I have a Soft Synth/effect (usage) suggestion

[madtho]

Hey there.
Maybe the pros are all on top of this, but it may help some bedroom folk like me.

Render audio of any soft synth/plugin effects you're using.

yup. do it.
versions change, incompatibilities arise, you'll chuck something you think you've never used (but did) and sometimes the computer just plain forgets stuff.

that's all.
thanks
-mad

[route-electrique]

Absolutely two best things i'm using "always" is Sound Toys Native Bundle and U-he Zebra.

[inverseroom]

I would like to have a second computer just for running softsynths, actually, and mic them through an amp. Actually I could just set up a dual boot on my work laptop...hmm...

[ashcat_lt]

I agree in principle with the OP. In practice...

I do things a little strange nowadays. I quite often have several "Save "As" projects where I focus on one instrument or one group of instruments. Really tweak all the effects and stuff. Then I'll render the relavant tracks from this and import them into my master mix project. This ends up consisting of nothing but rendered .wavs.

Keeps my head from exploding trying to keep track of all the different busses and sends and whatnot.

Also, like you said, I've lost more albums worth of incredible stuff to hard drive failures and platform changes than I'd like to say.