to that view. There are videos out there but I would suggest trying the patches, maybe a couple of FX in series and let your imagination guide you.
Experimentation and happy accidents are your friend.
I will take a different take on it.
The FX Collection has quite a few different products inside of it. I think you’d need to be a bit more specific in the question. Like are for example you asking what is the difference between the 4 compressors? (Diode 609, FET, VCA & Tube). All are a compressor and I am gong to guess you know what one of them does, but why are there 4 different ones and how does each of them do compression differently?
Likewise, there are 3 pre-amps so how are they different from each other. The question can be how do you know what one to use when? Am I closer to the mark on what you are asking ?
I can see how we differ. I tend to just experiment without a goal in mind sound wise. So to me, it doesnt matter what a plugin can or cant do potentially, I just use what it is doing in the moment. The other approach is, as you say, to use the knowledge of what each plugin does to achieve a goal already in mind.
This doesnt really answer the OP question but I find it interesting nontheless.
I do understand your point of view but I have to disagree. Before I experiment with anything I would like to know the purpose of what I am experimenting with. Otherwise it’s a blind man’s work picking up pieces I have no idea what they were meant to do. And through testing I did find my fav reverb (Intensity so far) but as mentioned wanted to know what were the other meant to do. Not to mention that some of those effects have minimal effect on the sound for me with different patches. This might come from my lack of experience with sound. I eventually probably need to check them out one by one on different projects.
This page gives an overview of each effect in the FX Collection:
https://www.arturia.com/products/software-effects/fx-collection/details
Hopefully, that page will answer your questions. You can click on each plugin to get to the product page for the individual plugin, which has more details and sound examples, without being as deep as the manuals.
In a lot of cases, the plugins are emulating specific hardware units. It’s not so much that they’re for different uses, more that they each have a different character. It might be easier to understand the differences by hearing them than by describing them. Some of them have “traditional” uses in a studio or live context, but all of them can be pretty versatile, so it really depends more on the sound you want to achieve.
Looking at the reverb example, your favourite Rev INTENSITY is the only one custom designed by Arturia as a plugin, and is the most “modern” of the set. Rev LX-24 is an emulation of a digital hardware reverb by Lexicon that was popular in studios in the late 70s and 80s but is still quite sought after. PLATE-140 is an emulation of an analog EMT plate reverb that was used in earlier studios and has a kind of otherworldly sound that sounds great on anything in my opinion—my personal favourite of the set. The SPRING-636 emulates an analog spring reverb—which literally sent the signal through a metal spring to get the reverberation. These were more portable and therefore often used in stage setups. Some guitar amps have a built-in spring reverb, but this emulates a separate unit that you could stack on top of an amp. It isn’t as realistic a sound as a modern digital reverb algorithm, but if you want to capture that vintage feel or take advantage of its quirks, it lets you get a sound that you can’t easily recreate with the other plugins.
I won’t run through all of the categories, but it’s much the same. Different emulations of different hardware, each with a different character and often accurately modelled quirks. This is especially true of the Preamp category, which is totally unnecessary for an in-the-box workflow but can impart a particular sonic character that makes things sound better. Many of the categories also have some modern/custom option now that Arturia invented rather than emulating, and in fact the Efx category is all like that.
The other bit of advice I’d offer is: don’t feel like you need to use all of the plugins right away. It can be a bit overwhelming! If you bought the collection during the sale, the price you paid might have less than the cost of three of the individual plugins, so if you only use three, you’re getting your money’s worth. I’ve been using FX Collection since version 3, and I still haven’t even opened all of the plugins. I think it’s better to take time to learn a few well, and the others will be waiting for you when you’re ready for them.
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Hello, in truth this is what I did for Collection FX and X.
Not only did I save all the manuals in two different folders and go from time to time to the page of the vst in question, to listen to the demos in order to allow me to better understand their use.
In addition I listed them on notebooks like sound banks while waiting to complete my excel file.
Given the number of programs, virtual synths and effects I will certainly not have enough of this life to really enjoy them all.
I just have the impression of being more of a collector today than a musician worthy of the name, but hey it’s a way of having fun.
It’s a bit like driving a powerful car without having the experience of a racing driver, but hey it’s fun.
A+
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Hey @hideoushiss and welcome to The Sound Explorers Forum!
In reality here, EVERYONE is correct, we all have slightly different approaches to our creative process, some come at it from a more ‘technical’ perspective and some from a more ‘artistic’ one.
There’s no singularly objective way to do it, although there are pros and cons to all of them.
One thing that most of us that have been doing this for quite some years now know for sure is that there is no quick way to ‘learn’ the differences between different compressors/ mic preamps/channel strips etc. It’s ALL down to experience with them.
Unfortunately there’s no ‘well can’t i just…’ type approach to it, as i seem to find myself saying to people IRL MANY times a week. It’s one of those things you are just going to have to accept, some things take time i’m afraid.
A good way to approach it is to stick with one of each for a while, maybe months, maybe a year or two; to get to know it intimately.
After a while, change your preamp/channel strip to another, do the same with the compressor and listen to the differences.
Often they will be incredibly subtle, i freely admit when i started making music that i couldn’t hear the difference between an SSL and Neve mic preamps, or a Fender Strat and Gibson Les Paul, they sound night and day to me now, but that’s only after YEARS of using both in MANY different scenarios.
It’s the same with compressors, reverbs, choruses…
Definitely check out YouTube, other forums etc too as there are plenty of highly knowledgeable and helpful folk around that love passing on their experience.
As you become more familiar with different devices, it WILL become easier to hear the differences, but this takes time and effort on the users part.
From my own perspective, i’ve loved every minute of my own journey, yes it’s been frustrating at times for many reasons, making mistakes, not listening to people i should have listened to etc… but i’d do it all over again, without wanting to sound too ‘cheesy’ lol.
If you go at it with that frame of mind then you’ll be golden!
Possibly not what you were hoping to hear, but that’s the reality.
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The only thing I’d want to add is that it is as much a part of learning the what it does and does not do for what you want, along with the learning the negative consequences of as a result you must also deal with part of the equation.
For me it’s the latter part of the equation that I would love to learn from others about. The part of the Dunning-Kruger effect where unless you sort of know something about what you are trying to learn, you won’t know what you don’t know and be oblivious to know you need to pay attention and learn it.
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