When you have GAS but nothing seems worth it

The Lounge General Discussion
#22

It’s funny, I saw this thread in somewhat of a similar boat. I visited my brother and we talked about avoiding GAS and minimizing to only what’s really important in life (not just gear-related, mind you). When I got back from my trip, I decided to sell some fx pedals that weren’t seeing much use. Of course, I sold 3 in the span of an hour on Reverb, and now I’m over here thinking “gee, what can I do with this ~$600??” However, like you, there isn’t really anything out there that would fit in my setup or add to it significantly. I haven’t fully made my mind up yet, but I’m leaning toward banking the dough and saving toward something bigger that would really bring something. That is, shoot for the moon a bit, if nothing seems worthy. For example, the new Kijimi from Black Corporation. I would only really be able to justify building it from kit form, at which point the bigger concern is finding the time work on it. However, the more I think about it, the more that seems like a better route, vs. filling the hole with something readily available that I may end up selling before too long.

Anyway, I don’t know if that helped you, but maybe it helped me, haha. Food for thought, if nothing else.

#23

impossible.
i have gear to buy list, about 10 positions.
and even if i had not, more Blofelds is always a good idea.

1 Like
#24

I gave my Nord Lead A1 away. Now he wants to sell it back to me.
Truly, WTF :expressionless:

5 Likes
#25

Unofficial official invisible GiveAwaySynths award #2! @JamesM!

You did good my friend, whatever your friend is doing does not detract from your exlemplory behavior… Pat yourself on the back, may the funk flow freely through all your future endeavors…
You earned 420 Good Synth Karma bonus points! :heart_eyes:

7 Likes
#26

I’ve a list of stuff I ‘want’ but I also realise what I ‘need’ is to learn deeper what I have and make more music because practice and creating is more important than finding new tools. The battle between that and gas though is often difficult lol

5 Likes
#27

GAS is when you have an uncontrollable desire for a certain piece of gear… i’ve never heard of GAS but not actually wanting anything!

2 Likes
#28

Compulsive buying disorder and retail therapy are genuine urges!

I’ve “suffered” it in the past. Especially when I got back into music a few years back. A desire just to spend money though I usually ended up procrastinating for so long I ended up pissed off and buying nothing.

#29

I went Bankrupt, owing over £50.000 i’d borrowed/spent on electronic music equipment.

That was over 10 years ago, but even now i’m still affected by strong urges to buy gear I don’t need. It is an addiction and i’ll always be an addict. I just find ways to subdue those desires.

10 Likes
#30

I think it might be a new more advanced level of GAS… You want the thing that’s so good it doesn’t even exist, and you must have it, you want it bad… It’s the only thing that will help, but where is it? :grin:

2 Likes
#31

funny how we, electronic musicians feel, that if we have more control over details that this will make our music somehow better. But music is the opposite, it is about letting go of a control. Being free for a moment, not being over obsessed with the “product”

But it is a process to get there, just letting go without training could also sound terrible :stuck_out_tongue:

1 Like
#32

it is like the last phase of any addiction, where no amount of abused drugs can help release the pressure any more :wink:

4 Likes
#33

You are right, maybe it is not just about control. When you start to master your device, you just stop thinking about controlling it - you get directly connected to it. But I think you need to invest time in learning & mastering a device…except you are a complete genius of course :smile:

For instance when playing guitar as a beginner you learn to control the device, fingers move in slow motion and it can be pretty frustrating. I guess many people stop already here and look for another instrument. Guitar lovers continue here. Then after you have your first small success stories, you go into the more detail more complex control. Mastering (or at least playing more freely) comes when you stop thinking about the technicality of the guitar/instrument and just play and express yourself.

I wish I would have this connection I have with the guitar to a synth already…but I guess it is more a matter of practice than hunting down the next synth with better UI/sound you like. But well what do I know…

4 Likes
#34

Yes, you are right, but i was talking more about the general principles in electronic music making, because of the metodes used ( midi - cv sequencing, programing events, wave editing etc. ) there is a danger to fall into a trap of thinking that music is about that, controlling this parameters in apsolut manner, always knowing what and why it is happening.

If you play the instrument with your body movement, there will be no control if you don’t invest a lot of time in how to control your motoric apparatus.

It is kind of the opposite to the making of electronic music :slight_smile:
you try to control your body and with electronic music you try to make the machines less perfect :slight_smile:

But we are getting off topic, although i think it is an interesting subject.

2 Likes
#35

It’s always about investing much time of physical practising to become a good musician and it pays back also on synthesizers. I would even say - particularly - on synthesizers.

Synths provide so many options to play a tune AND play expressive sounds.

Just an example:
It’s much fun to play the keys of my Voyager with one hand and simultaneously wipe with some fingers of the other hand on the Touch Surface, which can generate four different parameters in parallel. If we use MPE it’s even more to be practiced. Being a typical live-player I couldn’t even imagine, how to program such expressiveness as automation on the screen with a mouse :wink:

3 Likes
#36

This GAS for nothing in particular is the worst, especially when I have some cash burning a hole in my pocket. At the moment I cannot possibly think of anything that would add much value to my arsenal and even though I could easily afford Novation Peak, Strymon Volants, Eventide H9 or Minilogue XD, the things that get my juices flowing atm, I haven’t bothered so far.

3 Likes
#37

Throughout the years, I’ve tried to talk myself into getting a Prophet 12 Module. I’ve rationalised reasons to buy one and I’ve been pretty damn close a few times. But I always end up knowing I’d get one, just because it would look so awesome next to my Tempest. And that’d be about it.

So far, I’ve managed to resist, though.

3 Likes
#38

Here I go, googling the two together now, right after I posted my previous comment. I’m so weak.

4 Likes
#39

actually I was going to suggest something along these lines… or, specifically, that when I’ve had cash set aside for gear and nothing interesting to spend it on, I’ve found that that’s a great time to upgrade more boring things. like mixers, monitors, cables, audio interface, acoustic treatment, studio furniture, etc…

I never went API/Neve level though :rofl:

1 Like
#40

I feel physical gear is soo nice to look at.

Though I’ve been finding out that spending time on Ableton is just more rewarding. It feels a bit boring and overwhelming at first, but now I feel its such fun playground. I do enjoy looking at my minilogue, but serum just sounds much better. My pedals are nice, but I’ve also got Valhalla shimmer.

That’s one thing I’m liking about Overbridge. It made me want to use the DT again…

I only wish there were more interesting VSTs like there are pedals or hardware synths. But for now, they fit what I’m doing (Ambient loops).

1 Like
#41

Of course I was kidding!

But personally, I have very little GAS for synths, drum machines, samplers and the like these days… My next “synth” will probably be the new SSL SiX. Ever since I got a neve 1073 preamp clone, I’ve been obsessed with the sound of quality outboard… makes just about anything sound sweeter :loopy:

2 Likes