2025: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2025)

[WatchTheGuitar]

I'm actually considering getting a small 25-key MIDI controller, just for the purpose of triggering the lowest MIDI "notes" in Kontakt instruments, which are often used for selecting different instrument articulations, and not really used for playing actual audible notes. I tend to mostly use 61-note keyboards, and I don't want to sacrifice any of that playable range for mere "control switches". So, maybe I should just get a small used MIDI controller for just the bottom 2 octaves of the MIDI range?

Does that sound like a crazy idea?

I use a little Keystation Mini mainly just for playing latched arpeggiated bass notes. Sometimes that’s all you need something for.
Wouldn’t recommend that model though, has crappy mini USB rather than USB C.

[McLilith]

I use a little Keystation Mini mainly just for playing latched arpeggiated bass notes. Sometimes that’s all you need something for.

That sounds like a good idea. It would also be good for latched drone notes, sound effects, background ambience recordings, etc.

[vurt]

new computer and audio interface and possibly monitors, will need to test those when i have a new interface

and it's bloody here! 30 degrees today ffs.

[justin3am]

We had our engineering staff meeting today and my colleagues in the UK were telling me it's hot af over there. I was really reluctant to tell them how nice the weather is here today. It's only around 25-27 this week (high 70s, low 80s) which is really nice. We'll have plenty of 32+ days coming though.

Earlier today I purchased a Connect 4/12 from Bitwig. They were kind enough to let me borrow one after NAMM and I really liked it. For folks using Bitwig Studio, I can definitely recommend it. It's built like a tank (no seriously, it's probably the heaviest non-rackable audio interface I have used) and really high quality.

[foosnark]

new computer and audio interface and possibly monitors, will need to test those when i have a new interface

and it's bloody here! 30 degrees today ffs.

Same here, but that's the average for this time of year. It's going up to (checks conversion) 37 this weekend. We're going on a road trip up to Maine, but they're in the heat wave too so it's not gonna be much better.

We do have AC, but the vent in the studio/office room is really poorly placed, so it's bearable but not necessarily comfortable on hot days.

[elxsound]

Just got notice this fun mic was shipped

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1251555018 ... microphone

Same heat wave here. Too damn hot, but I am happy it’ll cool down at night. I hate when it’s just hot all the time.

[Constructed Identity]

Just got notice this fun mic was shipped

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1251555018 ... microphone

Same heat wave here. Too damn hot, but I am happy it’ll cool down at night. I hate when it’s just hot all the time.

Yup, tidbit audio is who I bought mine from at Knobcon. Not the XLR version though.

[elxsound]

Just got notice this fun mic was shipped

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1251555018 ... microphone

Same heat wave here. Too damn hot, but I am happy it’ll cool down at night. I hate when it’s just hot all the time.

Yup, tidbit audio is who I bought mine from at Knobcon. Not the XLR version though.

How do you like yours?

[pax-eterna]

Roland V-Stage and Gaia 2

[gaf_thit]

new computer and audio interface and possibly monitors, will need to test those when i have a new interface

and it's bloody here! 30 degrees today ffs.

Building a new rig too, from leftovers after my eldest son's upgrade(gamer/3D-modeler).
Here it's rain and 11 degrees, which is how it has been for many days now. I don't mind and I tell my complaining colleagues that it will soon be a luxury. I see many tourists that come here for 'coolcation' already.

[elxsound]

Officially have a pair of cardioid Oakla mics coming in a couple months.

That started a deep dive for a shock mount, and I ended up back on Lom’s page because their shock mount (Radius) is the cheapest, plus Radius has additional custom accessories to build up/add on over time.

So shock mounts purchased along with the Omni mics which I can’t really use yet, except for some general electrical interference which can be cool too.

Next obsessive search is going to be those fuzzy wind killers (dead cat, wookie condoms) for when I can take the basicUchos outside.

https://store.lom.audio/collections/mic ... ccessories

[Shabdahbriah]

^^^ https://rode.com/en-us/accessories/wind ... HNTfQn1OcB

[elxsound]

^^^ https://rode.com/en-us/accessories/wind ... HNTfQn1OcB

Nice one. More reasonable prices. WS8 seems to fit the LOM (20mm). I’ll have to measure the video mic to see if the WS9 will fit the Oakla mics (12.5mm).

I think I’m too cheap to buy dead cats that are almost the same price as the mics. I can see the implied benefit, but I just don’t want to do it.

[McLilith]

new computer and audio interface and possibly monitors, will need to test those when i have a new interface

and it's bloody here! 30 degrees today ffs.

Not that it's a contest or anything, but it was a sunny 38 degrees here in the temperate West Virginia hills yesterday. I was outside, mowing grass in that weather. I'm not sure how I didn't get sunburned. Over the next few days, it's likely to reach 40.

We have air conditioning inside the house, but that doesn't help while outside mowing the grass!

Note: We use Fahrenheit in this area, but I converted the above temps to Celsius for you. It was 100F yesterday, and expected to reach 104F soon. It's the same actual temperatures I mentioned above, but that makes it sound even worse!

Hopefully, this heatwave doesn't last too long for either of us.

[Constructed Identity]

Just got notice this fun mic was shipped

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1251555018 ... microphone

Same heat wave here. Too damn hot, but I am happy it’ll cool down at night. I hate when it’s just hot all the time.

Yup, tidbit audio is who I bought mine from at Knobcon. Not the XLR version though.

How do you like yours?

It works. That’s all I can say since I haven’t used it much. I like that it’s waterproof.