With the constant stream of new plug-ins hitting us on an almost daily basis there may be some of you out there asking ‘how do I know which ones I should use?’

Our video reviews are aimed at helping being part of you making that decision, with almost all plug-in vendors now offering free demos there’s also the option for you to test them in your own tracks - this is a great way to see if a plug-in is for you. Our aim is to bring them to your attention and then for you to make you own decision. 

However, spend any time on social media or in forums and you will see debates about which plug-in is the best, they range from very educated discussions to YouTube style “well wat wud you no about audio, you’re trax are just newbie bedroom rap”(sic).

For those of our readers who are as old as me then you will remember a time when there were two kinds of audio gear, cheap crap and expensive quality. Now things are not so clear, especially when it comes to plug-ins, in fact some of my favourite plug-ins are free, conversely some which I never use are expensive - modern plug-ins have virtually levelled the playing field and given all of us, irrespective of being rich or poor, access to great tools for use in our DAW.

So what is the best sounding plug-in in the world? It’s the plug-in that works for you, some people have turned their audio buying into an arms race, hoping that the next plug-in released will be ‘the one’ the Holy Grail to audio perfection. There’s no such thing, a free plug-in in the hands of a creative genius is powerful and a great audio plug-in in the hands of an inexperienced person can still sound like crap. That’s why a pro can share his plug-in secrets until the cows come home and without fear of losing work to the thousands of fans who watch the tricks, it’s not the gear its the person using it and until someone invents ear transplants that won’t change.

Check out my plug-in list, Neil’s list and Mike’s list of plug-ins that got our attention in 2013 and you’ll see they are all different - we do different work and have different needs, simple as that.

So my advice, buy the plug-ins that work for you, those plug-ins are likely to be different from the ones that other people use.

That’s what makes buying gear today so amazing. there’s a plug-in for everyone, so take advantage of finding your own sound rather than sounding like everyone else.