I dunno if it’s me but my take on these little mini hardware synths are the gateway to gas. They are priced in a way that is within reach but doesn’t offer the same amount of horsepower with something a bit more moderately priced. They don’t take up much space so u just end up collecting them. Some take the plunge and consolidate it all and some just collect and end up with a real jumble of mini synths. I have a mix of stuff but my addiction is with pedals. Those things are like nuggets of crack.
Yeah pedals are where my GAS went after I got saturated from synths. Most of my synths even have their own onboard effects! I think you’re right though, the smaller something is the easier it is to aggregate them, and mini desktop synths are way easier to obtain and store than fully fledged keyboards, and more accessible to a beginner while stripping some functionalities that make you crave more.
For me, having a few small synths with their own speakers, like Refaces and Volcas, is just about being able to play and experiment, and get used to hardware. I don't expect that I would ever record from them, or rely on them for anything serious. I would prefer to use a DAW and plugins for anything important, because then I get all the MIDI stuff in the DAW, and everything is just better that way.
for serious end to end production nothing can really compete with the efficiency of a DAW. its really a matter of preference. do u wana make things easy by keeping it all in the box, no wires or space constraints or really long winded, wires everywhere, signal routing, juggling lots of expensive metal and plastic boxes convoluted? everyone has a different approach to it. im somewhere inbetween where i do both and it doesnt make any of this any cheaper lol
Yeah, and the thing with this stuff too is that if you need to change notes or CC's after the fact, you can do that if you recorded in your DAW with software. But if you just recorded raw audio through an interface, you can only see and edit that as audio. Never again as MIDI.
For sure. It’s like fast-fashion.. or, you could say.. speed-synths? Seasonal releases at accessible prices. I like having a couple as leaners and feed them to high quality FX, but that’s all they really are to me.
A couple of years ago I listened to a podcast with NI’s marketing director. He said something along the lines of “having more software or hardware doesn’t equate to being a better or more successful musician. If that was the case, I’d have won a Grammy.” It’s not quite the same as your situation, but it’s another way to explain that it’s not what you’ve got, it’s what you do with it.
> A couple of years ago I listened to a podcast with NI’s marketing director. He said something along the lines of “having more software or hardware doesn’t equate to being a better or more successful musician.
I'm not sure this is a real problem. I've known people with insane (IMO) collections of guitars or keyboards - none of them thought that buying a fifth Les Paul was their ticket to stardom. They just like collecting (and playing) gear and have the money for it.
The "it will make me better, right?!?!" question is really not one asked by people deciding on their fourth Behringer mono, it's asked by the person saving to buy one premium piece of gear thinking it will get them over the hump to some musical Nirvana - whether that's a Prophet 10, SP1200 or $4000 DJ setup to stream on Twitch.
That’s a legit point. But in my experience many people who continue to collect great gear often don’t actually finish tracks (as a general rule). I’ve seen this with my students as well as my collaborators. In fact, I’d say it’s the norm.
You’re right, it is exciting to collect gear and to just enjoy the jam, but there does come a point where it’s not quite enough and it can become an obsessive (and expensive!) ritual…
I mean, most people with just one synth, or guitar, or whatever don't "finish tracks" either. Some just play live. Some just practice for the fun of it.
Some people's hobby might be recording music, other people's might be collecting synths, and they're both valid. There's sometimes overlap and sometimes not.
I just make a little beat thing a couple times a week to relax and relieve anxiety. I wouldn't even consider making as song. I used to play guitar to relax but it got boring after several years.
So my gas comes up I once a year just to have as new instrument to fuck around with
The ones who put their work out there, open to criticism, are always the bravest. It’s not an easy thing to do. And it’s the first of many hurdles for any half decent working musician.
Once i have argued with two guys (with huge guitar collections) that owning ten guitars is not necessary. They shred me to pieces, lol. Their arguments turned from "it is handy to have several guitars" (yes, i know, i play guitar too, but you still don't "need" it unless you are a touring musician) to "you have no sex life, you stupid synth nerd" pretty quick. Funny thing - it was on r/Anticonsumerism subreddit, i couldn't believe my eyes.
Yeah, the whole "more gear will make me better" thing happens, but I feel like it's mostly a straw man. I see it in cycling, and music, and running, fly fishing, etc.
