I think the Pulsar-23 is a modern classic that will increase in value in the future. Apart from that, the sounds it produces are absolute madness. If I were you, I would spend another few weeks with it and only then evaluate whether a sale comes into question.
I sold my Pulsar yesterday. It's a brilliant machine, just not a good fit for me. I never see it mentioned, but the finger drumming is a cornerstone feature and the main reason to use the loopers. Learning to finger drum isn't where I want to invest my time so felt like I was missing out on a huge portion of Pulsar's power.
@@NickVu Well, that's something you should think about before buying a drum machine :-) But the good thing about the Pulsar is that it is a fantastic machine for sound design. I hope you didn't make a big loss. Merry Christmas.
Selling gear actually got me inspired to make music again, as all the gear was just in a pile... It was a mess. Now though, I am back to where I want to be. I can see my gear now, and the gear I don't use as much, but love too much to sell, I keep tucked away for later (if I miss using them and get inspired) Thank you, great video, and content. Subscribed❤
Awesome and honest video! It's inspiring me to dig deep for chopping block candidates. I have a kp3 that ive bought for the second time that I've been debating to sell. I want to start funding my journey into modular with an arturia rackbrute, and kp3 can probably get me halfway there. I think it's ok to sell because if I miss it, maybe I can find a kp3+ down the road. Good luck with your purge!
I have like 4 synths packed, don't need to sell just yet but they're on the chopping board, not down sizing, just getting rid of stuff I really don't need. Great channel, subbed.
Great topic! I do this type of gear cleansing/inventory quite a bit these days. I had the same experience/outcome w/ Metropolix, AKAI MPC Live (v1), Deluge and a few others. I had a similiar reaction to yours on the OT, and gave it more time with different setup/pairings, and glad I kept it. Definitely a workhorse more often now. Pulsar-23 is another new piece here and I am struggling with that one as well, but giving it more time and experimentation. It's honestly the most perplexing machine I've had in terms of love/hate relationship so far. Anyhow, my GAS tank marches on. Cheers, DMT!
Thank you for creating this video and sharing tour experiences with gear and downsizing. I have been putting off getting rid of some gear for awhile. Your video has inspired me and it's time to pull the trigger! Now to get to listing & selling!
When I truly got into gearing acquisition, I had a vision and a very precise idea of what kind of gear, and especially sound I was looking for. Once I got my effects pedals, synth (singular) and sound processing stuff, I felt fulfilled and I now feel like I genuinely don’t need anything more or new. My signature sound is what it is because of the hours put into the gear I bought and the sound design research. Your video is a great reminder, to me, that a vision for your creative process and sound is key before impulsive purchases and getting overhyped over something you don’t necessarily need to make your music, and ultimately, your workflow and mindset, better. Thank you for that!
I'm in the middle of doing an end-of-year purge myself. Already gone are an Octatrack mk2, UDO Super 6, Strymon Starlab, ALM Squid Salmple, and a few other misc euro modules. Still have more to go. I finally realized that if I can't remember how to use a piece of gear after not using it for a month and have to dig out the manual I don't want it in my studio. Pulsar 23 is a classic dont let it go... also... the octatrack makes a great sequencer for the pulsar. Enjoyed your video man, have a great holiday.
I sold alot of my gear when I went out of work and although it paid my rent for three months, it's stuff I'll never be able to afford again. Bought a little drum machine and mono synth last year but ended up selling it again because of life. Once I have moved house I gotta really think along the lines of, how much will I use it? Does it bring me joy? Do I get the full value of its feature set compared to what it's worth? Important questions to ask yourself and healthy to do so. It's a daunting feeling to be surrounded by possessions you don't use.
I Bought a few physical sythersizors and pedals however actually setting them up and using them is alot of hassle because I have damp and cant keep the gear set up, plus My space is limited. What happens is, I'll get a single sythersizor out of the box, mess with it, usually just editing from presets and enjoying the device maby load up some drum loops from My laptop or tablet and play along for a few hours then back in the box it goes for another few weeks. Its easier to just use software however, plus everything is easy to capture like midi and audio.
If you are in doubt, then sell it I would say and that goes for anything. There is nothing worse than having a box that you feel kinda guilty of not using/utilize. Only keep what you dont contemplate selling.
if you havent used it in years and dont have active plans on using it, sure. But if you use it sometimes but maybe think you'd like to sell/trade it there can definitely be regret of getting rid of it. depends a lot on the financials of the situation.
