Buying new equipment... Addiction???

[nine13]

What are your thoughts on this? Do you feel it's like an addiction to always get new equipment that you really don't even need? Or do you just go with the basics and only get what you REALLY need? Or do you feel the need to have the biggest studio with tons of equipment? Drop your thoughts...

[littledog]

More,..... must..........have.................more.................!!!!

[nine13]

haha yep i think thats the general thoughts of most people

[The Green Hornet]

Yo 9 of 13 and Startrek:

Not only MORE -- but, BIGGER headroom, more db+ & -, more faders, more fader slide room, more knobs, more dials, more programs, more effects, more dynamics and more of more.

What we really need is a unit that will hear your voice and when you say, record on tracks 2/4 and add whatever, and move this in the background -- Voila -- it will be done.

A lot better than when Bruce says, "Just push up the faders and record."

But, till then, "Just push up the faders and record."

Green Hornet

[Even]

Of course you have to get more. how do you know you don't need it til after you get it? Can any man have too many LED's or toggles?

[nine13]

true true... it definetely is an addiction

[Treeline]

Sure hope so...

[Meshuggah]

at the moment I'm pretty pleased with what I have... I don't think the limitations in my recordings lie in the equipment... yet...

[ecs113]

Originally posted by nine13
What are your thoughts on this? Do you feel it's like an addiction to always get new equipment that you really don't even need? Or do you just go with the basics and only get what you REALLY need? Or do you feel the need to have the biggest studio with tons of equipment? Drop your thoughts...

That depends on the individual and their motives. Do they serve music or do they serve Musician's Fiend? It also depends on how you define what is needed. Does one need an extra fader to capture, reproduce or create music? Does one need an extra fader to capture the magic of 4 guys realizing freedom through rock and roll? Maybe.

Does buying the gear with the extra fader put you beyond your means? Does playing with knobs distract you from the pain in your life? If one answers yes, then maybe they are addicted...

Maybe.

I think the important thing for us to remember is that all of this, is to make music, an art. Focus on the music and what you can do to promote creativity and the spread of true music, unless you're into the whole manufactured corporate music scene, then gear addiction is the least of your problems.

[Michael Jones]

I try to focus on quality over quantity.
It's tempting to run out and buy a pair of RNP's or VTB-1's and a pair of RNC's, but that puts you out what, about 750 clams? That's not to say that those aren't quality items, but I'd rather hold off, save my money and put it towards something like a racked pair of API 312's.
I don't have a lot of outboard gear, but what I do have is pretty nice.
If you buy a rack full of less expensive outboard gear, you'll probably be happy with it, and it will probably work well for you but to my way of thinking, you're going to be left wondering how your chain would sound if you had waited and bought that Great River or Avalon or classic Neve.

[nine13]

I didn't literally mean ADDICTION haha Just couldn't think of any other word

[ecs113]

Originally posted by Michael Jones
If you buy a rack full of less expensive outboard gear, you'll probably be happy with it, and it will probably work well for you but to my way of thinking, you're going to be left wondering how your chain would sound if you had waited and bought that Great River or Avalon or classic Neve.

Or not. It depends on the person. I have inexpensive cheap gear, minimal to do what I want (record 8 channels simultaneously). My wallet tells me that I'm not too curious about what 8 channels of Neve pres and 1176 sound like.

I guess I got a little too serious in my last reply, which was in response to people in general forgetting what this is all about - MUSIC, SONIC ART.

[subtractor]

Way addicted. Can't help it. Need more knobs!

[rushfan33]

You can never get enough of what you don't really want!

[ecs113]

Ok you guys got me. Gotta love the knobs... but only a minimal amount of very powerful, important knobs.... lol

[juststartingout]

Originally posted by ecs113
I guess I got a little too serious in my last reply, which was in response to people in general forgetting what this is all about - MUSIC, SONIC ART.

For me it is about the music, but also the fact that I am building something for my friends and associates to use. I think there is an artform in the way things are designed and put together in the studio. The fact that when someone steps into my studio, there are limitless possibilities to what they can do. That is very important to me.