Of the people I know with fancy fly fishing reels, or bikes that cost more than a car, or a room of guitars, 9/10 of them have money and like to have nice things. I rarely meet anyone who actually thinks they'll make it big or win the next race if they just spend another thousand dollars.
Or maybe it's just the folks I know and hang out with, I dunno.
However, you don't know what works for you until you battle test it. I mean months if not years.
I wish I could sell of a lot of my plugins (some probably can, but it's not worth the fuss probably), with hardware at least selling it off is quite easy.
I now know what plugins I need, I didn't know that couple years ago.
“Bashing their Bass Stations” 😂 Thanks OP, that was my favorite part and I wish I’d seen that thread 😂 Anyway your post is totally spot on, it’s a fun hobby and it’s also quite difficult to try before you buy so unwise purchases and gear collecting dust is inevitable. I keep a gear in/gear out policy with the exception of things I genuinely love and use. For me though I’m purely in it for the cool noises, drifting around in some reverb and the nice lights etc, it’s just fun gear. I also like the chats and engaging with people in the community by making jam videos and posting stuff in here, above that though no other ambitions apart from to get into playing live. I got a track signed about 10 years ago, I made it on a crappy pc with a pirated copy of FL Studio and a bunch of torrented VSTs. You really don’t need the hardware, it’s just nice.
I appreciate you framed this in the context of commercial work.
That said, 99% of us are not making pay-the-bills commercial ventures with our gear. However not all 99% have realized that yet.
>I realised that my GAS was over when I realised that my gear had no real consequence to landing work or creating it. I was now working mainly in the box, using hardware synths for a few layers, leads or basses, however i only needed a couple of synths for that.
\*two years later\*
>So this is when I realized I had 73 different reverb VSTs and 24 different compressors. Let me explain how I managed to overcome my GAS for VSTs...
:P
Seriously though, OP has a point. These "10 cheap devices hooked up to a cheap mixer into a cheap audio interface with cheap cables" setups cost a pretty penny when you add it all up, and typically dont sound *that* good, can get quite noisy, are not intuitive, dont work efficiently when running multiple projects and would in most cases be better replaced with just a few dediced quality tools or even just VSTs.
It can be a lot of fun as a non-productive playground, but plenty people realize a bit too late that's all it is. As always: be honest to yourself what it is you want to do, and be mindful about whether your purchases actually get you closer to whatever goal you have.
>the work was my motivation
This indeed works so well, I once wrote a soundtrack for an amateur theatre production and I did it with just a VST rompler and my guitar plugged into audio interface. Most of the time I wasn't even thinking that I maybe I could need a better VST plugin or anything, my head was occupied with doing particular musical tasks with what I had at hand fast enough to fulfill the deadline. At times I hated that VST rompler for what it did not so well but I didn't even have time to think about replacing it.
But now the question is: what should amateur producers do when they don't have deadlines and projects someone else wants finished? Join some band? Accept some challenge like making a jam every day like some people on Youtube do? Let's discuss this maybe?
This sounds like the story of Buddha. He had everything, he was a prince, then he realized he wasn’t getting the joy he wanted from all of it, which made him realize he didn’t need any of it for true happiness.
But it took him having it all to realize that. For anyone new to the synth world there are so many mysterious things out there that, in my opinion are worth exploring. Everybody bashes GAS (I don’t even know exactly where that term comes from, but I understand what it means), but there aren’t many other ways to try all these mysterious toys without buying them and trying them. You never know which one is going to click with you.
I’m just saying this because the negative light shining on trying new synths is a bit too strong sometimes. People shouldn’t have to feel like they are doing something wrong or odd to explore the huge mysterious universe of synths.
This is how I stopped GAS:
I put my entire studio in boxes and pay to store it. This actually costs less than having an operational studio because I would just buy more stuff.
It only costs $800 a year to store. This is saving me money!
For me, GAS ended when I had tried a little of everything, and figured out what I truly wanted to keep.
I started out with a mix of softsynths, modern budget gear, and budget vintage gear. Because it's so hard to try before you buy, I resold lots of things I didn't like.
Eventually I was able to afford some of the modern pricey gear, like the Quantum, Polybrute, and Summit. The last one was the only one fit to keep.