@@mwatkins0590 another aspect is the availability of the gear. If you regret it, can you get another one? Or maybe there is a somewhat equal alternative? I've owned plenty of Ensoniq's, but had to wait about 10 years until I found an ASR10-Rack (the absolute flagship of Ensoniq samplers) at a decent price. I finally let it go about a year ago, knowing I won't get many chances of securing another one. Intellectually, I don't regret it, it was kind of a PITA to program even when knowing it inside and out (which took me years), not the best UI, and who knows how long a 30+ year piece of gear will hold up? But emotionally, it still hurts, I even have dreams about it. I loved that thing, the algorithms were pure magic. The sound had its own identity, gritty ambient deluxe.
Sold all my gear apart from my MPC and my microfreak ,I had a room full of gear and now I have the instruments I will actually use ,no regrets ,I used the money to buy my girl some nice presents
Nice video! This is the first time I've seen your channel, hilarious that you started it out as "Stereotypical Asian accountant guy", which made the switch to YOU as you are all the more enjoyable. I have an MPC Live (one, not two) as the brain of my hardware setup. Interesting that you feel like it is like being tied to a computer. One of my favourite things about it is that it means I'm NOT tied to my computer. No notifications, no fussing with a mouse and keyboard. Just pads, buttons, and the touchscreen. I've gotten well used to the interface and workflow, having used it since 2017, in which time I've seen its functionality improved upon by Akai for all of these years. As a sequencer/controller for all of my hardware synths, not to mention the device that turns tracks and sequences into printed MP3 and FLAC files, it's a Godsend, especially as it removes any need for a computer in the process. I've seen that you have a LOT of gear, how do you get your music from all that gear into recordings, MP3s, and sharable sound files? What's the end process or end step, for you? Anyhow, thanks again for the enjoyable video and Merry Christmas, brotherman.
Thanks for the kind words. Obviously Akai is a great piece. I just wasn’t jiving with the touch screen Ux even though it’s very well implemented. I guess I felt a little bit too much like an iPad for a computer. But still yeah I hear yeah! Thanks for sharing!!!
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE Yep, I can totally understand how a device can work for some and not for others. :D Neither makes it good or bad, at least not universally, it just is what it is. Anyhow, thanks again for the great presentation! Happy holidays, brotherman.
OMG, selling my Octatrack is one of the best things I ever did. I spent a year learning and using it, only to be disappointed by it's actual capabilities. This unit like no other gains credit for being "powerful" because nearly nobody who owns one actually gets far enough through that crappy and conflicting user interface to realize it's actual capabilities. It's pretty limited compared to so much other gear you could get. I feel a lot of gear does this to us... we "feel" like we should be getting more out of it because we see someone else doing that. But in the end, it's just a bad piece of gear for us that is stealing our attention and time. It's ok if someone else loves the same gear and makes music on it. But my rule is, if I don't vibe with something immediately, I probably never will. It has never been worth the effort on gear like that for me, no matter what the marketing on it says. I did keep my MPC Live II though. I agree with you (and others) that it does have some "bad in-the-box" elements, but it also has some killer pads on it that are fun AF to jam on. And the speaker and onboard is the deal sealer for me. While I would never mix or make crucial decisions on these, the ability to drag ONE box anywhere I go is excellent and can promote a lot of music making and experimentation. Limitations on power just force you to make decisions sooner and move on. Then add the fact that it can sample, auto multi sample, control via CV or midi out, use audio interfaces, and export full stems, and you have seriously the best game in town IMHO. I think of it as a scratch pad rather than a DAW replacement, and for many that shift in focus can make all the difference. "The best" is the enemy of getting shit done. "Good enough" lasts all day/night long! Also, not to start a flame war, but feature to feature, the MPC live shits all over the Octatrack when it comes to features and power. Honestly, the gap is TREMENDOUS. And yet interestingly people tend to refer to the MPC as underpowered, and the Octatrack as super powerful.
Disagree. I used a Live for a while and all I felt like I was doing was the same work as in a DAW but with ho hum in box elements and an annoying sequencer/interface. I see no benefit from the speakers and personally I hate pads. An Octatrack takes a lot to learn, and it isn’t perfect, but I like the zone it puts you in and the immediacy of mangling samples and audio.
For me the fact that the Octatrack has limits helps. The design is well thought out, but you have to learn its constraints and be aware of the time investment for that. To me that makes it more like a musical instrument.
