Fellow nauts,
While being on a gear journey for years, what was once a quest fuelled by curiosity and desire to learn, eventually become somewhat fatiguing. Partly because of the restless nature of never settling for instruments that you kind of actually enjoyed but still decided to part with, and partly because the more stuff I tried, the less curious I became. Maybe that goes without saying, if you’ve tried no synths, they’re all cool. If you tried many, the next one is less likely to offer something interesting.
Some time ago, I decided to just stop with this.
I won’t fool myself into thinking that I won’t be attracted to new instruments as they appear from time to time, but what I’ve learned is that certain brands also tend to tick my boxes more than others. So I’ve created a little strategy for myself that simply raises the bar for new stuff to catch my attention. Unless they’re part of a specific brand, I’m not likely to bother anymore.
For synths, Sequential is my go to. Since their stuff is expensive, most of the time I can’t afford their synths anyway and if I can, I have to sell the one I have. Pretty sustainable 
currently, I’m on a Prophet 12 module and have been for some time. I’ve played them all and some I know fairly well and others, really well. So the Prophet 12 is my choice after years of playing and experience with all of them except the Pro2 and Pro3.
For fx boxes, I’m with Chase Bliss. Again, silly expensive stuff. So I can keep one or two at a time, tops. Currently, it’s the Tonal Recall Red Knob Edition and Blooper. I’d like to return to the Mood, and I’d love a Generation Loss. But that’s not happening right now. I’ve been experimenting with Strymon and Meris stuff before that, but the Chase Bliss character is something else.
As far as samplers go, I’m done. No brand is specifically interesting to me right now. I’m on the Toraiz for the moment and seeing how well it gels with me, I’m pretty sure I’m sticking with it for some time. Elektron was my favourite for a long time, though, and I was on the Blackbox for a productive year.
Drum machines, the same. Not interested. The Toraiz has me covered.
Modular, I’m never going there. So I’m done before I even started.
Mixing and recording, well, hmm. I have an SSL SiX that records into a Zoom H1n but I’m starting to eye the Tascam Model 12. The Toraiz sounds so good out of the box, I’m not sure the SSL SiX is worth what it brings to the table, compared to the very modern take on multi-tracking that the Tascam brings.
Mastering, I won’t even bother. I can get away with my mixing skills, though barely, by there’s no way I can bring anything to the mastering table that not even someone with just about average skills can do a hundred times better. If I end up in a context where that kind of mastering makes a real difference, I know where to go.
Can you guys relate to this? You ended up with a brand that essentially became your choice, and everything else had to fight to get your attention because of it? Not only because you liked it, but because a focus like that, tends to filter out most of the gear buzz around you.
