fraserhutch
Flypaper for freaks
Is that cause your gear sucks?legionserial said:
TragikRemix
I am NOT a Gear Whore. ;)
i think of this often, i have good gear but absolutley no skill with it... i can even play the instruments rather well, but unless you know what you're doing (unlike me) then everything sounds like sh*t. i get kinda emotional at times and i have almost thrown my laptop and kicked my rack but then i decided to go on this website 
M
mustang
New member
NEVER ever do this. I've done this twice both times for girls. First time, was first serious romance I had. Took me years to replace all the goodies I had. I sold off several vintage amps, basses, guitars, echoplex, multitrack.
Second time, I was engaged. I had the four tube echoplex (3 were mint) rebuilt by the guy who invented them, altec tube compressor, 66' ric 12 string, all sorts of goodies. Gone. All of it. By the time financially I was ready to buy stuff back the vintage market had gone up so high-also could never find as good examples it was plain impossible.
Neither girl worked out-for the better. As bad as it was losing my equipment it was better than if I had continued to stay with either girl
Fortunately, after about a year and a half of great expense-and a lot of equipment shopping/replacement I have my third equipment rig. No matter what-girl, financial hardship-doesn't matter. I will never sell off my equipment ever again.
My advice to anyone who ever considers doing this is don't
Second time, I was engaged. I had the four tube echoplex (3 were mint) rebuilt by the guy who invented them, altec tube compressor, 66' ric 12 string, all sorts of goodies. Gone. All of it. By the time financially I was ready to buy stuff back the vintage market had gone up so high-also could never find as good examples it was plain impossible.
Neither girl worked out-for the better. As bad as it was losing my equipment it was better than if I had continued to stay with either girl
Fortunately, after about a year and a half of great expense-and a lot of equipment shopping/replacement I have my third equipment rig. No matter what-girl, financial hardship-doesn't matter. I will never sell off my equipment ever again.
My advice to anyone who ever considers doing this is don't
E
episg
New member
Sell gear? SELL GEAR? Bloody hell. its made to be bought not sold! the more the merrier!!
CoolCat
Well-known member
yeah, i've sold the lot a few times. its always worked out ok as technology is often better. Take DAW/standalones for example.
thankfully, I never had much vintage stuff to regret getting rid of.
But I can relate too, raising a family, I've "QUIT" a couple times in hard times. Cash flow. The equipment money didn't do shit in hindsight.
So it was kind of a temporary "quitting".
thankfully, I never had much vintage stuff to regret getting rid of.
But I can relate too, raising a family, I've "QUIT" a couple times in hard times. Cash flow. The equipment money didn't do shit in hindsight.
So it was kind of a temporary "quitting".
S
scorpio01169
New member
i think alot of us who are artist/engineers have tried to separate the two and i find myself at time saying from an engineer poit of view that i dont wanna do this anymore because you can almost not make a living doing this because of home studio all over the place but then the artist part of you kicks in and says well thats ok because when i want to record my band i have all this great gear to do so. yes i have wanted to sell my stuff because i get frustrated over not enough business not because of my skills, but having all this stuff keeps me sane knowing that if i have a lick or two that i need to lay down i can just go into my studio and do it and not have to pay anyone.
pouxhawk
Member
It never occurred to me to remove music from my life. Just the unrealistic expectations.
Dean
Dean
T
tripleplexus
New member
Sold my guitar..have never fogot it
Once I sold my black Les Paul - have never found a guitar that played or sounded like it. I think about it every once in a while. Had to sell it because the rent was due and no money for food. Now I wish I had done what the other dude who posted did ... ate rice for a week or two.
As far as recording goes, I can't stand to hear myself anymore and wonder whether anyone else even cares. And why do I still want to write music?
Concerning the sound engineers... no, they do not have the musician mindset. They do not know what it feels like. They see music as a technical set up, an algorithm to be solved and connected right. Yes they are driven to perfection like the musician, but they eventually get it - the musician, especially if troubled with perfectionism, continues to struggle wondering if he ever got it.
