Wife threatened me with divorce if I ever buy....

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anppilot

anppilot

Never Act Like U Know All
...another synth again if I am only replicating something I already have. She doesnt mind purchasing audio stuff (mics, pres, etc) but synths is a who other story.

YES YES, I'll admit it. I AM a gear slut. I admit, it's like drinking with me. I just cant stop buying synths. But I realize what the underlying problem is. I'm 32 y/o and I've been into keys/synths since I was 7. This organist in our church did me in. He had his normal church organ, plus he brought a host of goodies with him every Sunday to add to his "Church mix". Gordan Guntzleman was his name. I looked up to this guy like a God. I remember him having like Casio's, jupiters, korgs, yamahas, sequencers.

He was cool. He would do his sequences during the week, being his stuff in, and play the big church organ along with the sequences. It was tight. I'd watch him setup in the morning, and help him break down stuff after church. He had some old casio portable synth that ran off batteries that he let me borrow one time for a week. I thought he was so cool for doing that. He knew I was responsible and god good grades.

OK, I was a bit of a nerd I suppose back then (glasses, kind of chubby, bad haircut - wow - amazing what a good haircut, being thin and working can do for the old self esteem!)

But Gordan was the problem. I realize what I'm doing now. I think I'm trying to make up for it these days by buying all the stuff that I wanted when I was a kid. Which I know there isn't anything wrong with that, but why am I buying stuff that is thin, cheesy, and not suitable for a mix these days? Grant I want to buy stuff that I will use and make money from, but darn, I think I'm just collecting it !

Have any of you guys experienced this problem, you know, trying to get now what you could never buy as a kid?

Sorry about rambling like I'm talking to a shrink or something, but I KNOW that there HAS to be others suffering from G.A.S. (Gear Aquisition Syndrom) like me.

I'm looking to add something with "different" sounds to my setup. I was thinking of a EMU Planet Phatt.

Would I be gaining anything different other than what I already have?

Roland: JW50, JV1080, XP30, JP8080, Fantom XR Rack, MC303,

Korg: Triton Rack, M1R Rack

Yamaha: Motif Rack ES, TX81Z, TG500, TG77, FB01

Akai: S3200XL

Tascam: Gigastudio32

Access Virus A,

Alesis: DMPRO, QSR

Ensoniq: MR-Rack

Let me know guys.

Thanks.

PS, If you have a Gear problem also, I'd like to hear about it. Maybe we should start a thread for us with this problem.
 
I'm sure there's a 12-step program for you out there, somewhere.

Quick, before you sink your marriage! :eek: :D
 
Are you guys going hungry because of the synths? Are bills going unpaid, children being neglected, are you wearing tattered clothes?

If the answer to any of those is "yes", then you should immediately stop buying synths and put the money into fixing those problems.

But if the answer to those question is "no", then I think you've been a little brainwashed at this point about how evil it is to buy that gear. You may need to carve out a little "personal space" for yourself regarding what you do with your hobby. It sounds like a wife-like control issue more than anything else.

The Emu is not like anything you already have, although I think the sounds in it are probably a bit dated by now. If you want the street beats kind of thing, then you might be better off buying a more current sample lib for your Giga setup. I personally am a fan of Native Instruments Kontakt 2, which will import many different formats.
 
SonicAlbert said:
Are you guys going hungry because of the synths? Are bills going unpaid, children being neglected, are you wearing tattered clothes?

If the answer to any of those is "yes", then you should immediately stop buying synths and put the money into fixing those problems.

But if the answer to those question is "no", then I think you've been a little brainwashed at this point about how evil it is to buy that gear. You may need to carve out a little "personal space" for yourself regarding what you do with your hobby. It sounds like a wife-like control issue more than anything else.

The Emu is not like anything you already have, although I think the sounds in it are probably a bit dated by now. If you want the street beats kind of thing, then you might be better off buying a more current sample lib for your Giga setup. I personally am a fan of Native Instruments Kontakt 2, which will import many different formats.
Click to expand...

Awsome... :D
 
Beautiful Albert. Couldnt agree more :D

Shes not so controlling, but shes the kind of person that believes in "if your gonna buy it, USE IT - dont just collect it"

No bills go unpaid, no kids thank God, clothes- decent

What do you recomend for my Giga setup? What company/Library?
 
I agree a Planet Phatt would be dated - but if you really want those types sounds - there are soooo many software/sample options.

I too am a gear slut - but I try fairly hard to avoid too much redundancy. However, since I play drums, keys & guitar and have a small (well equipped) studio - there is plenty of room for GAS.

