Forget writing music. Get your favourite gear in the Studio and its irrelevant if your make music or not. Whats important is you have a Studio that is a pleasure to walk into every day. Selfish and stupid maybe. But it does serve a purpose that can last a long time. This creating Music thing just gets in the way. So No Music New Year. Just doodle away creating nothing but fun, enjoying the objects of your desire.
A sort of looking at things from the other end of the Spectrum. No need for justification or remorse. It just feels great.
Glad im not alone. I’ve been cutting myself up recently for having zero track output. But buying new gear ive always wanted. Reading Manuals. And noodling. And im actually enjoying it if i dont care about tracks. Its about the Fun and new gear. and its very selfish
It is about the release of dopamine, but there are some other psychological benefits.
“The smell of something new, the bright lights and colorful displays combine to create an imaginative, sensory experience that can remove us from our own reality, even for a little while……”
“Shopping and its sensory stimulation gets us to visualize positive outcomes,” Dr. Bea says. “Athletes, for example, have also found that this type of visualization can create positive anticipation and can reduce anxiety.”
So apparently, buying more stuff I don’t need is good for the brain, but not so much for the pocketbook.
Did it. Got myself a Push3.
Now I’m in learning mode. It’s a bit hard because I’m also in heavy learning mode at work, but holidays are approaching fortunately.
Beat to the punch twice over, but I’ll add to this that it’s easier to feel like a king with a crown upon your head and your butt perched upon the throne. My musical output has almost always and without fail been tied to delusions of grandeur. Similarly, the less grand I feel about the process, the less I produce.
Not necessarily implying that this is healthy, but this is how it’s been for me for a long time.
Lately I’ve realized that I don’t like buying new gear anymore. Researching is great, finding good deals is awesome, but one more piece of gear to setup and to learn is overwhelming.
Recently I had a chance to trade two POs for a 404 mk2, but I’m happy I didn’t, I’d rather sell them.
That said, there are a few pieces of gear that I’m going to trade for something next year, but that something has to be small and simple.
It kind of stresses me out because I have a workflow and I don’t want to change it for new gear. I looked around my studio and don’t have one piece of gear in there that I did not think about buying for at least 2 years before pulling the trigger. A lot of stuff I repurchased after selling because I finally figured out how to use it the way I need, plus some like digitakt got massive updates which made it much more viable.
That said, it is exciting when the gear shows up, of course. I channel that excitement into sitting down with the manual and learning the gear for a few days. Currently doing that with a T-1.
Crunched the numbers and this year I have sold a lot more gear than I have bought. The one thing I would personally suggest avoiding is being the “early adapter” on new gear that has not been field tested by others yet. If you find yourself impulse buying stuff all the time, this is a sign that you hooked on the dopamine rush and should address that. Because if you are focused on making records, then new untested gear with buggy firmware is the worst thing ever to rely on in the studio. This applies to things like DAW updates as well, even OS updates.
I love TE, but when the new KOII came out, I had zero desire for it because I could not see a real use case for it that I can’t already do with what I have. The other warning sign is if you buy stuff to “use it on the couch” or take it on a hike or travel…etc. There ARE people who legit use their gear a lot outside and travel a lot. But you have to ask yourself you are truly that person or are just buying into what some YT videos are pushing. Are you truly going to go out in the field on a weekly basis and record sounds or does it just seem like a cool idea?
I am already seeing people who bought the TE saying that they want to sell it and get the money back to put it into the next shiny thing, which appears to be the Torso sampler. The impulse purchasing of the KOII followed by a lot of frustration due to hardware issues and people now realizing that it doesn’t do a specific function that they need should be a clear warning to anyone who is trying to control their purchasing.
Not bashing TE, the KOII or anyone who has and loves theirs, but its just a good example buying a new piece of gear and then having those dopamines wear with the realization that it doesn’t do what you need is a crappy feeling. The justification for many was “it’s only 299” but 299 is a lot still, and could to something more expensive down the road that you really need (this could simply be a short vacation).
Anyway this post was not meant to offend anyone who buys gear, we are all here because we do that. Its more to give you things to consider that may hopefully keep GAS in check.
well, I’ve decided to sell only gear I have. NI M32.
haven’t bought any “serious” gear yet, so I have no clue how does it feel lol
kidding. but also trying to save up for a Digitakt or a small synth/ gear combo to move me away from the crappy laptop. and screen.
to move the convo in another direction perhaps, internet and youtube is filked with: you don’t need so and so, work with less, work with his".
well, some people just like experimenting with gear and sounds. if you can have gear that you dont’use but CAN AFFORD, well who knows, maybe it will inspire you in a different moment. if you can’t and don’t have the space, then it may be a problem.
It’d be nice if the FOMO of buying gear was replaced by the FOMO of making music. Knowledge of gear seems a lot less impressive if there’s no music to put that knowledge into context, imho.
