KVR Audio

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 5:48 am

I've never asked myself that question once.

Just bought an acoustic guitar for the first time in 20+ years (after having lots of electrics and A/E)

Had the same experience trialing Dune2. Sure it sounds great. Loved the presets.

Love buying gear, Sometimes yes it's very inspiring, very rarely has it enhance my career. The last few years. Whenever there was something in my world that wasn't quite right, I'd turn to buying something that I thought would enhance my playing. Because playing my instruments well is the only thing that brings me joy. The only thing is as negative factors take hold I can't clear my head to perform my best.

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 6:40 am

Buy more stuff.

pekbro · Post by **pekbro** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 6:48 am

Unless you're robbing old ladies or skipping the rent to buy plugins, you should probably
just take it where and when you can get it.

The world is unkind, consider yourself lucky to have a non-destructive avenue to joy.
So many are not so fortunate. However, If it really does bother you, then that's a problem
and you should probably stop. Or at least, set some ground rules to placate your sensibilities.

-Cheers

Michael L · Post by **Michael L** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:12 am

pekbro wrote:set some ground rules

Excellent suggestion!
A few of us decided to follow a rule to "buy only one plugin in 2017"
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=476776
It was a fun challenge, and I still find that I need much less than I once thought.

dune_rave · Post by **dune_rave** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:14 am

This is a tricky question: the answer is neither buy nor don't buy.
Rather you should create some rules why buy anything at all.

Bombadil · Post by **Bombadil** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:23 am

If you have to ask, then, yes, probably. I've cut down my toy buying and am concentrating on enjoying what I have. I did have to take a hard look at why I was buying so many guitars, sometimes within a couple of months between each other! The answer lay elsewhere other than musical needs. You just got an acoustic git. Enjoy it! Try doing some recording with it.

murnau · Post by **murnau** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:26 am

Software? I have everything i'll need for the next 20 years honestly. I didn't bought much the last time. No interest for another synth, fx, sample lib etc.

Instead i buy a new piano next month for around 4000€: That's what is important for me now.

Nielzie · Post by **Nielzie** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:30 am

Last time I looked at my personal bank account, I answered that question with: yes.

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 8:02 am

I don't buy plugins often. Last time was 3 years ago. Plugins can be very inspiring.

Through the years I'd have a habit of saving up to buy guitars. When the money was good I bought em left and right.... That would be the 1980's. I know players who are playing the same guitars as they did back in the 70's and never wanted more. They've just had a refret or two along the way. Recently (a little over a year a go) I had to let go of most of my guitars to pay for medical procedures.

I notice that I have a joy during the wanting time leading up to the purchase of a guitar. And with very rare exception I have joy when it arrives but the "new car/new guitar" feeling subsides in about a month or two.

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 8:04 am

Bombadil wrote:If you have to ask, then, yes, probably. I've cut down my toy buying and am concentrating on enjoying what I have. I did have to take a hard look at why I was buying so many guitars, sometimes within a couple of months between each other! The answer lay elsewhere other than musical needs. You just got an acoustic git. Enjoy it! Try doing some recording with it.

Haven't gotten it yet. I put it on lay-away as it was the end of the month and bills were due. It's 90 days same as cash. I get paid on Sunday nights oddly enough. So I just have to wait till the paycheck clears to pick it up. Yes I'm still feeling good about it. I just noticed that my purchase coincited with a downturn in my personal life. I'm quitting my job and looking for work elsewhere. I can't work for my boss anymore. Hate is to kind a word in regards with my feelings for him. Though I will miss my co-workers, best camaraderie I've ever had in this field.

Bombadil · Post by **Bombadil** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 11:52 am

tapper mike wrote:
I notice that I have a joy during the wanting time leading up to the purchase of a guitar. And with very rare exception I have joy when it arrives but the "new car/new guitar" feeling subsides in about a month or two.

I've analyzed my behaviour/feelings about what I put myself (and my wife) through for 10 years.

1) The Hunt. Very exciting phase. Got some money, gonna buy me a gee-tar, which one? It's a veritable smorgasborg out there these days, so many guitars in practically all price ranges.

2) Ordering it online/the Wait. Exciting, but a bit of anti-climax seeping in. What if it isn't all I hope it would be? What if I have to send it back? (Thomann gives 30 day/no ? guarantee).