I own 3 acoustic drum kits, 1 electronic drum kit, 5 keyboards, 7 sound modules, 1 sampler, 1 acoustic piano, 8 electric guitars, 6 acoustic guitars, 3 electric basses, 6 guitar amps, about 30 mics, numerous rack effects/processing, numerous software effects/processing, etc. etc. etc. - OK now that I think of it, maybe there is some redundancy :eek:

Fortunately, I've earned enough over the years from gigs, sessions, etc. that most of the gear paid for itself and I worked in a music store for 4 years - so I bought a lot of it at cost - but that simply makes me a resourceful gear slut :D

We don't have kids to support and I have a decent paying day gig - so I haven't compromised our living standard......yet! My wife has never considered divorce (at least not out loud) but I have tested her resolve on more than one occasion.
 
I have 3 elec guitars, 5 basses, 1 acoustic bass, 1 acoustic guitar, 2 drum sets, more mics than I have places to plug them in, 3 bass amps, and 2 guitar amps.
I have 1 kid but the bills are paid.
Actually that kid is 17. He has 3 guitars, 1 bass, 2 amps and a bunch pedals. :D

It seems like no matter how much stuff you have, you always want another stuff that you don't have because you need(?) it because it isn't something you allready have and so you better get it. :confused:

My wife doesn't understand why I need so many mics. I'm not sure I understand either.
 
Do what men and women have been doing to get around this problem for thousands of years: Lie.
 
anppilot said:
Shes not so controlling, but shes the kind of person that believes in "if your gonna buy it, USE IT - dont just collect it"
Click to expand...

I agree with her 100% on that, actually.

A nice little trick you might try is that when you aren't using a particular piece of gear anymore, sell it on eBay and apply the money toward some new gear. The wife will like that.

Another approach is to notice when she comes home with a new pair of earrings, new shoes the same color as old ones, or whatever, and then turn the tables. "Do you really need another pair of brown shoes, weren't the old ones still working?". It will make a point and is good for a couple laughs (maybe) as long as you don't beat it into the ground.

I'm really not up on the whole beats thing, so I'm probably the worst person to ask about it. One place you might check is this:

http://www.soundsonline.com
 
SonicAlbert said:
I agree with her 100% on that, actually.

A nice little trick you might try is that when you aren't using a particular piece of gear anymore, sell it on eBay and apply the money toward some new gear. The wife will like that.

Another approach is to notice when she comes home with a new pair of earrings, new shoes the same color as old ones, or whatever, and then turn the tables. "Do you really need another pair of brown shoes, weren't the old ones still working?". It will make a point and is good for a couple laughs (maybe) as long as you don't beat it into the ground.

I'm really not up on the whole beats thing, so I'm probably the worst person to ask about it. One place you might check is this:

http://www.soundsonline.com
Click to expand...

I have been doing this lately. I sold off a bunch of old gear on craigslist and converted into gear I am now using. I still have an old bass amp to sell. I think that will become another mic.
 
Tell your wife that if not for your keyboard addiction you would be nothing more than a drunken strip club patron at this point in life and need a new one every now and again just to stay out of trouble.

Seriously though, cant you emulate just about any keyboard sound or function these days via software? If so, it seems you could forever hide an unlimited number of new virtual synths that she'd never discover.
 
anppilot said:
...another synth again if I am only replicating something I already have. She doesnt mind purchasing audio stuff (mics, pres, etc) but synths is a who other story.

YES YES, I'll admit it. I AM a gear slut. I admit, it's like drinking with me. I just cant stop buying synths. But I realize what the underlying problem is. I'm 32 y/o and I've been into keys/synths since I was 7. This organist in our church did me in. He had his normal church organ, plus he brought a host of goodies with him every Sunday to add to his "Church mix". Gordan Guntzleman was his name. I looked up to this guy like a God. I remember him having like Casio's, jupiters, korgs, yamahas, sequencers.

He was cool. He would do his sequences during the week, being his stuff in, and play the big church organ along with the sequences. It was tight. I'd watch him setup in the morning, and help him break down stuff after church. He had some old casio portable synth that ran off batteries that he let me borrow one time for a week. I thought he was so cool for doing that. He knew I was responsible and god good grades.

OK, I was a bit of a nerd I suppose back then (glasses, kind of chubby, bad haircut - wow - amazing what a good haircut, being thin and working can do for the old self esteem!)

But Gordan was the problem. I realize what I'm doing now. I think I'm trying to make up for it these days by buying all the stuff that I wanted when I was a kid. Which I know there isn't anything wrong with that, but why am I buying stuff that is thin, cheesy, and not suitable for a mix these days? Grant I want to buy stuff that I will use and make money from, but darn, I think I'm just collecting it !

