I just don’t effing care anymore.
There are so many. A new synthesizer, sampler or drum machine is unveiled on average every week it seems. Maybe even more frequent. Yeah it’s NAMM right now so it’s the time of the season–but even without NAMM they’re just all over the place. It’s exhausting. I can’t keep up.
It could also be because I’m poor and saving up cash so I’m less inclined to get anything. But even the stuff I have in front of me I just don’t have a desire to use (except the Octatrack). It could be a phase cause all I’m doing is playing piano, bass and guitar and playing with soft synths. Maybe I’m just in a phase of wanting to develop my chops and skill level which only require time and no money.
That being said, I think I’ve just grown out of physical stuff unless it has to be physical. I see these synths and think “Well I can basically do that in software. I have the Arturia V Collection and Serum, what can’t I do with those?” Yeah I get it…Touching stuff and having a physical relationship with things is COOL but jeez if I’m making a track the convenience of having dozens of varied soft synths and keyboards and drum samples right there in my computer with tempo lock and awesome FX and so much flexibility is just too good to pass up. Judging by my recent purchasing habits, I just know if I were to buy any synth I’d use it for a couple weeks and then it’d sit there while my software does actual work that actually pays me. They’re just fun expensive distractions.
Played with VCV rack recently and it’s very cool. I’m not sure if the reason I don’t have a desire to come back is because it was free so I haven’t invested anything, or if I’m just genuinely not interested in making modular patches from scratch. Modular land is still very confusing to me, and that’s probably the most compelling aspect…But making random bleeps and bloops and sequences also doesn’t appeal to me.
I also get that I’m in my own bubble, too. A lot of you folks go out and play gigs with your boxes so having real deal instruments is important. I’m just speaking for me here cause I’m a bit of a studio hermit at the moment besides the occasional gig on bass or keys.
It’s also awesome that so many affordable, deep, great-sounding synths are coming out–really a great time for electronic musicians. I’m just finding myself not caring.
Good on guitars, too. Got a great Tele, a great SG, a good Strat, a good acoustic and a good bass. Why get more? I’ve had a Blues Jr. for nearly eight years now and I love it. Why get another tube amp? Other than maybe a vox…
Idk. Guess I just wanted to rant. Anti-GAS isn’t the worst thing. Yeah it’d be cool to have a Hydrasynth or a Prophet or whatever but I know they’ll just end up not being used so what’s the point? I’m close to selling my Monomachine and my K2–the only two physical synthesizers I have left.