Once I sold my black Les Paul - have never found a guitar that played or sounded like it. I think about it every once in a while. Had to sell it because the rent was due and no money for food. Now I wish I had done what the other dude who posted did ... ate rice for a week or two.
As far as recording goes, I can't stand to hear myself anymore and wonder whether anyone else even cares. And why do I still want to write music?
Concerning the sound engineers... no, they do not have the musician mindset. They do not know what it feels like. They see music as a technical set up, an algorithm to be solved and connected right. Yes they are driven to perfection like the musician, but they eventually get it - the musician, especially if troubled with perfectionism, continues to struggle wondering if he ever got it.
M
Mindset
Well-known member
Myself, I'll never quit. My goal maybe is kind of disoriented & I don't know where I want to head with music, but quitting will never be there. I have some of my friends/artists that feel like quitting sometimes when they have to keep doing takes & feel like their sometimes not good enough. I'll just sit and have a chat with em about it.
D
Dot
New member
Interesting discussion.
Been playing music all my life. I've been recording and working in studios since 1977. Had my own project studios since 1996. I've certainly gotten burned out at times. Have sold off almost everything on more than a few occasions - and never regretted it. I've always had – and had access to – nice gear. I seem to always keep getting called back to music and recording.
Sometimes I quit music, but music never quites me. So, in hindsight, I don't know that I've ever really had a choice in the matter.
Been playing music all my life. I've been recording and working in studios since 1977. Had my own project studios since 1996. I've certainly gotten burned out at times. Have sold off almost everything on more than a few occasions - and never regretted it. I've always had – and had access to – nice gear. I seem to always keep getting called back to music and recording.
Sometimes I quit music, but music never quites me. So, in hindsight, I don't know that I've ever really had a choice in the matter.
B
bilco
New member
I have and regret the stuff I let go.
Stuff I've bought and sold:
Dokorder 4-Track reel to reel (anyone remember THAT short lived company?)
Fostex 4 Track
JBL 4301 monitors bought in '79 with a BMI advance for a song that never got released. I sure wish I had those back again.
I don't feel like quitting so much now; I'm just coming to a frustrating realization. I like the freedom to record when I want to without the pressure of "the clock" and paying $$/hr. at a real studio. But no matter how much money I throw at preamps, mics, whatever, I still have a very limited amount of skill and not that much time to devote to developing it. Someone who dabbles at Excel is going to take longer to develop than someone like me who does it 40+ hours/week. That's just the reality of it. I can't afford to go into a real studio to do it right when there are kids in school, car repairs, mortgages, etc. but my home recordings still sound like home recordings, even with an RNP, NT1a, SM57, SM81, PTLE, Sansamp, etc. I haven't even BEGUN to work seriously with EQ, reverbs, compression and especially mixing. The room needs treatment and that still won't soundproof it from yapping Corgis and an LDC that picks up absolutely everything in the world.
I used it yesterday to write a new song that I am pretty happy with and it works great for that, like a sketchpad. But so did my Fostex 4-Track cassette and it cost a LOT less than all of this stuff.
Dot wrote somewhere that if we are a "hobbyist" we would do fine with a DMP3 and a few mics. I should take that advice. Once we start down the road of "it sounds pretty good, but it would sound SO much better if I only had a ____________...........," it is a never ending ride down the trail of gear obsession.
No, I am not selling my RNP, so don't get your hopes up, but I think I have to cool it on the gear acquisition and just concentrate on songwriting, which IS my real passion, the one thing I think I do really well.
It felt really good to write at least the first draft of that song. It's a shame that it is the first one I have written in 2006. I used to write all the time and give very little thought to recording. Now I ignore the notebook and the acoustic and spend hours scouring these forums for I am not sure what anymore.......
I think I'll go see what the muse is doing.....
I'm still not selling my gear though......
bilco
Stuff I've bought and sold:
Dokorder 4-Track reel to reel (anyone remember THAT short lived company?)
Fostex 4 Track
JBL 4301 monitors bought in '79 with a BMI advance for a song that never got released. I sure wish I had those back again.
