I'm glad Reason isn't that popular.

[OverneathTheSkyBridg]

That means I can be lazy and use all the default patches and no one's gonna be the wiser!

[Gardinski]

Using standard presets worked for Prince! Nobody ever complained that he hadn't painstakingly programmed his patches by hand.

I often think that we (as DAW users) spend far too much time worrying that if we don't design all our sounds from scratch, we're 'cheating' somehow.

It's similar to the ''magician's guilt'' that leads mentalists and conjurors to worry that the audience will see through their techniques, and so they try to overcompensate. The reality is that the audience generally doesn't know and doesn't care - as long as the end result is entertaining and effective.

[TritoneAddiction]

Subtractors "Bass Guitar" patch is still one of the best default patches there is imo.
It's ridiculous how many times I've used it.

I still hate the "Acoustic Drums College" loop in DrOctoRex though. And the fact that so many developers choose to include it in their demos drives me crazy!

[Billy+]

I don't think anyone worried about using the presets on a fairlight

And there's plenty more presets that have been used from many more devices

If it fits use it

[Kategra]

I buy synths based more on presets than features. I tweak them, but never build one from scratch unless I need a sinewave.
Subtractor bass guitar is amazing.

[QVprod]

I think only Reason users cared about designing every sound or whether or not a synth was sample based or not. Most of the world uses presets and most of us don’t notice.

[michael.jaye]

Subtractors "Bass Guitar" patch is still one of the best default patches there is imo.
It's ridiculous how many times I've used it.

I still hate the "Acoustic Drums College" loop in DrOctoRex though. And the fact that so many developers choose to include it in their demos drives me crazy!

Subtractors "Bass Guitar" patch is my default patch for bass, and ends up getting used more often than not.

[BRIGGS]

Presets are fun, to light on fire!

[motuscott]

Presets are fun, to light on fire!

zackly

[plaamook]

I tend to make my own presets.
But I’ve never ynderstood why everyone cares so much.
Some things sound like other things because those other things sound great. Some things sound different.
Amen break. 303. Etc.
No one ever says a piano sounds like every other piano. People are just interested in what you do with it.
Just make your music already!

I’ve never made anything interesting w an amen break or a 303. Always wanted to. Never worked out. I gave up.

On the other hand tweaking your way into uncharted territory is part of the job for many people. That’s electronic music to me. Why would you not want to do that?
Or record your piano in some weird way.
Or take the frigger apart w power tools.
Each to their own I guess.
Good thing too.

[motuscott]

We stand on the shoulders of gnats
wait...

[PhillipOrdonez]

I don't care for presets. I do wish it was more popular.

‍♂️

[Popey]

I dont tend to use presets now but did find them useful when learning how to use synths especially with volume/filter envelopes and using lfo modulation.

Having different pluck, pad, bass presets really helped me understand how different sounds are shaped so I had the knowledge to create my own and experiment.

[avasopht]

Prince used presets. True. But we're not Prince and may have different needs.

Nothing wrong with presets, of course.

At the same time, tweaking presets and making your patches can carve a sound of your own, fix shortcomings of a patch, or adapt it to better suit your track.

What've I've noticed in 20 years of using DAWs and forums:
1. People will criticize you for using presets.
2. People will criticize you for sounding like others.
3. People will criticize you for wanting to not sound like the presets.
4. People will criticize you for not sounding like others.

People just love to criticize you no matter what you do.

They'll try to belittle you for your choices or needs to try to feel superior.

But in these years I've learned a lot from people who:
1. Encouraged me to just use presets.
2. Encouraged me to be okay with sounding like everyone else.
3. Encouraged me to tweak presets, make my own patches, and venture into uncharted territory to find my own sound.
4. Encouraged me to make the music I like, even if it didn't fit in with how others sounded.