Yeah it's definitely tempting, especially when we're all craving novelty and excitement. Hopefully I can encourage people to chase that novelty and excitement by spending time making music.
@@GabeMillerMusic I'm watching your channel from Malaysia. I absolutely love it. The one thing that has changed for me is portability. That's thanks to your channel. I have a Maschine mk3. To get it up and running always seems like a chore. Then I got the Roland trs8. It was hooked up to my mixer and to my monitors. I ended up with the 101 (thanks to you) and everything changed. I must add that I also have a Polyend tracker which is absolutely AMAZING. Check it out if you haven't already. I am keenly watching your videos on the Novation circuit to see if I want to get that. Portability and no menu diving. I know I've spent a lot, but we are in a lockdown. No place to go. Nothing to spend money on. This gives me happiness. Thanks for the content. You make a difference.
My rule is, Spend 2h, or release 1min worth of music per euro the device costed, before buying another device. Helps me aim small gear, or second hand, or make sure the really expensive is really the necessary, makes me focus to the "what do I really need".
I recently sold a lot of my gear (volcas, circuit, model:cycles, POs) and bought an OP-1. I had fun with all these pieces of gear but realized I never used them in my actual music. Most of the time they just sat there while I made music in Logic using plugins. My setup now is the OP-1 for songwriting and idea sketching which I LOVE and an Arturia Microfreak and a microKorg for sound design. My 2 cents: get gear that’s gonna help u make music how you want to. If it’s collecting dust, sell it and get something else.
This was a fantastic video. I'm a complete beginner and I picked up the circuit tracks last week. It's a blast and it's very user friendly. I'm thinking about getting a microfreak as a companion to it down the road but for now I'm super content with just the 6 tracks. Something with a screen or alot of options would definitely feel daunting and I'd be more likely to give up.
One thing I found is that when I began I did not know what my workflow would be so made some purchasing mistakes until I slipped into an approach that I seemed to gel with. I now have some GAS insurance in devices I bought without knowing exactly what I wanted from my setup.
I collect stuff, and have for years. And I don't often use like 90% of the stuff I buy/collect. But there are days when I'm like "I'm REALLY glad I still have that." Case in point: Korg microSAMPLER. One of the best pieces of gear ever made. That, the Yamaha Reface CP... Arturia Microfreak.... pedals.... it's all fun. Do I need all that stuff? Absolutely not. Am I glad I have it? Absolutely! Did I go broke picking it all up here and there? Absolutely not. Key phrase-- "here and there." If you're addicted to gear..... the key is... buy used (99% of the time), do payment plans (if you absolutely have to have it within 90 days of its release), and research everything to death. Thanks to people like you, Gabe and countless others... who go through the gear extensively... we know exactly what gear will make us happy and inspired, and what won't. For me, I have zero interest in eurorack hardware. Zero. But other stuff? Love it. If people like you, everyone else, and even me (depending on my youtube output), didn't exist.. imagine all the bad choices we'd all make, buying gear, knowing only of a manufacturer's ad for it, and only that (early 90s flashback). Boy, times have changed, and we can truly know every single thing about a piece of gear, before we take a chance on it. And I am grateful to everyone out there, for helping all of us make smart choices. In 1990, my friend's dad helped him get an $1800 Yamaha SY-55, which he loved to death. Since 2005, an SY-55 can be grabbed for $200 or less. Powerful synth, sure..... but worth $2k at the time? Crazy. $1800 in 1990 equals about $3600, in today's dollars. Do you know how much awesome gear you can get with $3600 today? A LOT. That said, I've made entire albums using only Reaper and free plugins, with a $50 midi controller, $30 dynamic mic, and $80 audio interface... and years ago, I made a bunch of lo-fi stuff using a $200 cassette 4-track. But having all these awesome tools now.... it's ultimately inspiring. Not necessarily overwhelming. But, some days.. yeah, it's definitely overwhelming. My life dream when I was 12 was to have a home studio with all the toys I wanted to play with, and then some. And I have it, and it makes me smile, every day. No matter how little gear you have, or too much gear.... you've got to stay creative, no matter what... every single day. All of us have the keys to the kingdom, with perfect sounds at the click of a mouse button, and an entire home recording setup, with a month's work from a part-time job. We are all pretty damn lucky. It's an amazing time for creatives. Probably the most amazing time in history. You all have the keys to the kingdom. Don't blow it.
Missives/narratives like this deserve a wider forum than a comment sandwiched in the middle on a random YT video.... Please write more and share where more people will read, and pick up what you're putting down! Three thumbs up 👍👍👍👽
I started learning how electronic music is made, how to make music, how to play keys as my first instrument, how synths work, how a smartphone operates, all at once, sparked by an unexpected Xmas gift in 2020 of a midi controller. Learn on my own with yt and some entry level hardware. This channel has been a lot of help for me to learn a lot in a short period of time. Thanks Gabe. Your perspective on minimalism helps a newbie attempting to optimize for value.
I am totally aligned with your thoughts. I could avoid the spiral of buying gear. Right now with just some midi controllers, the Deluge, an iPad, and recently a Dreadbox Typhon (because I GASed for some analog sound) I have a holy trinity not needing anything else. I built my DIY wood stand with a limited size to avoid thinking in getting more gear to fill it. If I feel I want to buy anything else is to replace one of them for a more advanced one (like maybe the Typhon with some big one like the Peak, when I feel I milked the Dreadbox cow dry) but definitely not getting any more additional gear
@@zoned7609 that thing does so many things you don't need anything else. Also the iPad, although it may be cheating as it is software, helps a lot fighting GAS, you have amazing synth apps for as little as $9,99 that can mimic the sound of a $500 machine
Hello Gabe, first off, thanks so much for the amazing videos. You definitely helped me decide to purchase the Circuit Tracks and I love it. I have been struggling with DAWs then iPad + controllers to finally adopt this true minimalist device. That being said, for special times when I am willing to play with cables to expand capabilities, I plug in my iPad and now have access to a huge breadth of sounds. I personally love using Korg Gadget and use the panning trick to bring back 2 distinct synths. Provided you own an iPad this is an amazingly affordable and complete setup. Surprised hardly anyone uses that kind of setup.
