Decided I might not need to buy anything new, please help!

[Michael L]

"Instead of having this mad quest about being scared of missing something, try to just... breathe... take a break, and think about what instruments - a plugin, a module, a polyphonic synth... whatever - where you feel a kind of empathy with... and then when you choose that, just stay focused for six months or one year only on this. Don't take anything else. Just on one element and try to express yourself because what's going to be unique is yourself. It's not the machine. It's not the instrument. It's what you are going to do with it which has the value, and nothing else."
Jean-Michel Jarre

[LoveEnigma18]

"Instead of having this mad quest about being scared of missing something, try to just... breathe... take a break, and think about what instruments - a plugin, a module, a polyphonic synth... whatever - where you feel a kind of empathy with... and then when you choose that, just stay focused for six months or one year only on this. Don't take anything else. Just on one element and try to express yourself because what's going to be unique is yourself. It's not the machine. It's not the instrument. It's what you are going to do with it which has the value, and nothing else."
Jean-Michel Jarre

I will take a print of this today and put this in my home studio where I can see it daily and hopefully follow.

[toine6]

Unless you're trying to keep up with the latest fad or maybe beat the curve, you've got what you need.

Hell, they gave out Model E a few years back. I remember when that had just come out and was $100. $100 was a little steep for me at the time, especially as I was spending like $400 for Cubase, and had just bought a new $900 computer, $1,400 Roland Jp-8000, some kind of expensive soundcard, etcetera. But a few years ago I finally tried Model E. It was originally supposed to be a MiniMoog emulation. Everyone was blown away and super excited when it was originally released. But during my tests a few years ago, it was the worst Model D emulation ever, oh man... Horrible. But you know what, it still could make some crazy sounds, and if I had to I could make a few tunes with it.

I quit buying plugins a few years back, FINALLY. I've been testing and trying every VST since they came out, and DXI, DX for that matter. So many stand-alone programs too. Read KVR everyday for MANY MANY years. But now I could pretty much get by with only a few free VST's. I mean, it's nice to have the latest thing and giant sample libraries, and there are a few I use, but I could get by ok without them.

Plus, now I have all these old projects I've never finished, and have major anxiety because of trying to organize all these old plugins, and old computers and operating systems becoming outdated. I've tried hundreds and hundreds of programs. Now I try to keep things much more lean and manageable. Backing up all the programs I purchased and worrying if they will run on a newer machine and open projects years later, sucks.

Get a couple synths, couple sample orchestra things, a few effects and call it good. Better yet, if you can get by with the stuff that comes with the DAW already.

[WatchTheGuitar]

Well I'm gonna go then. And I don't need any of this. I don't need this stuff, and I don't need you. I don't need anything except this.
[picks up Repro-5]
And that's it and that's the only thing I need, is this. I don't need this or this. Just this Repro-5. And this Mini V, the Repro-5 and the Mini V, and that's all I need. And this Lush-101. The Repro-5, the Mini V and the Lush-101, and that's all I need. And these Soundtoys. The Repro-5, and these Soundtoys, and the Lush-101 and the Mini V. And this Pro-Q. The Repro-5, this Mini V and the Lush-101 and the Pro-Q and that's all I need. And that's all I need too. I don't need one other thing, not one - I need this. The Mini V and the Valhalla Room, and the Lush-101, and the Soundtoys, for sure. And this. And that's all I need. The Repro-5, the Lush-101, the Mini V, this Albion One and the Valhalla Room.
[walking outside]
And I don't need one other thing, except my dog.
[dog growls]
I don't need my dog.

[LoveEnigma18]

Try this
https://benedictroffmarsh.com/2012/12/15/gear-lust/

A good read.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Just do what I did, and buy an Xbox. Games are on sale, everyday, so you'll easily be able to indulge the need for shopping therapy

[jacqueslacouth]

To be absolutely rational about this...oh, WTF am I saying, I have never been rational in my life...anyways...

I think I am actually past GAS at the moment and it struck me as I read the OP, when you limit your gear you are actually far more likely to develop your own sound that could potentially become recognisable to punters...a signature if you like.

I have certainly started to see more of a "sound" in what I am doing at the moment with my much more limited arsenal...whether or not this is a good thing, I'm f#cKed if I know.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

when you limit your gear you are actually far more likely to develop your own sound that could potentially become recognisable to punters...a signature if you like.

This is one of those things that sounds like it should be true, but maybe doesn't hold up to closer inspection/deconstruction

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Try this
https://benedictroffmarsh.com/2012/12/15/gear-lust/

A good read.

In the context of other things I've read from him, it follows that he feels this way

[Michael L]

when you limit your gear you are actually far more likely to develop your own sound that could potentially become recognisable to punters...a signature if you like.

This is one of those things that sounds like it should be true, but maybe doesn't hold up to closer inspection/deconstruction

Yep. If more or less gear makes you less or more innovative, its still GAS.

[lobanov]

Well I'm gonna go then. And I don't need any of this. I don't need this stuff, and I don't need you. I don't need anything except this.
[picks up Repro-5]
And that's it and that's the only thing I need, is this. I don't need this or this. Just this Repro-5. And this Mini V, the Repro-5 and the Mini V, and that's all I need. And this Lush-101. The Repro-5, the Mini V and the Lush-101, and that's all I need. And these Soundtoys. The Repro-5, and these Soundtoys, and the Lush-101 and the Mini V. And this Pro-Q. The Repro-5, this Mini V and the Lush-101 and the Pro-Q and that's all I need. And that's all I need too. I don't need one other thing, not one - I need this. The Mini V and the Valhalla Room, and the Lush-101, and the Soundtoys, for sure. And this. And that's all I need. The Repro-5, the Lush-101, the Mini V, this Albion One and the Valhalla Room.
[walking outside]
And I don't need one other thing, except my dog.
[dog growls]
I don't need my dog.

The purest Samuel Beckett, he-he... Samuel, is it you?

[WatchTheGuitar]

Beckett by way of Steve Martin...

[Benedict]

Try this
https://benedictroffmarsh.com/2012/12/15/gear-lust/

A good read.

In the context of other things I've read from him, it follows that he feels this way

In the context of every other interaction I have had with you el-bo, it follows that you would be this condescending.

Thank you LoveEnigma18

[JerGoertz]

when you limit your gear you are actually far more likely to develop your own sound that could potentially become recognisable to punters...a signature if you like.

This is one of those things that sounds like it should be true, but maybe doesn't hold up to closer inspection/deconstruction

It seems plausible to me.

At the very least, the phenomenon of having too many choices being counterproductive is well-established AFAIK.

[Michael L]