Is it just me, or do you also sometimes feel like getting rid of most/all of your hardware?
Sometimes I wonder “what’s the point anyway?”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the question usually pops up out of frustration during a period of limited creativity…
Also, sometimes I feel like I have too much crap and could get rid of all the wires/clutter…
I go through this at least once a week. I feel I’ve given myself too much choice at times. What I find helps is only bringing out what I’m going to use and storing the rest away for a little. That way I can focus on the one to two pieces of gearand not get overwhelmed. Honestly I want to get rid of my Digitakt constantly from the lack of stereo sampling and OB but I just put it away instead till I need it’s feautures. This has helped a lot.
I used to occasionally feel like I should abandon all my electronic gear and just play natural acoustic instruments in a tepee by a fire… 
Then I accept and embrace the current state of reality and want to use what’s available to express myself in super awesome creative ways… I’d feel better if we had zero pollution free energy source and the manufacturing process didn’t harm the environment… But alas I accept the current paradigm and will try to amplify my good loving juju to share with the world. If I can spread any kind of positivity or ease people’s stress or help people in anyway, shape, or form, it’s worth it to me… 
Sometimes those creative dry spells can run for years. I would recommend that you don’t make rash decisions. I’ve seen so many people get stuck for awhile and sell everything off only to buy it back later with a deep sense of regret. I see the stories of “the one that got away” where people are kicking themselves knowing they’ll never be able to find a replacement for a decent price, etc.
Counterpoint: the ideas and the art are what make the artist, not the tools. In the past I’ve made the recommendation of lending some of the gear to trusted friends, instead of selling. Maybe that could work for you, too.
This looks like a quite usual pattern:
Yeah, I know that feeling. I also feel it sometimes with my record collection (see the other thread I opened "collecting records in these times). I think it’s often connected with the lack of results/success/creative flow. Suddenly, this all doesn’t make sense… and then when inspiration strikes again and you are in the flow you start missing things you sold in a rush …
It can be a constant struggle to wrestle with owning too much stuff, but the fact remains that in order to make electronic music you need quite a bit of clutter even for a fairly minimal setup, especially so with a hardware setup, but even if you are all ITB.
I don’t have any answers because it is something that I also find myself thinking, maybe it is to do with justification and not feeling that the investment in time, money and mental energy is worth it, maybe it is a bit of guilt too, maybe lack of inspiration or not feeling it anymore? But in my case it always seems to pass after a period of inactivity and I feel drawn to it once again, in those times I am glad that I didn’t choose to act on impulse and get rid of it all. So maybe try enjoying the summer without thinking about music and gear and see how you feel after that.
It will pass friend
I have a very minimal setup by most electronic musicians’ standards (only an OT plus 3 pedals, 2 stringed instruments and a microphone) and I’ve been quite despondent over packing this up after a gig. I’m getting a DJ case to contain the OT and pedals. Setup and break down for gigs should go a LOT smoother.
As far as lagging creativity, all creative types experience this from time to time, of course. My prescription for myself has been to have a short break, possibly focus on other creative endeavours (just took up sketching and oil painting). I tend to find myself refreshed after a short hiatus. But creativity knows no rules, so it depends on the person 
Ok I am not alone
I like the “putting away stuff for a bit” idea… also the “dont make any rash decisions and have to buy again”…
But one that resonates quite a bit is:
Its a hobby - and I am well aware of how fortunate I am to be able to play with great gear.
But- because its a hobby, because I am a dad, because its expensive, because it takes time… sometimes I feel that nagging guilt.
My wife reminds me its my meditation time; where I am fully aware and present in the moment, lost in that endless 4 bar loop for 4hrs straight!
Let´s move on and just play acoustic guitar…
Guitars of different flavour piles up
too much options…creativity blocked. Let´s head…
Buy yourself a small journal. Start recording everything you do, every night. Post the jam online. Note in the journal your thoughts. Do this for a month straight. Then decide if you need or don’t need anymore gear…
Just try it
Yup. The other side of the coin is that you probably work hard, provide for your family and perhaps they are proud of you and your musical endeavours, I guess it is a case of trying to find the right balance.
Man, have I been there, so much so that I’ve gathered a rep around here for being I don’t know, insane?
But it’s gone now. I needed all that shit to find what’s inside. It’s not a waste, it’s a journey. Just go with it, it’ll lead you somewhere eventually.
For me it’s only the bad conscience with hardware gear that makes me want sell stuff, since I know I could do the same stuff on my mac or ipad.
Don’t know, feeling guilty of spending money often, although I don’t have to feed anyone but myself.
And yes, the too many options thing sometimes pops up, but it’s more a too less time thing actually
I was easily the most productive and recorded the most tracks of my life when I only had a shitty $80 MIDI controller and a pirated copy of Ableton in 2005. That doesn’t mean much of the music from that time in my life still holds up or is musically/sonically interesting, however. It’s all about perspective.
Recently I dismantled my keyboard stand and put away my big expensive synths. Currently I’m only working with my laptop, an Organelle, a Monome, and a PO-33, and seeing what I can make from that. Still plenty of choice, plenty of sound design. But focusing on a few core pieces of gear feels liberating.
I also find that, no matter which gear I use, my music still sounds very much like my music. I’m reminded of John Maus, who in an interview said he spent a year building a modular synth and was convinced that would take his music to new territory he hadn’t been before. But then he recorded with it and found that all the tracks sounded the same as his old music.
I recently had a bad gig where I felt completely lost in my set, too many knobs for one man! The next day I sat down with all my gear, carefully listing down all the things I like/dislike about each one. After going over my sheet I took the lowest scoring stuff and boxed them up.
I took all the gear that remained and configured them in a new signal flow to make things feel fresh and inviting. I’ve been jamming with the new setup for about a month and it feels so invigorating to just sit down and create.
I ended up trading some of the less desirables for an O-Coat and Blofeld Keys and could not be happier.
It’s part of the fun to build up and tear.
Music gear is our sandbox.
No need to feel bad… (to the op)
Construct and deconstruct. Always reevaluate.
Find and redefine your setup and workflow whenever you feel like it.
All part of the journey, isn’t it?