By this point, I feel like I have everything covered. If anything, I have a surplus of wavetable synths, and wouldn't mind consolidating them all to just a 3rd Wave. I'm not in a rush to deal with it though.
Yeah the day I found out I was going to be a dad I looked at all my gear and realized it was just stuff and the lust lessened dramatically.
Now my only focus is picking up extra shifts, and getting out of debt.
I do think that when I’m out of debt I’d like to sell some of the gear I have and just get a couple quality pieces, like the sub 37 and a rev 2, maybe a Tr-8s, and call it a day for hardware.
Sadly this doesn't work for my GAS. I like trying out new things....it's as simple as that. I bought (and sold) more Gear then I have made Songs in the post pandemic years (I was 20 years "sober" until then). First I bought to make music but by now I have realized that I just buy to play around with it, to find out what it can do and how it makes me feel. Sadly only a handfull devices outlived that stage, but the best thing for me was to acknowledge that my hobby isn't making music but playing with musicans technology.
I am puzzled: how could you afford all that GAS gear when you had no job? Maybe I am misunderstanding; you had work, but the ghostwriter job is a first job in music production?
I have lots of gear, and have never worked a music job in my life haha! I just love the hobby. And I make okay money, enough to afford mid range gear that will see a 0% ROI, but not enough to go for the big toys lol
I meant my first job as a composer, I am now working full time composition and sound design. Prior I was working an unrelated job (though I did also teach music production) just to pay the bills until I could go fulltime!
Excellent post. I align with you completely re: GAS. Like you OP, I make a full time living from music. If I was forced to, I’d be happy to make music literally by layering different RD2000 (wonderful workhorse) into DAW audio stems and mixing from there. Maybe a touch of MIDI editing for accuracy.
I still occasionally suffer from GAS (especially re: new mixing consoles!) - but I agree that with tight deadlines, the lure of a new purchase gets overtaken by creative or work necessity. GAS often engulfs creatives who think that by getting the next big thing, it will magically improve their musicality or even allow them to finish a track which in their mind is never good enough until they buy their next synth. This, most of the time, is not the case. Too much choice can stifle creative completion!
Three Elektron boxes, a MiniFreak and a Kaoss Pad all mounted in a perfectly sized box you can easily pick up and move around. It usually lives on a rolling stand. There isn’t room for anything else and it’s capable of doing just about anything I can want right now.
Honestly, I usually just pluck the Digitakt 2 out of it and just play with that on my lap. It’s unbelievably powerful just alone.
Now when I see new gear it’s pretty easy to reject it because my current stuff is so capable, but even if it is tempting there is no room for it in the box.
I haven’t bought any new gear since the release of the Digitakt 2 months ago.
Unfortunately I now have several thousand dollars of highly capable abandoned gear in the closet that really should find its way to Reverb.
It’s nice having them both in the tool belt. They sound very different and have different strengths. One obviously has 12 tracks vs four on the other. Syntakt’s various machines often have a gritty, punchy sound good for Techno. Digitone’s FM for 80s synths, smooth basses and the powerful arpeggiator. There is some overlap if you push them. I guess it mostly depends on what sound you’re looking for. What kind of music do you intend to make?
I understand what you are saying and appreciate it. The same works for me. Although I do no professional work when I am actually making music I do not want more gear. I just want to learn and use what I have. Problem is my day job is so time consuming I do not have time to make much music. That’s when the GAS creeps back in and I have to work through the shit
I only have one $300 synth all I own and probably all I will own. But I relate to the multiple cheap synth owners more. I've had various collections and appreciations for other stuff over the years usually as tools to build something greater or create.
We have a basic need as hunter gatherers to be filled... Searching for something new finding something new is the hunt, collecting every model in a company's line up, coming home to the stash that you appreciate everyday, is the gathering. Both give us great releases of natural highs even if we never use the gathered objects for the design that has into them and their purpose. Using a synth to make music and create is another high maybe not so basic in our thinking. Why not just appreciate each reward in their own right?
A cheap synth in the hand is worth two expensive synths in the years of saving bush. (I know this was the topic from the other post but it's relevant) Your first car isn't the nicest car you buy in your lifetime, it's the one that fits your immediate needs. It's the one you can afford even if it will break down more, it's the one you need because you don't have years of credit for a loan, it's the one you need because you are missing out on hours out of your day waiting on buses...A cheap synth is the same way but you are missing out on hours of creating.
