Why Black Friday Plugin Deals WON'T Fix A $h!t Mix!

Black Friday is just around the corner and another SSL channel strip emulation on sale is NOT the answer to your mix issues - so we're giving you five quick tips to stay productive while all the sales are on!
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[@LongshanMusic]

Mark: ". . . because it's $39 instead of $149, which it never is anyway. . . " Waves: 😅😗 🎶

[@axilleas]

Day before Black Friday: 99$/£/€ Black Friday: ONLY 99$/£/€ down from 199! +1 on the tips. If you can’t do it on the stock plugins then plugins is not your shortcoming.

[@gryziu]

Chlamydia - It's Damn Catchy 🤣🤣🤣 You need to release that VSTi!

[@Hermiel]

I've vowed to buy exactly zero new plugs until I actually start making and finishing music again.

[@PresentDayProduction]

Great idea - and best of luck to you!

[@thewatchmanstudios6257]

I fell down the hole of plugin purchasing , and have since disabled/sold 80% of my licenses. I often use stock plugins (though not always) and am quite pleased with the results

[@Juan_lauda]

I love that Cyprus Hill album.

[@peterbrandt7911]

Think first and think twice. Make a plan about things you need in the long run. If it happens, that one of those comes up in a sale, think for a second time, if you need it, can afford it and is it worth it.

[@chickenlickin3820]

Flopkat such a beauty!

[@seybsnilksz]

Very good list! I would say the fifth tip is very dependant on your ambitions though. Myself I have no interest in being creative and writing or producing songs to be honest, I want to mix for a living. So for me, the mixing courses have helped immensely with my craft.

[@pvampman]

Yeah...I'm waaay over the flooding of my email inbox over and over and over again for black Friday deals....I just delete all.

[@ryanj8526]

Guys, one important piece of studio gear worth buying on black friday ... a good dehumidifier!

[@tonycapone2016]

And a decent chair!

[@dougleydorite]

Thanks for keeping it fresh! So tired of seeing all the influencers turn into a "buy my course" infomercial. You guys keep this channel on point and give viewers a look into a the inter-workings of a real studio' approach, whilst still being relatable to the weekend warrior. The Top Gear of audio!

[@PresentDayProduction]

Thank you so much!

[@kehindea]

Aargh don’t start me on the courses haha. I learned the old school way. Drop yourself in the deep end and swim your way out. Of course you need help and Sound On Sound plus an actual face to face mini module course at UNI from an working engineer did help. So courses are ok but man there’s far too many of them hahaha

[@dougleydorite]

@@kehindea I wish I got deeper into audio at a younger age because within the last 5 years, any kid can make something sound good with some presets and MIDI everything. Back when you were learning the hard way, you truly had to struggle to get good source tones and shape them and the result was always something unique. I skipped all of those years for my career and feel like it’s too late 😥

[@latheofheaven1017]

I agree about mix as you go/mix by arrangement. I always do this, but there is a downside. You can get bogged down (at least I do), in some detail of the mix, or choice of instrumentation, or a bunch of other things. This results in the inspiration evaporating and grinding to a halt. So try to mix/write at the same time, but use broad brush-strokes, and don't be distracted by detail until you've got something that basically works from start to finish. Only then, allow yourself to get into tweaking mode.

[@ThePlanarchist]

Hmmm but now I want some chocolate!

[@riktascale4]

Very genuine and sincere inspiration, motivation and tips. Thanks a milly and do have a greta one.

[@vdub4216]

Wisdom 101

[@martinlopez2955]

Exactly!!! Great video

[@Gongtopia]

Keeping it real as always. Thanks!

[@wrenkler]

Marry Christmas 2022! it comes even earlier this year 🎅💲💰 great video as always

[@derekmidgley]

You guys are the best. You do know that, right. And your cat.

[@PresentDayProduction]

Thank you so much! And of course, thanks for watching!

[@furiobisotti8150]

I got adult recently. I already bought all software synthesizers that I was dreaming of when I was a kid. This year I won't buy anything new. Black week or whatever. I was thinking about a Waves bundle or Omnisphere, but these things are expensive for an amateur. With LogicPro and other things I got (all Arturia, Native and IK collections) I can survive for decades. So, new new plugin this time. You are perfectly right.

[@kehindea]

When it comes to the creative side. Get a decent synth. A lot of the plugins are hybrid with different synth technologies therein. A sampler or rompler like Dimension Pro where you can bring your own samples to the mix and an acoustic instrument if you can play. Soft synths are like plugins once you got one you got all as there isn’t much difference between them. Omnisphere Is good but heck it’s bloated and very little of it is useful for non EDM type songs. Go out and make your own samples. There are unscrupulous people who are claiming copyright on drum loops and other loops as well (it happened to me) so don’t rely on them. Get creative my friend you don’t need to spend heaps of money.