I don't feel like quitting so much now; I'm just coming to a frustrating realization. I like the freedom to record when I want to without the pressure of "the clock" and paying $$/hr. at a real studio. But no matter how much money I throw at preamps, mics, whatever, I still have a very limited amount of skill and not that much time to devote to developing it. Someone who dabbles at Excel is going to take longer to develop than someone like me who does it 40+ hours/week. That's just the reality of it. I can't afford to go into a real studio to do it right when there are kids in school, car repairs, mortgages, etc. but my home recordings still sound like home recordings, even with an RNP, NT1a, SM57, SM81, PTLE, Sansamp, etc. I haven't even BEGUN to work seriously with EQ, reverbs, compression and especially mixing. The room needs treatment and that still won't soundproof it from yapping Corgis and an LDC that picks up absolutely everything in the world.
I used it yesterday to write a new song that I am pretty happy with and it works great for that, like a sketchpad. But so did my Fostex 4-Track cassette and it cost a LOT less than all of this stuff.
Dot wrote somewhere that if we are a "hobbyist" we would do fine with a DMP3 and a few mics. I should take that advice. Once we start down the road of "it sounds pretty good, but it would sound SO much better if I only had a ____________...........," it is a never ending ride down the trail of gear obsession.
No, I am not selling my RNP, so don't get your hopes up, but I think I have to cool it on the gear acquisition and just concentrate on songwriting, which IS my real passion, the one thing I think I do really well.
It felt really good to write at least the first draft of that song. It's a shame that it is the first one I have written in 2006. I used to write all the time and give very little thought to recording. Now I ignore the notebook and the acoustic and spend hours scouring these forums for I am not sure what anymore.......
I think I'll go see what the muse is doing.....
I'm still not selling my gear though......
bilco
J
jndietz
The Way It Moves
It hit me yesterday that I own a lot of gear--guitars, a bass, a guitar amp, a bass rig, microphones, a mixer, and my audio interface, and most recently a PA system. I have spent a ton of money on this and I sometimes wonder "why".
I have good days, I have bad days. But in the end, I'm just trying to learn some recording techniques and play and enjoy music.
I have good days, I have bad days. But in the end, I'm just trying to learn some recording techniques and play and enjoy music.
amra
Well-known member
All of you guys that keep getting frustrated because you aren't getting to where you are wanting to be: don't get SO caught up in acheiving that "holy grail" that you can't enjoy the fun you are having getting there.
It's that whole " It's not the destination, It's the journey" thing.......
Enjoy the little things, like:
- learning something new and exciting that makes a part of your mix sound better, even if it is just one part...
- The joy of recording a really talented singer or instrumentalist.
- recording bands or musicians that you really like or believe in every once in a while, even if you have to get paid next to nothing to do it
Personally, I am having a great time on this journey, learning the techniques and the ins and outs of recording. My mixes have improved a ton over the past year, and although they are not up to big studio standards, I am ok with that. I am realistic, and I am not going to try to compare myself with guys that have 100K or more in gear and that do this for a living. I bet they couldn't hang with me, doing what I do for a living and rightly so.
But on the other hand, the lack of all that overhead let's me be free to record what I want to record, WHEN I want to record, and that keeps it fun for me. Which is the whole point of this Home Recording thing. Otherwise, it becomes too much like work. And then what would I do for fun???
Peace
Amra
It's that whole " It's not the destination, It's the journey" thing.......
Enjoy the little things, like:
- learning something new and exciting that makes a part of your mix sound better, even if it is just one part...
- The joy of recording a really talented singer or instrumentalist.
- recording bands or musicians that you really like or believe in every once in a while, even if you have to get paid next to nothing to do it
Personally, I am having a great time on this journey, learning the techniques and the ins and outs of recording. My mixes have improved a ton over the past year, and although they are not up to big studio standards, I am ok with that. I am realistic, and I am not going to try to compare myself with guys that have 100K or more in gear and that do this for a living. I bet they couldn't hang with me, doing what I do for a living and rightly so.