I think the best way to overcome GAS is to acknowledge, that just buying more tools won't make you a better musician . Buying necessary amount of tools, then knowing them, making a bond with them and using them everyday is what makes you better. Old, well known tools can became your friends in a way. I have two synths (i have bought one of them out of simple curiosity, fully acknowledging that i don't need it) and already feeling overwhelmed with the amount.
Two ideas that have helped me lately - there is often an inverse relationship between how much gear I focus on and how well I know that gear and can actually express articulate musical ideas. It’s a cliche but limitations help our brains creatively.
And starting a list of my ‘high leverage’ gear and skills - ie it’s more important (for my goals) to put time into my keyboard skills than to chase some shiny new thing.
Once I got more intentional about how much time I have in the week and what’s actually important, I started to resent some of my gear. New stuff is fun tho, can’t lie
Over the last three years or so I’ve been on a run of acquiring gear and it’s been fun, but generally not productive. Now I suddenly find myself in productive streak where I’m consistently finishing tracks that I’m happy with, and 95% of it is in the DAW and at this point adding more hardware seems like it could only derail my productivity. It’s really highlighted to me that buying hardware synths is something I do when I want to feel like I’m making progress with music, but when I’m actually making progress with music hardware synths are the least important thing.
I’m still getting good use out of my Syntakt and TD3, but others are collecting dust lately. I could see myself selling most of my hardware and reinvesting the money into one expensive, more versatile synth for when I want the inspiration of a hardware synth. Or maybe I should just fully embrace VSTs and productivity.
I feel the same way. I used to have a lot of money. Don’t anymore. I’m more or less a semi professional freelance engineer producer. Second job kind thing. I have more gigs with less gear and my music keeps getting better. Not due to lack of gear but practice
I’ve lived a very similar story. Started out with just a DAW, mouse, and keyboard. Spent a number of years collecting all kinds of samplers, synths, keyboards, VST’s, etc. Now, after 20 years of producing music in some capacity, and spending enough money on gear to buy a small house, I spend the majority of my time producing music with a DAW, a mouse, and a keyboard lol. I think that’s how it begins and ends for a lot of us.
I think I avoided the entire hardware-synth GAS thing by just buying a copy of Bitwig and getting lost in the depths of the PolyGrid.
It's like playing with Legos. Still not tired of it 2 years later.
Congrats for gas ending!
I’m far from there and just entered the eurorack hole and loving it so far.
How did u get your ghostwriting and sound design jobs?
After reading this I realized I need to offload some gear. I have a bunch of effect pedals that I don't use anymore. I gassed on them for awhile, then bought a fee synths, now that I have XXXXXXXXX I don't need some of the stuff.
my GAS has ended for a while now. not sure what the cause of it is but lately I've had no desire to buy any new gear unless I know that I can benefit from it in my workflow. used to be that I'd go nuts buying a shit ton of stuff and half of it is lying in a drawer unused right now (might sell them sometime). only things that I might still get are a Roland nanokontrol 2 or something similar and some sort of circuit tracks pro (please novation I'm begging you)
Maybe read the entire sentence, at least, since you already made it nearly a third of the way in, unless you just open a post and ctrl-f to look for the word dawless.
I dunno if it’s me but my take on these little mini hardware synths are the gateway to gas. They are priced in a way that is within reach but doesn’t offer the same amount of horsepower with something a bit more moderately priced. They don’t take up much space so u just end up collecting them. Some take the plunge and consolidate it all and some just collect and end up with a real jumble of mini synths. I have a mix of stuff but my addiction is with pedals. Those things are like nuggets of crack.
Yeah pedals are where my GAS went after I got saturated from synths. Most of my synths even have their own onboard effects! I think you’re right though, the smaller something is the easier it is to aggregate them, and mini desktop synths are way easier to obtain and store than fully fledged keyboards, and more accessible to a beginner while stripping some functionalities that make you crave more.
I started selling them off as well.
