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How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 30 Apr 2022
by avasopht
There's lots of talk and caution against gear acquisition syndrome (GAS).
But how's a gear head to know how to evaluate when their motivations or interests are wise or GAS symptomatic?
Another question is how best to evaluate the gear one has to know how to complete their current setup?
Or is thinking there is such a thing as completion a seed to GAS?
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 30 Apr 2022
by MrFigg
There’s a difference between needing the gear, “needing” the gear and feeling the need to buy gear. The first is a fact, the second is an excuse and the latter, i would argue, is GAS.
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 30 Apr 2022
by guitfnky
when you’ve died. that’s how you’ll know.
in all seriousness though, even once you’re ready to move on from buying certain things, in my experience, there’s always something else to take its place. I used to love looking for new weird tools and effects that did all this crazy shit, and eventually realized I can do more interesting stuff just by combining the basics. so I lost interest in buying oddball stuff and that was replaced with wanting good classic gear plugins. I reached saturation with that too. so I bought R11 Suite, and now I’ve got all sorts of synths and players that were pretty cool for a handful of minutes, and now I’m on to collecting DAWs and guitars.
who knows what’s next, but there’s always going to be some kind of gear or software that gets my eyeballs drooling, I guess.
until I’ve died.
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 30 Apr 2022
by MrFigg
guitfnky wrote: ↑30 Apr 2022
when you’ve died. that’s how you’ll know.
in all seriousness though, even once you’re ready to move on from buying certain things, in my experience, there’s always something else to take its place. I used to love looking for new weird tools and effects that did all this crazy shit, and eventually realized I can do more interesting stuff just by combining the basics. so I lost interest in buying oddball stuff and that was replaced with wanting good classic gear plugins. I reached saturation with that too. so I bought R11 Suite, and now I’ve got all sorts of synths and players that were pretty cool for a handful of minutes, and now I’m on to collecting DAWs and guitars.
who knows what’s next, but there’s always going to be some kind of gear or software that gets my eyeballs drooling, I guess.
until I’ve died.
I just bought a Phase 95 fifteen minutes ago. Needed it
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 30 Apr 2022
by challism
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 30 Apr 2022
by guitfnky
MrFigg wrote: ↑30 Apr 2022
guitfnky wrote: ↑30 Apr 2022
when you’ve died. that’s how you’ll know.
in all seriousness though, even once you’re ready to move on from buying certain things, in my experience, there’s always something else to take its place. I used to love looking for new weird tools and effects that did all this crazy shit, and eventually realized I can do more interesting stuff just by combining the basics. so I lost interest in buying oddball stuff and that was replaced with wanting good classic gear plugins. I reached saturation with that too. so I bought R11 Suite, and now I’ve got all sorts of synths and players that were pretty cool for a handful of minutes, and now I’m on to collecting DAWs and guitars.
who knows what’s next, but there’s always going to be some kind of gear or software that gets my eyeballs drooling, I guess.
until I’ve died.
I just bought a Phase 95 fifteen minutes ago. Needed it
nice! I nearly got sucked back into a pedal buying frenzy, but solved that buy ordering a couple of new guitars instead.
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 30 Apr 2022
by avasopht
guitfnky wrote: ↑30 Apr 2022
I used to love looking for new weird tools and effects that did all this crazy shit, and eventually realized I can do more interesting stuff just by combining the basics. so I lost interest in buying oddball stuff and that was replaced with wanting good classic gear plugins. I reached saturation with that too. so I bought R11 Suite, and now I’ve got all sorts of synths and players that were pretty cool for a handful of minutes, and now I’m on to collecting DAWs and guitars.
who knows what’s next, but there’s always going to be some kind of gear or software that gets my eyeballs drooling, I guess.
And that's exactly why I asked this question.
Apart from very specific acoustic instrument sounds, it's hard to single out any particular sound I'm missing personally.