But on the other hand, the lack of all that overhead let's me be free to record what I want to record, WHEN I want to record, and that keeps it fun for me. Which is the whole point of this Home Recording thing. Otherwise, it becomes too much like work. And then what would I do for fun???
Peace
Amra
B
bilco
New member
amra said:
You are right! I did write something new the other day and threw down a basic 2 guitar, drums, bass and vocal demo in less than an hour. I didn't torque out about getting "the sound" on the acoustic or anything, I just did it. It turned out fine and I LOVE that I finally wrote something again! I am rewriting the lyrics and just having fun playing with it. I need to do way more of that.
Thanks,
bilco
G
Greg_L
Banned
quit? no way. im just getting started.
bileshake
Member
Quite often, my expectations are so high and soo much work goes into producing something that will at best be deemed as sounding "standard". Then on a very very rare occasion someone "with ears" will hear something I did that I'm not too proud of and totally love it.
This is what I do, this is what I love, if frustration makes you stronger I'm almost made of steel.
This is what I do, this is what I love, if frustration makes you stronger I'm almost made of steel.
jmxdrummer
New member
I came close to shutting my studio to the public, but I still continue. I had a few shitty moments but I love recording. Even If i close If will continue recording my own material
S
Shambler
New member
Hell no!
Like someone else mentioned, music is therapy to me too.
It's possibly the best way I have of expressing myself, of conveying emotion.
Getting disheartened by a lack of inspiration?...leave things for a while and go and listen to music you haven't heard before...go outside, go to places that might inspire you to create.
And remember that music is an art and as artists we are never happy with our work...my girlfriend keeps telling me to make a CD but of course I am never happy with what I have composed...always needs just a little more work!
Like someone else mentioned, music is therapy to me too.
It's possibly the best way I have of expressing myself, of conveying emotion.
Getting disheartened by a lack of inspiration?...leave things for a while and go and listen to music you haven't heard before...go outside, go to places that might inspire you to create.
And remember that music is an art and as artists we are never happy with our work...my girlfriend keeps telling me to make a CD but of course I am never happy with what I have composed...always needs just a little more work!
dnkygirl
M42 Entertainment
Recovering quitter
I did give up for 7 years. I sold all my gear and had made a new life of doing other things. I was so... through with the music business.... I truely believe i was doing it for the wrong reasons. I wanted the money and fame then... which as well all know is few and far in between.
I recently started back up again... this time it's different. I just want to play... nothing else. I missed the creativity of it and longed for new knowledge. I'm currently taking piano classes... something i never did before. I'm learning so much more and I have a totally different perspective on the music business. Funny thing is now all the gear that i always wished for i'm able to get at decent prices... go figure... I have my idea of a dream digital setup and am loving the freedom of being able to record and do all the things that use to back in the day require trips to the local studio to do.
I don't know about anyone else, but for me quitting was a good thing. I feel far more focused now then i have ever about music.
I did give up for 7 years. I sold all my gear and had made a new life of doing other things. I was so... through with the music business.... I truely believe i was doing it for the wrong reasons. I wanted the money and fame then... which as well all know is few and far in between.
I recently started back up again... this time it's different. I just want to play... nothing else. I missed the creativity of it and longed for new knowledge. I'm currently taking piano classes... something i never did before. I'm learning so much more and I have a totally different perspective on the music business. Funny thing is now all the gear that i always wished for i'm able to get at decent prices... go figure... I have my idea of a dream digital setup and am loving the freedom of being able to record and do all the things that use to back in the day require trips to the local studio to do.
I don't know about anyone else, but for me quitting was a good thing. I feel far more focused now then i have ever about music.
brendandwyer
New member
dnkygirl said:
nice! I quit every four years or so. I don't call it quitting though, i call it reinventing. You can get so wrapped up in your "sound" that you lose your grasp on the huge expanse of music out there.
I need that ininvention. In fact, i suspect i'm coming up on another period of no-music, in the next year or so. It'll be awhile, but i'll be back in again, with fresh ideas, not stale expectations.