HW purchase of the year?

[zerocrossing]

Right, because your cat understands that the torture you put it through is for its own good. It's not, it's for very strong, but purely selfish motives. And, to be clear, it's the same standard I would apply to myself. As of last year, we have voluntary euthanasia laws, which I intend to take full advantage of at the appropriate time. I watched my parents' slow decay and I see absolutely no point in hanging on for no reason.

Steve’s a year and a half old, healthy and strong cat, who happens to be my daughter’s best friend and he adores her, following her around everywhere. Did he feel like crap for a few weeks? Yup, but a week later he’s almost back to normal and just annoyed that he has to wear a cone. Next week, it’ll be like it never happened, except the bizarro haircut, which makes him seem like he’s wearing adorable fur boots.

Now, two years ago we came home from a trip and our cat sitter forgot to refill the water. I estimated that she was without water for four days. (Don’t even ask, I’ve never forgiven the guy) Amelia was seizing when we got home and I quickly saw her dry water bowl and got her water. She drank for a solid half hour and bounced back in a day, but the damage was done and she was a 15 year old cat, which means her kidneys were already shot and that pushed her over the edge. I knew that keeping her alive was just torture, so we said our goodbyes. There was no way we were ready to let Steve go, and I don’t think Steve was ready to go either. Did it hurt to pay that money? Yes, oh yes, but coming home with a box of ashes would have hurt much more.

[pekbro]

The only thing I find ridiculous about that story, is the vet fee.

[digitalboytn]

I only bought one piece of studio hardware in 2022..

A Behringer X Touch Compact...

It's a very useful unit

[DrGonzo]

Akai MPC Live - why did I even buy this thing?
Squarp Hapax - impressive, absolutely a keeper.
Oxi One - convoluted, strange, confusing, but cool.
Elektron Syntakt - two thumbs up.
Arturia MiniFreak - excellent.
OP1 Field - cool but I rarely used it.
Synthstrom Deluge - cool but I rarely use it.
Roland JD08 - why on earth do I still buy Roland gear?

If I should crown one as the big winner it's the Elektron Syntakt. As a close second, the Squarp Hapax.

[zerocrossing]

The only thing I find ridiculous about that story, is the vet fee.

Yeah, it’s outrageous. I’m sure if I lived somewhere in a small town, it would probably have been a lot less. The actual operation was $6k, but there was a day of an inconclusive x-ray and meds that was a grand, and then a second say of ultrasound and meds that was a grand. They know that you’re freaking out (I was mentally saying goodbye, because I know that when a cat stops eating it is usually the end) and what are you going to do? Cart your hurting cat around for a better price? They have you right where they want you. Also, I live in Silicon Valley, so I’m sure their rent is crazy and also everyone went out and got puppies during the pandemic, so they’re in huge demand.

I thought of it this way. We’d easily spend that on a family trip to Hawaii. We usually do. Next year… we probably won’t. If someone said to me, “here are your choices: go to Hawaii next year, but your cat is dead, or no Hawaii and hang out in your complex’s pool on your vacation and have your cat alive,” I’d pick Steve every time.

[kritikon]

Our last cat had a habit of eating particularly long grass, which would get stuck and rot in his oesophagus/stomach. I'm pretty sure he knew what he was doing because he usually did this just before we went away on holidays, so a day-before holiday mad dash to vets - anaesthetic & scope then overnight stay - $1000 minimum each time. I never really begrudged it, but tbh I did baulk more at the overnight stay costs - at least half of it. There's a fair bit of gouging going on with some vets IMO.

Having said that - a previous vet would clean an even more previous cat's teeth with no sedation/anaesthetic or anything - worth every cent and superb value. Just the usual check-up fee. He'd put a row of clothing pegs on the cat's back then clean his teeth (with no gloves on ) - apparently this mollifies a majority of cats - they feel like it's mummy cat picking them up by the scruff of the neck so they go all docile. That vet had balls of steel I tell ya. If you went anywhere near this cat's teeth to clean them he'd skin you alive. One of my sisters-in-law is a vet back in the UK and she was impressed by this trick when she heard it - she won't do it though. She values her arms and hands, is what she said.