Have any of you guys experienced this problem, you know, trying to get now what you could never buy as a kid?

Sorry about rambling like I'm talking to a shrink or something, but I KNOW that there HAS to be others suffering from G.A.S. (Gear Aquisition Syndrom) like me.

I'm looking to add something with "different" sounds to my setup. I was thinking of a EMU Planet Phatt.

Would I be gaining anything different other than what I already have?

Roland: JW50, JV1080, XP30, JP8080, Fantom XR Rack, MC303,

Korg: Triton Rack, M1R Rack

Yamaha: Motif Rack ES, TX81Z, TG500, TG77, FB01

Akai: S3200XL

Tascam: Gigastudio32

Access Virus A,

Alesis: DMPRO, QSR

Ensoniq: MR-Rack

Let me know guys.

Thanks.

PS, If you have a Gear problem also, I'd like to hear about it. Maybe we should start a thread for us with this problem.
Click to expand...
Holy *&%!@%$#@. Your wife SHOULD divorce you. Why don't you send one of those my way? My seventeen year old daughter wants to learn keyboard and I can't afford squat!!
 
GUYS GUYS GUYS! Your so right. MANY MANY of you suffer from G.A.S.

to Whomever replied about wife buying multiple color shoes, Here is the answer for that.

My wife is hot, but cheap/frugal, call it what you want. If it was up to her, we would eat ramens and $.50 hotdogs just to save a buck. She could eat for probably $10.00 a week if she was single. She only uses about half the package of seasoning in a package of ramens, and saves the rest of it in a jar. She uses it for seasoning in other food !!! OMG :eek:

She breaks up a package of spaghetti and saves the other half for a later date.

She only wears lipgloss/lipstick. Grant, shes pretty and can get away from needing 5 pounds of makeup. So I dont bitch too much on makeup. Shoes? She only has a pair of heels in each color. So brown, black, white, blue, black, red. So I cant bitch about redundant shoes. Plus she wears them for a few years. :eek:

She will go to a place and say get a sandwich that you build yourself. She makes a sandwich, then gets a BUNCH of lettuce, pickles, tomato and onion and get this, SHE WILL MAKE A SALAD OUT OF IT !!!! OMG !!!

CHEAP I SAY, but she says shes frugal. Or get ketchup packets and refill our bottle at home.

Shes a Hottie so I dont bitch back too much.

http://myspace.com/aboutflyergirl

Yes, she has some hot friends that I'd like to..... LOL
 
You don't have:

Yamaha VL - even if you just get the monophonic 70m, these are awesome. Physical modeling.

Evolver (mono) - or PolyEvolver - killer fat analog sounds

Moog little phatty or voyager (or minimoog) - just get one.

Arp Odyssey - way underrated - these things sing like nothing else!

Korg Wavestation - cos wave sequencing is big fun.

Man, at least get some fake analog - your collection is way sample-heavy.

Daf (sluttier than thou)
 
I get the picture now.

To put it simply, she's probably *never* going to understand why you spend money on gear. You'll just have to make it your personal thing. Maybe set up a seperate account, or stash cash somewhere for a while until you've saved up enough to buy some another synth.

Being frugal is one thing, and I do think that living within one's means is very important. It's getting to the point where that is becoming the exception, if you look at all the people who are living off their credit cards and getting over their heads. So your wife's approach will certainly not lead to financial disaster later on.

That said, there is this thing called "enjoying life". So there's a balance to be found between saving every penny and having what you want in life too. After all, you only live once.

I'll bet your wife is a bad tipper too? Just a wild guess.
 
OMG Albert ! She tips 2.00 on a 25.00 dinner out, 2.00 on a set of nails when her friends tip 5.00, 10.00 on a 250.00 hair service.

I tell her she is the queen of cheap.

she waits til it rains to wash her car although i've proven you can wash your car at the self-car wash for a 1.00

steals matches although she dont smoke to light her candles so no need to buy a lighter.

dilutes a glass of sode coke 50%/water 50% to make it last longer ! Ok i do that too

will buy a pack of ramens for $.10 with a 50 can of spaghetti sauce for dinner !!! come home and doctor the sauce up so it tastes edible.

a bunch of white rice and soy sauce makes a cheap filling dinner !

I could go on.
 
A few thoughts:

I prefer working together as a team with my wife on all financial decisions. My wife and I make sure we're investing enough for retirement and have a reasonable (six months) emergency fund and then save for other things we want to do.

I give myself a very small monthly allowance for personal stuff, including music. Also, the proceeds of selling gear go back into other gear. I pretty much save up and do pay-as-I-go, no credit cards.