I'm thinking Deckard's Dream will retain its lofty value over the long haul and its really an excellent, unique analogue poly. Played alongside the most excellent Novation Peak there's sonorities and timbre quality in the DDR that, imho just aren't available in the Peak - ( ...but that Peak UI is really laid out extremely well).
Pulsar-23 is less "sequencer" and more "CV looper." Try: rst-.25clk (sets the loop length), record random tapping on an instrument, quantize, erase random parts, quantize, tap randomly again, etc. Use that as a way to breakup and add character to a clock trigger source for that signal. It can be really useful and fun when you don't think of it as a sequencer
I haven't sold anything since 2004, - and the last device I sold was a TB-303. These days, I just buy gear I know I'll want to keep, - I don't rush out anymore and do pre-orders for every new shiny thing that comes out, like I did when I was younger.
I had both MPC and Okta. The same feelings - MPC brings me back to PC\MAC feelings - to check the updates first, load the samples via WIFI ets. While Okta always surveys the main purpose - to mess up with a music, mix and mangle with sound on the go, and so on. I felt Okta should be more complex to master that MPC, but at the end - I forgot what to do with Akai all the time I'm touching it, while Elektron gets more and more intuitive with every usage. So, MPC - gone, Okta - left (+ added more elektron devices)
I love the Elektron stuff - I have an Octatrack and an Analog 4. They have a steep learning curve because they work so differently to many other products, but after using them, I’ve convinced they have given a lot of thought to the workflow, and they have made it very logical - harder to learn, but much easier to stick with it.
I recently sold a Dreadbox Typhon. It has a real nice sound but I struggled with the menu layout. And though I got some real nice sounds out of it, I also had a high level of frustration. Sometimes you turn a knob and nothing happens. Sometimes you barely touch a knob and it goes off the rails and even though I've saved it I still can't get back to the original sound. I sold it and replaced it with an Elektron Digitone. Too early to tell but so far I am glad to make the trade.
I went from 3 modular cases to 1. It's not even that I need the money... I 1) Don't really have enough space for all this stuff. 2) I like to focus on one or two pieces of gear every time I make an album anyways. Limitless possibilities are a paralyzing factor for me, and there's so much sound you can actually squeeze out of 6U 84hp. So in general, if there's something I haven't been using for a while it's a good indicator I should get rid of it. The only thing I stubbornly refuse to part ways with is a Prophet X... hopefully when I move to a bigger place and can set it up I'll have it set up so its more comfortable to use. ... also the octatrack,... I have a very shameful history of selling it and buying it again... 4 times....
Hugh underrated aspect of home studio management is space. Even more specific, ergonomic space. No matter how much gear or money you have, there's only so much physical space your hands and arms can reach for. Finding that optimal balance meanings cutting things and consolidating. Thanks for your thoughts!
What a great video! No wonder you got 6k views in a day!!!! The intro was entertaining. Also, for those of us with G.A.S. (gear acquisition syntrom), this is a great "pep talk" for us to review our inventory in a purposeful way. Case in poinrt ... I sold my Metropolis. It was cool but the notes themselves were not part of what was "saved" in a preset. Since I'm largely focussed on live performance, it was not what I needed.
I think I’m the only bloke in the world that didn’t like the sound of my Pulsar 23. I sold it at a loss but don’t miss it. Sold a Buchla Easel two years ago and still miss it.
I’ve had the OT since about a year after launch. I bought an akai mpc thing and I agree with you, it made me miss ableton. I’d NEVER got rid of the OT but it take about 10 years to feel like I truly understand it and I use it daily! For live performance there is none better. PEROID.
Haha. That was fun to watch someone else go through what I do constantly. I also once owned a Deckard's Dream and went through the exact same process. But I include another question: What could I get instead with the money I would make? Ulitmately I sold the Decard's Dream and don't regret it. I've also moved along a Roland Jupiter 8 and replaced it with four other synths, some microphone and other studio gear. Now I'm selling the Prophet 10 that replaced the JP8 as my primary synth. Ultimately it's once again because it doesn't inspire me. Is it iconic? Yes. Beautiful? Yes. Nice sounding? Yes. But I'd rather get a PolyBrute and pocket the change. The other thing that triggers selling gear is workflow. If I can find ways to improve my workflow by selling something and replacing it with something else, I will.
