What do you think of GAS?

The Lounge General Discussion
#21

GAS is a pain in the arse that’s what I know about it!

There’s nothing worse than having self inflicted yourself with zero inspiration as you’re convinced another piece of gear will sort everything out. I went through that in my Elektron phase a year or two back which ended up with me flogging everything last year.

Regretted selling the Octatrack though so picked one up but, surprise surpise, I’ve used it about 6 times since I got it 5 or 6 months ago! It looks cool on my desk though.

I’m now in the middle of GAS Phase 2 - after convincing myself that ITB was the solution I now find myself with a Roli Rise and a Linnstrument. Both wonderful pieces of gear but neither getting used anywhere near enough. I switch on the laptop and I can lose myself with Ableton and Push 2 but try something on the Linnstrument and… nothing!

I’m a keyboardist at heart (albeit a crap one) and after a recent house move actually have a bit of space so I’m genuinely considering getting rid of the Rise/Linnstrument and going back to basics with an upright piano to play with and, most importantly, actually learn how to play properly.

So anyway, yeah, GAS blows.

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#22

I gave away a maschine twice to people with a good computer, no money and talking about making music (a student and a friend)… In both cases they never used it :frowning:
Giving away gear was more difficult than i expected it to be.

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#23

I think it also has something to do with internal or external attribution. For example, the Analog Keys is much more difficult than i expected it to be. I love the sound, i love o play with it, but many times i got stuck, like the A4 writersblock from another topic. Then i feel i have to buy a dsi or sub37. But off course i have to look at myself, and spend more time on learning the equipment i have in stead of buying something else.

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#24

I did have -1- musician that I really do not know all that well, but he does not have much cash and only has a controller keyboard and is on my property management’s landscaping and maintenance crew, that when I mentioned I had an extra Waldorf uQ rack that I would like to give to him I learned he was heavily entrenched in all those conspiracy theories, as he knows I am a Dept. Of Defense Retiree, so he started asking me paranoid type questions that I would not be drawn into, then he started wondering how easy it would be for the gov’t to place surveillance trackers within such a synth rack (because of my military affiliation), so THAT free giveaway did NOT go as I thought it would. So no, it’s not as easy as one would think to simply give away something, not wanting anything in return. My only request (not a requirement) is that the receiving person return the same random act of kindness to someone else in future.

I have grown tired of this world’s planned obsolesces. We are consuming so much when there’s plenty of older gear that will take you many miles and years still rather than allowing it to go to landfills.

GAS from a psychological view is trying to fill a void that never is fulfilled. Sometimes it’s best to just use what you have and learn it inside and out then and only then maybe move onto something else rather than decided since you do not use a particular piece of gear that it simply has to go for the next best thing. You are never addressing the real issue this way. Only your psychologist/psychiatrist and you can know what those issues are.

GAS and Chicken Soup For The Soul. Now I am going flying.

5 Likes
#25

GAS is good for your ears :wink:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKsLvEkefTc

Other G.A.S. can be a distraction from doing - I always find shots of Brian Eno’s studio sobering - there’s someone who sticks things out long enough to master them - small focussed setups make the most sense - rarely been happier than when all I had was a guitar and a couple of basic pedals, less options equals more creative action needed and more time to learn the kit’s guts rather than scratch the surface

#26

Its the legacy of consumerism. Society trains people to think this way - buy this! buy that! You NEED this new toy! Look how fun!! Look how shiny! Yes! You yourself can acquire this treasure!

It keeps the machine running. Its how the most successful economies are built - not on necessity, but want… desire… lust… and eventually greed. The most successful economies leverage the most powerful and dominant aspects of the human mind. Its very primal. Ultimately people are just monkeys that have (somewhat) sophisticated communication skills and a (somewhat) well developed capacity for symbolic thought. But at the end of the day its all about who has the most bananas, who can climb the tallest tree, who has reproduced the most, who can kill the most other monkeys, etc.

At a more specific level in regards to GAS when it comes to musicians - its best to realize electronic musicians are at even more of a potential disadvantage. Thats because a guitar is a guitar is a guitar - no matter the funky design or branding, and so on. Same holds true for most traditional instruments. When it comes to electronic devices, there is very little standardization. I love x0x designs because by now Im very familiar with them, very fast - but even amongst such devices there is so much variation and so forth - its basically like learning how to play a whole new instrument any time you get a new piece of gear. It may not be a problem for you now, but it certainly will be at some point. Eventually you have to buckle down and “get married” to some kind of setup in order to really gain skills and move beyond the most superficial kind of ability with it. That takes time, effort, mistakes - potentially a bit of pain and suffering to some degree. But hey? Why deal with that shit when you can GET A SHINY NEW TOY AND JUST HAVE FUN!!

