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I think shopping for passion x is a substitute for doing passion x.
Itâs time spent with the passion in mind and that feels nice.
Like any compulsive behaviour, a clear view of reality is a crucial first step and eventually taking more control.
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Disclaimer: I am a 41 year old guy with no intention of having a career or anything comparable in music, itâs just a hobby I came back to during covid after it lay dormant for 15-20 years.
When I have GAS I try to remember this thread and read a little:
I have come to the conclusion for me, that our greatest problem with music making now is not the ability to have a certain feature, but focus. This thread basically shows my goal (not with the Analog Keys, but I donât think thatâs important), although I am very far fron reaching that.
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I havenât stopped but slowed way downâsmaller purchases less oftenâbecause I had gotten to the end of the road with it: Too much debt, discomfort, crowding, guilt, option paralysis. I pushed my consumerism as far as I could, too far, and now have to back way off, probably for years to come.
I donât think thereâs one answer for all, though.
There was an earlier point in becoming an electronic musician where buying and trying was part of my learning process. Nowadays many of us donât have stores or synth friends where we can go to try instrumentsâso itâs easy to fall into the habit of buying as a means of growth, but then not be able to stop buying later if it gets out of hand.
Unsolicited advice: If you really canât stop and itâs causing problems in your life, itâs not unreasonable to see a counselor about it and unpack why you do it and what you could do to try to stopâif you decide you want to stop. Consumerism can be a kind of addiction, no idea it thatâs you though ⌠just a thought.
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Iâd say this is not 100% true in the short term.
First you should avoid situations where chances are high for ârelapseâ, eg: an alcoholic in a pub.
First you should find an alternative for âmissing outâ, eg spiritual development, sports, psychological insights etc.
Then, in the long term you can expose yourself to former problematic situations to finally feel that you are âcuredâ.
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There is a great deal of discussion, on this forum, about finding new sounds. And using those new sounds as an inspirational jumping-off point. That reminds me of the quote:
They donât know what theyâre looking for, and theyâll do anything to find it.
And that search leads, inevitably, to more gear.
I personally find music based in sound uninteresting. My favorite definition of music is from Edgard Varèse: Music is organized sound. My musical interest is more in the organization of sounds, rather than the sounds themselves. The product (organization) of low-value parts is still higher than the sum of high-value parts (interesting sounds). Too high a value, imho, is placed on the sounds in much of techno music. Show me some musical ideas, people!
I donât think the best music has the most unique, interesting, exotic sounds. The most musically useful sound is the sine wave. How boring! Conversely, more unique sounds have trouble playing with one another.
I am just writing as a selfish listener who wants to hear the kind of music I like.
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Im not talking about Addiction. Im talking about obsessional which is a different part of the brain altogether. People who suffer heightened anxiety states included. Face the fear not avoid. Obviously dont overdo it. Desensitization by avoiding gear is running away from the issue. And like the poster said listening to music is a cure/help in overcoming for Gas and is not to be avoided.
Alcoholism is treated by avoidance i agree.
YouTube with a clean/null algorithm is like looking at r/all - it will make a misanthrope, or more or one if you already are one.
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General advice for people looking to avoid GAS:
Delete words like âdated,â ârelevantâ and âobsoleteâ from your vocabulary, at least where they apply to synths.
If a Stradivarius from the 17th and 18th century can still fetch millions of dollars then any synth that has ever been made is still a useful instrument in the right context. Instead of looking for new gear, try to discover a context that makes the gear you already have interesting.
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I looked at people making music on YouTube, found people making similar music to the kinds I want to make using limited gear, and I used those videos to decide what stuff I wanted to get, keeping in mind I didnât want to spend very much money. Now I have a few devices and I know if I work hard enough, I can make the music I want (because Iâve seen others doing similar with the same gear).
When I want to buy something new, I remember that my current gear isnât limiting me, Iâm limiting it.
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Yeah, itâs not like running cancels out GAS or anything like that, but I do find that exercise helps with impulse control â at least for me. It also helps me with a few other things, like working through technical problems in my head, or even fleshing out musical ideas while I run. I find it to be a pretty special headspace during a run and then Iâm generally leveled out after I cool off.
Thatâs awesome that youâre winning 5ks in your age group. Iâve had that experience with some races too and itâs awesome to cross the finish line as a dude in his 40s and then see all these kids in their 20s struggling to finish. Haha
I realize itâs a weird suggestion for anti-GAS therapy, but hey, whatever works, right?
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Is GAS still relevant in 2024? 