personal preferences are great, I have the metropolix and absolutely love it. I personally don't mind the menus as a lot of it can be set and forget but I can understand how it wouldn't gel with a lot of people as it is so deep as you say. as far as sequencers for euro go maybe take a look at varigate 4+ by malekko it has some button combos to learn but it's far more accessible and immediate than the metropolix (its probability based so maybe suit your style more) you can give it a probability from 0-100% of whether a step will fire or not. it can either be 4 gate sequences, 4 cv sequences or 2gate and 2cv. another VERY cool and overlooked sequencer is the erica pico seq, if I want a really fast sequence I always go for that. it has a randomize button, so you basically select a scale for it to work to, an octave range then select how many steps you want (up to 16) and press random a few times till you get something you like. (of course you can also enter notes manually if you want) also its VERY cheap and only 3hp
I highly recommend to dig deeper into the Octattrack. After learning it in and out, you will never see any point in selling it ever again. With this much stuff in your studio, it will always come in handy to have it around. cheers
Haha, the intro is tooooo real!! PLEASE, why is your handle "Dungeon Music Theatre"? I wanna know if you have ever smoked DMT. It's very interesting regarding the "upgrades" of some of the famous sequencers such as the Metropolis and Rene. Seems many preferred the original versions because of their immediacy and absence of menus.
Oddly entertaining! Mainly because it was like hearing my own voice...I own much the same kit for much the same reason :) I kept my Octa as it just has some tactility that draws a different creativity from me. Don’t try a Terra ;) ...but you should
mpc all day! best maschine to chop samples etc. i have a mpc live 2 and a roland tr8s + a minilogue but i will sell the minilogue and get me a sequential pro 3 soon. thats all i need. :)
keeping and collecting is much more easier than selling gear for me. to sell gear you need to take an decision and think about it. buy, store and "forget" ist much more easier if you are not in moneytrouble or storageissues. BUT i confirm that it is healthy to sell stuff(and also gear) that you are did not really -need- ! the upcoming new year is an good time check your gear-storage for stuff that you did not really need. BUT in the way of mine - I always having less time - I dont want to make an mistake that I can going to hate in future - sold an gear but without knowing it deep enough to see the potencial of creativity ;-) best regards, Frank Liebe
It definitely took some discipline to set up a small table, scale, and packaging tape station to make things easier to sell. Also you gotta get in the habit of taking good care of your gear and make sure you have all the parts and accessories that it came with. It IS a pain for sure! :)
Thank you for sharing your thought process on getting rid of gear, it is helpful to hear. I ended up selling the Pulsar-23 I had. It is a unique piece of gear and excels at creating sounds and grooves you could only get from a Pulsar. But, I could not justify keeping it for the space given how often I found myself wanting those sounds.
I sold my Microkorg this last year to buy a Neutron semi modular. I could never wrap my head around the Microkorg. I know a lot of people love it, but I never made it past the presets. On the flip side, I've learned more about synthesis from semi modular than I did in over ten years of working with soft synths.
For me, I just don't get along with some gear... its not a rational thing its just a combination of does it inspire plus do I find it easy to use. For some reason I find using my Kawai K5000 both inspiring and pretty easy to use... despite most people finding it a bear to program. I guess my brain just works the same way as the people who designed this pad monster!
Right about time. I just sold off $5K worth of gear within the past week alone, and $10k in 2022 overall. Why? Bc, yes, I have gear-hoarding issue. Oftentimes, I told myself that I would sell gear off to fund the next purchase and you know, it never happened.
I hear that! Based on how many people have commented on this video, this is a whole category of topics that "gear tubers" have failed to address. I'll be the first one to admit how gear can inspire. But there should be guard rails and best practices. Thanks for sharing!
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE Yup. It’s a pretty unique problem pertaining to synth and perhaps guitar pedal communities bc these gadgets don’t take up too much space and can be relatively inexpensive. It’s pretty easy to just buy and forget. Plus they actually have functions so it justified the purchase as opposed to many other hobbyist items/collectibles. I’m sure we all had told ourselves that “I just need this monosynth to complete my collection…” Anyways, great to see another fellow Asian synth fiddler with quality contents. Subscribed.
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE I also spent a lotta money on building my guitar rig (old rack efx) which I rarely used bc I'm afraid they will break. I had two PCM80's that died back to back within a year and I was just like nope, fucking this noise. Should've just bought an Axe-FX 3 and called it a day.
