No New Gear Year 2023 AKA NGNY 2023

The Lounge General Discussion
#474

I’m finding using a single piece of gear to be a good anti-GAS strategy.
Even with 3 bits of gear last year, I’d get to decision paralysis, and spend lots of time thinking about changing setups rather than making music. Even though I wasn’t buying stuff.

With one box I don’t have any of that. I’m using MPC Live2 for now and I don’t expect to reach any sound limitations anytime soon. Not trying to trigger anyone, just sharing that this is making me continue to not want to buy gear - maybe it will help someone.

Stay committed everyone, end of the first month :muscle:

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#475

Another MPC Live 2 afficionado reporting in.

That box does it all from sampling to rompling to virtual analog etc. Having the Live has definitely made my GAS more manageable. Why would I need anything else/more when this one box can be anything and everything? And it works on batteries and has a built in speaker. It’s perfect in every sense.

The only thing I don’t like about it is playing/programming melodies on the pads. For that I prefer a midi controller. But I would be happy with just that, the MPC and a midi keyboard.

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#476

January is soon over peeps! I’ve managed to avoid any purchases so far, even though it’s been hard at times. It feels like the GAS creature is sensing that I actually might be able to pull this through, and is working its hardest to pull me off the track.

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#477

If you have Ableton, have a play with the Resonator plugin. It’s not going to be exactly the same, but you could set up parallel chains for the left and right channels and detune the resonator slightly between them for a nice stereo effect. A tuned Vocoder plugin can work well for this kind of thing too, and then you can also control attack and decay times. (Alas, you can’t automate the levels of the vocoder bands!)

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#478

Or maybe I should try to use the OP-1f’s new vocoder with its external mic. Thanks!

Edit : Two unexpected features of the OP-1f has moderated my GAS for two different fx box :

  • The radio transmitter for the Fairfield Circuitry Roger That
  • The vocoder for the Wingie2
    :+1:
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#479

It’s the last day of January, so “gooooooo NGNY '23 team!” I had a single GAS inducing moment this month, but the GAS is there. I’ve found myself thinking about a Buchla Easel Command, and then that spurred thoughts of a Random*Source Serge panel. But I am sticking to the plan!

The Plan is to work with my Octatrack in Feb 2023, on some real music. I’ve picked a few reference tracks, and I’m going to make a list of some elements that I’ll need to make something similar. I figure I’ll use some other synths to create sounds for harvesting, but the focus will be on editing my samples, creating patterns and parts that work together, and developing an arrangement or two to complete a song

Good luck to you all in February!

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#480

This is definitely true for me as well. Every time I introduce a new piece of gear, the focus shifts from making music to worrying about the perfect setup.

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#481

Flexibility in use cases a piece of gear can cover definitely results in getting more mileage and value out of it.

Plus the primary use case you may get it for originally may wind up not being the one you find yourself using it for the most.

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#482

Yeah, the MPC has really stretched the limits for me. It’s the one piece of gear I constantly watch videos about and tend to learn new stuff from every video.

Often I get an idea late at night in bed: ”Could I do this on my MPC?” And it’s really hard not to jump up and go to the study to test the idea out.

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#483

NGNY helped during Jamuary. I wasn’t trying to find new gear to try out every day. I used gear I already had, and got to know it better.

I also have learned how time-saving it will be if I make some template patterns/kits/project(s) on my :3lektron: to match the equipment I’m currently using… so I don’t have to set up MIDI channels and track settings every time I want to make something new.

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#485

After a bit of usage, not sure it was the right move, those folders tend to become kinda big, in fact so big there’s now a significant lag when using the sample preview of my OT. I guess I will have to limit myself a bit more :man_shrugging:

#486

Aside from convenience and look of the Tula mic, I’m not impressed with the sound quality of it.

I bought it for the love of my life due to many zoom meetings during air conditioning use in the summer and it’s built-in noise cancellation which was effective.

Since then, we have a quieter A/C and now she doesn’t use it.

I recorded with it once, direct to Morphagene for a Make Noise intro video (previously available/open to everyone). The voice was heavily effected so quality wasn’t as important.

The point of all this…

If you find that you need a mic, there are likely many cheaper alternatives than Tula that will give you the same result or better.

Tula is GAS worthy because IMO it looks like candy.

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#487

Thank you for this. I already planned that this year would be a year without buying new stuff in general. That lead to thoughts about exploring my existing music setup more. Already I’m learning and developing a more mature sound.

When reading the article linked earlier on going deeper- not wider, I now understand that this concept can be about having a mindful approach to most of life. To appreciate what you have in stead of wanting more or new. Whilst acknowledging the fun my new music equipment has given me, I see that the focus on acquiring stuff has shifted attention away from music, and from the other gear I already owned. This can serve as a metaphor for my life in general.

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#488

I planned to do this 2023.
But i already failed miserably and got me an hapax.
Perhaps 2024? :sweat_smile:

#489

Or the remaining 11 of 12 months in 2023? :wink:

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#490

Today I thought about buying a SP404 mk2. But then I forgot about it after coming home from work and drinking beer on the back deck with my housemate instead.

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#491

Good for you! I keep thinking about the SP404 Mk2. Still think it might be better for my needs than the Digitakt, I don’t need two Elektron sequencers and I can’t drop the thought that mono sampling is limiting - I can hear it so clearly when sampling a lush pad from the MC-101. So, yeah, GAS. The good news is that I can probably sell the Digitakt with a substantial profit given how crazy cheap I got it and given how it’s basically in mind condition. But still… what was the point of this thread again? :joy: :see_no_evil:

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#492

Lost money on every sampler I ever owned and only ever dug deep enought to get my money’s worth out of one of them.

So far I’ve been through: multiple SP808s, sp555 , 2x OTs, digitakt, korg microsampler, mpc 1000, mpc live, mpc one, got my 2nd OP1 ina drawer and a Toraiz SP16 under the bed. Might’ve beena few others too.

Maybe samplers aren’t for me after all but I keep trying. What’s that definition of insanity again?

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#493

You need to demo it. I know that’s easier said depending where you live.

I think you mentioned this before or someone else mentioned the SP404 mk2?

Either way, it’s extremely lighter than a DT, completely different workflow and IMO it’s super slow to work with.

It obviously has a massive following so you know people are happy with theirs, but if you’re moving from DT to SP404, I don’t think you’ll like it as much as you think. The stereo samples might not be enough to make up for it.

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#494

Yep, allow me throw an anti-GAS towel over this fire. Digitakt kicks the shit out of the SP in terms of workflow, sequencing and sound shaping. I sent the SP back to the retailer after just 3 days. Stereo and skip back was nice, but the Digitakt is a far superior sampler imho. Plus, it has Overbridge.

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