OTOH, I like old synths, too, though I don't have so many. I'll second the VL series PM synth, though I sold my VL1-m many years ago when I decided I could do what I wanted to with my violin, tenor sax and cornet. I also like the Waldorf wavetable and fake analog synths, though I mainly still use my old Roland analog synths and the TX802. Sample synths don't thrill me, I'd just as soon do that in the box with software, if at all. I also do a lot of the more sustained sounds on guitar with the Ebow.

By the way, do you have a DrumKAT, MalletKAT or similar drum or percussion trigger device? That is a very cool way to get more from your drum and percussion synths.

As it turns out, my wife and I just decided that we want to buy a nice grand piano, which will probably set us back about $10-$13K, so we're planning how to swing that this summer without having to incur debt and still do the other things we've planned for this year.

Cheers,

Otto
 
I can rationalize purachases with looking at the finances until I think of two things: College and Retirement....

and my wife was just gazing at baby number two and talking about wanting a third!!!!! :eek:

At least having baby number two got my wife 110% behind me converting the second floor of our barn/garage into a studio. (I think it's on page 59 of the "let me see your studio" thread) That was just awesome. I can't ever get annoyed at her putting the brakes on my GAS after that. :) OK, I probably will, but I shouldn't.

I agree with the idea about selling stuff off and keeping your gas satisfied through rotation. Drug addicts don't save their baggies and vials, why save your unused gear? It's the music inside the machine/ drugs in the baggie that should count to addicts like us.
 
anppilot said:
...another synth again if I am only replicating something I already have. She doesnt mind purchasing audio stuff (mics, pres, etc) but synths is a who other story.

YES YES, I'll admit it. I AM a gear slut. I admit, it's like drinking with me. I just cant stop buying synths. But I realize what the underlying problem is. I'm 32 y/o and I've been into keys/synths since I was 7. This organist in our church did me in. He had his normal church organ, plus he brought a host of goodies with him every Sunday to add to his "Church mix". Gordan Guntzleman was his name. I looked up to this guy like a God. I remember him having like Casio's, jupiters, korgs, yamahas, sequencers.

He was cool. He would do his sequences during the week, being his stuff in, and play the big church organ along with the sequences. It was tight. I'd watch him setup in the morning, and help him break down stuff after church. He had some old casio portable synth that ran off batteries that he let me borrow one time for a week. I thought he was so cool for doing that. He knew I was responsible and god good grades.

OK, I was a bit of a nerd I suppose back then (glasses, kind of chubby, bad haircut - wow - amazing what a good haircut, being thin and working can do for the old self esteem!)

But Gordan was the problem. I realize what I'm doing now. I think I'm trying to make up for it these days by buying all the stuff that I wanted when I was a kid. Which I know there isn't anything wrong with that, but why am I buying stuff that is thin, cheesy, and not suitable for a mix these days? Grant I want to buy stuff that I will use and make money from, but darn, I think I'm just collecting it !

Have any of you guys experienced this problem, you know, trying to get now what you could never buy as a kid?

Sorry about rambling like I'm talking to a shrink or something, but I KNOW that there HAS to be others suffering from G.A.S. (Gear Aquisition Syndrom) like me.

I'm looking to add something with "different" sounds to my setup. I was thinking of a EMU Planet Phatt.

Would I be gaining anything different other than what I already have?

Roland: JW50, JV1080, XP30, JP8080, Fantom XR Rack, MC303,

Korg: Triton Rack, M1R Rack

Yamaha: Motif Rack ES, TX81Z, TG500, TG77, FB01

Akai: S3200XL

Tascam: Gigastudio32

Access Virus A,

Alesis: DMPRO, QSR

Ensoniq: MR-Rack

Let me know guys.

Thanks.

PS, If you have a Gear problem also, I'd like to hear about it. Maybe we should start a thread for us with this problem.
Click to expand...

I find myself the same way... now that I'm using higher end equipment, I KNOW for SURE my problem is going to be increased 10 fold. I'm already saving up for that U-67 because I love the sound of it. Do you know anyone getting rid of it in the DFW area?
 
anppilot said:
...Have any of you guys experienced this problem, you know, trying to get now what you could never buy as a kid?
Click to expand...

anp, I never got that big wheel I always wanted ... :D I also always wanted a cool girlfriend, and my wife is like a permanent cool g/f that I never had as a nerdy kid. Think about the title of your thread... there is some seriousness in every joke.

Why not start writing songs for her, and when you come up with one that's not corny/cheesy, give it to her as a gift. ;)
 
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