Thats a bit of it. Theres plenty more “reasons” and so forth but nobody cares anyway. Carry on.

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Tales of Upgrades & Gear Lust
#27

The nice thing about Kickstarter is that I see something like this, see the price, get all excited, are totally ready to order, check the expected shipping date, and then lose all interest immediately. :wink:

3 Likes
#28

I think I went through a GAS phase working towards a solution.
I went through a transient phase too, swapping out lots of things while scaling down.
I’ve done my best to scale back and commit to a rig for a while, make music with it.
I’m always resisting gearlust, but having more gear never made me more productive.

One thing I never like about computers and controllers, were the endless options and configurations.
Mass amounts of gear can feel like that too.

The BopPad looks fantastic.
I could see myself using that heavily to craft stuff on the RYTM and A4.

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#29

For me GAS is typically a thing I can feel when I’m frustrated. I mean when I’m not in measure to play my gear. When working, when bored (and far from my instrument), when I have to do things that are not pleasant, on a long period that not permit me to play. During these moments as soon as I can, I frenetically surf with my phone on forums or music site and feel the gas corrupting my mind.
Sometimes I feel this for gear I already have. That’s what permit me to think that it’s only the frustration that push me to wanted new gear.
I have more gear than I need to produce really good sounds, but just lack of time.

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#30

From my point of view, I started GAS phase when I started earning my money. Before, it was simple : no money, computer and cracked soft. I was very productive on creativity / news ideas but very poor at mixing / arrangement … When I started to earn my money I had this feeling that if I buy machines or hardware stuff , I will have a great sound (classic shit). But I didnt make better music in terms of sound mixing, arrangement . In fact, it was even worse cause I had a sort of pressure on myself : I HAD TO USE THIS EXPENSIVE GEAR !!!

After music break of two year (work was an other reason for the break), I realise that it just a question of competence if I didnt sounded as expected. Also I decided to let aside the production part of the music and keep the fun part : have fun with sound , make jam with machines, retart playing the guitar … Starting from this point my GAS phase was very different, it’s not done, but I focus more on fun than spec, and what creative possibility the gear could bring me.

To top it all, I fixed a budget/year for music stuff, this work for me. I can increase this budget only if I save from an other “fun” budget.

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#31

100% the same, this is quite exactly what I was trying to express :slight_smile:

#32

When I was broke GAS really got to me and I bought a bunch of stuff on the cheap, as well as some expensive stuff from saving or “other” means…but really, that was about a certain belief in workflow. I kind of realized that I was a lot more productive when I had nothing but minimal gear and cracked software, and pared back to essentials. I still spend too much on gear, but I don’t feel driven so much by impulse any longer. I look to existing options in what I have in software and hardware first, because I know the appeal of new doesn’t make up for talent. I even jumped into modular a few months ago, but after building 3U pretty quick and impulse buying a Mother 32 recently, I’m good for a minute, despite having another 24U plotted out on Modular Grid, because I want to really understand the crazy setup I’ve built before putting another dime in. And I’m honestly feeling a little guilty about buying the stupidly cool and way underpriced rare synth I grabbed yesterday, because I could probably be just as happy with software.

But this shit kind of keeps me alive, and despite being very anti-consumer in every other element of my life I will live on Ramen to build my ideal setup. So these days I don’t get excited for much, but I will not even question sacrificing to meet my goals.

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#33

Like LyingDalai describes it, I notice GAS the most on slow days at work. A couple of minutes for my source code to compile, and suddenly I’m watching some youtube video of some music thingamabob that all of a sudden got upgraded to a “must-own”.

I think replacing some gear with something new or adding something fresh to the setup once in a while can be good for creativity. New stuff probably means new possibilities and ideas. Also, playing with new toys is fun. Having fun is why I’m into this in the first place. But mostly I find GAS to be annoying “noise” in my head that I try to silence as best I can.