My problem is that if I don't actually need the money for something else then I don't sell anything. I've got a stack of stuff that I've meant to sell just to move it out for more than a year including an expanded OP-Z, a whole rack of the Tangible Waves modular from early in their run with several discontinued modules, a Moog Rogue, a Roland 80 boutique, the very first version of Ericas Polivoks euro synth, hell even an old Synare drum synth. I just never seem to get around doing more than putting it in a pile in the corner of my studio. Then there's things like my Korg Arp 2600 FS that I almost never use for who even knows what reason, likely the same as your Deckard's Dream. That's appreciated like crazy and to the point I'd never buy a replacement again if I moved it on. I doubt I could ever sell it though just because it's a full size 2600. The keyboard is pretty sweet too and that really holds back any other clones or mini versions. It's all sort of stupid.
Thanks for writing in. Yeah, I feel ya. Though here's the thing, I feel like if you're blessed with having good amount of gear, but don't need it, I think by purging a bit is very healthy even if you don't need the money. So for me, once a gear fails my "keeper" test, it's done. It also contributes to others getting to use it without manufactures making more stuff.
Sold my Juno 106 (about 6 years ago) and recently my Digitakt. An excellent combo if you only want a few pieces of gear, but they were doing nothing since I started Eurorack. Also I could use the cash 😅
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE yes 😔 Do I regret it? No, not really... played on it now and then, only because I wanted to have it turned on and off once in a while. If I see the prices today, ok, I should have kept it and sold it now, but still, no regret.
I wish we could just all share gear, like a commune. For example, there’s a ton of gear I have which I’m not using but I’m not sure I want to sell - Nord Modular G1, Kurzweil K2000RS, Emu Audity2000, tons of rack FX, etc. I’d be happy to share tho and see someone else enjoy, make cool music with, maybe I’d get inspired to use again or collaborate with them. Reciprocally , I’d love to borrow and learn and use your pulsar-23 for a bit. I’d love to buy one but don’t have $2k to just splash out, to find out if if I like/love/hate it. I think letting gear get dusty actually decreases the flow of creative juice in your studio. I don’t know how to explain it beyond woo ideas. Machines want you to spend time with them and reward you for doing so.
gear locker concept or gear library isn’t new. It’s just hard to implement. Either it’s strictly an honor system amongst pro’s (who do this quite often) or it’s super restrictive and it becomes like a rental service. Yeah :( but it’s possible. Thanks for sharing
Keep it. I got a mother 32, hate the sequencer, don't use it often and even though it is expensive for what it is + the second hand price is good I will never sell my mum. But seriously, That Pulsar is as everything else from Soma, iconic, best quality build and such a weird invention that you just have to keep it for the sake of it. Got the Lyra, same as with mum, don't use it often but no no to sell.
I'm thinking of selling my OB-6, I don't use it enough and can easily live without it, but I know it's gonna be instant regret when that sound is gone 😭
Dpo was sold for 650$Cad after 6 years of use cause i was only using the fold in the end At first it was in all patches but with time i bought Piston Honda MK3 Hertz Donut MK3 and they took charge and DPO was left to the side and its a lot of real estate
@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE It's Perfection It will be with me till my death I have been using it with stock waveforms and original firmware since I purchased it a few years back There is nothing like it Warning I'm a Industrial Music Electronics / The Harvestman Fanboy I own 15 IME Modules I just gel with his modules IME modules beg to be played It's rare that I Use them as set and forget modules Hertz Donut MK3 is worth looking into as well It took time to wrap my mind around it but it's my favorite Oscillator now and put the Piston in second place which doesn't diminish the Piston Capacity Scott Jaeger is a Mad Scientist Cheers
I think this is a good practice to just go through old gear that has been collecting dust and just focus on using it and see if you still click with it. Maybe find new ways to use it or decide to get rid of it. I might take stuff I am not using and do a bracket style thing to see which ones survive.
Super helpful assessment of mpc live. Been thinking about getting into the modern mpc's but now think I won't. The easiest gear to sell is gear you never bought!
To be fair, I was told persons other Akai mpc versions are less computery so perhaps you can look into the other versions? I think they are cheaper and more compact! They don’t have speakers though..
moral of the story: the best gear is the one you're reading this comment on 😁 i didnt sell much of my gear, but had to move and now all my stuff lies in boxes in the basement. i only took upstairs the MPC One which i use (now) mostly in controller mode with PC, but sometimes i get to friends of mine with different gear so i can just sync with them, without the need of laptop, midi interface, sound interface etc etc. i played with octatrack too, im glad i didnt get one but i respect those that do great stuff with it.