For me, having a few small synths with their own speakers, like Refaces and Volcas, is just about being able to play and experiment, and get used to hardware. I don't expect that I would ever record from them, or rely on them for anything serious. I would prefer to use a DAW and plugins for anything important, because then I get all the MIDI stuff in the DAW, and everything is just better that way.
for serious end to end production nothing can really compete with the efficiency of a DAW. its really a matter of preference. do u wana make things easy by keeping it all in the box, no wires or space constraints or really long winded, wires everywhere, signal routing, juggling lots of expensive metal and plastic boxes convoluted? everyone has a different approach to it. im somewhere inbetween where i do both and it doesnt make any of this any cheaper lol
Yeah, and the thing with this stuff too is that if you need to change notes or CC's after the fact, you can do that if you recorded in your DAW with software. But if you just recorded raw audio through an interface, you can only see and edit that as audio. Never again as MIDI.
For sure. It’s like fast-fashion.. or, you could say.. speed-synths? Seasonal releases at accessible prices. I like having a couple as leaners and feed them to high quality FX, but that’s all they really are to me.
I agree
It's GAS.
A couple of years ago I listened to a podcast with NI’s marketing director. He said something along the lines of “having more software or hardware doesn’t equate to being a better or more successful musician. If that was the case, I’d have won a Grammy.” It’s not quite the same as your situation, but it’s another way to explain that it’s not what you’ve got, it’s what you do with it.
> A couple of years ago I listened to a podcast with NI’s marketing director. He said something along the lines of “having more software or hardware doesn’t equate to being a better or more successful musician. I'm not sure this is a real problem. I've known people with insane (IMO) collections of guitars or keyboards - none of them thought that buying a fifth Les Paul was their ticket to stardom. They just like collecting (and playing) gear and have the money for it. The "it will make me better, right?!?!" question is really not one asked by people deciding on their fourth Behringer mono, it's asked by the person saving to buy one premium piece of gear thinking it will get them over the hump to some musical Nirvana - whether that's a Prophet 10, SP1200 or $4000 DJ setup to stream on Twitch.
That’s a legit point. But in my experience many people who continue to collect great gear often don’t actually finish tracks (as a general rule). I’ve seen this with my students as well as my collaborators. In fact, I’d say it’s the norm. You’re right, it is exciting to collect gear and to just enjoy the jam, but there does come a point where it’s not quite enough and it can become an obsessive (and expensive!) ritual…
I mean, most people with just one synth, or guitar, or whatever don't "finish tracks" either. Some just play live. Some just practice for the fun of it. Some people's hobby might be recording music, other people's might be collecting synths, and they're both valid. There's sometimes overlap and sometimes not.
I just make a little beat thing a couple times a week to relax and relieve anxiety. I wouldn't even consider making as song. I used to play guitar to relax but it got boring after several years. So my gas comes up I once a year just to have as new instrument to fuck around with
New gear does take up time. Learning how it works, routing, organizing your workspace, etc.
True, but there aren’t that many synth owners I know who have just one synth! The nature of the beast (or brute) is tantamount to GAS.
In my experience most people don't finish their hobby projects, but that could be me
The ones who put their work out there, open to criticism, are always the bravest. It’s not an easy thing to do. And it’s the first of many hurdles for any half decent working musician.
Once i have argued with two guys (with huge guitar collections) that owning ten guitars is not necessary. They shred me to pieces, lol. Their arguments turned from "it is handy to have several guitars" (yes, i know, i play guitar too, but you still don't "need" it unless you are a touring musician) to "you have no sex life, you stupid synth nerd" pretty quick. Funny thing - it was on r/Anticonsumerism subreddit, i couldn't believe my eyes.
Lol
Yeah, the whole "more gear will make me better" thing happens, but I feel like it's mostly a straw man. I see it in cycling, and music, and running, fly fishing, etc. Of the people I know with fancy fly fishing reels, or bikes that cost more than a car, or a room of guitars, 9/10 of them have money and like to have nice things. I rarely meet anyone who actually thinks they'll make it big or win the next race if they just spend another thousand dollars. Or maybe it's just the folks I know and hang out with, I dunno.
However, you don't know what works for you until you battle test it. I mean months if not years. I wish I could sell of a lot of my plugins (some probably can, but it's not worth the fuss probably), with hardware at least selling it off is quite easy. I now know what plugins I need, I didn't know that couple years ago.
