How expensive is Music Software relative to Living Expenses?

[harryupbabble]

Actually I don't bother getting something even for free just because it's free.

Everything is expensive if one is broke no matter where one lives? But in terms of music software for broke people there is of course freeware. So I try to support freeware developers by spreading the word, by making videos about their creations, etc. Sort of like "save your saviour".

FAS (Freeware Acquisition Syndrome) can be worse than GAS. This is because unlike GAS, FAS is like "I can do it forever, all I need is time and the ability to download". So, GAS sufferers can take a breather once their cash runs out, not so with FAS sufferers like me. It's 24/7. The real question is "is money more valuable than time?".

My answer is "I would rather be an immortal living in poverty than a billionaire who had no time, like Steve Jobs ". But I'm probably not be going to be alive when/if science has discovered the secret to "unlimited time" AKA "living forever" and when immortality is just normality (we have have found other planets, going there and living there is easy and cheap, overcrowding is not a problem, and most complications has been solved).

In the meantime we FAS sufferers can just say "I download every freakin' freeware available that I'm aware of solely on the belief that although some freeware VST plugins may sound sucky by themselves... if you combine them, they become powerful... synth x + synth y = new synth sound z... effect x + effect y = new effect sound z.

By "we" I mean "I" and I don't really know for sure what other FAS sufferer's rationalization is about their "sickness".

[elxsound]

a Valhalla plugin equals to 10 lunches in my country.

It is equal to somewhere between 2-4 lunches where I live.

This is indeed an interesting thread.

[mutantdog]

Switching to 64-bit helped me break my FAS problem.

In my personal view, music software is really quite cheap, I've spent a fair bit of cash on it over the last couple of years but what I've got for my money is the sort of setup i once dreamed of. My living costs are really quite modest by British standards, but even then i fork out the best part of £1000 each year just to legally use the car i already own. Komplete 10 Ultimate cost me less than half that during the summer sale.

Without wanting to derail this thread, i've had to justify my decision to not pirate many times in the real world, often to people earning more money than i do. Once the cost of a plugin is converted into cigarettes, alcohol and other such things, it seems really quite ridiculous to me that any of these people claim they can't afford it.

[Numanoid]

a Valhalla plugin equals to 10 lunches in my country.

It is equal to somewhere between 2-4 lunches where I live.

Same situation here

[robotmonkey]

Once the cost of a plugin is converted into cigarettes, alcohol and other such things, it seems really quite ridiculous to me that any of these people claim they can't afford it.

That is actually a symptom of severe GAS when you think you can skip couple of beers and a pack of cigarettes this week and get a plugin instead at a sale.

[samsam]

For the nonce I am well off.

I guess that word has a different meaning in Canada then

[PALU]

With the dollar that strong it is now you can buy 10-11 lunches for a Valhalla plugin in Poland. Or 20 BigMacs .

[Numanoid]

With the dollar that strong it is now you can buy 10-11 lunches for a Valhalla plugin in Poland. Or 20 BigMacs .

So that would be 40-44 lunches for zebra2 then

[Zombie Queen]

With the dollar that strong it is now you can buy 10-11 lunches for a Valhalla plugin in Poland. Or 20 BigMacs .

I just realized, I don't even know what a lunch price is... not to mention a burger... At least, I know the price for Valhalla plugins

[PALU]

With the dollar that strong it is now you can buy 10-11 lunches for a Valhalla plugin in Poland. Or 20 BigMacs .

I just realized, I don't even know what a lunch price is... not to mention a burger... At least, I know the price for Valhalla plugins

It's a good sign . As for the BigMac - I had to check the prices online )).

But correct me if I'm wrong - the music software is in the reach of a Polish musician. It's not cheap, you have to save for some things - but it's not out of reach.

So that would be 40-44 lunches for zebra2 then

Youp. I was eyeballing Zebra2 for a very long time - when I was able to buy almost all of u-he synths (without Hive) on the last year's Call to Arms I was up in the heavens . But it wasn't easy on the budget. I have two kids, a dog and a cat - so many needs are first before my GAS .

[Zombie Queen]

But correct me if I'm wrong - the music software is in the reach of a Polish musician. It's not cheap, you have to save for some things - but it's not out of reach.

Not sure about actual musicians, but it's definitely not out of reach for average bloke. A Valhalla plugin still costs less than car re-fill. Though it may change in incoming dark ages.

[NystagmusE]

I run Ubuntu Studio Linux -- the operating system is freeware minus the cost to burn the install DVD-ROM from a downloaded ISO file on a USB flash drive. I downloaded from the public library's internet access.

I use only refurbished used computers from a computer disposal / recycling company. The computers are sometimes cheaper if no operating system is installed on them. My current computer is from 2007 but it still runs fine and there are several different Linuxes designed specifically to support older computers.

My monitors double as my audio interface (Alesis M1Active 320 USB). They were the cheapest I could find at the time without going too low. They are USB Class Compliant so they run on Linux without hardware incompatibilities.

My MIDI controller is a 25-key which was cheaper. I had to choose between getting the MIDI controller and possibly having enough money to move last summer. I chose the controller because music is my life and I still couldn't really afford to move.

Where I live right now is in a crappy rented room. I just get one room. The bathroom and kitchen is shared and the house is a wreck. But luckily the house owner provides free wifi internet connection. So with the wifi, I keep Ubuntu Studio Linux up to date with freewares.

All this stuff together with accessories cost me a total of about 330 US dollars.
My paid for softwares were imported from my previous computer system that I ran years ago.
My 3 paid for DAWs total about 260 dollars (Reaper, EnergyXT, and Reaper).
My 5 paid for VSTi's total about 200 dollars

So for about 800 US dollars and with help from others I have my DAW hardware and software.
If I continued with Windows or Mac OSes, it would cost a few hundred more.

It's a lot and I'm doing it the "cheap" way. I got most of the stuff originally back when I was getting extra money for being a human research subject at a hospital partnering with drug company research for mental illness treatments.

I would have gotten more money from donating blood regularly, but I can't because they won't accept my psychiatric medicated blood.

These are the raw facts.
I will never be able to afford Omnisphere or Trillian or Cubase or the full version of FL Studio or a fancy new computer.

But where there is a will, there is a way.
Thank goodness for freewares at least.

And once somebody gave me their used computer. It didn't last long, but it was something.
Craigslist sometimes has good deals on used computer gear.

[Dostoyevsky]

The final word on this topic

http://www.economist.com/news/finance-a ... used-after

[incubus]

a Valhalla plugin equals to 10 lunches in my country.

It is equal to somewhere between 2-4 lunches where I live.

This is indeed an interesting thread.

Well, at least it doesn't make people LOSE their lunch

[incubus]

I've spent much money, but then again it's my hobby.

Some people collect stamps. Some buy car parts and continuously "fix" their car(s). Some buy chronic. I buy vst/re/hosts (and guitars/basses)