286: The Top 10 Plugins We Can't Live Without

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Our coaching program and community is called The Self-Recording Syndicate. It’s the best resource in the world for artists who record their own music.

Inside, we work with you one-on-one and connect you with a super positive community of artists and producers worldwide, so you don't have do go it alone. We help you record and finish songs you’ll be proud of forever.

👉 If you already have songs written and want to get them release-ready, you can apply now. We’ll show you how to produce, mix, and master your songs. Right in your own home studio. At the best quality possible.

As part of the program, we even mix a song for you, in your DAW of choice, and with your plugins only. And then we'll do an in-depth mix-walkthrough, showing you everything we've done. It's your custom mixing course based on your own song! 

And it doesn't stop here: You'll also get the session file, so you can study the mix and create starting points and templates for your other songs. 🤯

And this is only a fraction of what we can do for you if you join our coaching program, The Self-Recording Syndicate.

If we accept your application, we’ll first have a free call with you. On this call, we’ll make a custom plan just for you. If you don’t love this plan, you don’t have to pay anything and you can walk away.

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Episode show notes:

We get asked all the time: “Which plugins should I buy?” 

Here’s the truth: you don’t need hundreds. 

You need a tight, well-understood toolbox you can reach for in any situation. In this episode we share the 10 plugins we’d keep for the rest of our lives, explain exactly why they made the cut, and point you to stock alternatives where it makes sense. 

DAW-agnostic, rock-ready, and focused on what actually moves the needle for self-recording artists.

What You’ll Learn

• Why fewer tools = faster, better mixes. Master a handful instead of collecting everything.
• The 10 essential plugin categories we’d keep forever—plus stock options where they work great.
• How to prioritize: instruments, amps, and samples first; plugins second.
• When to reach for color vs clean, and how to avoid “option paralysis.”
• A simple upgrade path that prevents wasted spend and shiny-object syndrome.

Action Steps

1. Listen to the episode
2. Pick one plugin category you’re weakest in and commit to practicing it for a week. Then go to the next one.
3. Build your 10-plugins template (one plugin per category, pre-loaded where it makes sense. Ready to go).
4. Mix one song using only these 10. No extras.

(We don’t take money to push brands. If we recommend something on the podcast or YouTube, it’s because it works.)

For links to everything we've mentioned in this episode, key takeaways, as well as full show notes go to: theselfrecordingband.com/286

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