last year i sold everything off down to the last patch lead leaving myself with an acoustic guitar and an upright piano. I have been reflecting on this as i am feeling the same way again as we approach the year end.
I bought way way back into synth land again this year in a big way.
So was i doing a ritualistic death and rebirth thing?
anybody else been there?
I apologise to anybody offended by my phrasing - it is an existential concept in my mind and in no way intended to minimise anyones experience or offend anybody
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Related topic about how you have self-destructive tendencies may provide context left for you, by your future self, for the you in the present.
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ah the echo chamber of self!
thank you 
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Nothing like a fresh palette for inspiration. Expensive hobby though.
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The only time I’ve done this is when I moved across the country and had to sell most of my gear. Even then, I regretted it. I think its always better to just store stuff in a closet until you rediscover the magic. This is especially true if you have kids. Let them discover your old treasures.
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I envy those who have purged. I want to do this but can’t let go of my projects and patches for whatever reason. I keep telling myself I’m going to record them, but I’ve built up so many and haven’t practiced my sets in so long I don’t even know where I’d begin if I were to actually sit down and commit to tracking them.
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I partially purge but never go the whole way. For a while I didn’t own either a sampler or a synth (or a drum machine) because I decided that ITB was the way to be… but I kept my Roland desk and ran sounds from one PC, out through that and into another.
I rationalised the purge through productivity (“I can finish way more stuff with just Ableton”) but the fact is: messing with synths and samplers and drum machines is fun & that, not relentlessly finishing things, is what it’s all about (for me, at least)
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I would not be able to do that.
Too much memory on those little box.
But would not have issue storing them for years and years, and rediscover them few years later. Not all them of course.
But those machine are just a hobby for me, time consuming hobby, but not professional one.
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I did. A couple of times. I work in front of the computer all the time. And I found out that I’m really having a hard time spending even more time with the stuff that’s plugged to a wall. I love digitakt, it’s the sole reason why I’m still on this forums but unfortunately I need to have the flexibility to step away. Thats why I recently found my click on smaller gadgets like bastle Kastle and opz.
Also I had the problem that I felt like I needed to be autechre after purchasing gear. And obviously I never could able to be anything but 5 second loop jerker so I felt like I was just wasting my money. Idk I still feel like a tool by doing the same loops but I guess I learned how to enjoy myself instead judging me to be better
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Several times. I appear to have nine lives like a cat though.
I have a nerdy spreadsheet with all the gear I’ve bought and and sold. It’s embarrassingly long.
I’ve decided I won’t commit gearcide again though. Too much hassle to buy and sell. I always get that itch to create music again. Best just to sell off the extras and box up the keepers, and wait until the depression fades.
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this needs to be seen
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This is gearcide:
And I’m pretty sure I could spend my entire life repairing gear. But destroying it on purpose? That would ask me a lot of determination. I hate the word “gearcide” btw. I value life way more than objects.
Some of my gear I can’t even sell, like my MD that I enjoy so much, or my MM that I’ve so patiently learned and still am…
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I’m down to just my laptop and A4.
Couldn’t bring myself to get rid of my A4 for the fourth time, but it’ll probably go in the cupboard for a bit while I get on with learning Max and get my head around Renoise for a bit.
At some point there might be some serious algorithmic power jungle noisecore breaks to show for it.
Or not, who the fuck knows…
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All the time. My only constant is my daw but even with that every year or two I wipe my computer and start fresh. All unfinished tracks gone and I rebuild my plugin list focussing on the most used.
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I try and keep my collection down to just stuff I really use and would miss if I got rid of it rather than just hoarding loads of stuff.
I think selling everything can just be another GAS pathology because then you can just rebuy everything again.
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I could see myself downsizing some, but that’s about it. I have a couple instruments I don’t use anymore and may end up selling. But for the most part I love the instruments I have whether or not I’m using them regularly. I think it would take a bona fide catastrophe of some kind to make me sell all that stuff. I don’t do anything ITB, so I equate not having gear with not being able to make music. Would be a horrible feeling.
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I get very bored of instruments I love… I haven’t touched my dtk in months and use my p6 probably 75% of the time I use a external synth… but probably 80% of the time as a whole I’m just on one of the mpc’s… I have so many synth’s that just sit basically… but I do love them and how they sound but sampling and the plug ins are so much easier to get to fit in the mix I really only use them when I want something to stand out… I always feel like why do I have them and I’m not sure I really need them anymore really.
I really want more though that is for sure!!
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I’ve wiped my Digitakt twice, it feels great. Free from all the old projects and start fresh. Although I did back the projects up, but never feel the urge to reinstate them. Anything worth while I record the output and stuck it Bankcamp/youtube.
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In the last year I sold everything expect my DJ setup and a Toraiz SP-16 sampler. It is really all I need (laptop provides infinite sound sources for the sampler). Way happier personally, but I don’t get a lot of time for music. So, having that one piece of gear I know really well as my primary music making tool works out really well, I’m not spending a lot of my free time learning near gear. (I did recently add a Korg Kaoss Replay and am holding GAS at bay).
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I beat myself to death with an MC101 once.
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