A lot of sense in that. I have an MPC2500 and a Bass Station II boxed up which I haven’t used for a bit. But I’ll keep them because I know at some point I’ll want to make something with just those 2 and a couple of other synth modules. I love that workflow too, but for now concentrating on OT & Rytm, instead of trying to put the whole lot together and just grinding to a halt.
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My life was very different 6 years ago.
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Really, guys, this thread needs more pictures! 
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I am the same, stripped it down to an AK and a stereo recorder. Never been happier.
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And the joystick! 15 mod slots for that alone.
With the apple silcone revolution beginning, I think a few pieces of hardware and a nice controller like a Push is all you need.
There are guys on youtube who have all this gear and they spend 45 minutes explaining how they use it and why, and the end result is they record everything into ableton and mix it there.
So it becomes this thing where the argument is “i dont want to look at a computer and a mouse” and yet thats where you end up anyway, unless you are truly DAWless and old school (which is very legit, just takes a lot of time and experience to nail those live mixes).
Youtube gear guys are there for a few reasons. To talk about themselves, push gear, make content and get free stuff. And I am not hating, but thats what they do. You can see it in their IGs, someone will ask “have you tried X piece of gear?” and they will respond “no but I would love to!” and tag the company hoping for a gift.
Again not hating on them, but thats a lifestyle in itself. The guys who are constantly releasing tracks and making quality stuff for the most part have a focused hardware collection and do the majority of their work ITB.
Point of this ramble is to say - save your money and only buy key pieces. For example if Elektron releases a new device that’s super unique and awesome, of course I will consider buying. But my first question now is “can I do this ITB?”, and if the answer is yes, I move on.
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I found having lots of stuff was great fun, but it spread me thin. Meaning I didn’t spend enough time with each to push below the surface. For a time, switching between devices keeps things fresh, but I found that ran dry after a while.
Now I focus on an AK. It’s true it’s more time consuming but your efforts accrue in a way they don’t when you have a ton of gear. And it makes me easily mobile and able to demonstrate my music like a guitarist can.
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Its horses for courses… if you’re happy ITB, that’s cool, more power to you.
For me, working dawless is more about using my ears over my eyes, and being more physical/tactile than using a mouse… it’s about what inspires you to make music ultimately. Being inspired by expansive powerful software ITB is perfectly valid…as is being inspired by particular hardware.
I really enjoy spending minimal time looking at a computer screen… a lot of my mixes end up ITB, but I’m way more enthusiastic about time spent there now as it means I’m at the end of a process.
On YouTuber’s… are they not just the modern day version of sales guys who worked in music stores up until 10 years ago?? And should be taken as such IMO…,
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This is why I’m moving away from samples to analogue. Rytm instead of Digitakt etc. I get the same feeling about sample choice as I do gear choice.
I’m basically saying the same thing. I still use my ears more than anything as I’ve been a musician most of my life. Using a DAW as opposed to looking at hardware (ive had a lot) doesn’t really change that for me.
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I love the juxtaposition of working in one platform until I’m sick and tired of it, then switching to another, then another etc…I find that it helps me a lot… so when you’ve been working on music for hours and it’s time to take a break, I just switch over to another platform and refresh that way and I love it… there are worlds of depth hidden in any instrument so it’s always worthwhile imo…
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No doubt we each have our flow, or we have a new flow thats opposite of the old flow and even full circle eh!
Here’s what ive been thinking about a lot lately (because im wondering why i like hardware so much right now):
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creativity for me shows at least some correlation to limitations…if i stay the course with one instrument rather than being distracted by “more”, i sit smoother in my creative zone. One acoustic guitar is soooo much better than two!
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computers by their nature are nearly limitless. When i stare into a computer screen, literally EVERY thought, idea, question, info exists through that screen. THATS MESSED UP!!!
When i look at the octatrack screen, oh wow am i limited. The only thing i can do is make music, mangle “music”, or stare for awhile wondering why i cant hear the track i just recorded:).
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I thrive in limitations as well. With a DAW or a full studio of gear, I have too many chances to make shitty choices.
Oh, song lacks energy? Must be dynamics, break out all the compressors! Or maybe I should stack a seventh high hat loop on this track, just to give it a little more life… panned hard left /right with one channel delayed to increase the stereo image. Or maybe I just need a third arp going from this analog synth racked up next to my four other analog mono’s and run it through my reverb chain (not to be confused with my delay chain sub mix), or maybe I should dig around in my 200GB sample library for a great vocal ‘yeeeeeah’ sample. THAT’S why this song lacks energy….
In reality, the song lacks energy because I need to turn up my high hats a few db.
The ‘right’ answer is just so obvious when I’m working with 8 tracks on an Elektron box.
No amount of experience has been able to save me from myself in a limitless environment.
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This is totally the way forward. When I treat synths or anything else as sample sources to go into my fixed performance system of OT & Rytm, all the brain mush about routing, MIDI, setups and covering all bases with synths pretty mush disappears. It’s like killing a bunch of processes on my laptop to free up RAM, leaves my brain free to think on the ideas, progressions and performances. Which is where I need the practice!
Right now I would use OT, Rytm, 303 live - everything else would be sampled.
YES @spec3oh
Patterns for now, until I get better at OT sequencing tricks! And following this sound advice, thanks @DaveMech:
I also found that putting OT & Rytm only on the front row of my desk, even though I have space for other gear (and more gear packed away) helps me to reinforce this system. Every sound flows through these two now.
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Another thing - at least for me - is I need to find somebody to collaborate with. That would bring me energy.
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Oh, song lacks energy? Must be dynamics, break out all the compressors! Or maybe I should stack a seventh high hat loop on this track, just to give it a little more life… panned hard left /right with one channel delayed to increase the stereo image. Or maybe I just need a third arp going from this analog synth racked up next to my four other analog mono’s and run it through my reverb chain (not to be confused with my delay chain sub mix), or maybe I should dig around in my 200GB sample library for a great vocal ‘yeeeeeah’ sample. THAT’S why this song lacks energy….
I can relate to this so much.
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What if I don’t get rid of gear but just make 3-5 minimal setups/stations? Does that count?
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Something that came up on another thread, was the person’s massive dropoff in productivity when going beyond one piece of gear… plays in well here.
I realised that having presets on drum machine (ND2) and analog mono (Sirin) was putting me off trying things, since the Digitone also has presets.
Reconnecting the basic Volca Beats and MB-33 for some simpler sounds.
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