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âŚgasâŚonly a good thing if the next new fancy must have sonic toy gives u heaps of u new crative vibes that lead u to next level results on ur sonic journeyâŚ
or, if u can easily afford it and need to get rid of cash that uâd otherwise could not claim taxwise as tools u need for ur jobâŚ
any other gas is nothing but an addictionâŚ
and u really gotta treat it as such a thingâŚno way around itâŚ
workarounds can be to translate that gas reflex into something else, like a sporty attitude, were u get ur head around the new gimmicks that next device u want can offer and instead of purchasing it, u try to achieve those xact same gimmicks with the gear u already gotâŚsince, as ur already aware of, in most cases u actually can achieve it with whatâs there anywaysâŚ
or, whenever u feel the next gas moment lurking around, u take that amount of money and put in a jar and invest it in a nice travelâŚtravel and see the world remains always kind of the best investment, somehow and end of all daysâŚ
or, whenever that gas feel hits u again, u sell something of ur other gear FIRSTâŚ
Synthfluencer as a goal is a great way to get all the equipment at the low cost of your mental stability.
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Thatâs true, itâs what google likes to serve up, something very wrong them!
Sorry, kind of unfocused today. Long car drive. Cannot read too many lines at once. The topic popped up and I havenât read the whole thread since 2017. Dropping some ideas, maybe useful for someone. If not, just disregard.
General Ideas
- You cannot cure it. Live with it. Try to limit the impact. As with every serious condition
- Speaking of: consider getting your ADHD/ASD diagnosed (different flavours of GAS on the spectrum, mostly novelty seeking, but also tendency of collection and hoarding in some.
- hint: if you happen to have the common ADHD - standard medications reduces GAS, but also interest in music and creativity in some cases and depending on factors
- accept that you have been chosen to have a money and time consuming hobby - and focus on a carrier path that provides both in the nec. amounts
Helpful environments
- use pipepipe or grayjay for deliberate and focussed consumption of YT (and related) media - no suggestions by the algo, no infinity loop, if you DL before listening/watching offline, that helps, too, not to follow the rush
- use strict routines (including walks, sports, daily practice in arts, music), time boxing, bullet journalling
Maybe helpful tactics and strategies (may wear off)
- enforce time delay between impulse and buy
- write down every idea, about music, about your music, about the machines you have, about the machines you crave, about concepts etc. - in some kind of a journal and dated
- make challenges (like 4 tracks in a certain style with certain limitations with a certain machine only)
- make challenges public and publish what you have
- make challanges including one machine only
- let other people do the mastering if nec and vice versa
- make some limited collaboration projects, preferrably locally
- record everything! especially the first tinkering with a new machine
- learn to play the piano
- honestly, buy some piano school manual and work it through, 10 minutes a day (or 2x 10 minutes a day like 10 for practicing a piece in the morning, 10 for etudes in the evening) - everything is so much easier to understand and program with the music theory and memory you acquire on the way - any cheap digital piano or keyboard will do, even any Synthesizer with more than 4 octaves
- remind yourself of the lectures of star wars or space balls, whatever you like best - the force/juice is within you and you can express yourself with a pocket calculator (although RPN is a little bit preferred)
- let LLM question your impulse by letting them ask a set of questions - so you can summarize your thoughts without shame but also with less self-deception
paradox mind tricks
- consider yourself a collector
- never sell anything (you would regret it in 9 of 10 cases)
- if you need space - give things away for free, this is emotionally much more rewarding
- demand respect for your serious hobby, not critics
- your money, your life, your living space, your choice
- never set limits (like this is the last one, after thatâŚ) it wonât work and since it wonât work, donât try it in order not to get sour
totally different approach
- consider yourself an addict
- decide to give in and live the life of an addict, which may have downsides but def. many highs
- or decide against it and do stuff that generelly helps with addictions
Think thatâs enough for today. Buttom line: it works like an addiction, so the idea is acceptance, harm reduction, coping and stimulus control. Maybe even withdrawl.
I just came from a trip and had with me only DT and A4. Did use bike and phone camera and Zoom H2 for hours of nature noises instead 
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Thatâs not true for addiction. 
âAlcohol exposure therapyâ, âcocaine exposure therapyâ, âheroine exposure therapyâ do not really take off. (Substitution is what you do sometimes if withdrawal is not possible). What you would expose yourself to in therapy: the very unpleasent feelings when not fighting unpleasent feelings with your drug of choice (like a new synth) If successful, you might experience you live another day (without a new synth). And if really lucky, the craving will fade (in waves).
Ive already stated im NOT talking about addiction. Im talking about Obsessional behaviour induced from Anxiety from both theCortex and Amygdala regions of the brain. Gas is not addiction. Its classed as a syndrome because it encompasses a group of symptoms.
My friend, youâve come to the church of GAS worshipping. Run!
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I muted Software and hardware deals thread for a start. And I am not even on a level like many people here who own A LOT of gear. Seeing their setups though make me want to buy more. I have a few things in my mind that I will definitely own them some day. But until I gather enough money, no point of looking for deals or anything.
Not watching YouTube channels also help. Just watch people jamming with what YOU have. it made me realize how far behind I am.
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