curious, what about if you have studio 1, studio 2, 3, and 4? islolated locations in your house for specific gear combined together, but each trying to be minimal! eg. studio 1 (basement) mostly analog vintage synth studio with daw and rack good monitors. Studio 2 is a living room small table with a hidden k2000 underneath, a monologue, TD3 and logic, invisible cables: all mounted underside table. Studio 3 is just an 88 piano and a laptop with scaler in bedroom just for writing and for chord progressions. studio 4 is just an O1W off by itself with headphones in another bedroom just to escape and no one can find you in the house. it's kind of trying to make 4 themed and minimal places you can go to do something.... If you are a person who has already bought (especially vintage) gear over the years and your issue is not needing to buy more gear but more that you already have alot, I suppose you can create a highly organized system of storage in one location you can close the door on. make it so organized and neat that it's nice to go in there and appreciate the organization. that's how studios do it with shelves of vintage amps all labelled in their own places. if a person truly appreciates having a Matrix 6R, Juno 106, DX7, JX8p for how they all uniquely sound (and Roland Cloud does not do it for you with their virtual 2D synth cartoons you can't even own but can only rent ) then I guess there is a certain amount of weight you will have to carry around with you! It's admittedly very difficult to get rid of things that you put so much effort into to research, locate, negotiate and get into your studio, and on top of that, all of them are wildly appreciating in value year after year so that if you ever did sell it you would likely never be able to buy another one like it again! If you ever feel like you have too much, one remedy to keep you going for a while is to watch a junkie XL studio tour video. until it wears off: that will make anyone feel like anything they have is minimal!
Another bonus of all-in-one gear - there's no need to sync anything. Low friction, as you say. Maybe later on, if you want to add sequenced parts using a differently clocked device, there can be some fun... but that much is the same whether the first track is laid using an all-in-one groovebox or a synth farm of single function modules wired and synced together.
Yeah low friction is HUGE for me. If I can just pick something up and start tinkering, I'm much more likely to do it more often, even if I'm not feeling particularly creative. Those sessions often end up producing something cool.
You have a very similar workflow and mindset as me, for me is also motivated by lack of space, recently I got a Deluge, its main points: workflow and portability, recommended.
Somehow still I dont get why everything always has to be practical and used xD I Kind of collect gear and I just like doodling around for hours with different gear without having a recorder running or even thinking about ever releasing the Musical ideas most of the time....but I guess these Tipps are more focussed on not getting into a Spiral of buying and carving the next piece of gear
There's a lot to be said for keeping things playful with your music and music hardware purchases. Not everything needs to be about productivity and progress, right?
@@martinsouthall yeah that's what I mean. Most People also fly drones for fun not up loading Videos or racing Events. Driving rc cars without ever attending races. Collecting warhammer Minis and paint Ing them without ever playing a game xD for me these are hobbies and I live them how it's fun and affordable for me.
@@TheCuri Absolutely. Hobbies should enrich your life, uncorrupted by hard goals / hustle culture. I make music for fun. I'm building toward a live all-hardware show with a good friend, but if we don't end up pulling that off, we're still enjoying the process. I can see what Gabe's talking about too: having less stuff to split your energy on. But sometimes that's a part of the fun as well.
Idk if I'm necessarily chasing practicality, I still chase fun first and foremost. But I'd definitely like to encourage people to have fun making music, and not let researching or collecting gear get in the way of that. I tend to put an emphasis on finishing songs, because that's gratifying for me, but all of this can definitely apply to just experimenting and playing around.
@@martinsouthall I made a comment on this same topic elsewhere in this comment section. I'm similar where my goal is to be able to jam and spice up sessions with live instruments such as drumsets, guitars and keyboards with friends. As a result I don't spend any money on laptops, VSTIs and DAWs because for however cool they are, I know I won't get much use out of them after the initial 30 minutes of unboxing and demoing sounds. I think there is a way to apply Gabe's principles in some fashion no matter what your musical interests are. 🧠
Proper minimalism == one gear piece per need. Like one mono (Moog Sub 37CV), one polysynth (PolyBrute), one drum/groovebox (MV-1) ... ok two one for studio, one for more pocket music making, which is OP-Z ... sht that's already a violation of the basic rule LOL I like the thinking of guitar processing on synths! as you said, all-in-one or even software fx solution is cool enough to avoid wasting money on cables. I'd say minimalism nowadays is to avoid: 1 - buying any plastic midi controllers (instead use keys/knobs on synth and pads on groovebox) and 2 - there is no such thing as "one" modular synth :)
It's definitely all subjective, but overall, I really like cutting down on wasted devices and cables, and avoiding stuff that can become a black hole. My one plastic-y midi controller exception would be the Maschine Mikro, since I could use just that and my laptop if I wanted to and be pretty happy.
@@GabeMillerMusic Mikro MK3 is a really good one! Luxirious pad and a single screen following along with small footprint is great controller. Enjoyed it for lil, but returned to the Guitar Center (upon release it did not connect to iPad, so did not pass as multi-use device :). Sold others, incl M-Audio Pro keyboard (have 5 octaves on Polybrute), though stuck with BeatStep Pro. It stays in the box for trade-in :) but MV-1 and PolyBrute repeat sequencer functionality and workflow that I'm used to on BSP. I keep Keystep and XKey (Bluetooth) as small keys for iPad/iPhone, but Mikro stays on my wish list for maschine/daw and iOS controller, because its small and cool!
I Have a Roland thing going on,mc303 mc505 mc 808 mc909,love them all,alot have been worked on to make them work, mc505 for its display,mc 909 for its unresponsive rubber keys.Also an sp404. Also Casio(da da da) and its big brother, sister,all offers considered, Yamaha qy... Last one is the Novation. Then back to logic and garage... Point well made son....