[@WillyJunior]

I wouldn't rush into getting Omnisphere... many of the sounds are just too weird/random to make it useful.

[@JANDAVE08]

This is so refreshing! Love this channel. I’m still gonna get Pro L if I can get a deal on it though !! 🤣

[@artysanmobile]

I very much support this thesis and would like to offer a bit of advice along these lines that, I think, does not get said enough. If you simply cannot find the key to unlocking a really compelling mix, for whatever reason you might think, take a close look at the music. Disable all your reverbs and buss compression, strip it down to tracks without even EQ if possible. Force yourself to come up with a static fader mix, no automation. This shouldn’t take much time if you’re already stuck spinning wheels. Take out a notepad and list everything that’s bugging you. Be brutal and forget technical issues completely. Just list what sucks about what you hear and rate each comment. I’d bet real money you will find that performances, arrangement, even composition and lyrics make it onto that list. Be honest with yourself and approach the song with a fresh mind. Your list may be short and encouraging, it might be quite intimidating, but if you found fundamental issues, you are well on your way to being happier. Arrangement is the key to any great song, and by implication, any great mix. They are often the same thing. You might find without all the candy that you are hearing new things, lyrics you no longer love, unnecessary repetitions, solos that are boring, and overdubs that missed the mark badly and are perhaps superfluous. Brace yourself and fix the fundamentals. If you like the vocal, that’s huge. Go through it with clip gain (no automation) and solve big issues where the lyric is losing impact. Turn off the drums and bass. Starting there is the surest way to lose the narrative. If it is a lyrical song, the vocal and a guitar or keyboard should be your starting point. Make the story work first. Best of luck.

[@PresentDayProduction]

This is a great comment, thanks for this!

[@airbourne145]

This comment is GOLD, should be stamped

[@artysanmobile]

@@airbourne145 You’re so kind, Antonio.

[@allen394]

As usual, you guys hit the proverbial nail on the head. However I was very disappointed that 1. No Flop Cat and 2. I don't have any 'dopey and mean' in my head!

[@GingerDrums]

If there were to be something to get if you are going pro: it's the Fabfilter bundle and RX post production tools. Me and 4 other mixers work on the same productions and can do everything we need to do.

[@kehindea]

Still the same snake oil. You can do well as a pro without them.

[@amosluyk]

@@kehindeaThey are outstanding plugins. And being a family, they share workflow, which makes for quicker work. If they are snake oil, what isn't? Do tell..

[@wrenkler]

I bought the total bundle a month ago and It really made me wanna mix and produce more and buy less plugins 🙏😌 (haven't even got crazy to buy that that Split i EQ)

[@lb1823]

@@kehindea they simplify your life

[@louismanouche]

Very sensible! Amused to see that the ad before this video for me was for the Waves black Friday plugin sale.

[@PresentDayProduction]

I’m glad to say that we have no input in what the adverts show, it’s entirely based on your search history 😎 but yes, quite amusing!

[@CheapoCardCompany]

@@PresentDayProduction So... tut tut to anyone whose ad was for butt-plug-ins..?

[@JoelWard1]

Agreed, partially. There is no use in getting one more 76 emulation just because, but some tools are good to have in your backpack especially if you aim to work primarily as a mixing engineer, where going back to the source might not always be an option. That being said, Black Friday is exactly how James explained it. A dopamine rush with most companies guilt-tripping consumers to "GET THE SALE WHILE IT'S STILL ON!!! EXTENDED FOR ONLY TODAY!!!". Can't stand that myself. Thankfully there are companies that will do a sale, but without any extra mumbo-jumbo around it. Sale dates, this is the price, won't change, grab it if you want it. Like oeksound, for example! :D

[@kehindea]

The whole point of a sale is to guilt trip you into buying the product lol. Nothing wrong with it but here’s an idea. How about give low prices from the start so you won’t lose customers to your rivals? It’s a tough one. Aldi say they do this but we still rush to Coles (big corporate Australian food retailer) when they put big shiny 20% off banners in the junk Mail they send us.

[@davemccall9594]

Mark's mug doesn't have a chip shortage.

[@dgsoundCA]

Another great and useful video, thanks guys for never stop being smart and honest! 🤘💗

[@PresentDayProduction]

Thank you very much! And of course, thanks for watching!

