I wanted to start a thread on buys you could have avoided/done without but went ahead to do it anyway - no reasoning or logic required. No judgmental comments please, just wanted to find out how other synth enthusiasts were faring out there with gear.
Korg Micro-X: I sold mine (which I am done and dusted with) and soon bought another because it looked so appealing (cute and fun to use) then promptly sold it away again. I would never know why I did this.
TRS cables: I had plenty and knew I could connect to all the devices I needed yet there was a period of time where I kept acquiring new cables of slightly different lengths and from different brands.
Yamaha Teneri-on: got one for the fancy lights and the sound palette was obviously mediocre at best. Sold it not too long after.
The whole two years I spent (and money) learning what it’s like to use gear for everything except recording. I think I made like 3 finished tracks. It filled a small bedroom and I couldn’t even begin to list all the gear.
This was before the sampler (PO-33) came out and I was taking the tiniest baby steps toward electronic music. I thought it would be neat to have something with both sequencing and real-time performance. Unfortunately, it’s locked to two octaves of A harmonic minor. Bummer
first thought is Digitakt. I legit just bought it to see why people love it. even though I had an OT and RYTM already and had zero need for it. it’s been on a shelf 90% of the time I’ve had it. super fun to take on vacation and it’s amazing for what it does. but totally not needed in my setup. I’ll eventually sell it I’m sure.
other one is Acidlab Bassline. I just love what Acidlab does so I wanted to play with it when I saw a deal. even though I hate 303’s. I’ve had it for a year and only turned it on once. should probably sell it.
Most of my gear. I have a history of impulsively buying stuff and then discarding those instruments after a brief “honeymoon”. So lame.
So glad the NGNY came about and forced me to admit and change many of my behavioural patterns.
Mother 32 and DFAM for sure, also Hydrasynth and Wavestate, both of them are incredibly deep and anxiety inducing when dealt with the way I did lol.
Also the OP-1. Wanted it bcs I thought it would revolutionise my workflow and feed my creativity, my ass… It was a cool looking and shallow toy after all and like all the other synths I’ve bought without a good reason I sold it pretty fast, to finance new mistakes.
I’ve never regretted any acoustic stuff, including my bamboo flute and percussion. But, probably 75% of the electronics I’ve purchased for music have been “unnecessary”. Usually the analog stuff I never regret, but lots of digital stuff I see as redundant if you have ableton.
I take umbrage with the suggestion that my gear purchases might be frivolous, and I’d have a lot more if I spent less on needless frivolities like shoes, food, and soap.
Roland SDE1000 delay. I bought this on ebay from a seller in Japan. I just loved the look of it with the pale green pre-led display. I didn’t even realize it was mono and have absolutely no need for it but I’ll probably regret selling it if I do… nuts I know.
Yamaha REX50 x3. I just like acquiring these cheap and putting new lcd screens into them of various colours. I think I might stop when I reach 5.
I’ve bought an Octatrack three times. Sold it three times. Just not for me. I love the concept of a self-contained wonderbox but a) I’m deep into Ableton Live and b) I don’t like super fiddly things. So as much as I’d love to love it, the OT is not for me. But I’m sure I’ll get another one when the GAS is at its peak.
Pretty much every Sound Canvas I see. It’s some combination of nostalgia for General MIDI, restrained-90s-pro-audio-brick styling, and frequent sub $100 price points keep me coming back. Realistically, there’s no reason to own more than zero-to-one of them (and that “one” could be a lifetime license for the Sound Canvas VST), but I just can’t say no.
honestly everything after my Zoom R16 and my Digitakt, I had made the most creative music with nothing but those two things and a couple pedals. As far as most frivolous i’d have to say the MFB Dominion Club, I sat with that for years and could never get a good sound from it, maybe got used in one track.
Edit: I also have an infinite tangle of instrument cables worth hundreds, some are virgins.
