Is it better to have many weapons, or one you know well?

The Lounge General Discussion
#22

I like this idea Nate, and to add to that - I’d suggest getting to know 1 or 2 drivers as best you can for want of a better description. For example… I am 100% a preset guy & I don’t design sounds. So for me, if I know how to quickly find sounds and then develop and tweak a song in a structured way, that’s a good balance of breadth & simplicity, and more than enough for me to try and master. (And I’m still trying if any of this sounds like I know what I’m doing.)

Since I come from playing string instruments in bands I mentally have things like this: Launchkey + Native Instruments sounds = like having a guitar. Ableton = like an old Boss digital 16 track & one of those big blue boss multi-effect stompboxes. I tend to think of NI as a self contained instrument (even though it contains many instruments) or you might call it a rompler, whatever really. As much as I don’t love the inconsistency and general cruddiness of the UIs in NI gear - because of NKS integrations (nice for Arturia, Uhe etc); the pretty decent preset browser and tieing those to Ableton racks I can usually find a sound which is either pre-mapped via KK, or can be mapped to Ableton. This is also where having the LK integration with Ableton helps. Live is the main driver here because all the instruments end up in racks with either mapped macros (or automation drawn in after the fact if it’s KK alone.) That plus a row of effects (either native or 3rd party) in the effects rack feels like stomping on my old stomp boxes.

Obviously there’s loads of depth in both these platforms. But that way of looking at it it does help me mentally box these 2 things off into something mentally manageable. You could replace this potentially with another library of sounds, be it Spitfire, Arturia or another.

I guess you could also apply this to hardware. Eg: stick to Roland x Arturia, or the Elektron Digi series x Novation Circuits… whatever works. Usually if you learn one “thing” from a company you have knowledge that will transfer to the other. But once you go beyond 3 platforms, I’d personally find that too much to handle. Maybe with individual synths that would be different, but I don’t know enough about that to comment.

So yeah. 2 key platforms, stick to those and get good at them. Gives breadth and gives focus at the same time?

1 Like
#23

Beautiful.

3 Likes
#24

I knew I was getting something mixed up. Brb, police at my door

4 Likes
#25

exactly!
no filler, just killer!

2 Likes
#27

I’ve found working in the box to be easier to manage “many weapons” than using a hardware set up with even just a few synths.

#28

As long as I spend time with all of the devices individually, I can learn them and get my muscle memory right.

I was inspired by the no gear thread and seeing @cuckoomusic’s method of only taking one synth out at a time. Great way to combat divided attention and options paralysis. I’m not a fan of putting things away and worry about storing old synths on their sides, so I just reduced my setup a little and only turn on one device at a time until the time comes to sync them for a track.

All of the unlabeled secondary button press functions become a looot quicker this way.

1 Like
#29

if you’re not you’re just pandering :wink:

#30

I’d honestly be just as productive, if not more if I had 1/10 of the gear and VSTs, but shit does it make me happy just starring at it all.

I’ve always been of the mind “jack of all trades, master of none”. Where do you personally stand on that statement? Is it better to be a jack of all trades, or master of some?

1 Like
#31

I really like having something in between - a few devices with specialised roles. I have a drum synth (Volca Drum), a sampler/sequencer (DT), and a 4-voice synth (AK). Sometimes I bring Live into the loop and augment the setup with a couple of midi controllers.
I’m having to resist GAS now but it’s easier knowing that I have everything I need to make the music I want to make.

1 Like
#32

It’s much better not having any weapons whatsoever

1 Like
#33

I find that my scatterbrain comes in handy for breadth but really need to put forth more concerted effort into individual instruments for live playing/articulation and composing from the perspective of the instrument.

Now, ideally this would be less of a concern, I’d have a role in a group where i wouldn’t need to worry about guitar or drums and could focus on bass + synth duties. Tracking would be easier, mastering would be split… but no i just do things i don’t have to, to make songs fully realized.

Over the years, I’ve had violin, piano, guitar lessons but it’d be great to continue on with something, it’s just so hard to narrow down!