Hi and thanks for you videos , myself i have purchased the novation tracks to intergrate into my music gear due to your videos which you have made the instrument a great asset in your gear.but as yet i not added to my fortea but will get it itegrated . I have multiple instruments but each has there place and are used in live conjuction real time sequences of which i do need so many due to programme stability in a qiuk way . But yes i do understand where you are going with this and i hope it helps others also . Thanks and hay HAVE A GREAT DAY ,,GIDDYUP :)
Well said! Grooveboxes are my favorite way to *start* songs and sketch ideas out, but I'm still developing my workflow from sketch to finished product, especially as I prefer the analog sound. I too have a good amount of stuff, but am quick to sell what I don't use. All good points on this video!
I recently purged the Model:Cycles and two big key controllers. Such good advice here, thanks Gabe. Through too much trial and error with stuff like the Model:Cycles and Pocket Operators, I learned that I don't really like working with drum synths, and I'd much rather have more of a sample-based workflow. That has heavily shaped how I think about my G.A.S. +100 for portable gear, though. I've always made more music away from home than in the studio.
As I had a massive, I am accumulating to much and using none purge today. This came at a great time. I kept 1 piece of gear. And building 1 piece at a time now.
I decided to sell some stuff bc I switched to Photography as my main obsession and I only kept the MC-101 and a Mono Station and it's great and liberating. I really don't need anything else and when I do I have Reaper with some effects and the V Collection. Especially after the 1.70 firmware update for the 101 I'm more likely to create something interesting with the 101 than I would be with multiple hardware synths. I'd love a Grandmother at some point in X years when I have some more space, but I've finally been pretty free from Gas for a couple months now.
I've been battling some GAS lately. I've got some incredibly similar gear and habits to you so this channel is a constant go to. I use to run two Circuits together as a 4 channel sequencer but thankfully was able to condence them down to a single Tracks. After selling the two Circuits for the Tracks I actually gained a few bucks (though I was selling 2 pieces of gear for 1). I'm currently running a Tracks into either an MC-101 or into a Volca FM and Alesis NanoPiano (tiny 90s romulator) w MS-50g for FX on the hardware.
I'm very slowly working on a video about some of the more expensive grooveboxes... Tbh, at this point, I'm much more interested in something that's fun to use than something that does it all.
Great video!! I just got a job after being laid off last year!! Now I got money again I’ve started to purchase stuff I couldn’t before!! Probably buying for the sake of it!! It ends up in the cupboard unused so my five in none out doesn’t work lol!! Great advice in all your videos thanks!!
Great perspectives, appreciate hearing it all. I repair & flip gear ~a lot~, and my setup can end up looking sort of "maximalist", if that's a term. 😂 But it comes from some of what you mention with groove boxes, I want to experience and understand as many of these things as I can, to get a better idea of what does / doesn't work for me, and the stuff I really connect with is what stays around.
This video was good for me. I'm thinking about getting a Korg Prologue and, while I still think I'm gonna get it, I'm going to probably sell off a couple pieces of gear that just don't make sense in my setup. Thanks for providing some ways to think about this, have a good one homes.
I reckon 2 groove boxes, good small mixer run it all through a compressor or amp on master. All you need to sound big. Mastering your gear is key, listen to Gabe.
regarding #3: i can agree about multiple poly synths, but mono synths are very different story. i have half a dozen of them (duplicate units not counted), and each one has different character. regarding #4: i prefer to have a (shelved) backup unit of each kind, just in case. also, rotating them is its own sort of fun.
I bought a Circuit Tracks thinking it would be easy to connect to an iPad, now I'm disappointed (to connect it you MUST have the iPad connected to power, you can't use it with the internal battery which I find completely ridiculous) I'm waiting to see what the rhythm can do. I still have a lot to make with only the two synths but I'm also having problems with polyphony so it's been a little frustrating. I hope they at least fix that.
I feel like everyone has a certain point where they realize they bought too much stuff. If you're lucky it's somewhere before you bankrupt yourself haha.
Another pro tip, if you hear a sound on a different synth that catches your attention, try and see first if your current synth is able to replicate it. Very often it'll save you money. Which leaves you with more money and space for synths that really are unique to your setup.
Yeah and it depends on the person. I've dabbled with the DAWless world, and found myself preferring a hybrid setup where I make songs on hardware and polish/finish them with software.
@@GabeMillerMusic And admittedly I am just a full-time hobbyist that mostly just wants to jam with friends. No current aspirations to produce polish final products. I respect your your work though as I don't make any money from my goofy noodling 😂😥
These are great rules. As someone who procrastinated for six months about hardware, I can't say I have finalized my ruleset, but some things that are important to me are: 1. Don't attempt any DAW-less adventures. It's about augmenting the music creation process, not replacing it. 2. Buy hardware that add something new to your sound or musical palette. Could be a synth type you don't have already in your DAW, or a workflow that significantly reduces the amount of work required to achieve a sound or effect compared to working purely in the DAW. 3. Buy hardware that solves as many of your needs at once as possible. This is similar to your rule of all-in-one boxes, but the focus for me isn't the ability to create full songs, but rather to get a lot of things done in one box that you find hard in the DAW. 4. Most importantly, make sure your hardware purchases add to the fun of making music. It's not about programming complete songs outside of the computer, it's about playful experimentation, jamming, unexpected results, finding those short moments between work meetings and other real life events and focusing those towards music making. My list led me to the Digitone: it's crazy versatile for what it is (basically an FM synth and a sequencer), and it checks all of the above boxes. Ironically it is one of the few "grooveboxes" you haven't reviewed, but it's similar to the Model:Cycles of course. The main differences are that it sounds so much better, offers a much deeper synth engine, and you can record all tracks separately into the DAW through USB audio. So far I've found myself jamming out almost full songs, designing new lead sounds, glitches and other sound effects, and perhaps above all, having so much fun doing it. The drum patterns you can create draw you towards completely new types of beats that I would never think of creating in the DAW. Somehow the Digitone manages to blend percussion and synth tones, making your beats some kind of hybrid that really adds to the music. I could never achieve the full extent of it in my DAW. Anyway, thanks again for playing an important role in my newfound discovery, and thanks for sharing your experiences with hardware!
