Most plugins are made by really smart people, and sometimes in collaboration with talented audio engineers. Even if you don’t own those plugins, some manufacturers pack very consistent extra information with their documentation.
These principles, ideas and examples, are always very practical. They provide hands on information on how to solve issues that actually pop-up in real life. As opposite to what many YouTube social media creators do - they invent problems (unlikely to occur in real life), so they can have material for a new video with the solution.
Of course, the best way is to start with the user manual of your own DAW. From sound design to mixing tips, these manuals are packed with goodies. I remember learning a lot of sound design principles from Apple’s Logic 9 documentation. But Live, Cubase, Bitwig, they are all loaded. Then, expand your horizon.
Waves, one of the oldest company out there (that made a lot of research), are really generous in providing details on the principles that power their plugins - especially the early ones. Even if you don’t like them as company (understandable with all their upgrade policies), still worth reading the manuals of their key plugins, because many principle can be replicated with non-Waves plugins.
The people at FabFilter, TDR, FabFilter, innovators in their field, also provide detailed explanations and examples.
iZotope or Melodyne can go really deep with their software, and their documentation is filled with examples.
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📂 https://xferrecords.com/manual/serum-2
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