Anyone have the feeling that your best productions ever was made with minimal gear?

[dasen]

Does anyone have the feeling that your best productions ever were made with minimal gear? If so, what stops you from going minimal again?

[martinjuenke]

Yes, definitely.
Problem is, that I own sooo many different things, that I‘m sometimes lost. Next problem is, that selling these items is often pretty difficult or impossible.

[Dasheesh]

when you own a few too much gear, presets become the only way to make them all useful. I don't remember who it was, but someone on here told me to uninstall everything not necessary for an idea. that way you are reduced to learning and playing what you have again. you can reinstall later if you keep your stuff light and simple, and stay on top of file management. folks with a lot of plugin managers and such will obviously have troubles with this concept tho.

[Erisian]

Minimal gear encourages creativity and prevents overworking. I often wondered what kind of music I could make with only children's toys. I never got around to trying it sadly, otherwise I might have learned a lot in the process.

[Dasheesh]

cleaning up the clutter leaves room for creative space for me personally, But, some need the clutter. You can take it too far the other way as well. sometimes introducing a new instrument is needed. what you want is enough to keep you intimately engaged with what you are doing. Often, that means learning to use what you have to appreciate it.

[Dasheesh]

form as a result of function, Bauhaus and all that.

[jancivil]

hard no, my best work leverages technology like a motha

I made music from very scarce resources for decades, there's no romance or point in that for me whatsoever.

I don't need to prevent overworking or overthinking, I have discipline enough to focus. and don't mind problem-solving.

[Dasheesh]

ha. it's a difference in personality, like introverts and extroverts.

[foosnark]

It's not how much gear you have (one way or the other), it's whether it's the right gear for you.

(And also, your knowledge and skills. Tools are important, but the hands and brain behind them much more so.)

[Vortifex]

Edited

[melomood]

I think I've been flat lining for ages

[jancivil]

'gear'? what is that. I have a nice computer...
I truly do not suffer from Gear Acquisition Syndrome, the whole argument is lost on me. If having a limited palette works for somebody, that's them, good for them, it doesn't work that way here. I have ideas which require indicate an expansive one.
There is such a thing as choice paralysis, but I experience that at the supermarket, not in front of the DAW.

[cryophonik]

Nope, not for me. I own a lot of plugins and some hardware, but used to own even more and that’s when I was most productive. But, my productivity (or current lack thereof) was never dependent on the amount of gear I’ve owned since I can pretty easily stay focused on what I’m using and have a tendency to use the same core plugins and gear regardless of what I have at my disposal. I wish I could blame my gear for my output because that would be an easy solution for me.

[excuse me please]

No, but I use a lot of fx.

[jancivil]

I don't care about productivity, that's not it. If I have to meet requirements for a gig, for money, I can work efficiently, fast. I've had to create a substantial cue and mix it, hand it in within one day to get paid, or not. I don't have deadlines for creative (self-indulgent ) work. To me, and this isn't that easy to convey without seeming accusatory, the less-is-more as though necessary strikes me as lacking that kind of focus. But we're all in our own process and history, so not judging.