Family, work and elektron

Todays creation

Because the lack of time i think i should spend my free time in graphic design, this will help me with my work, more than music does (and i love Adobe cc)

Maybe i only return my ot, and leave my stuff untouched for a while…(if i can)

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What a thread this one … :confused:

This decision is up to you, but take some month. (Unless you need money or space … and it’s critical there’s always a way back when something is sold, rebuy it but that’s not always a goog process because we all loose some amount of money in this kind of actions)

Breath, welcome the baby… take some month OFF anyway you will probably don’t have so much time for a little while… And when you find some moments to come back to music, make some tracks and think to it again. If you miss so much you keep it. if you didn’t miss it at all then, you can expect so money back for a better purpose… Maybe, change music genre and play differently… I always think someday i will Finnish as a keyboardist in a pub, OLD… hahaha for REAL :slight_smile:

As i said and will always say, Music and/or Art is YOU not hardware anyway

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Rad tunnel :slight_smile:

Make time for your creativity. I’ve 3 kids, eldest being 6, so it is full on.

Best advice I can share is -

  1. set aside alotted time for your music so your other half knows you’re not available - you can take the kids for an equal time, another time.
  2. Use that time productively, not pfaffing about. Have a plan.
  3. Compose stuff and aim for MP3 3 min demos to play in the car so your family knows what you are up to, and can share in your hobby to some extent. It also forces you to focus on a deliverable at the end of your 2 hours daddy-time, or whatever you can squeeze in.
  4. Don’t sell your gear. Once the kids are old enough they’ll be off by themselves. You’ll rue the day you sold solid timeless hardware that’s always compatible with din midi, audio jacks and a power source.
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Daddy-time, love it! Great phrase
I’m only daddy to 2 furry kids, cat and dog (species not names) and very often I don’t have the heart to move them off my lap so I can fire up the Pro 2!

Fathers For Musical Justice Unite!

Yeah I’ve got 2 rug rats also.
Yes I have been in this place many times, and you feel this guilt almost because you have all this gear sitting there not being used, and you feel like you are almost obligated to have to try and keep producing music, regardless of your circumstances.
It actually tormented me on a daily basis there for a while. That was then.
My advice now is to not fight it, don’t feel obligated to do anything and just let it flow. The music will be always be there when you do find time, and the worse thing you can do in my opinion is sell up.
I’ve been there done that, more than once and every time I regret it, as one day you’ll wake up and want to get jiggy with it and all you’ll have is your kids tambourine. Pretty cool but Octatrack sounds better :thup:

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Maybe it’s as simple as this … kids are happy and grow up best, if their parants love them and are happy too.

If it takes music to make a father or a mother happy and it doesn’t take away indispensable family time, then children might grow up in an environment of love, art, and creativity. What better environment could be.

All of our three kids picked up instruments at very young age and love to make music since then. Maybe that seeing dad of mom playing a piano or sing just got them curious enough to try it for themselfs.

Music makes life much more rewarding in many ways, so don’t cut this off.

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Don’t sell your gear, you will regret it and possibly even grow displeased with those expectations set out by others. Father of two, I juggle work, wife, life, music and photography, time management is key. You need time for your self. A sad dad is not a good father nor lover.

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I agree with all of the above post, except even when I’m sad I am a really good lover :bikini:

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For me being busy with work and children has lead me to simplify my setup;
I have simplified it down to the Analog Keys & Analog Rytm.
For me staying in the Elektron Ecosystem allows me to focus on the music and not waste as much time fussing around with plugins, less-well-design interfaces, or other noisy, fussy synths etc.
I enjoy the time I carve out to play my synths more as a result. I turn them on and I know what to expect and how to navigate.
If music is something you enjoy don’t give it up!

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I thought about it for a week, today i sorted out my study room/ work room/ music studio. I only left my Keys and Rytm, they are easy to use, sound great and with only this equipment i have enough place to work here.

So, for me to simplify my setup is the best solution for me…

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Need to be firm Dads… Ive got 2 … age 6 and 10… Got it sorted… Just needed a little sit down with both.

Let em know they wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me and when i want a little noise time in the back room they have to respect that… No interruptions.

2 hours and I’m right… kids come in bang the glockenspiel and wang away on the accordion … I’m happy with that i keep the recorder running…

Mums’s drinking prosecco and watching ‘strictly’

They give me a bit of lip about the noise i just made … and i have to agree with them - it sounded shit!

Happy Family

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I sat down with the analog keys and circuit today wit my 5 old year old son, played for two hours. Not making the music I necessarily want to make, but can play my gear and teach my son. Win Win.

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Kaoss Pads, OP-1’s, iPads … well good integration. its all good . And vinyl… My daughter loves the ‘pink one’ - The Passenger. Iggy. She throws some wild shapes.
Get the guitars out… Phasers, memory men, tone benders … when ‘That Lady’ comes on they’re ready and strong in the head…They Know How That Sound Is Made.

I’m coming to a similar fork in the road myself. Not any kids coming. Maybe a slight paradigm shift. My plans are to box everything up and see if I feel any better. Maybe you do the same. Box it all up and hide it away for a month and see if you miss it.

If you do, then maybe unbox what you really want and take it from there. If a month goes by and you don’t feel any worse, there’s your answer.

Congrats on the kid, BTW

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I’m feeling a bit bogged down with gear myself. I need to downsize and simplify my life. Between the A4, OT, MD, MnM, and MD.

Oddly enough, I’m thinking I’m gonna end up with the first three elektrons I owned! (A4, OT, MD)

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You got the More part right. I could probably be mighty happy with just the A4 and MD. At least if I miss the OT I could probably easily buy a replacement

My grandmother was a piano teacher until her eyesight got too bad. She passed on her love of the piano on to my dad. Some of my best early memories involve him sitting down at the piano and just playing. Even though work/life/family got in the way and he kinda gave up in the end, we always had a piano or keyboard in the house and I developed my own passion as a result.

I believe this early exposure had a direct influence in my early development. I’ve always preferred the more constructive alternatives over the culture of mindless consumerism and trash tv that seems to dominate modern society, and my life is better for it. Seems to be a common pattern among the more interesting people I’ve met.

TLDR; Having a musical parent impacted my own life in a good way. If you can simplify everything enough that the music doesn’t have to completely go away, it will probably have a positive effect on your kids too.

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I think back to my own Dad who always had a shed he did his stuff in. He was more of an automotive tools kind of guy, but if anything I would say sprawl out more. Pretty sure there comes time where when kids grow up they are out and about at their friends houses or away for the weekend… So there’ll be time to tinker. I think this would always be important for me and I’d definitely need a bachelor pad type rumpus room type space where at least you and the boys can have a few beers and listen to some tunes… the kid will love sneaking in there too :slight_smile:

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Dont sell.

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