[vurt]

The only thing I find ridiculous about that story, is the vet fee.

they're not cheap.
but surprisingly here at least, pet insurance is a pittance!
i paid 15 quid, to insure my cat for life
now any vet fees, i pay 250 maximum.
but touch wood, he's only been slightly ill once when he got worms, other than that not a single problem

[_leras]

..

[pekbro]

The only thing I find ridiculous about that story, is the vet fee.

they're not cheap.
but surprisingly here at least, pet insurance is a pittance!
i paid 15 quid, to insure my cat for life
now any vet fees, i pay 250 maximum.
but touch wood, he's only been slightly ill once when he got works, other than that not a single problem

Smart, I don't have animals as I can barely take care of myself. I know a bunch of folks tho who
have had animals die from cancer, which they seem to get a lot around here. Typically it goes like
this: I'm sorry your friend is going to die and there is nothing we can do, please pay $1000 for that
diagnosis on your way out.

They can put them down for a fee as well, if you like.

[Constructed Identity]

The story of my hardware purchase of the year goes back to February, I was thinking about getting it, but got a great deal on:

and I wasn't disappointed, but it isn't the hardware purchase of the year.
That honor goes to :

It does all the classic sounds and it is so much fun to explore.
I haven't had the 2600 long, but I think it will be known as THE VST KILLER
Sorry U-he, but I don't use your ACE or Bazille very much any more and I kinda don't think I'll be in the market for a vst synth again really.

2022 was the year of Behringer
BTW, the above photo isn't just a photo of the synth, but a patch memory.

[pdxindy]

Waldorf M

[pdxindy]

Akai MPC Live - why did I even buy this thing?

That's what I said... then sold it

[BONES]

I haven't had the 2600 long, but I think it will be known as THE VST KILLER
Sorry U-he, but I don't use your ACE or Bazille very much any more and I kinda don't think I'll be in the market for a vst synth again really...
... BTW, the above photo isn't just a photo of the synth, but a patch memory.

The bottom line explains why the first part of the quote is never going to come to pass. It's the 21st Century and only a very, very small group of people are going to be willing to put up with an instrument with no patch memory.

I went to my local shop the week they first got in Korg's Odyssey, with $1200 in my pocket, ready to buy, until I discovered that it had no patch memory. I went home severely disappointed, my $1200 unspent. Korg's ARP Odyssey VSTi is a far superior instrument anyway.

[Constructed Identity]

I haven't had the 2600 long, but I think it will be known as THE VST KILLER
Sorry U-he, but I don't use your ACE or Bazille very much any more and I kinda don't think I'll be in the market for a vst synth again really...
... BTW, the above photo isn't just a photo of the synth, but a patch memory.

The bottom line explains why the first part of the quote is never going to come to pass. It's the 21st Century and only a very, very small group of people are going to be willing to put up with an instrument with no patch memory.

I went to my local shop the week they first got in Korg's Odyssey, with $1200 in my pocket, ready to buy, until I discovered that it had no patch memory. I went home severely disappointed, my $1200 unspent. Korg's ARP Odyssey VSTi is a far superior instrument anyway.

Probably true, 99% of people will want a memory and for me a few years ago, I wouldn't have bought a synth without a memory -the reason I got the little phatty was its memory!
But, that is part of why it is my synth of the year, it has changed my viewpoint. U-he's synths and other semi modulars before them had it all nice and tidy in the box, but learning and using them was never fun and without fun the music suffers.

[BONES]

I get no fun whatsoever from making music but I manage. As I said yesterday, art requires sacrifice, conflict, pain and suffering. Without those things, what is its worth?