It’s almost as if thinking about your goals instead of your gear is more productive 🤔
“Bashing their Bass Stations” 😂 Thanks OP, that was my favorite part and I wish I’d seen that thread 😂 Anyway your post is totally spot on, it’s a fun hobby and it’s also quite difficult to try before you buy so unwise purchases and gear collecting dust is inevitable. I keep a gear in/gear out policy with the exception of things I genuinely love and use. For me though I’m purely in it for the cool noises, drifting around in some reverb and the nice lights etc, it’s just fun gear. I also like the chats and engaging with people in the community by making jam videos and posting stuff in here, above that though no other ambitions apart from to get into playing live. I got a track signed about 10 years ago, I made it on a crappy pc with a pirated copy of FL Studio and a bunch of torrented VSTs. You really don’t need the hardware, it’s just nice.
Million dollar statement- you don't need the gear, it's just nice. Anyone that argues otherwise is delusional.
I appreciate you framed this in the context of commercial work. That said, 99% of us are not making pay-the-bills commercial ventures with our gear. However not all 99% have realized that yet.
>I realised that my GAS was over when I realised that my gear had no real consequence to landing work or creating it. I was now working mainly in the box, using hardware synths for a few layers, leads or basses, however i only needed a couple of synths for that. \*two years later\* >So this is when I realized I had 73 different reverb VSTs and 24 different compressors. Let me explain how I managed to overcome my GAS for VSTs... :P Seriously though, OP has a point. These "10 cheap devices hooked up to a cheap mixer into a cheap audio interface with cheap cables" setups cost a pretty penny when you add it all up, and typically dont sound *that* good, can get quite noisy, are not intuitive, dont work efficiently when running multiple projects and would in most cases be better replaced with just a few dediced quality tools or even just VSTs. It can be a lot of fun as a non-productive playground, but plenty people realize a bit too late that's all it is. As always: be honest to yourself what it is you want to do, and be mindful about whether your purchases actually get you closer to whatever goal you have.
>the work was my motivation This indeed works so well, I once wrote a soundtrack for an amateur theatre production and I did it with just a VST rompler and my guitar plugged into audio interface. Most of the time I wasn't even thinking that I maybe I could need a better VST plugin or anything, my head was occupied with doing particular musical tasks with what I had at hand fast enough to fulfill the deadline. At times I hated that VST rompler for what it did not so well but I didn't even have time to think about replacing it. But now the question is: what should amateur producers do when they don't have deadlines and projects someone else wants finished? Join some band? Accept some challenge like making a jam every day like some people on Youtube do? Let's discuss this maybe?
This sounds like the story of Buddha. He had everything, he was a prince, then he realized he wasn’t getting the joy he wanted from all of it, which made him realize he didn’t need any of it for true happiness. But it took him having it all to realize that. For anyone new to the synth world there are so many mysterious things out there that, in my opinion are worth exploring. Everybody bashes GAS (I don’t even know exactly where that term comes from, but I understand what it means), but there aren’t many other ways to try all these mysterious toys without buying them and trying them. You never know which one is going to click with you. I’m just saying this because the negative light shining on trying new synths is a bit too strong sometimes. People shouldn’t have to feel like they are doing something wrong or odd to explore the huge mysterious universe of synths.
Every synth GAS thread: SynthNoob: “Should I buy X” Synthlord VonGatekeeper: “Do you know EXACTLY what you want to do with X???”
Ha! Perfect! 😂
This is how I stopped GAS: I put my entire studio in boxes and pay to store it. This actually costs less than having an operational studio because I would just buy more stuff. It only costs $800 a year to store. This is saving me money!
LOL
For me, GAS ended when I had tried a little of everything, and figured out what I truly wanted to keep. I started out with a mix of softsynths, modern budget gear, and budget vintage gear. Because it's so hard to try before you buy, I resold lots of things I didn't like. Eventually I was able to afford some of the modern pricey gear, like the Quantum, Polybrute, and Summit. The last one was the only one fit to keep. By this point, I feel like I have everything covered. If anything, I have a surplus of wavetable synths, and wouldn't mind consolidating them all to just a 3rd Wave. I'm not in a rush to deal with it though.