Everybody knows that the true purpose of gear's existence is to be sold later at a loss. Re: the Octatrak, I'm always surprised at how many people own them, especially folks who seem to be more recording-oriented than performance-oriented, as it's not like there's an Overbridge option to get what you made back into a DAW to be refined and mixed.
I'm going through a decluttering / cleaning too. My biggest criteria is does the gear enhance/enable my creativity? Applied to recent gear...the Octatrack gets in way due to the learning curve and its untypical naming conventions, so sold... Per the Pulsar, yes, it was creativity helpful sound wise but the inability to recreate sounds and the interface learning curve and the overall size were too much, so sold... Per stuff kept, the Syntakt ticks a lot of boxes for creativity, learning curve and form factor, so I am keeping... Where it gets tricky is when I have several pieces of gear that do the same thing but work well in different situations...such as the Isla s2400 vs sampler based eurorack modules. I can make cases for both and have benefitted from both, so for now, I am keeping both and as long as each offers benefits, then Ill prob keep both systems.
MPC def gotta stay lol. I never felt like it was computer. Actually the opposite. I love standalone. Hook any piece of gear u want to it. Great workflow…..
Owner of an Octatrack mk2 and an MPC live 2... I perform with both - I use the OT as a mixer/live sampler and the MPC as a synth/sample(clip) player. But purely on connectivity (OT as a mixer and MPC as a midi hub) they are worthwhile in my studio, for me. I'm a bit disappointed with Akai as a company though, I do feel like the MPC is trying to make money from me. I'd give up the MPC first.. nothing at the same price point could replace the OT, the looping, slicing and it being a mixer + FX box is still mad. I also didn't fully appreciate the OT until I got a novation launch control XL. The menu diving is way less now but the midi controller solves that although funnily enough, I route it through the midi processing from the MPC..! The pair of them together are a studio swiss army, not just the knife.
As to the Pulsar-23, IMO don't sell it. I have one and I love it. Just sequence it externally. Unless Soma had included an amazing Ornament-8-like system on the P23, which would have almost doubled the size of the instrument, all you could really expect of the onboard sequencer is basic triggers. The P23 prides itself on an organic feel, so to me it makes sense that you have to bring in a MIDI sequencer to get tight percussion triggering from it, while the CV modulation is looser and that helps give the P23 its weird Industrial "groove" - a description that on the surface seems like an oxymoron, until you actually hear it and it makes perfect sense. I'd also say don't sleep on the capabilities of the Shaos section in combination with the clock divider to introduce some glitchy rhythmic qualities into the instruments. If I had one complaint about the P23, it's that I think it should have two more instrument channels; four just seems too limited.
I have bought and sold most of the popular gear. Deluge is my only constant. It was the first "dawless" box I ever bought. I kind of want a Live II retro edition right now even though I have an MPC One that barely gets used. I love built in batteries. Actually, if Polyend would put a lithium battery in a Tracker, I'd probably get rid of everything but that and Deluge.
Some of my moog gear and vintage gear have nearly doubled and even tripled in resell value over the past 15 years. That's a great ROI lol. But I definitely want to simplify my life and sell off gear that takes up lots of physical space that is used rarely.
:) So menu-diving doesn't have to be negative. For example, Pamela's New Workout, or my first M1 Korg, I spend countless hours on that small screen and I didn't mind. I think if the UI designers don't try to do too much, it can be just fine. It's when the designers overreach. :(
I'm selling digital/beatbox/sampler/midi controller asap when realize not clicking (my latest sell Force, RolandMV-1, BeatstepPro. Final rebuy-and-keep forever are Push2, Maschine+, OP-Z (those are all beatbox/midi). For synthesizers I try to buy and keep forever, so far managed past 6 years: Moog Subsequent 37CV, Buchla208C, Polybrute (also my main keys), Korg ARP2600m. It was cool decision to keep Deckard's Dream (though it too expensive, and would keep the value). Keeping sequencer Octatrack sounds strange since over time it will be version 2, 3, X, so can't count on it keeping value. Though if it still inspires you (maybe not every day) its a value for you. Cheers!