Only buy gear if you have earned money with, either through music or by selling old stuff. That rule may convince your wife. My first hardware synth will be opsix:(rule 4) FM synth but can be used subtractively or as drawbar organ, too.
Good message, thanks - my method is to only acquire on Christmas and B’day. I’ve learned a lot from your channel just watching you compose and critical listening. I started with Minilogue just to learn concepts and turn knobs. Next Christmas Santa added a Grandmother so I could have a lead (GM) and pad (ML) sequencing together. Past Christmas added a Subharmonicon for texture which is frequntly a starting point (for me). For B’day this year got a Circuit (CT) to orchestrate, add drums and a couple of digital synths (one for bass line, one for color). There is a lot of fun sequencing them together. If the (CT) would send all tracks over USB to recording DAW, I would be set (at least until next Christmas). - Thanks for all the good content.
Hey Gabe! I watched Your Circuit Videos and bought a Novation Circuit Tracks. I really like the Workflow, but 2 Synth Tracks is not enough for me. As the Bass ist monophone, there is only Synth 2 with polyphony of 6. But Circuit Tracks offers 2 MIDI Tracks + Audio Inputs. So I connected my iPad with KORG Gadget 2 etc. A big problem, that no one talked about on TH-cam is a BIG LATENCY. BD coming from Circuit Tracks comes about 20ms before the iPad sound appears. Its the big, that I can hear 2 different beats like a flam on drums. I had a Studio 10 years ago and even with 32kbs MIDI I NEVER had such problems. I had the feeling, that there are timing problems in the first place an started analysing the problem. So I splitted the audio (Circuit Tracks left --> AMP and iPad right to AMP) and did not use the audio input on Circuit Tracks. The latency went better, but even if gadget plays his own BD loop and was only synchronised, I can hear the flam :-( You connected Roland MC-101. Did You have any timing/latency problems with that? Or is the solution just using slow pad sounds on external gear? I really like Circuit Tracks. But this bad timing could change my mind. And there is nothing comparable on the market (small, battery, workflow without display) :-(
Why not the Circuit tracks connected to the iPad? and listen to iPad audio output? Sorry for the self-promotion, but this video may help you with a new vision: th-cam.com/video/YOItQbkKyv8/w-d-xo.html
I can't look into it right now, but I've never run into any problems with latency, although to be fair, I've only ever connected to other hardware. In that case, I've had the MC-101, Model Cycles, and more work perfectly. I'm wondering if it's a problem with the iPad.
Hey! It’s probably not the Circuit Tracks that is the cause of latency in this setup - it certainly won’t be if Circuit Tracks is the MIDI clock source. It’s more likely Korg Gadget. Before ditching the Circuit Tracks, check the sample buffer size in Gadget, and reduce it to as low a number you can go to without degrading the performance of Gadget. I was experiencing some latency issues running AUM on the iPad, but lowering the buffer size fixed it. Hope this helps you!
i thought creating music is about expression, freedom, and creating whatever you feel. why does there need to be rules, be yourself stop following, lead, take control of what you want to use or dont want to use in your setup.
I totally agree that making music is about expression, and from what I've seen, impulsive purchasing or fixation on gear in general tend to stifle that. Ultimately I want people to take the focus off consumption so they can put more time and energy into creation. But often, the urge to buy something is irrational and can lead to self sabotage, hence the need for "rules."
@@GabeMillerMusic gotcha, it's just a bit of common sense to me. But I understand some will need guidelines. Say like someone wanting a Swarmatron cause it was used in the social network movie. Spend 6g and end up playing with it for a week and stuffing it aside.
i dont know why the youtube algorithm keep showing me your videos, but anyway .. you should get a Moog or a Prophet synth, it will drastically change your opinions about gear
During this pandemic, I can't stop watching synth videos and buying EVERYTHING
Yeah it's definitely tempting, especially when we're all craving novelty and excitement. Hopefully I can encourage people to chase that novelty and excitement by spending time making music.
@@GabeMillerMusic I'm watching your channel from Malaysia. I absolutely love it. The one thing that has changed for me is portability. That's thanks to your channel. I have a Maschine mk3. To get it up and running always seems like a chore. Then I got the Roland trs8. It was hooked up to my mixer and to my monitors. I ended up with the 101 (thanks to you) and everything changed. I must add that I also have a Polyend tracker which is absolutely AMAZING. Check it out if you haven't already. I am keenly watching your videos on the Novation circuit to see if I want to get that. Portability and no menu diving. I know I've spent a lot, but we are in a lockdown. No place to go. Nothing to spend money on. This gives me happiness. Thanks for the content. You make a difference.
Saaaame here. Trying to be done with it now tho and work with what I have.
My rule is, Spend 2h, or release 1min worth of music per euro the device costed, before buying another device.
Helps me aim small gear, or second hand, or make sure the really expensive is really the necessary, makes me focus to the "what do I really need".
Wise comment by Sadiquecat is screenshot and ur in my gallery now
Cool concept, I must apply it!
I like this a lot
That’s a super smart rule
I recently sold a lot of my gear (volcas, circuit, model:cycles, POs) and bought an OP-1. I had fun with all these pieces of gear but realized I never used them in my actual music. Most of the time they just sat there while I made music in Logic using plugins. My setup now is the OP-1 for songwriting and idea sketching which I LOVE and an Arturia Microfreak and a microKorg for sound design. My 2 cents: get gear that’s gonna help u make music how you want to. If it’s collecting dust, sell it and get something else.
My man Gabe over here spittin' the truths
You talk much but always with good contents and not repeating. Thank you.
This was a fantastic video. I'm a complete beginner and I picked up the circuit tracks last week. It's a blast and it's very user friendly. I'm thinking about getting a microfreak as a companion to it down the road but for now I'm super content with just the 6 tracks. Something with a screen or alot of options would definitely feel daunting and I'd be more likely to give up.
