How do you keep up with all these music software/hardware purchases?

[LoveEnigma18]

The title says it all. With endless and more affordable music software and hardware available like never before, and with second hand bargains on KVR Sell & Buy forums, how do you keep up with all the things you purchase? Do you really learn or try to learn them all?

The thing is we all have only so much time, and more so for those who are not doing music full-time/professionally. It is always so exciting to buy new gear, but the happiness is usually only until you buy it. Once you own it, it is not the same excitement. It maybe a part of what GAS means. Why does this happen? How to counter it?

[thecontrolcentre]

Buy what you need ... not everything you fancy.

[vurt]

i tap in to the spirit world and let them guide me.

[Michael L]

Advertising promotes the consumer mentality that you are always inadequate.
The creative mindset is the opposite: you have all the talent you need right now, with whatever tool you have.
Like vurt sez.

[Bombadil]

It is somwhat of a trap for those who would like to get something serious done, and then just end up messing around. Sometimes inspiration can be found in a new instrument, but more often than not, at this stage, it's an excuse not to learn what I already have.

[whyterabbyt]

I really dont know how people cope with the complexity of a new delay or substractive synth (etc) if they already own a different delay or subtractive synth (etc). Must be really hard to adapt to the utterly baffling architectural differences there would be beteween such things. And no doubt, it'll get harder to cope the more delays or subtractive synths (etc) one owns, all those really big differences add up y'know..
And its not as if any sonic differences between them would be manifested in some sort of signal you could immediately detect in some way.

[Deep Purple]

If you’re buying more than you have time to keep up with, maybe your time would be better spent making music rather than looking at ads?

[KBSoundSmith]

The title says it all. With endless and more affordable music software and hardware available like never before, and with second hand bargains on KVR Sell & Buy forums, how do you keep up with all the things you purchase? Do you really learn or try to learn them all?

The thing is we all have only so much time, and more so for those who are not doing music full-time/professionally. It is always so exciting to buy new gear, but the happiness is usually only until you buy it. Once you own it, it is not the same excitement. It maybe a part of what GAS means. Why does this happen? How to counter it?

It's a matter of discipline. You simply have to cut yourself off from time wasting by planning meaningful activity for the day and doing it (composing, for example). Gazing at the latest-and-greatest is a waste of time.

If you have all the tools you need, then you have no excuse not to be working. Having a hammer with a pink handle rather than a blue one is irrelevant -- if you never learn to swing the stupid thing, it's useless one way or the other. The nail and the wood don't care if the hammer has a pink handle.

The reality is, musical tools today are pretty mature and sophisticated. Once you have a tool category filled, you really are set to go.

EQ is a perfect example. Assuming they are produced by knowledgeable companies, all such EQs are great and perfectly usable -- if you have some, you don't need more. There's mathematically a limited number of ways to compute an EQ. An EQ is an EQ -- really the only difference is the damn GUI and how the GUI workflow clicks with you. And once you have one you like (or are quick at using from familiarity), there is no reason on earth why you ever need to look at purchasing another freaking EQ. Stop wasting time and use the one you already have.

Same thing with synths. There are a limited number of different synthesis methods, and certain "special" synths are just hybrids of more fundamental methods. Once you have them covered, you don't need the newest instrument. Have 3 or 4 good synths covering different methods, make sure one of them has a lot of modulation options, and you're good to go, never need to demo another synth ever again. For me, Zebra does damn near everything, then I have FM8, Diva, and Serum to round out capabilities or provide the occasional need for variety.

But push comes to shove, it's about your priorities. If you actually value writing music, then you dedicate the time to *writing* and not looking into software/hardware purchases. Pretty much everything is good at this point, the benefits of one piece of kit over another are minimal. It's all about the writing, don't lose focus.

[Apratim]

I wait for 6 month after a purchase during this time i take the synth i bought and do all sorta shit with it with a particular music genre in mind.
After 6 month ......
Back to forum asking the members about recommended synth by them.
Wait for the sales on that so that can be either 2 months to 4 months more.purchase.play and use it for 6 month again.in short its nearly 1 new synth per year

[chk071]

Buy what you need ... not everything you fancy.

Yep. I rarely buy something. And when i do, i usually find that i really needed it, and not as the 10th replacement for the same purpose.

[vurt]

Advertising promotes the consumer mentality that you are always inadequate.
The creative mindset is the opposite: you have all the talent you need right now, with whatever tool you have.
Like vurt sez.

see! somebody does understand me!!!

[LoveEnigma18]

Thank you so much guys. I really appreciate your time and advice. I wish KVR had an acknowledge button, so that I could do that for each of the above post. No surprise, all the suggestions have come from seasoned users who know how to avoid getting in the trap. It's really an eye-opener, even when I know I am falling into a trap and somehow I am not able to avoid it.

Basically, I am distracted like anything and don't know what I really want to do. There are just so many things in my mind right now, but I am not being able to get anything done to my liking.

Some real hard hitting facts that I want to highlight for myself. It covers everything you all have said.

Buy what you need ... not everything you fancy.

Advertising promotes the consumer mentality that you are always inadequate.

It is somwhat of a trap for those who would like to get something serious done

And its not as if any sonic differences between them would be manifested in some sort of signal you could immediately detect in some way.

If you’re buying more than you have time to keep up with, maybe your time would be better spent making music rather than looking at ads?

It's a matter of discipline. f you actually value writing music, then you dedicate the time to *writing* and not looking into software/hardware purchases. It's all about the writing, don't lose focus. - Great points, thanks for your detailed post.

its nearly 1 new synth per year

[ATS]

Thank you, I needed to hear that OP. So much cool stuff just came out today!

[Michael L]

So much cool stuff just came out today!

There's even more stuff being released next week, with real awesome junk next month, but the must-buys arrive in the summer, except for the no-brainers for the Christmas season, that will all be half price in the kvr marketplace this time next year

[LoveEnigma18]

So true. It's so difficult to resist these days with so many new products and everything almost always on sale. Previously there used to be occasional (2 or 3) sales per year. But now manufacturers know the tendency of people and are trying to cash in on it. See I know all this, but why it is still so difficult.