I have limited space, which helps. It means something have to go if I’m getting something new. Also, my wife and I work fast when we create music together. I can’t spend time noodling away on lots of gear, or she will become impatient with me. Lastly, in the spirit of not choking on too much stuff in general, I try to buy less, but when I do, I aim for what I believe to be quality products that I will want to own for a long time. That means less impulse buying and more having to save up for expensive stuff I might end up deciding isn’t worth getting after all.

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#34

There is also the view that when you buy something there is an opportunity cost. I got a sub 37 so I know people in the usa at the factory have gainful employment. I see it now as a time when technology is so powerful that for relatively little money I can have a synth that would have cost many many thousands 30 years ago or the real secondhand model is 10000. That piece of physical hardware is yours to keep and you can pass it down to your kids. I can enjoy the moments that Jean michelle jarre could only dream about in his day. I spend but try to spend wisely. I wont buy komplete every year or upgrade my arturia software i wont keep buying maschine packs as I have enough sounds in it for a lifetime. I dont feel the need to have every hardware synth either and my compromise is that I dont drink i dont smoke or take drugs and I dont have a need for a new car every year. if you enjoy the equipment then do it but do it within your means.

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#35

Exactly. I have lived pragmatically and conservative in areas of my life so I can easily afford my hobby that always takes me to my happy mental place. My car is a great car but also happens to be a 2003 and I keep in great shape and low mileage/upkeep and no interest in a newer one as long as it remains dependable and above all safe. I too, do not drink nor smoke, and cook at home. The area I spend a bit above my usual comfort zone on is the price of the safety in living in my small village in a very good, quiet, educated and again, safe (little to no crime) rent of my apartment.

Comes down to safety for me, which may be one of the lower-tiered basic needs on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, but that very safety leads and allows my process to achieve the very top level of those needs which is Self Actualization, which making music, art and writing is for me. Music also happens to satisfy and heal that other Basic Need of Physiological Health, as I live with Military PTSD and other chronic health issues and music definitely heals, and allows the upper echelon of needs, including self-esteem to be worked on. That’s just me.

I have way more gear than I really should and most was purchased when new from 1998-20010 aside from the Analog Keys and Sub 37. GAS served me well through experience with various hardware synthesis methods and interfaces but it must be something in the air because I know am not alone in this new shift in life to minimalism with “stuff”. I also am planning on moving across several States and doing a major relocation in 2 years, so have only been utilizing gear that I would take with said move…and even if this move never actualizes, the weeding-out will have served as positive change.

So, GAS can be ‘good’ when not fed by some addiction (even shopping) or hoarding but always make sure you are fulfilling and feeding your Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

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#36

We have to be kind to ourselves as life is tough and what a wonderful hobby we share. We take different journeys and so yes sometimes we buy because we have a moment of weakness and get something maybe that didnt turn out to be the best thing since sliced bread but thats a better mistake to make than some peoples life choices. A lot of times when I learn something new with the OT or the TR8 and I just think wow what a superb instrument and in that moment I know it was well worth the investment and the saving. Sometimes I look and think well I havnt used that in a while lets fire it up and learn a new skill. So dont beat yourself up. Some will have a more OCD oriented purchase or be influenced by marketing hype but thats how we live and learn.

#37

Never really had a problem when I was young and broke.

Problem started when I got older, quit all my other expensive vices and started getting my finances in order - wasn’t used to having all that extra money and hadn’t had any practice in saying no.

It’s not that I feel like I need to own all the things, rather I just see something that looks interesting or fun and want to have a turn. Which usually means purchasing it and then selling it again when I’ve lost interest.

I suspect if there was somewhere like this local to me, there’d be far fewer problems.

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#38

Ultimately I think its a phase you go through. I doubt many people have the same intensity of GAS after dealing with it for many years, for example. At least thats how it worked for me, its not like I suddenly had a revelation and dropped all interest. It was a slow process of inquiry and realizations, setbacks and progressions, etc.

The other thing that I noticed is that certain pieces of gear seem to be so “perfect” that they kill off a portion of your inclination for GAS somehow. Maybe thats just me, but sometimes you get into something and its like “oh yeh, this is forever”. That has an effect I think.

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#39

Yes indeed. That’s what I understand reading your post.
We have the same problem …
We must find a cure or more money, cause we don’t have time :laughing:

#40

I just got into this music making game, and I got GAS hard. I started with a Volca and ended up with a Monomachine. Plus a couple other items. Part of the excitement is the chase, especially with the Monomachine.