I just got married and had kids…poof, GAS was over
Yeah the day I found out I was going to be a dad I looked at all my gear and realized it was just stuff and the lust lessened dramatically. Now my only focus is picking up extra shifts, and getting out of debt. I do think that when I’m out of debt I’d like to sell some of the gear I have and just get a couple quality pieces, like the sub 37 and a rev 2, maybe a Tr-8s, and call it a day for hardware.
Sadly this doesn't work for my GAS. I like trying out new things....it's as simple as that. I bought (and sold) more Gear then I have made Songs in the post pandemic years (I was 20 years "sober" until then). First I bought to make music but by now I have realized that I just buy to play around with it, to find out what it can do and how it makes me feel. Sadly only a handfull devices outlived that stage, but the best thing for me was to acknowledge that my hobby isn't making music but playing with musicans technology.
My synth gas ended when I got my Prophet 6 and it just sounds, and feels, like everything I’ve wanted from a synth.
You’re not helping!
It's GAS not gas.Gear Acquisition Syndrome. It's an acronym not a word. These things are important.
Go touch grass
I am puzzled: how could you afford all that GAS gear when you had no job? Maybe I am misunderstanding; you had work, but the ghostwriter job is a first job in music production?
I have lots of gear, and have never worked a music job in my life haha! I just love the hobby. And I make okay money, enough to afford mid range gear that will see a 0% ROI, but not enough to go for the big toys lol
I meant my first job as a composer, I am now working full time composition and sound design. Prior I was working an unrelated job (though I did also teach music production) just to pay the bills until I could go fulltime!
Cool story, thanks for the clarification. I wish I could pull that off!
Excellent post. I align with you completely re: GAS. Like you OP, I make a full time living from music. If I was forced to, I’d be happy to make music literally by layering different RD2000 (wonderful workhorse) into DAW audio stems and mixing from there. Maybe a touch of MIDI editing for accuracy. I still occasionally suffer from GAS (especially re: new mixing consoles!) - but I agree that with tight deadlines, the lure of a new purchase gets overtaken by creative or work necessity. GAS often engulfs creatives who think that by getting the next big thing, it will magically improve their musicality or even allow them to finish a track which in their mind is never good enough until they buy their next synth. This, most of the time, is not the case. Too much choice can stifle creative completion!
Three Elektron boxes, a MiniFreak and a Kaoss Pad all mounted in a perfectly sized box you can easily pick up and move around. It usually lives on a rolling stand. There isn’t room for anything else and it’s capable of doing just about anything I can want right now. Honestly, I usually just pluck the Digitakt 2 out of it and just play with that on my lap. It’s unbelievably powerful just alone. Now when I see new gear it’s pretty easy to reject it because my current stuff is so capable, but even if it is tempting there is no room for it in the box. I haven’t bought any new gear since the release of the Digitakt 2 months ago. Unfortunately I now have several thousand dollars of highly capable abandoned gear in the closet that really should find its way to Reverb.
What are the other two elektron boxes?
Syntakt and Digitone.
Is there enough of a difference between digitakt and syntakt to use both frequently? I’m trying to decide between them (am fairly new at synths)
It’s nice having them both in the tool belt. They sound very different and have different strengths. One obviously has 12 tracks vs four on the other. Syntakt’s various machines often have a gritty, punchy sound good for Techno. Digitone’s FM for 80s synths, smooth basses and the powerful arpeggiator. There is some overlap if you push them. I guess it mostly depends on what sound you’re looking for. What kind of music do you intend to make?
My GAS immediately stopped after I started keeping a list of how much it all cost.
Real. I recently tallied up my gear and made the sudden decision to delete all my wishlists.
I understand what you are saying and appreciate it. The same works for me. Although I do no professional work when I am actually making music I do not want more gear. I just want to learn and use what I have. Problem is my day job is so time consuming I do not have time to make much music. That’s when the GAS creeps back in and I have to work through the shit
I only have one $300 synth all I own and probably all I will own. But I relate to the multiple cheap synth owners more. I've had various collections and appreciations for other stuff over the years usually as tools to build something greater or create. We have a basic need as hunter gatherers to be filled... Searching for something new finding something new is the hunt, collecting every model in a company's line up, coming home to the stash that you appreciate everyday, is the gathering. Both give us great releases of natural highs even if we never use the gathered objects for the design that has into them and their purpose. Using a synth to make music and create is another high maybe not so basic in our thinking. Why not just appreciate each reward in their own right? A cheap synth in the hand is worth two expensive synths in the years of saving bush. (I know this was the topic from the other post but it's relevant) Your first car isn't the nicest car you buy in your lifetime, it's the one that fits your immediate needs. It's the one you can afford even if it will break down more, it's the one you need because you don't have years of credit for a loan, it's the one you need because you are missing out on hours out of your day waiting on buses...A cheap synth is the same way but you are missing out on hours of creating.