One thing I found is that when I began I did not know what my workflow would be so made some purchasing mistakes until I slipped into an approach that I seemed to gel with. I now have some GAS insurance in devices I bought without knowing exactly what I wanted from my setup.
I collect stuff, and have for years. And I don't often use like 90% of the stuff I buy/collect. But there are days when I'm like "I'm REALLY glad I still have that." Case in point: Korg microSAMPLER. One of the best pieces of gear ever made. That, the Yamaha Reface CP... Arturia Microfreak.... pedals.... it's all fun. Do I need all that stuff? Absolutely not. Am I glad I have it? Absolutely! Did I go broke picking it all up here and there? Absolutely not. Key phrase-- "here and there."
If you're addicted to gear..... the key is... buy used (99% of the time), do payment plans (if you absolutely have to have it within 90 days of its release), and research everything to death. Thanks to people like you, Gabe and countless others... who go through the gear extensively... we know exactly what gear will make us happy and inspired, and what won't. For me, I have zero interest in eurorack hardware. Zero. But other stuff? Love it. If people like you, everyone else, and even me (depending on my youtube output), didn't exist.. imagine all the bad choices we'd all make, buying gear, knowing only of a manufacturer's ad for it, and only that (early 90s flashback). Boy, times have changed, and we can truly know every single thing about a piece of gear, before we take a chance on it. And I am grateful to everyone out there, for helping all of us make smart choices.
In 1990, my friend's dad helped him get an $1800 Yamaha SY-55, which he loved to death. Since 2005, an SY-55 can be grabbed for $200 or less. Powerful synth, sure..... but worth $2k at the time? Crazy. $1800 in 1990 equals about $3600, in today's dollars. Do you know how much awesome gear you can get with $3600 today? A LOT.
That said, I've made entire albums using only Reaper and free plugins, with a $50 midi controller, $30 dynamic mic, and $80 audio interface... and years ago, I made a bunch of lo-fi stuff using a $200 cassette 4-track. But having all these awesome tools now.... it's ultimately inspiring. Not necessarily overwhelming. But, some days.. yeah, it's definitely overwhelming. My life dream when I was 12 was to have a home studio with all the toys I wanted to play with, and then some. And I have it, and it makes me smile, every day.
No matter how little gear you have, or too much gear.... you've got to stay creative, no matter what... every single day. All of us have the keys to the kingdom, with perfect sounds at the click of a mouse button, and an entire home recording setup, with a month's work from a part-time job. We are all pretty damn lucky. It's an amazing time for creatives. Probably the most amazing time in history. You all have the keys to the kingdom. Don't blow it.
Missives/narratives like this deserve a wider forum than a comment sandwiched in the middle on a random YT video.... Please write more and share where more people will read, and pick up what you're putting down! Three thumbs up 👍👍👍👽
@@darkuniversesound Thanks! :)
@@darkuniversesound Btw, where else should I write/share/vlog? Seems like youtube is still the best place to talk about this kind of stuff! :)
@@DopamineOverload Maybe you have a good point there! Maybe you need a video channel 😁🤙
I started learning how electronic music is made, how to make music, how to play keys as my first instrument, how synths work, how a smartphone operates, all at once, sparked by an unexpected Xmas gift in 2020 of a midi controller. Learn on my own with yt and some entry level hardware. This channel has been a lot of help for me to learn a lot in a short period of time. Thanks Gabe. Your perspective on minimalism helps a newbie attempting to optimize for value.
I am totally aligned with your thoughts. I could avoid the spiral of buying gear. Right now with just some midi controllers, the Deluge, an iPad, and recently a Dreadbox Typhon (because I GASed for some analog sound) I have a holy trinity not needing anything else. I built my DIY wood stand with a limited size to avoid thinking in getting more gear to fill it. If I feel I want to buy anything else is to replace one of them for a more advanced one (like maybe the Typhon with some big one like the Peak, when I feel I milked the Dreadbox cow dry) but definitely not getting any more additional gear
oh man... the DELUGE....
@@zoned7609 that thing does so many things you don't need anything else. Also the iPad, although it may be cheating as it is software, helps a lot fighting GAS, you have amazing synth apps for as little as $9,99 that can mimic the sound of a $500 machine
Rule 1 is fantastic and took me way too long to figure out. Super helpful stuff here, esp for people who may be overwhelmed by the urge!!
Hello Gabe, first off, thanks so much for the amazing videos. You definitely helped me decide to purchase the Circuit Tracks and I love it. I have been struggling with DAWs then iPad + controllers to finally adopt this true minimalist device. That being said, for special times when I am willing to play with cables to expand capabilities, I plug in my iPad and now have access to a huge breadth of sounds. I personally love using Korg Gadget and use the panning trick to bring back 2 distinct synths. Provided you own an iPad this is an amazingly affordable and complete setup. Surprised hardly anyone uses that kind of setup.
curious, what about if you have studio 1, studio 2, 3, and 4? islolated locations in your house for specific gear combined together, but each trying to be minimal!
eg.
studio 1 (basement) mostly analog vintage synth studio with daw and rack good monitors.
Studio 2 is a living room small table with a hidden k2000 underneath, a monologue, TD3 and logic, invisible cables: all mounted underside table.
Studio 3 is just an 88 piano and a laptop with scaler in bedroom just for writing and for chord progressions.
studio 4 is just an O1W off by itself with headphones in another bedroom just to escape and no one can find you in the house.
it's kind of trying to make 4 themed and minimal places you can go to do something.... If you are a person who has already bought (especially vintage) gear over the years and your issue is not needing to buy more gear but more that you already have alot, I suppose you can create a highly organized system of storage in one location you can close the door on. make it so organized and neat that it's nice to go in there and appreciate the organization. that's how studios do it with shelves of vintage amps all labelled in their own places.
if a person truly appreciates having a Matrix 6R, Juno 106, DX7, JX8p for how they all uniquely sound (and Roland Cloud does not do it for you with their virtual 2D synth cartoons you can't even own but can only rent ) then I guess there is a certain amount of weight you will have to carry around with you!
