It is you waiting for that next piece of kit before you can make good music.
It is that shit of dopamine when you press the “buy” button or when you bid low and your offer is accepted.
That pleasure should come from using what you have better, learning to write better songs.
Stop thinking of accumulation as the success or failure here, the pleasure you get from experiencing youtube demos is not necessarily the creative spark.
I know the GAS. But for me I don’t have much $ to just jump the wagon. Therefor I have to sell stuff to get something new. Then I have to think is the new thing better then the old one. Or I have to save up and I am a couple months further.
But a lot of gear has come and go. I don’t have much time for it. So I finally know what I like to do and how. So my last addition was a Octatrack. Did a lot of research if it could do what I wanted.
Now I finally feel my set-up is complete with some gear that not get used a lot at the moment. But they can be swapped in the set-up.
I still like GAS for a DFAM, Hydrasynth, Zoia, Summit and Matriarch. But I don’t need them at the moment. But I guess it works different with everybody. I am just glad that I tried a lot of gear to know what I want. So it can help to GAS sometime.
…i spent money blind in new stuff, only from sweden…
beyond that i always stick with the rule…always work with with what u got…and…ur gear is only that good as u know it inside out…and hell no, i don’t know my stuff inside out for real…especially if we talk swedish here…but even logic, which i use since day one…still have’nt seen it all there…
i always stay away from kickstarters…which is stupid, because some stuff there really could need the support…but i made the experience, that only buying stuff that is already prooven, saves me al lot of frustration time…i really don’t need to be first adaptor…
well, as mentioned…with this one little swedish hardware exception…BUT i was able resist to the rytm…still.
apart from that, most of my purchases are more daily or next misson needs…like a new digital mixer for upcoming dates…a new wireless mic something…a new case…a new monitor controler…standard stuff…
truly new sonic terretory gadgets are always intresting…but i’m out there long enough to say…i’ve seen it…so i can detect clearly what could really push me forward sonicwise or workflow wise and what not…
and if feel gas anyway…i also stick to rule…something else gotto go first to refund and replace…
I’m about to cancel to Pulsar-23 in order to be able to afford my wedding this year. But this put some fire under my butt to explore the Digitakt more as I believe I haven’t scratched the surface, despite it being the backbone of 1 released album and one in the making.
I canceled a Cirklon pre-order after a 18 months wait… during this time I found the Digitakt was good enough as a midi sequencer for me. So yes, a time can be useful.
Hahaha this is hilarious, I haven’t done that but I feel you for sure.
I constantly change my mind for what I want for my free time smoke time creativity
God help us all
There have been exceptions, but I typically only place an order if it says “In Stock.” That way I know I’m serious and don’t have an opportunity to exist as a dual-mind, one existing in state of purchase and one in a state of self-denial. Just think carefully, make up your mind, and commit. If you find yourself buying and then cancelling, you need to address this inside yourself. It is not a good solution to GAS. Not as if it’s a life or death situation though thank goodness! Preorders are necessary for the company though, so I occasionally do it and I’m glad others do the same. It helps when negotiating with suppliers and distributors.
Can’t cancel pre-order if the gear you’re buying is 20 years old. My point being is, I just go on little sprees where I search and search for old gear I’ve never had a chance to try when I was young / broke. When I find a good deal I know I won’t lose money on, I purchase it and if I don’t like it, I can sell for no loss or a profit. Maybe I’m a sucker for the nostalgia factor but it also ticks the box for my GAS and I typically am not out money if I don’t like the gear. I suppose I’ve backed out of deals, so maybe that’s similar to a “pre-order cancel”
That said, it’s all still a problem, albeit a manageable one. The search for the deal, the research, brainstorming on how it will integrate into the larger setup, etc…all that time could be spent just getting deeper with my current equipment. Though sometimes it’s not so black and white. For instance, I’ve gotten to know my Machinedrum and Digitone very well for awhile now. All the while rotating other pieces of gear in and out. So I’m going deep with some gear, gassing and buying other pieces. And the cycle never quits.
I know we all say that new gear won’t automatically make you write great music, however extended time with that gear has made me a better musician. Kind of a paradox, no?
At any rate, the only thing I’ve ever pre-ordered was the Nanoloop Hardware and we will see how being an early adopter goes once it’s finished. I don’t know if there is truly any way to solve GAS other than self discipline / restraint. Our bodies love Dopamine and companies know it.
I had the Mod Duo X on order and cancelled it once they pushed the date back further. And I kinda lost all interest in it at this point. Could be a cool stage tool but also just using a laptop with Ableton would be better.
Cancelled my Minilogue XD Desktop preorder. The plan was to get a that and then later get a Minilogue XD with keys, or maybe just another Desktop, and poly chain them. But then I realized that was kinda stupid and would take a lot of space so I ended up just saving up for a Peak instead. I love that synth.
Last one was the TD-3. Though I technically got it I was going to cancel and forgot. Got to use it when it arrived and was really unimpressed by it. I’m not that big into Acid so it was a dumb preorder anyways but it just feels super cheap. I know its only $150 but it feels like a garbage tier chinese video game console or something. It sounded alright but I’ve got plenty of analog synths that can squelch acid at this point.
I think Gas is a modern phenomenon borne by the internet. Years ago we had to go to shops to try the equipment out. Actually handing over real money to a cashier. Its too easy. Unfortunately music shops dont stock modern electronic or projects understandably.
My rule is rather a question - what have I released lately? Have u seriously recorded and completed some quality stuff? Unless I actually create something of value I don’t deserve to buy more stuff (and then in an ideal world the release pays off some of the kit so I can apply an ROI to it haha).
Nota bene. Stop dicking around with gear and buying unless a quality output and releases warrant buying treats.