I struggle to imagine what could be next. We've had physical modelling available since the mid-90s with Roland ... ahem ... rolling out a pretty complete and modern physical modelling ensemble in 2011 with SuperNatural.
I tend to use a lot of plugins based on (or greatly inspired by) workstations from 15-20 years ago - even though I have the latest from NI.
It's why I didn't get R11 Suite or commit to R+.
I had a similar experience to what you describe with R11 Suite with NI's Komplete Ultimate bundle. Cool sounds. But I can get what I need from the Triton or Xpand!2 most of the time (though they do have some nice drum patches).
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 30 Apr 2022
by avasopht
MrFigg wrote: ↑30 Apr 2022
There’s a difference between needing the gear, “needing” the gear and feeling the need to buy gear. The first is a fact, the second is an excuse and the latter, i would argue, is GAS.
Sums it up pretty well.
Looking back, I can comfortably say that 2006 was when I had all the sounds I'd need for the next 20-30 years (maybe even forever). Anything else is just icing for me.
So I guess to answer my own question, I recognized GAS retrospectively when I realized I had everything I needed 15 years ago (and back then I believed in my trusty Sonic Reality Gold Bundle).
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 30 Apr 2022
by BRIGGS
challism wrote: ↑30 Apr 2022
All I need is this amp.
^^^this movie and 'dirty rotten scoundrels'......classic!!!
Ref:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095031/
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 01 May 2022
by TritoneAddiction
I don't have a problem with me buying new stuff, as long as I actually use it. That's the important part for me. It only becomes a GAS problem when I already have a bunch of stuff that I've bought that hasn't been used yet and I still look for new shiny toys. So as long as the stuff I buy gets used, I don't really have a problem with it. I've never had a collectors mentality when it comes to music gear. I'm buying things to inspire me, to help shape my music and creativity.
At this point I feel like I have A LOT. I'm pretty content with what I have. I could easily spend 5 years working with what I have without running into any creative limits.
Nowadays I don't buy nearly as much new stuff as I've done in the past. But I do buy some things here and there, if they inspire me. At the same time I've also gone back and "rediscovered" some older REs.
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 01 May 2022
by QVprod
I suppose when you no longer need anything. Understanding what you wants are vs needs as you’ll always want something.
Me for instance. I’m good on synths. Arturia V collection 7 Komplete, and Reason + RS and some third Party REs… I have way more than I’ll ever use lol.
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 01 May 2022
by Re8et
The day You realize it takes the same amount of time to setup your live then what it took you to make a banging track with just one piece os Hw- or Sf... Rebirth....
I felt like the JP-08 was my ultimate goal for a bass Synth, I wanted the real thing for a loong time. Now I have the Tiny boutique... and I feel the subtractor is still better, lol....
I feel lucky I do not work in a recording studio, the kind of GAS for professionals can go easy 100K for upgrades... but I kinda wish I had that kind of hobby....
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 08 May 2022
by mimidancer
avasopht wrote: ↑30 Apr 2022
There's lots of talk and caution against gear acquisition syndrome (GAS).
But how's a gear head to know how to evaluate when their motivations or interests are wise or GAS symptomatic?
Another question is how best to evaluate the gear one has to know how to complete their current setup?
Or is thinking there is such a thing as completion a seed to GAS?
In my opinion, different workflows bring new inspiration. So long as your acquisitions do not interfere with your personal life. Ie family, finance life then just get what you want. Trade what you don't like. But know If you have drums and synths sounds and a sampler. ie reason. you have everything you need to make good tracks. Just for the record, I am loving my new polybrute, that I did not need.
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 08 May 2022
by BRIGGS
"How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?"
When I can make all the sounds I need to make.
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 09 May 2022
by motuscott
The Easter Lizard rides up on a unicorn, shakes your hand, gives you some sort of all access pass, then disappears in a puff of smoke.
True story!
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 09 May 2022
by MrFigg
I think I just have.
Don't quote me.