It's admittedly very difficult to get rid of things that you put so much effort into to research, locate, negotiate and get into your studio, and on top of that, all of them are wildly appreciating in value year after year so that if you ever did sell it you would likely never be able to buy another one like it again! If you ever feel like you have too much, one remedy to keep you going for a while is to watch a junkie XL studio tour video. until it wears off: that will make anyone feel like anything they have is minimal!
how do you keep your gear so clean? all my stuff is constantly getting covered in dust
Honesty in the workflow is crucial, that’s a great point. waiting is my number 1 bad habit, I have so much gear I only 1/4 understand how to work
Another bonus of all-in-one gear - there's no need to sync anything. Low friction, as you say. Maybe later on, if you want to add sequenced parts using a differently clocked device, there can be some fun... but that much is the same whether the first track is laid using an all-in-one groovebox or a synth farm of single function modules wired and synced together.
Yeah low friction is HUGE for me. If I can just pick something up and start tinkering, I'm much more likely to do it more often, even if I'm not feeling particularly creative. Those sessions often end up producing something cool.
You have a very similar workflow and mindset as me, for me is also motivated by lack of space, recently I got a Deluge, its main points: workflow and portability, recommended.
Somehow still I dont get why everything always has to be practical and used xD I Kind of collect gear and I just like doodling around for hours with different gear without having a recorder running or even thinking about ever releasing the Musical ideas most of the time....but I guess these Tipps are more focussed on not getting into a Spiral of buying and carving the next piece of gear
There's a lot to be said for keeping things playful with your music and music hardware purchases. Not everything needs to be about productivity and progress, right?
@@martinsouthall yeah that's what I mean. Most People also fly drones for fun not up loading Videos or racing Events. Driving rc cars without ever attending races. Collecting warhammer Minis and paint Ing them without ever playing a game xD for me these are hobbies and I live them how it's fun and affordable for me.
@@TheCuri Absolutely. Hobbies should enrich your life, uncorrupted by hard goals / hustle culture. I make music for fun. I'm building toward a live all-hardware show with a good friend, but if we don't end up pulling that off, we're still enjoying the process.
I can see what Gabe's talking about too: having less stuff to split your energy on. But sometimes that's a part of the fun as well.
Idk if I'm necessarily chasing practicality, I still chase fun first and foremost. But I'd definitely like to encourage people to have fun making music, and not let researching or collecting gear get in the way of that. I tend to put an emphasis on finishing songs, because that's gratifying for me, but all of this can definitely apply to just experimenting and playing around.
@@martinsouthall I made a comment on this same topic elsewhere in this comment section. I'm similar where my goal is to be able to jam and spice up sessions with live instruments such as drumsets, guitars and keyboards with friends. As a result I don't spend any money on laptops, VSTIs and DAWs because for however cool they are, I know I won't get much use out of them after the initial 30 minutes of unboxing and demoing sounds. I think there is a way to apply Gabe's principles in some fashion no matter what your musical interests are. 🧠
I believe the closest you can get to a DAW-in-a-BOX for a relatively low price, is the AKAI Force. Look it up and see all it does 😉
It's on my list of devices to try, it's been super highly requested. If you happen to know, what does it offer over something like the MPC One?
Proper minimalism == one gear piece per need. Like one mono (Moog Sub 37CV), one polysynth (PolyBrute), one drum/groovebox (MV-1) ... ok two one for studio, one for more pocket music making, which is OP-Z ... sht that's already a violation of the basic rule LOL
I like the thinking of guitar processing on synths! as you said, all-in-one or even software fx solution is cool enough to avoid wasting money on cables.
I'd say minimalism nowadays is to avoid: 1 - buying any plastic midi controllers (instead use keys/knobs on synth and pads on groovebox) and 2 - there is no such thing as "one" modular synth :)
It's definitely all subjective, but overall, I really like cutting down on wasted devices and cables, and avoiding stuff that can become a black hole. My one plastic-y midi controller exception would be the Maschine Mikro, since I could use just that and my laptop if I wanted to and be pretty happy.
@@GabeMillerMusic Mikro MK3 is a really good one! Luxirious pad and a single screen following along with small footprint is great controller. Enjoyed it for lil, but returned to the Guitar Center (upon release it did not connect to iPad, so did not pass as multi-use device :). Sold others, incl M-Audio Pro keyboard (have 5 octaves on Polybrute), though stuck with BeatStep Pro. It stays in the box for trade-in :) but MV-1 and PolyBrute repeat sequencer functionality and workflow that I'm used to on BSP. I keep Keystep and XKey (Bluetooth) as small keys for iPad/iPhone, but Mikro stays on my wish list for maschine/daw and iOS controller, because its small and cool!
I Have a Roland thing going on,mc303 mc505 mc 808 mc909,love them all,alot have been worked on to make them work, mc505 for its display,mc 909 for its unresponsive rubber keys.Also an sp404.
Also Casio(da da da) and its big brother, sister,all offers considered,
Yamaha qy...
Last one is the Novation.
Then back to logic and garage...
Point well made son....
Hi and thanks for you videos , myself i have purchased the novation tracks to intergrate into my music gear due to your videos which you have made the instrument a great asset in your gear.but as yet i not added to my fortea but will get it itegrated . I have multiple instruments but each has there place and are used in live conjuction real time sequences of which i do need so many due to programme stability in a qiuk way . But yes i do understand where you are going with this and i hope it helps others also . Thanks and hay HAVE A GREAT DAY ,,GIDDYUP :)
Well said! Grooveboxes are my favorite way to *start* songs and sketch ideas out, but I'm still developing my workflow from sketch to finished product, especially as I prefer the analog sound. I too have a good amount of stuff, but am quick to sell what I don't use. All good points on this video!
I recently purged the Model:Cycles and two big key controllers. Such good advice here, thanks Gabe. Through too much trial and error with stuff like the Model:Cycles and Pocket Operators, I learned that I don't really like working with drum synths, and I'd much rather have more of a sample-based workflow. That has heavily shaped how I think about my G.A.S. +100 for portable gear, though. I've always made more music away from home than in the studio.
