Who else feels like that. To much stuff. And often still GAS. why?
OT, A4, Reaktor Blocks, Ipad stuff like Audulus, 3U of modular, Numerology, U-he Zebra or Bazille.
I know a lot of you own even much much more. How and when do you get all these things down?
I always had the thinking: You have to get the OT, with it you can do all these things you never could, you have to go modular, with it you could do all these things you never could. Same with A4 etc. And I bought it all with a specific aim in mind, because they could do specific things.
But I often think, if I really want to use all of these things in full potential, I could spend a almost a lifetime. Damn, I even tried to learn Max MSP.
Ok, some hardware for the real feel, but seriously. I often think why did I spend that much. In the end I will never have the time to explore these things in a way they deserve. And if I’d do, I would completely forget making music.
I love all this stuff, but everything I bought is so potent, puuh, sky is the limit. Maybe I should find some limits again, like the time when I was starting out.
Sorry, if no one will interested in this topic, I just had to open my heart for a minute 
Cheers.
Agreed, but to be fair… sometimes hearing the new sound is the new idea. Often times I think of a whole song in my head from my first fiddling with a new sound I’ve never heard before, or at least it leads there.
I pretty much have the same thoughts as you at the moment, and I bet most electronic artists do too. Keep your setup and do as much as you can with it (You can do so much with that). Find your own frequency, sounds that you like. Although I have a strong urge for GAS, I’m trying to limit myself too. (Limiting myself with only Elektron hardware, no VSTs allowed). Remember, it’s just music! 
I was just thinking about this. I have hella gear and recorded a song last night I hated. Before buying more gear, I’m committing myself to making some likeable and more structured music.
I am going to buy the SE-02 though. But do I need another Octatrack? No.
Limits are good, if they help you be productive, when you want to be productive.
Sometimes I don’t want to be productive. I’ve learned to embrace these times.
In these times I just want to explore, go off into the wilderness (metaphorically) for a while with a couple new tools, see what resonates, then come back to a place where productivity is desired and focus.
It’s a pendulum. I appreciate sweet flavors because I experience bitter and sour flavors.
I appreciate silence after working in a loud environment for many hours.
I appreciate aimless wandering after months of productivity.
Yes, I also have these times, where I just want to explore and test. And it’s great fun isn’t it? I could spend thousands and thousands in eurorack just for exploring.
Yes, but I also could sell everything and use just ableton, like in the beginning. And ableton on it’s own is a sea of possibilities.
I don’t know. I just hate it when expensive highly potential gear gets not enough attention because of lack of time.
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Come up with a concept… can be anything. Then write down a bunch of sonic attributes that you feel could be associated with that concept. Then think how using the equipment you have, how you could get as close to representing that concept as possible.
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Music technology isn’t just gear! Music theory books/videos/tutorials, just try and learn any new technique or music concept and then base a whole song about that one thing you learnt.
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Come up with a set of rules and stick to them until the song is finished, e.g, only allow to play any notes in with left thumb and index finger… eyes must be closed, no kick drums allowed, must only work on the song between 8 and 9pm… so on
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Finish stuff for the sake of it, even if it’s shit
Few things I find help anyway!
Oh yeh!
- Splitting up sessions into different tasks.
A day for experimentation, just make a bunch of sound, make sure record is on the whole time.
A day for sound design and sample management, make a pallete of sounds from the experimentation.
A day ( or night) for using that pallete to compose.
A day for editing and mixdown
etc
Man. I wish I was that organized and disciplined. I’m like, press play and jam. If I remotely think it’s worth something, I open Ableton and record it. If it’s rad, I post to Sound Cloud and make some weird announcement on Elektronauts. This all usually happens within the span of an hour…
Maybe I have some kind of attention disorder
I feel your pain. I’m currently battling with a massive (ie. $900AU) discount on the analog four, something that I really don’t need because I have a nord lead, nord modular, monomachine and octatrack already… but god damn, $1200AU brand new is such a gooood priiiice unnnng
First world problems 
But I still spend a lot of thoughts about this stuff that’s not deniable.
Be wary of the modular synth.
In that world you can develop GAS for a powered mult or a lowly VCA.
I’ve 18U of eurorack. This is the voice of experience talking…
18 U. How do you handle this 
So far I’m very stubborn and insist on staying at 3U. Originally it was an expansion to the A4, then I bought the ES8 to get my mac in. But getting Reaktor Blocks in doesn’t work as a limitation
But honestly, I love it, but make noise maths alone is an own science
Where are they selling A4s for 1200aud?
StoreDJ ebay store has them for $1399, and there’s currently a 15% off ebay sale if you use the code “cracker”, bringing it to $1189, pretty fkn good deal! I don’t have the money right now, and just paid off my credit card so really shouldn’t be getting into debt again, but it’s so tempting hnnng
Amazing deal for here in Melbs. I just rented one for a year!! Go store DJ.
So to provide advice to the OP, in a real world, lived experience, the halfway solution to GAS is renting. Rent and return. Or buy at the end.
And also I reckon say 4 top line hardware analog synths- usd $1K AK, $2 P6 module, $2 OB6 module, $1.5K Moog voyager - is the way to knock GAS, over being unproductive and buying vsti’s, and other consumer impluse buy synths. USD 6k buys you basically the best of the analog world. These 4 modern analog synths destroy a 10K vintage jp8 or ob
I started using hardware only as a way of getting out of the limitless possibilities of the DAW. It hasn’t gone as planned.
So what to do? I’m going to pare everything down to a minimum and have a live rig (large pedal board case) and just keep a few things in the studio for sampling purposes.
Live rig consists of DT, Heat, A4, Tanzmaus, 3ch mixer. More than enough knobs for one person to turn during a live show.
Studio tools: MatrixBrute, MS-20 Mini, Octatrack, turntable. A huge array of sounds can be produced there, ready for sampling.
I’m selling everything else.
As other people have said in this thread, focus is the key. I want to get back into doing a regular live show again. Having a monthly gig was the best way for me to make music, because I had an actual deadline.
How does renting work with them? If I rent it based on the currently reduced price and then apply to purchase in a few months, is there a chance I’d get knocked back, or be required to pay the normal full price? Is it new stock?
yes new stock. $69 bucks for 12mths. 2 days to confirm rental contract, store dj will go with any rental sale deals. if you get knocked back you get knocked back, no charges. Think it’d be 1300 to purchase at the end. Or you continue to rent for another 12 mths and buy it for 800 or so.
I basically only use my DrumBrute, A4 and MS20 mini. I only have about 20 vsts to choose from in my DAW (I own many more, but don’t use them). Out of those I rely heavily on only about 10. I suppliment the DrumBrute with a few Gold Baby packs and one called Percussionism for handdrums and such. I occasionally bust out a VST synth depending on where I am at in the process and if it is more convenient than recording my hardware. Or I record. Whichever seems like it will help me get the idea down the quickest/in the best manner.
For me its been all about immediacy and getting the big ideas down quickly and worrying about the details later.
I also own a Korg ER 1 and MicroGranny, but am currently using those two together for a little jam setup and don’t use it for writing full tunes.
This is basically the most spartan setup I have had in years and I am very productive. Not had any real gas since I got the MS20 about six months ago.