More equipment.....Hell yes

Personnaly, I am addicted to vintage guitars and amps. I am just getting started on the studio.

[nine13]

you're all ADDICTS!!!

[Light]

G.A.S. - Gear Acquisition Syndrome. The reason equipment manufacturers stay in business.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[ecs113]

Originally posted by Light
G.A.S. - Gear Acquisition Syndrome. The reason equipment manufacturers stay in business.

Don't forget Musician's Fiend

[jake-owa]

I was like you guys, strung out on plastic and electronics. Then I had a child and pow, overnight my whole life changed.

Buy it, buy it all while you can. I had a habit now I have a responsibility. I used to sacrifice food for gear now I'm all about the fruit and diapers. Rent is way higher on the list than mics these days....sniff.

Don't get me wrong, I love my baby I just need to install some inputs and maybe rackmount her.

[nine13]

/\ haha

[nine13]

anyone else?

[PhilMckracken]

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. This means that I must accept that what I have will certainly be enough for me to realize my compositional dreams. I must also have the courage to delve into the equipment I have and learn how to use it better and better. This means facing the fact that it is not the quality of my equipment that makes the music by rather, the quality of my character, intelligence, humanity, and all fo those ever-so-human qualities that are the essence of making music and artistic expression. And the wisdom to accept the difference, well, this means that when the shortcoming is me, I should not attempt to blame it on the lack of any particular piece of gear. You know, gee, I didn't have an LA-2A and a Soundelux Elam 251 and that is why the publisher rejected my song. Come on, really. I accept that I do not even need an SSL mixing board to produce a hit song, just a good song and a good performance into my Mac G4 and Mackie 24/8 mixing console. Yeah, I know that I am supposed to have a Ghost mixing console to really be hip on this site and the addicted part of me says, yeah, go for it, you can get the money, dump that shitty Mackie, get you a Ghost, get bragging rights, be able to sound cool like some of the other guys here by bashing lesser equipment.

The mere fact that some guys here continually bash lesser equipment than they have rather than discuss the uses tells you alot about what is going on. This is an ego thing, like any addiction. Why spend so much time confirming to strangers that you know that a Soundcraft mixer is better than a Mackie. It is not for the edification of the readers, it is for the egot fulfillment of the writer. And thus we have a serious addiction on our hands. But, not to worry. Those that are overly addicted to gear will have little hope of creating great music since they will spend too much time oggling (sp?) new gear and pounding thier chests about the gear they have.

It takes much, much, much more effort, intelligence, personal sacrifice, hard work etc. to create great music than to own great gear. Anyone with money can own great gear. It is NOT a personal accomplishment of any merit or magnitude whereas writing a hit song is.

So, take it for what is, yeah, gear buying is an addiction for many but, all you need to do to get past that is to ask yourself if the gear you have suits your needs. If so, then forget all of this BS and get to work creating music, recordings, mixes etc. Join a twelve step group for shoppers like shoppers anonymous and pray to the god of great gear for forgiveness.

God, grant me the serenity, to create great music, the courage to be critical of my own work and, the wisdom to purchase gear only when and if I really need it to ACHEIVE A MUSICAL GOAL and not for bragging rights.

Thank you for allowing me the time to preach. Please put ten dollars in the collection plate so that I can get that new Soundcraft mixer I so desperately need. Without it I might die and certainly, will not be able to hold my head up around all the gear snobs that tend to surface on this site.

[subtractor]

Yeah. Coming from someone with alot of the coolest gear around...

[theletterq]

Originally posted by jake-owa
I was like you guys, strung out on plastic and electronics. Then I had a child and pow, overnight my whole life changed.

Buy it, buy it all while you can. I had a habit now I have a responsibility. I used to sacrifice food for gear now I'm all about the fruit and diapers. Rent is way higher on the list than mics these days....sniff.

Don't get me wrong, I love my baby I just need to install some inputs and maybe rackmount her.

Here, here. Although I must say that a 15 month old can come up with some pretty clever drum parts.