3) The Arrival. WHOO-HOO! Give it a good looking over, occasionally finding a significant problem (back to store) or slight issues, which makes me consider whether to overlook them or not. They would only be minor cosmetic issues for me to not send it back.

4) To my luthier friend for perfecting my new baby. He would pick the guitar up at my place, and drop it off the following week. Wait, wait, wait, toe-tap, toe-tap, toe-tap. Guitar comes back, and I am in LOOOOVVE!!!!!!

5) After a couple of weeks, the guitar gets taken out of its case less and less, and becomes just another part of my collection.

6) Rinse and repeat.

Hanging out on guitar forums didn't help. At. All. So, I've stopped doing that. I broke the pattern at the beginning of December 2016. Don't regret it at all. I generally keep to about 4-5 acoustics and 2-3 electrics, but with my new VOX amp, I've pulled out my other electrics, a couple of which I haven't played for a couple of years. And you know what? Pulling those out and playing them is as good or better than more 'New Guitar Days!!!' because the guitars are already there, already perfectly set-up. I have an embarrassment of riches with my collection, and now I am finally, really appreciating them. This OCD/emotional compensation crap is pretty much over.

Except that I want a couple of other amp heads.....

tapper mike wrote: Haven't gotten it yet. I put it on lay-away as it was the end of the month and bills were due. It's 90 days same as cash. I get paid on Sunday nights oddly enough. So I just have to wait till the paycheck clears to pick it up. Yes I'm still feeling good about it. I just noticed that my purchase coincited with a downturn in my personal life. I'm quitting my job and looking for work elsewhere. I can't work for my boss anymore. Hate is to kind a word in regards with my feelings for him. Though I will miss my co-workers, best camaraderie I've ever had in this field.

Well, that truly sucks. Bosses who create toxic work environments aren't fit to be bosses, obviously. My wife had one about 10 years ago, and it practically caused her a nervous breakdown. I hope you move on to something better!

And enjoy your guitar when you get it.

Tj Shredder · Post by **Tj Shredder** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 12:47 pm

tapper mike wrote:Hate is to kind a word in regards with my feelings for him. Though I will miss my co-workers, best camaraderie I've ever had in this field.

Create a competition company with your former co-workers. That will make everybody happy exept for your former boss...
It would cut the time you spend with music though...

foosnark · Post by **foosnark** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 3:35 pm

I actually think the cycle of buying gear, loving it and being inspired for a while, and then getting tired of it can lead to positive things. So much as you're not losing too much money (buy used and resell!) or stressing yourself out over it, and you're learning your own preferences and applying that in the future.

I did that with a few desktop synths and a few pedals in 2016. It was like I got to "rent" a bunch of gear on my own terms and expand my horizons.

I've done the same with Eurorack -- I've sold or traded away about as many modules as I own. It's worked well for me. The modules I keep went through "survival of the fittest" and came out on top. Since I'm reaching the size limit I want to work with in modular, any new stuff is going to have to be awesome enough to displace one of the champions -- and having tried almost 100 modules at this point, I've become a pretty good judge of what I'm going to want to keep.

I'd do polysynths next but I don't have the studio space for even one.

hivkorn · Post by **hivkorn** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 3:56 pm

It is pretty simple , the market is over saturated , too much brand new amazing reverb , too much brand new modeled filter...the last $ i will spend will be for sinevibe and their creative bundle.

machinesworking · Post by **machinesworking** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 5:41 pm

I think it almost is for me. Mostly I have a few more upgrades to get, and an acoustic electric with a Bigsby. I've never gotten into the modular synth thing because I know it's worse than software in terms of endlessly expanding your set up. I think if you have a goal in mind it's not impossible to taper off on constantly adding to your set up. Currently I have one electric guitar, one acoustic, one bass. I've wanted a hollow or semi hollow electric with a tremolo bar forever so that's next on the list.

I definitely suffer from Pokemon syndrome when it comes to gear, but for the most part it's been not a big deal. I had a mad search for a decent choir, owning Miroslav Philharmonic already, upgrading to version 2 made the choir (and the 32 bit Miroslav in general) useful. Yeah I looked at getting various $400 choir libraries but I don't need them, it's not how I use choirs..

So yeah, having a real goal in mind for the purchase is a huge way to not suffer too badly from GAS.

Is it time to stop buying stuff? (gear, plugins, etc)