Same here, I made (finished) a lot more music in my first few years of music production. It could be due to a number of reasons, but an important one is that I had fewer plugins back then. I find that my “musical productivity” drops as the number of options (plugins, presets, samples, etc.) increases.

So, having a ROMpler for bass sounds isn’t such a bad thing in my opinion.

I agree with you – to a point. I personally think it’s more important to have something you’re proud of before you get to the point where you can have something you’ve completely mastered.

I made the most music when I was just starting out. It wasn’t necessarily my best work, but I made it, and I think that’s something that gets brushed to the side when discussing production.

Picking up lessons – while super important – is also somewhat unavoidable in making music. But a lot of the time beginners and even intermediates get obsessed with knowing how subtractive synths work, how FM synths work, how additive synths work, how this and that type of compression works, how EQ works, how this other guy says EQ works – and get sidetracked from actually making music.

Using something like a rompler is a great way to get to know what sounds you like. This plugin, in particular, could also teach you how to use an ADSR envelope, what different types of filters do, how much reverb you like on a bass.

Also, most of us already use drum and vocal samples. I personally enjoy using synth samples too, just because it’s sometimes more fun for me to manipulate audio than to do sound design in a synth. Not always, but sometimes.

I’m 100% “for” being skilled and informed when making music, but there is something to be said about having something to show for it while you’re doing it. One thing about shortcuts is that, if you’re serious about it, they get boring after a while. And then you’re free to move on and go, “hmm, how DO I do that thing I like doing but don’t know how to do.”

Just my two cents.