Changing spending habits for 2013

[hibidy]

Less software, more analog sounding things in 2013.

fixed!

[tehlord]

Less software, more real things in 2013.

word

[hibidy]

"What is real, neo?"

[Unfocused]

I'll refrain from calling it a "new year's resolution", but I am done spending hundreds of dollars on software. For 2013, if I buy anything that's not hardware (and I'm sure I will), it's going to be UNDER $99 (as a rule). There are a few reasons for this:

1. I already have virtually EVERYTHING I need...well, almost
2. Acquiring more sounds, FX, and programs is no longer making my music "better". It's just giving me decision anxiety.

Is anyone else kind of over it already? Or, do you still feel the need to obtain more of more?

I am in total agreement and in the same boat. I'm over *buying* more. This year willl be about *doing* more.

Thanks for the succinct summary of how (apparently) a lot of us are feeling.


-u

[digitalboytn]

I also made a New Year's resolution to only buy things if they are absolutely necessary to improve the workflow and the musical output...

I found I was spending so much time doing admin work - updating,backing up files and auditioning sounds - not really making music...

Doodling but not doing

I agree with the OP...How much of this shit do we really need ?

For example my BFD drums weigh in at 246 GB and Superior comes in at 156 GB - so around 312 GB uncompressed...And that's just the main drums...

Then there's Kontakt which has been cut down to around 300 GB compressed and 2 Ivory pianos (Italian Grand and American Concert D) coming in at 73 GB...

BTW : These are both really great sounding pianos - especially the Concert D...

There's over 100 GB of ACID loops another 150 GB of other loops...

Add to that another 100 GB of samples,hits and the SFX library...Just the single cycle waveforms come in at around 3 GB...

Then there's all the other stuff...so many soft synths and plugins that I could start a shop...

And I didn't mention the guitars - but there's lots of them - all custom made and all good - but the're all very special ladies - so they don't really count

Having all of this stuff doesn't give me a fatty at all - it gives me a BIG FAT headache

So I decided it's time to stop collecting all these toys,slowly strip it back to the essentials and get back to focusing on the music...

That was my New Year's resolution - my plan going fowards - and I intend to stick to it

[hibidy]

For those who can you have my respect!

[vata44]

"It's just giving me decision anxiety. "

+1

[Shangsean]

My aim is to stop buying... after my final purchase during the Best-Service 2 for 1. This has been my most expensive year for music software by far. I got Kontakt this year and it opened up a whole new world for me. It's a world I'm liking a bit too much at the moment. Unfortunately, while my selection of sounds has improved (and I think my music has too), the past few months with all the sales has left me spending more time reading reviews and trying instruments than actually creating tracks. Even when I buy a new instrument, effect or sample library, I tend to forget about what I've already got and just use the new thing for a while. I bought Iris during the sale and I've used it once. I think it's great and I do plan on using it, but I literally forget I even own it. Same goes for a few others. Luckily, I was doing some extra work after my regular job that was paying for all my music related expenses, but that's also part of the reason I don't have time to use the damn things.

I really want this year to be my most creative and productive yet, but that's just not going to happen if I keep on going the way I presently am.

[digitalboytn]

I got Kontakt this year and it opened up a whole new world for me.

I got Kontakt and it opened up my wallet

But I'm only using it for the big orchestral libraries these days..

[audientronic]

I got Kontakt this year and it opened up a whole new world for me.

I got Kontakt and it opened up my wallet

But I'm only using it for the big orchestral libraries these days..

It's become increasingly clear to me that if I do not buy Kontakt I will save oodles of money. And so I PROMISE...

[hibidy]

haha, very nice!

[SODDI]

I'm going to make more of my own drums with my own samples - I did a recording of our car last year and made some great percussion samples with that raw material.

Nice! I've always wanted to sample the glass bowl sink in our bathroom. It has a lovely percussive, ringing tone when you tap it with your fingers

I want to record our big stock pot, partially filled with with water. When you bang on it while swirling the water it makes lovely pitched percussion sounds with doinging in them.

[yairhol]

I have lately started deleting plugins which I have not used in the past year from my computer. If I haven't used them this long, I probably don't need them. This makes my plugin list less cluttered. I started exploring much more in depth my current tools (especially synths) instead of mainly using presets. Since I don't make money from music I found it unjustified to acquire more and more gear in 2012 and so it has become my least spendable year on music tools. In the future and only if I can really justify it I'll try out 1 or 2 of the freely available plugins on the internet. No need to spend money on great gear that is available for free.

[TwoToneshuzz]

I only just got a computer that was capable of playing all these advanced tools so I have gone "hog wild" since about october where I started my present buying by getting in on the sale for iris+5, then not so long after Trash 2, Padshop Pro,Loung Lizard 4, 2C B2, MFM 2, Diversity,Stutter Edit and just recently Pro Q. Everything was either on sale or with an introductory price or bought at the Market place so generally about 30-50% off list.

I don't have NIKomplete.

I've had Maschine for 2 years, 3 expansions, Raw Voltage,Transistor Punch, Flux Distopia.

The AAS Modelling bundle.

Everything u-he.com except Zebra (waiting for Zebra 3).

I'm not too worried about my shopping, at least Iris, Padshop Pro and Diversity were bought because my fav sound designer was doing great sounds for them, Diversity for Diversion, Cosmic, Granular Worlds and Droneland for Padshop Pro, And the Iris subscription set.

B2, Stutter Edit, Pro Q, MFM2 are all things that Simon has made patches for Beat Twista for MFM 2, GlitchMania for Stutter Edit.

So I guess my buying has been in search of a singular sound design view, based on imaginative and proficient use and abuse of acoustic samples, interesting lively programming for Chromaphone, and now Diversity.

It's experiencing the three dimensional quality of the sound, among all the other possiblites that has got me interested. I don't need to master each tool, but to hear and understand the details of the different tools is a way of gaining an insight into what is possible today. And therefore it is a useful and worthwhile study and can help shape my creative destiny.

I think it's very likely now that I've gotten enough tools and will not be tempted much until Zebra 3 comes out and Logic gets updated...

Even with all this buying of plug ins, they still don't cost as much as a topend hardware keyboard workstation. And they are easier to carry with you!

You are into it, so drop the guilt and settle down, it's going to be an intersting ride, and you will be thrilled, surprised, disgusted, and spend more money than you planned on. So what! Lifes too short for regrets.. Just spend alot quality time getting to know and using what you've got, everytime you get an aha ore aawh wauw experience they pay for themselves!
Drop a few bad habits, revitalize some good ones, change your attitude for the better and it will all balance out...

[Lode_Runner]

I figured I can't kick my GAS, so I'm going the harm minimisation approach.

I'm giving myself a budget this year - $15-$30 per fortnight on sample libraries. If I stick to the lower end as much as possible, then I'm only spending my firewarden allowance on this.

Thank you Hollow Sun, Hideaway Studio, Embertone, Wavesfactory etc for making this a possibility.