As I had a massive, I am accumulating to much and using none purge today. This came at a great time. I kept 1 piece of gear. And building 1 piece at a time now.
I decided to sell some stuff bc I switched to Photography as my main obsession and I only kept the MC-101 and a Mono Station and it's great and liberating. I really don't need anything else and when I do I have Reaper with some effects and the V Collection. Especially after the 1.70 firmware update for the 101 I'm more likely to create something interesting with the 101 than I would be with multiple hardware synths. I'd love a Grandmother at some point in X years when I have some more space, but I've finally been pretty free from Gas for a couple months now.
I've been battling some GAS lately. I've got some incredibly similar gear and habits to you so this channel is a constant go to. I use to run two Circuits together as a 4 channel sequencer but thankfully was able to condence them down to a single Tracks. After selling the two Circuits for the Tracks I actually gained a few bucks (though I was selling 2 pieces of gear for 1).
I'm currently running a Tracks into either an MC-101 or into a Volca FM and Alesis NanoPiano (tiny 90s romulator) w MS-50g for FX on the hardware.
Electribe 2 Sampler and MicroKorg, run through an interface into my laptop. It's all I need, hours of use per session.
I like your G.A.S. Insurance -- totally get it. Good advice.
Great video Gabe! As someone currently looking for a “holy grail” do it all groovebox workstation you have given me lots to think about!
I'm very slowly working on a video about some of the more expensive grooveboxes... Tbh, at this point, I'm much more interested in something that's fun to use than something that does it all.
Great video!! I just got a job after being laid off last year!! Now I got money again I’ve started to purchase stuff I couldn’t before!! Probably buying for the sake of it!! It ends up in the cupboard unused so my five in none out doesn’t work lol!! Great advice in all your videos thanks!!
2:10 For a sec there I thought this was a video from your childhood, until I noticed the gear.
Very good video young man.
Great perspectives, appreciate hearing it all.
I repair & flip gear ~a lot~, and my setup can end up looking sort of "maximalist", if that's a term. 😂
But it comes from some of what you mention with groove boxes, I want to experience and understand as many of these things as I can, to get a better idea of what does / doesn't work for me, and the stuff I really connect with is what stays around.
Yeah it definitely takes time to figure out what you like in terms of sound, interface, features, etc. But once you do, that's when you double down
This video was good for me. I'm thinking about getting a Korg Prologue and, while I still think I'm gonna get it, I'm going to probably sell off a couple pieces of gear that just don't make sense in my setup. Thanks for providing some ways to think about this, have a good one homes.
Good video Gabe. Looking forward to hear what you think about the Zoom multi FX pedal... I’ve been considering grabbing one of these!
You should look into getting an mpc for sampling in any of your devices. Especially helpful with the circuit limitations
Stay tuned for next week or the week after....
Hello Gabe any news on circuit rythm yet ?
Music gear seems to hold it's value pretty well - I always get my stuff on eBay and sell stuff I no longer use.
I reckon 2 groove boxes, good small mixer run it all through a compressor or amp on master. All you need to sound big. Mastering your gear is key, listen to Gabe.
regarding #3: i can agree about multiple poly synths, but mono synths are very different story. i have half a dozen of them (duplicate units not counted), and each one has different character.
regarding #4: i prefer to have a (shelved) backup unit of each kind, just in case. also, rotating them is its own sort of fun.
Fair enough!
💯
Jack of all trades, master of none. More of a master than a master of one.
Very wise words .
Thanks.
I bought a Circuit Tracks thinking it would be easy to connect to an iPad, now I'm disappointed (to connect it you MUST have the iPad connected to power, you can't use it with the internal battery which I find completely ridiculous) I'm waiting to see what the rhythm can do. I still have a lot to make with only the two synths but I'm also having problems with polyphony so it's been a little frustrating. I hope they at least fix that.
An iPad dongle costs 30 bucks. It's worth it. Trust me on this one. Buy a dongle and a 5pin midi to usb cable.
@@dictabeat I'm thinking on getting a widi master. I don't like cables
I feel like everyone has a certain point where they realize they bought too much stuff. If you're lucky it's somewhere before you bankrupt yourself haha.
Truth
Another pro tip, if you hear a sound on a different synth that catches your attention, try and see first if your current synth is able to replicate it. Very often it'll save you money. Which leaves you with more money and space for synths that really are unique to your setup.
Rule #1 is exactly why I've been DAWless since 2014. Ableton? What is an Ableton?Very good tip.
Yeah and it depends on the person. I've dabbled with the DAWless world, and found myself preferring a hybrid setup where I make songs on hardware and polish/finish them with software.
@@GabeMillerMusic And admittedly I am just a full-time hobbyist that mostly just wants to jam with friends. No current aspirations to produce polish final products. I respect your your work though as I don't make any money from my goofy noodling 😂😥
❤️
Great video sometimes really less is more ☺
Just buy everything. This is The Way. 😉
I found simplicity of gear works for me because if it’s to complex to use then it takes away from the creation process for me.
Gabe Miller Music do you like either MC-707 or Cycles preferably for custom drum sounds/patterns?
I'm not a minimalist, but I'm indeed poor and this approach helps a lot to not feel bad about not having gear
I find that utter poverty is an incredibly effective strategy against GAS.
@@SynthApprentice sorry for that silly question, but what does this GAS slang/meme actually mean? I am a foreigner. Thank you :)
@@m-stat9 It stands for "gear acquisition syndrome". It's when you buy more and more musical instruments and equipment.
@@SynthApprentice thanks! Actually not that different to 'giving a shit' (about buying another piece of gear) 😅
The title was worth the like already.
Important stuff.
Great topic!
These are great rules. As someone who procrastinated for six months about hardware, I can't say I have finalized my ruleset, but some things that are important to me are:
1. Don't attempt any DAW-less adventures. It's about augmenting the music creation process, not replacing it.
2. Buy hardware that add something new to your sound or musical palette. Could be a synth type you don't have already in your DAW, or a workflow that significantly reduces the amount of work required to achieve a sound or effect compared to working purely in the DAW.