[@kehindea]

Mark reminds me of one of my course lecturers at London College of Music back in 1997. Brilliant video with that lovely British humour thrown in. Keep up the good work guys but please no more monitor reviews lol. I’d like to see more things like track deconstructions, sampling as opposed to using other peoples samples, challenges etc but thanks for your stuff I really like how you mix up your b rolls. Maybe do a road trip? Thanks for your good work.

[@PresentDayProduction]

We’re planning a whole load of content just like that, and a road trip! Although there will be some more monitor reviews too!

[@GregKletschka]

I tend to forget buying plugins on Black Friday and prefer to get sounds from NI for half off. Which is only once a year for me anyways.

[@onemanband3579]

It's people like you that give Pandas a bad name.

[@UncleBenjs]

I resisted buying things in the black friday sale this year. (But maybe I'm just waiting for them to go full price again before buying more stuff I don't need).

[@cornerliston]

Why not just call it ‘Black Year’ since most plugins are discounted approx. EVERY F-ING DAY. I'm disconnected completely with Waves and not far from disconnecting from Plugin Alliance any minute. Yes, I do appreciated discounts. But this industry is slowly killing itself with the ever ongoing discount strategy. Waves is the worst leaches having all its strategy based on discount every day to get the customers into their subscription model. At least I can still decide at Plugin Alliance if I want to own my plugins or not.

[@georgyj111111]

I'm proud of myself. I didn't spend a penny this year.

[@jazzampa]

*Yet* or cos you're broke 🤔😁

[@thegroove2000]

DOPERMINE GIVE ME DOPERMINE!!.

[@vineyardrecordingstudio]

Toni Kroos makes music production?

[@lahattec]

How do you keep cat hairs out of the studio? :)

[@PresentDayProduction]

There’s only one way - don’t have a cat! We do have a cat, so a brush and a vacuum does the trick 👍

[@kehindea]

Unpopular opinion: buying expensive analogue gear will make your mixing worse and will bankrupt you in the long run as you fall for the snake oil and deceptive marketing practices of companies and their shills trying to convince you to pay thousands for that nebulous analogue warmth that plugins already give you if you could be bothered to use them properly. Yeah slag off plugins but please don’t ignore the insane noise from the analogue gear peddlers guilting you to ditch digital for the ‘warmth’ BS. The damage they cause is 100 times worse. The same thing goes for expensive monitors, desks etc. You don’t need any gear other than your computer, audio interface (any) and a decent pair of headphones or studio monitors. Add some room treatment to this when you buy monitors (your video on room treatment at a budget is the best video you’ve made imo). Analogue gear, 500 series, summing mixers, SSL six etc are all attempts to solve a problem that does not exist and was artificially created by creators (professional and amateur) who get excited over the new toys manufacturers give them to play with and in the process they write glowing unbiased reviews lol. Let’s call the entire industry out and not just the plugin manufacturers. Ps: I got the new SSL EV2, the bus compressor and CLA Nx from Waves the commander in chief of the dopamine marketing technique hahaha. Then I realised I preferred Cakewalk’s Prochannel’s tools to help me pretend I’m an SSL engineer. I did find the CLA Nx useful to be fair and will use it but the SSL Ev2 will join the other SSL plugin on the subs bench. So yes I agree that new plugins won’t help you make a good mix but neither will any additional gear, it’s all “meaningless meaningless everything is meaningless” haha. Love your work. Now I have to go as the biggest drug deal is round the corner and I need my fix. “It’s Christmas tiiiiiiiimmmme”.

[@WillyJunior]

1:24 - modern talking?

[@CheapoCardCompany]

Well, if the song really can mix itself, one of us might be out of a job, soon... although, in such a case, I won’t be the dope I mean. For Black Friday... maybe I should just blow my wad (?!) on a pair of Ashdown NFP-2 Pro monitors... after all, how can one live with speakers that don’t have a VU meter on them? I’d suggest that the merging of Black Friday & Cyber Monday was more of a practical inevitability, than a transmogrification... but then, I’m the type of twat who would say something like that.

[@kehindea]

That is coming soon if not here already. We’ll soon be like pilots who monitor the computer flying the plane and only step in when the computer has lost the plot.

[@CheapoCardCompany]

@@kehindea Yep, the Ashdown monitors do indeed have VU meters, already (I thought speakers with lights on were bad enough)... perhaps they should indeed add an altimeter, so you can ensure your monitors are the correct head-height above sea level... and an air-speed gauge, so we can tell if our overcomplicated mixes are being tied, ‘in knots’... though, I have enough ‘black-boxes’ as it is.

[@thegroove2000]

Dark chocolate is better fella.

[@UncleBenjs]

6th

[@the_newvoice]

Keep up))

[@jamesallen4165]

I'm pretty sure you just stole a scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but we can look past that.