Totally agree on the importance of finding core gear. Mine is Rytm -> OT
Then I add 1-2 synths running into the OT using it as sequencer & performance mixer (as well as sampler).
Works really well for me - enough similarity to become familiar with gear, enough variety by swapping out the synths occasionally.
[EDIT] I should add it’s taken me years and lots of effort and money to reach this apparently simple conclusion!
IMO this core gear thing is indeed very important. Concentrating on digging deeper on what you have makes it possible to spend time learning other things about sound production, instead of scratching the surface of other gear.
Besides, while the honeymoon for the shiny new thing doesn’t last long, pleasure your get from playing an instrument you master is here to stay.
My core gear is the OT, but DN is close second… Lately I’ve been playing with multi-map, same as I play slices on OT, and it’s been a whole lot of fun.
Same! There needs to be books and courses on this! The marketing and user manuals certainly don’t help! YouTube videos don’t even help …
Along the lines of physical modelling, I very much hope for a ‘model:algos’ (algorithms) along the lines of the microfreak - a bunch of algorithms (including physical modelling) with 4 macro parameters per algorithm would fit well in the model line UI.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking there must be an instrument out there that is at least closer to perfection compared to the ones you already have. This search will never come to an end unless you find a way to fully understand and embrace an instrument as a tool (or as an extension of your self) and get to know it inside out and with eyes closed.
Gear doesn’t matter. Skill, knowledge and understanding do.
I was using DT yesterday n noticed I hardly need to think when using it. its completely instinctive. the flow is wonderful.
I’m similar with OT.
love em 
for me, those were MC-707/101 and Circuit / Circuit Tracks.
alternate approach: perform with it.
jams, rehearsals (i know rehearsals are uncommon in electronic music world, but whatever), and finally gigs.
i can make tunes even in a DAW 
but live performance is totally different story.
i’m not disagreeing that the individual creator is key to whatever music is being produced, but i’m saying core gear (even if you shift this gear at some point) is a valuable thing to embrace. i just think it’s bad advice to tell people that it comes solely from them instead of something practical like hone in on some gear that works for you and fits your workflow etc.
we also shouldn’t deny the importance of gear on shaping sounds of different times and genres even if they are in the hands of vastly different individuals. 808s, marshall amps, les pauls, DX-7s, etc. etc. all are fundamental to things we can point to as pivotal or defining sounds. there’s no way to separate the reality that someone like jimi hendrix was able to get expressive and interesting tones and musical possibilities because he was a creative person who had gear that inspired him.
in this day and age, access to gear and the sounds you can make are nearly endless. as other ppl pointed out in this thread(even you) chasing a sound or gear can be a never ending and fruitless chase. that’s why the advice of finding gear that works for you and your sound is really important. i’m just a realist and think musicians need more practical advice than people often put out there.
I have to be very careful these days to only watch videos about kit I already have 
A lot of YouTube videos give me the impression that the gear has less potential than it actually does, to be fair. Artist interviews are the ones that get my gears turning
The Core of my Studio is probably my MIDI Devices : Kenton MIDI Thru-12 and Blokas Midihub connected to DT.
Having a Setup where you can only fire up the Devices you want to use is key to me. So, no need to power on everything. This helps me to focus on the Devices I want to use in this particular moment on a particular idea/project.
Interesting thread.
I guess you can think about it in terms related affordances. What does your relationship to your synth/gear afford you to make? How can you use and misuse equipment to create what you intend or discover something new based on informed experimentation? How accurate is your mental model of how the gear works so you can operate it effectively? Does it enable you to work fluidly and enter even a ‘flow’ state?
I’m gonna go ahead and be “that guy” and post it. Sorry / you’re welcome.
I just picked up his new book recently, I have really been liking it so far. He has a very unique writing style and perspectives on music making.
For some people the process is more important than the outcome. If you are someone that has ideas in your head that you need to get out then it makes sense to have the instrument or piece of gear that facilitates that or that “gets out of the way” to make the idea concrete. This is especially true if you’re making music for a living, on a deadline etc. No time for procrastination!
I’m quite convinced, however, that an awful lot of people here are far more interested in the journey than the destination, even so far as to not care if there is a finished product at the end.
How many people here are buying modular gear at huge expense when they could get the same sound from a fixed-architecture synth that costs 1/4 of the price?! Or people buying and selling gear that basically does the same thing but with a slightly different interface (that’s me by the way)? The need for more or different “stuff” is in our heads because we all know that people with very limited gear have made great music. Productive people (in many disciplines) don’t chop and change all the time, they pick their tools and get on with it.
I also think many people don’t have an idea to start with, they just want to see what comes out with a setup that they enjoy. Not aiming for a style or a genre as such. Again, you don’t need much gear to do that. Whatever you make is music, irrespective of what others think of it, and it’s yours.
I think I might have gone off on a tangent a bit. Fascinating topic!
My core gear changes, is in flux, sometimes per project.
Occasionally a sentimental attachment can happen. This is good.
Some of my favorite gear doesn’t make it onto recordings.
In my case I’d say I spent years using some basic gear, guitars and VSTs to make music. While inspiring, I only ended up recording short loops and rough sketches.
About three years ago I decided to have a go at getting into eurorack and since then put together a modest case plus a AR and DN.
I’m sure there’s other really great gear out there that I never had the opportunity to try out, but my current set up feels right. I have loads of fun using it and helps me focus. Never been so productive and finally closing off tracks - in part because I cannot just save a current state and move onto something else unless I’m ready to lose it all.
I guess this is what defines my core gear and you just have to go with what inspires you and enjoy using.
Good read ! Thanks.
For me at the moment the polyend tracker is an insatiable tune maker (fed with samples from synths and drum machines)
Personally I believe gear absolutely matters, but inevitably we tend to go about things in a skewed manner. You need the Skill, knowledge and understanding to know which gear works best for your productivity and goals but we buy the gear first to try and gain the above mentioned skills.