Ah yes... Black Friday Season is upon us.
That sacred time of year when every company tells you that this one plugin will finally make your mix sound professional, your tone sound expensive, and your life make sense.
But let's be honest... half of us end up staring at 7 new plugins, an empty wallet, and zero finished songs.
So, as a public service, I've decided to help you navigate the madness.
Here are the top 5 reasons why you should buy plugins, metal amp simulators, drum libraries, software, and presets this Black Friday.
Reason #1: It Actually Improves Your Workflow
If you load a plugin and it helps you write faster, that's a win.
For example, my Neural DSP guitar preset packs were built to save you from the "hour-long tone chase" trap. You open your DAW, drop in the preset, and you're immediately ready to riff.
That's what good tools should do: remove friction.
If you're spending more time trying to figure out how to dial in a black metal guitar tone instead of writing black metal, you've lost the game.
Reason #2: It Solves a Real Problem
If a plugin solves a problem you actually have, then it's worth checking out.
For example, do you want realistic and genre-accurate drum sounds but don't know how to mix drums? My Superior Drummer 3 preset packs handle that.
Just wanna write black metal instead of trying to create black metal guitar tones?
My Neural DSP guitar preset packs and my NAM profiles cover that.
Good plugins and tools make your creative process smoother.
They're shortcuts to getting what's in your head into the DAW.
Bad plugins (or tools) that add another step just create more friction between you and a finished song.
Reason #3: It Aligns With Your Goals (Not Your FOMO)
Here's a dangerous truth: 99% of musicians don't need more plugins. They just need better focus.
If your goal is to write and finish songs, then anything that helps you get there faster is worth it.
If your goal is to endlessly compare compressors to try and find the "ultimate best one ever," well, I can't help you.
When I design my tools for Chernobyl Audio, I always ask myself:
"Would this make it easier for me to write music?"
That's why I focus on songwriting tools: presets, templates, training materials, etc. These assets can help you move forward creatively.
Reason #4: It's Fun and Actually Inspiring (If You Actually Use It)
There's nothing wrong with buying something just because it looks cool and inspires you.
Sometimes, that new plugin does spark something new...
But inspiration only works if you act on it.
If you buy something and new open it, that's not inspirating... that's digital hoarding.
The real trick is finding tools that instantly make you want to pick up your guitar, write a riff... and then write another riff... and so on.
That's why I make preset packs like Luciferian Rites NAM Profiles: because the sound is incredible and if the sound makes you go, "Oh hell yes," then there is a 100% chance you'll keep writing.
Reason #5: Sometimes the Best Tool is One You Already Own
Let's be real... lots of amazing music can be created with stock plugins and a decent guitar.
What I try to do with my tools is use my 15+ years of experience crafting black metal guitar tones, and create presets and tools that help you skip the boring part and get straight to the fun part of writing music.
When you're in a flow state, inspiration can be fragile.
If you lose 15 minutes scrolling shitty presets or routing group tracks... you're killing the vibe.
So yeah, sometimes buying a plugin or preset isn't about upgrading your gear or plugin collection at all...
It's about upgrading your workflow.
When NOT to Buy Plugins:
Just to balance this blog post, here are three reasons NOT to buy anything on Black Friday:
- "Everybody is saying how awesome it is." (Translation: It'll be on sale again next month.)
- "I might need it someday." (You probably won't... and if you do, buy it then, not now.)
- "It looks kinda cool." (Awesome... but what does it DO?)
Buy tools, not toys.
So What Should You Actually Buy?
Here's the basic recap... tools worth buying are:
- Tools that speed up your songwriting process
- Presets that help you sound awesome instantly
- Plugins that make you create, not tweak.
And, shameless plug, all of my Neural DSP guitar presets, NAM profiles, Superior Drummer 3 presets, and training materials are built exactly for that.
So if you want to skip the endless plugin scroll and just make great music, grab what you need from my store and get busy!