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 22 May 2022
by deigm
MrFigg wrote: ↑09 May 2022
Don't quote me.
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 22 May 2022
by RandomNoise
I also struggle with GAS – vsts and racks are the worst, just because it so easy to get them and they are virtual so I don't have a space problem and my girlfriend can't blame me for buying more stuff cause she can't see that I get those lol
But you gotta reverse this question and instead of asking
what you need ask what else or more can I get out of what I already have? How do I truly master what I have? How do I find new and creative ways to use it?
I've recently started watching this guy btw and he reminds me exactly why I don't
need more stuff:
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 22 May 2022
by MrFigg
This may not be what GASsers want to hear but here it is…
The last 4 years I’ve had a lot of people die around me of all different reasons. Two best friends, one in Glasgow one in Sweden. Two band members. Numerous family members My mum and now my dad on Wednesday just there. Now, here’s the thing…my dad ended up in a care home which cost £1200 a week. A week!!!. The council go in and pay the care for people who don’t have any money but because my dad had worked and saved all his life and paid off his house he got classed as being self funding so basically got all his money taken back off him. So…I’ve always paid my own way, never taken credit, saved what I could and what I’ve taken away from all that’s happened recently is fuck it!!! If you can afford to pay the bills and feed yourself and have a little left over for emergencies then just buy the stuff that makes you happy. Get that synth and play the fuck out of it. Buy your records, books, CDs, stereos. Give your kids presents. Whatever you want. Do it while you can because you’re not taking it with you and you’re working your arse off just now saving. I’m not saying don’t save. I’m saying live now , spend your money and enjoy yourself. That’s what I’ve learned and I’m doing it.
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 22 May 2022
by bxbrkrz
The worship of materialism creates a void into infinite misery.
How will you know when you are trapped in the event horizon?
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 22 May 2022
by selig
I suffer more from W/FAS (Workflow/Feature Acquisition Symptom). I actually want new software features more than new instruments/FX these days (but could be a Reason issue!).
But for gear, I typically resist the urge 3-4 times before pulling the trigger on new gear. Took me almost 2 years of ‘drooling’ to commit to buying the HydraSynth! But in 40 years of buying gear I’ve not yet once purchased something I regretted!
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 22 May 2022
by crimsonwarlock
selig wrote: ↑22 May 2022
I suffer more from W/FAS (Workflow/Feature Acquisition Symptom).
I had the exact opposite, suffering from WFO, Workflow Feature Overload after a decade of tweaking, scripting and config-ing Reaper (believe me, it makes you do that). I started to long for the days when I had the first versions of Cubase running on an Atari for sequencing, and SMPTE-synced Tascam 488 which gave me 7 mono audio tracks. It was such a direct and instant workflow environment. That's when I switched to Reason, which gives me very close to that experience. And I have a better mixer in Reason than I had back then
selig wrote: ↑22 May 2022
Took me almost 2 years of ‘drooling’ to commit to buying the HydraSynth!
I basically only buy stuff that adds something that my current setup can't do. That Hydrasynth does some things that are hard to find in anything else. If I ever get to buy a hardware synth again, it will probably be a Hydrasynth... or a PolyBrute
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 22 May 2022
by DaveyG
MrFigg wrote: ↑22 May 2022
but because my dad had worked and saved all his life and paid off his house he got classed as being self funding so basically got all his money taken back off him.
Not my dad but exactly this is happening right now to a member of my extended family. If you read Science Fiction from a certain era you may be familiar with the slang "Tanj" - There Ain't No Justice. It feels more pertinent the older I get.
So, yeah, keep a bit back for a rainy day but spend yer money on stuff you want, even if you don't need it. You're a long time dead. I've always wanted something with a V12 engine in it...
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 23 May 2022
by demt
The list of gear to buy gets longer not shorter!
Re: How will you know when you've acquired all the gear you need?
Posted: 23 May 2022
by WOO
When I'm broke and homeless