When so many things are amazing and fun and you’re not some wunderkind and don’t have all the time in the world to advance each skill, it also gets harder to try and push through past exhaustion and the results aren’t ideal.

Basically, the jack of all trades is more how i’m wired than an intentional choice, and has plenty of creative benefits alongside people appreciating the knowledge and survival skills, DIYing out of necessity because you can’t afford everything and every service done for you. And hobbies make you poor :stuck_out_tongue:

Hopefully i can work on the drive to build specific areas of myself up SO i can meet others who are less busy and interested in collaborations, it’s never the creative load that’s the problem solo, but more structural time spent on less fun aspects of producing a creative product end to end.

A baseball bat is multipurpose!

1 Like
#34

Better to have one & not need one than to need one & not have one.

#35

I think it doesn’t matter how many weapons you have so long as you know them all well.

1 Like
#36

In the end, you are the weapon.

Either a Samurai with a well worn blade.

Or the type of dude just waiting for the right moment to use any and every object for battle.

And the spectrum inbetween.

One thing I think should be a constant in gear is a keyboard.

Everyone should know their way around a keyboard.

So much gear is based on it. Pianos and synths. And its inherent structure is rooted in musical theory. So just by being acquainted with a couple scales. Or what notes sound like.

Not even knowing how to play chords. Just hen pecking the keys. You will subconsciously make decisions based on theory just by hacking on the keys.

1 Like
#37

I did strongly consider a pad based controller when I made the switch from guitar. I heard that there is something intuitive to guitarists in how the notes are laid out (and also the idea that it’s just a new instrument seemed appealing.)

But I decided to go keys for one reason. Despite having played music for around 20 years, I found it amusing that when I sat in front of some keys that all my knowledge of music and melody seemed to literally vanish. I guess the fact that on guitar the same shape of chord can play a minor chord up and down the fretboard was something I took for granted!

I’ve been at it 6 months, moving from mini to full size keys, and I’m pleased to say it’s starting to come together. I can’t play with much fluidity (lots of overdubbing and moving MIDI notes here & there)… but I’m getting a sense of how the instrument plays. I guess it’s like starting to understand a second language in a way. I can feel a vague natural connection between putting a melody together on a guitar and doing the same on the keys. I’ve avoided any auto modes that lock the board into a key to help you not play any bum notes - I feel like that’s how you learn.

I might get a pad controller one day for a bit of variety in the workflow, but that can be a treat once I can play keys to a level I’m happy with. And tbh it’s just fun, lots of eureka moments when things click!

4 Likes
#38

I’d say that you might also want to consider a spread of architectures . e.g. subtractive traditional analogue, wavetable, FM, sample playback etc.

You might not find many machines (or plug-ins) which cover all that ground in one go - or at least one machine might not do a great job on everything. So, a bit like a set of ingredients or spices you might use when cooking, I like to know I have a complimentary set of sound sources.

#39

Just my 2 cents here. As others say, is not the “weapons” is the user.

I always was lucky to have lot of gear, and over the years I see this more clear than ever. If you have knowledge and just one piece of equipment you will do better than one amateur with tons of stuff. In my case right now, I don’t care to start a track just in one machine or use 5 for the same track, but is not becasue the machines power, is more about yourself.

What I see really counterproductive is to have tons of gear as I have, and not knowing how to limit yourself, it’s something psychological, and when you really control this, you make the same quality tracks in just a DAW or with a wall of modular, but you have to apply constraints to yourself, believe me.

One funny thing that works for me is to randomly pick 2 machines, and force myself to do the new track with them, it makes you be more creative and learn the machines better, and really enjoy the pile of gear you have, making you not feel guilty of having so much stuff.

On the other side, recently was finishing really great stuff in just the M8 or the Perkons alone.

#40

I think I find getting to know an instrument the more interesting bit, i find I always get more interesting results after a week or so with something than after months… but that might just be the shock of the new.

So I wouldn’t say having lots of instruments, but maybe changing them up? There’s a lot of being down of GAS (for very good reason) - but sometimes something new can stoke the fire.