Who else thinks constantly about downsizing but has a hard time to break up with beloved machines?

The Lounge General Discussion
#1

Title says it… Who else is constantly struggling with this. I guess there are many.
I have an OT, A4, Digitone, 0-coast and 84 hp of modular (and an erebus which I still have to solder :D).
To some this may sound not a lot, but even though I really like or even love each single piece in this setup it’s too much for me. I feel it distracts me from making tracks.
I know people often recommend making smaller setups or make even tracks with only one piece of gear and that’s a good thing. I do that often. I can’t handle 3 elektrons at once. And the modular feels like a separate world as well, where I work totally different.
That’s all fine, but then some stuff gets no attention for too long and I have problems justifying to keep it.
I sometimes miss the old days with only my laptop, guitar and a microkorg :smiley:
I have a hard time to choose, how to minimize. I will downsize my modular to only 60 hp + 0-coast, to keep it really focused. Maybe I should get rid of it completely. But it took a lot of planning and money to start this whole thing. The digitone is new and really cool, but I might give it away again. OT and A4 are pretty essential, since I use them live.
I think I need a simple keyboard synth again. Am looking at the Reface CS or minilogue. I know they are not nearly as powerful as my other stuff, but I miss something simple. Without deep sequencer and menus :slight_smile:
But of course, when I use these things again, I think, wow they are so cool, how can I think about selling them. And I learned a lot with these quite deep and complicated machines. But at the same time I know, I’d have finished more tracks in a similar quality (at least regarding sound) if I’d have concentrated on making tracks rather than learning machines or watching a hundred synth videos.

First world problems I know! I also know that this topic was probably discussed in a hundred ways before.
I guess I just need to write down my gear struggles in a forum with people being as nerdy about gear as I am. Anyway. Who has similar feelings? How do you handle them? What to do to not think about that stuff so much :grin: Why do I even tell you all this nullities :sweat_smile:? Cheers

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#2

I’ve been half-heartedly trying to sell some stuff on ebay for months, but as soon as I get an actual offer, I get cold feet, thinking “I may need this at some point!”

I blame this mental pattern on growing up in the 80s and 90s, playing adventure games such as Monkey Island etc lol…

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#3

If you downsize what’s the guarantee you will make more tracks? Just curious.

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#4

good question. No guarantee. Just experience. I still finish a lot of music. And that’s what it’s all about for me. Of course it’s about fun in the first place, but I have to see some output at the end. That’s how I am, I guess. So of course I don’t know if it might help, but I think I was more productive when I had less stuff. I often spend a lot of time, setting it up differently, have problems with audio or midi, think a lot about workflow and how to make it all work together. But I think I already found that there won’t be any major workflow with this setup, since every single piece does so much on it’s own. That’s why I bought them in the first place, I wanted the most possibilities per gear I could get. But that makes it more difficult to use them together. It’s easier e.g. with a computer as sequencer and a simpler keyboard synth or drum machine I guess. that’s how I started
But as I said. I love them all on their own. That makes the struggle

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#5

I used to have time, … when I was young(er) but I could not afford anything extra, let alone gear. Had fun though!

Now that I can afford to buy shiny gear, I am not going to sell it again… it’s fun to play with. But I don’t have time to make full tracks of course :smiley:

I am ok with this.

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#6

Also a good point. Yes it’s fun :slight_smile: Even the investigation about what to buy can be fun

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#7

I think this is the real mystery - find your own equilibrium.

I’ve bought and sold a ridiculous amount of gear over the past 6-7 years. Had a nearly full elektron set up at one point (just missed the MD). And for a period things worked out well but people change and life moves on. Happy enough with my laptop and OT.

I do think about adding something but I get get cold feet or the guilt when I make an offer! I don’t think there is truly a piece of hardware out there that really fits the bill though.

Anyway, downsizing did me the world of good. I don’t do any more music and I’m not more productive but I’m happier.

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#8

Interesting. I almost have a feel of guilt when I think about the money I invested. Don’t know where this comes from. I have nobody to feed…

#9

I ask the question as I have more gear than I have time to use but cannot part with anything as I bought each piece to fulfil a function. I can’t say if I would be more or less productive with less.