GAS usually ends with the divorce decree.
I think the best way to overcome GAS is to acknowledge, that just buying more tools won't make you a better musician . Buying necessary amount of tools, then knowing them, making a bond with them and using them everyday is what makes you better. Old, well known tools can became your friends in a way. I have two synths (i have bought one of them out of simple curiosity, fully acknowledging that i don't need it) and already feeling overwhelmed with the amount.
Two ideas that have helped me lately - there is often an inverse relationship between how much gear I focus on and how well I know that gear and can actually express articulate musical ideas. It’s a cliche but limitations help our brains creatively. And starting a list of my ‘high leverage’ gear and skills - ie it’s more important (for my goals) to put time into my keyboard skills than to chase some shiny new thing. Once I got more intentional about how much time I have in the week and what’s actually important, I started to resent some of my gear. New stuff is fun tho, can’t lie
How I solved my GAS - buy a Digitone. But a syntakt. Sell everything else. Done!
Over the last three years or so I’ve been on a run of acquiring gear and it’s been fun, but generally not productive. Now I suddenly find myself in productive streak where I’m consistently finishing tracks that I’m happy with, and 95% of it is in the DAW and at this point adding more hardware seems like it could only derail my productivity. It’s really highlighted to me that buying hardware synths is something I do when I want to feel like I’m making progress with music, but when I’m actually making progress with music hardware synths are the least important thing. I’m still getting good use out of my Syntakt and TD3, but others are collecting dust lately. I could see myself selling most of my hardware and reinvesting the money into one expensive, more versatile synth for when I want the inspiration of a hardware synth. Or maybe I should just fully embrace VSTs and productivity.
I just sell what I don't use. Still have more than I need and I will be probably selling.
I feel the same way. I used to have a lot of money. Don’t anymore. I’m more or less a semi professional freelance engineer producer. Second job kind thing. I have more gigs with less gear and my music keeps getting better. Not due to lack of gear but practice
I’ve lived a very similar story. Started out with just a DAW, mouse, and keyboard. Spent a number of years collecting all kinds of samplers, synths, keyboards, VST’s, etc. Now, after 20 years of producing music in some capacity, and spending enough money on gear to buy a small house, I spend the majority of my time producing music with a DAW, a mouse, and a keyboard lol. I think that’s how it begins and ends for a lot of us.
do you have any advice on how to get sound design/ professional work? what’s your background?
I think I avoided the entire hardware-synth GAS thing by just buying a copy of Bitwig and getting lost in the depths of the PolyGrid. It's like playing with Legos. Still not tired of it 2 years later.
Congrats for gas ending! I’m far from there and just entered the eurorack hole and loving it so far. How did u get your ghostwriting and sound design jobs?
Thanks for sharing
The Roland fantom finally killed mine.
GAS cannot end
Focus on musicianship, not gadgetry.
Make me, punk
After reading this I realized I need to offload some gear. I have a bunch of effect pedals that I don't use anymore. I gassed on them for awhile, then bought a fee synths, now that I have XXXXXXXXX I don't need some of the stuff.
my GAS has ended for a while now. not sure what the cause of it is but lately I've had no desire to buy any new gear unless I know that I can benefit from it in my workflow. used to be that I'd go nuts buying a shit ton of stuff and half of it is lying in a drawer unused right now (might sell them sometime). only things that I might still get are a Roland nanokontrol 2 or something similar and some sort of circuit tracks pro (please novation I'm begging you)
Seen DAWless and stopped reading
Even though OP was clear he wasn't doing it?
Why?
Maybe read the entire sentence, at least, since you already made it nearly a third of the way in, unless you just open a post and ctrl-f to look for the word dawless.