3. Buy hardware that solves as many of your needs at once as possible. This is similar to your rule of all-in-one boxes, but the focus for me isn't the ability to create full songs, but rather to get a lot of things done in one box that you find hard in the DAW.
4. Most importantly, make sure your hardware purchases add to the fun of making music. It's not about programming complete songs outside of the computer, it's about playful experimentation, jamming, unexpected results, finding those short moments between work meetings and other real life events and focusing those towards music making.
My list led me to the Digitone: it's crazy versatile for what it is (basically an FM synth and a sequencer), and it checks all of the above boxes. Ironically it is one of the few "grooveboxes" you haven't reviewed, but it's similar to the Model:Cycles of course. The main differences are that it sounds so much better, offers a much deeper synth engine, and you can record all tracks separately into the DAW through USB audio. So far I've found myself jamming out almost full songs, designing new lead sounds, glitches and other sound effects, and perhaps above all, having so much fun doing it. The drum patterns you can create draw you towards completely new types of beats that I would never think of creating in the DAW. Somehow the Digitone manages to blend percussion and synth tones, making your beats some kind of hybrid that really adds to the music. I could never achieve the full extent of it in my DAW.
Anyway, thanks again for playing an important role in my newfound discovery, and thanks for sharing your experiences with hardware!
True 👍
Only buy gear if you have earned money with, either through music or by selling old stuff. That rule may convince your wife.
My first hardware synth will be opsix:(rule 4)
FM synth but can be used subtractively or as drawbar organ, too.
I like that a lot, I do something similar... I only allow myself to use money that the channel generates to buy gear.
Your "duplicate" rule I call my "redundancy" rule. Same thing.
Totally!
GOLD rules!
Good message, thanks - my method is to only acquire on Christmas and B’day. I’ve learned a lot from your channel just watching you compose and critical listening. I started with Minilogue just to learn concepts and turn knobs. Next Christmas Santa added a Grandmother so I could have a lead (GM) and pad (ML) sequencing together. Past Christmas added a Subharmonicon for texture which is frequntly a starting point (for me). For B’day this year got a Circuit (CT) to orchestrate, add drums and a couple of digital synths (one for bass line, one for color). There is a lot of fun sequencing them together. If the (CT) would send all tracks over USB to recording DAW, I would be set (at least until next Christmas). - Thanks for all the good content.
I did not hear a single word you said between 2:09 and 2:25
Hey Gabe!
I watched Your Circuit Videos and bought a Novation Circuit Tracks. I really like the Workflow, but 2 Synth Tracks is not enough for me. As the Bass ist monophone, there is only Synth 2 with polyphony of 6.
But Circuit Tracks offers 2 MIDI Tracks + Audio Inputs. So I connected my iPad with KORG Gadget 2 etc.
A big problem, that no one talked about on TH-cam is a BIG LATENCY.
BD coming from Circuit Tracks comes about 20ms before the iPad sound appears. Its the big, that I can hear 2 different beats like a flam on drums. I had a Studio 10 years ago and even with 32kbs MIDI I NEVER had such problems.
I had the feeling, that there are timing problems in the first place an started analysing the problem. So I splitted the audio (Circuit Tracks left --> AMP and iPad right to AMP) and did not use the audio input on Circuit Tracks. The latency went better, but even if gadget plays his own BD loop and was only synchronised, I can hear the flam :-(
You connected Roland MC-101. Did You have any timing/latency problems with that?
Or is the solution just using slow pad sounds on external gear?
I really like Circuit Tracks. But this bad timing could change my mind. And there is nothing comparable on the market (small, battery, workflow without display) :-(
Why not the Circuit tracks connected to the iPad? and listen to iPad audio output? Sorry for the self-promotion, but this video may help you with a new vision: th-cam.com/video/YOItQbkKyv8/w-d-xo.html
I can't look into it right now, but I've never run into any problems with latency, although to be fair, I've only ever connected to other hardware. In that case, I've had the MC-101, Model Cycles, and more work perfectly. I'm wondering if it's a problem with the iPad.
Hey! It’s probably not the Circuit Tracks that is the cause of latency in this setup - it certainly won’t be if Circuit Tracks is the MIDI clock source. It’s more likely Korg Gadget. Before ditching the Circuit Tracks, check the sample buffer size in Gadget, and reduce it to as low a number you can go to without degrading the performance of Gadget.
I was experiencing some latency issues running AUM on the iPad, but lowering the buffer size fixed it. Hope this helps you!
@@MonitusMusic As I wrote: A big problem, that no one talked about on TH-cam is a BIG LATENCY. Read my full text.
@@JamesMcMeeken I will check the setup with an external Synth instead of the iPad.
i thought creating music is about expression, freedom, and creating whatever you feel.
why does there need to be rules, be yourself stop following, lead, take control of what you want to use or dont want to use in your setup.
I totally agree that making music is about expression, and from what I've seen, impulsive purchasing or fixation on gear in general tend to stifle that. Ultimately I want people to take the focus off consumption so they can put more time and energy into creation. But often, the urge to buy something is irrational and can lead to self sabotage, hence the need for "rules."
@@GabeMillerMusic gotcha, it's just a bit of common sense to me. But I understand some will need guidelines.
Say like someone wanting a Swarmatron cause it was used in the social network movie. Spend 6g and end up playing with it for a week and stuffing it aside.
i dont know why the youtube algorithm keep showing me your videos, but anyway .. you should get a Moog or a Prophet synth, it will drastically change your opinions about gear
Cool tshirt 👍
I just heard about that Novation Circuit MONOSTATION …. Have you tried it? Is it a better synth than the normal Circuit (And Tracks)?!
I would like all equipment to be battery powered
Sounds like you need a M8
I'm super interested to try one, but they're backordered due to the chip shortage.
You'll go modular. ;D
Can't we just buy a music store lol - I wish I haven't bet GAS and I honestly don't think I will lol .
Haha
First?