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#10

It is easier to sell gear you acquired second hand if you got it at a good price - second hand to third hand prices are pretty stable on good machines kept in good condition (and the chances of picking up a bargain is higher if you are patient and do your homework)

Another good reason why old gas is better than fresh gas! You can move it on to a 3rd owner with a lot less financial pain.

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#11

I’m not a big fan of selling equipment so I have acquired quite a bit of gear but I do prefer working with a small set up. For now my working setup currently is a dt, a mnm, and a reverb pedal. All of the other gear has been packed up and stored in the closet or loaned to trusted friends. Unless I desperately needed to pay rent I do not see a reason to permanently relieve myself of any gear. I will always be a sound sculptor, I will not always be able to reacquire a piece of gear I enjoy

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#12

me too. It was quite logically chosen. Everything fulfills a different function. I don’t have a bunch of monosynths (not to judge that) or several samplers… Hard to predict if I would be more productive… It’s just a feeling and what I experienced

#13

Interesting. Cool that you are ok with that. I’d have struggles having gear around without using it. Not to say it’s a bad thing.

#14

I know well the feeling of guilt. It’s horrible and just sits in the pit of your stomach. I have a family but I think that was only a small part of it. It’s almost like a thought of “Jesus Christ, I’ve spent £4k on stuff I use for about three hours a week”.

I once said long ago that is probably the closest I’ll ever get to a mental health issue. Genuinely thought about my boxes lying their gathering dust all the fricking time until I forced myself to say fuck it!

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#15

…start thinking in good teams…

a daw is a studio of it’s own to me…
and all my instruments team up to certain combinations…

so i have one rig, where an ot and an mpc 1000 work togehter…and become one instrument…
i got the both digis…they’re also handled as one instrument…

another mpc 2500 is teaming up with an nord lead 2, a lxr and a a nord drum module 1…

and hell no and yeah…i never use them all at once…
each intrument team, got it’s seasons, so to say…and i decide from production to production what’s next ONLY…

only the a4 is giving some sweet spot toppings always, end of the day…and it all ends up in the daw, where i do final arranging and mixing…

so, if u don’t have to sell anything, don’t…cut it down only cenceptually…to widen and sharpen ur focus…so u can take real real advantage out of all u got there…
and i agree…more than three elektron music machines in use at once overstrech me…

musical instruments make no good investment subjects aend of the dayl, anyway…

on stage, i keep it as nice and simple as possible…an ot and an analog heat and a mic…
gets me anywhere, anytime…sometime adding a little synth as an xtra…
but respect for everybody who’s into playing live with modular systems…gosh…i’d go mad…

forget about reproducing complex productiuons in live situations…always prepare ur trax in this case to xtra live versions…and focus on the essentials…good sound and good perfomance…and minimize the risk to loose the plot and flow…

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#16

It bothers me gear sits idle, more of a financial mental stress than anything else. But I bought what I did as a treat for years of hard work. I can understand why people would decide to offload. Offloading will have to happen one day as you can’t take it to the next ethereal plane… I don’t think I will sell anytime soon but the thought crosses my mind often. I just haven’t got everything I want out of the gear yet. I am determined to master them, one day.

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#17

I am constantly downsizing just to end up with more gear in the end. Damn circle this is.

As ypu say KB synth: my downsize in your situation would be OT, drop the A4 for an AK and get rid of everything else. Hard cut, good for playing live, more output.

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#18

I don’t work well in clutter and having a bunch of gear laying around also leaves me feeling overwhelmed or annoyed/low key guilty I’m not using it.

I packed some stuff up and now it’s in a cupboard. Out of sight out of mind. I still like and want it, I’m just not planning on using it right now.

Like if it’s summer I’ll pack away all my winter stuff, don’t need it laying out.

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#19

I feel I am still “choosing” and “trying” stuff out to see what I really want from this equiment and can take all the way on a path into master level, second nature mode. But I am not sure that is even an ambition I have, guess not at the moment.

Having just received my second semi-modular and finding myself already looking at ways to expand I might go into the eurorack direction in favor of getting more Elektron gear. I am keeping my OT for sure, boss stays boss :alien:

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#20

I copy that! 2-3 pieces + effects in a clean spot and I am ready to roll. Can’t wait to move when I think about the new possibilities that are coming my way…

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