I will never sell my Octratrack - it’s just too useful. It can be a DAW (but this is not straightforward) a live-looper or beat box, or a superb effects box. It’s not THAT menu-deep, I know my way around it pretty well. The sampling and sequencing is extremely versatile and thorough. MIDI control over other instruments, on top of the 8 audio tracks, is more than enough for it to drive my other synths. On the down-side, it doesn’t have remote control over MIDI or USB - a big disappointment after using Elektron’s software interface for the Analog 4, which gives complete DAW control if that’s your thing. Also the song construction process is a bit weird, stringing loops together. Never used an MPC though so I can’t compare. The only synth I sold was the much-maligned Timbre Wolf - however I haven’t got as much in Studio M as we can see in the Dungeon Theatre!
I have way too much stuff, but living in NYC makes it really difficult to sell stuff. I usually just take stuff I'm not using to the storage unit, then it basically lives there.
Generaly when i buy something to the studio it is well reseached and i know what i get, if i don´t use that gear for a while at some point it has it´s place again, it is like to rediscover or have a new second experience, i seldom sell my gear, the only time was when i was needed money for treatment,...i love my gear,..Love cheers💚🙏
Good you kept the Octatrack. It is something special. I once had the idea to switch it for the MC707 but it did not work out. 707 was too clean and had too many options and I was used to the octatrack workflow (but I still have my moments of f*ck why is this thing not doing doing it the way I want it to). Never had the MPC One but the mpc2k and mpc1k and mpc500 but sold the older models for not doing the beat stretching thing that Ableton did new that time. The thing that keeps me off from the MPC One is the touch screen. I feel the same like you, that is too distracting with the touch screen and the many options. However I miss the Option to record longer audio tracks next to the patterns of the Octatrack.
Perkins looks and sounds awesome but can’t find one anywhere as of this moment. Don’t like prep ordering gear but maybe I should think about it’s. Thanks for writing in! :)
Love this video. I'm glad Deckards made the cut and happy you're keeping it. Regarding, Pulsar 23, Agreed on the sequencer, but sending triggers in (try noise Engineering's Zularic Repetitor). Aso, send Deckard's Audio into some signal paths in pulsar. siiiiiick!
I sold an Atlantis, octotrack and an mpc live the mk1 versions. I still have an akai force, and pulsar 23. Plan on selling a s2100 because its large, expensive, and its workflow doesnt give me pleasure in ratio to what it provides me sound wise. Selling possibly a rc505 because the akai force for me is a better looper / midi sequencer brain still may keep it for impromtu beatboxing but feels like i dont do that enough to justify. And need to cleanse many eurorack modules, I don't use eurorack enough and it's expensive, I need to narrow down what I want my eurorack case to be i keep buying modules and feels I don't use them enough to justify keeping them. Plan on choosing to buy more hands on immediate gratification / knobby gear as I tend to use gear less if theirs lots of mental resistance/effort. I should focus on my elektrons (a4,mk2,digitone) as they feel the most natural to me.
thanks... I just made a list of everything and realized I only have two things I could part with, which was actually surprising, and one has no value. That could be a giveaway though... I'm doing pretty OK on this front at the moment. 😊
This is my first time watching one of your videos and I’m definitely excited to see more. On the MPC, if you look at the prices of the Live MK1, it’s like half the price it came out at.. (I know, cause that’s when I bought it).. so I have no expectations of it holding its value long term. I say hold onto the Pulsar. Why not use it for sound design? I can’t think of anything like it or that would fill the same space. I’ve actually never really sold gear… I mate for life.. such a commitment I know.. but also I have a lot less gear.. and I meticulously plan what I get so that everything has specific rolls… which in part I do because of I don’t have the means to buy more, more often.
Thanks for sharing. Ideally, that is where I’d like to be. There’s a lot of energy wasted buying, selling, learning. Everything costs time, which is def the most precious commodity!
I like this comment.... once bought, learn a device inside out....marry it and make yourself become creative with it. And this was my first time seeing a video by this TH-camr and I'll be watching more :)
I’ve been selling some of the cheaper stuff I own and consolidating into nicer gear. Got rid of a bunch of pedals, a guitar and grabbed a prophet rev 2 😂 but ya I think revaluation is a must do once in a whiles . Wish I had as much stuff to liquidate as you haha
Great to hear. I think it's something that's as important as cable management and decluttering your space. There's the financial side of home studio ownership that's important to get right.
Sold the Digitone. Controversial I know. I still have a digitakt but one electron box is my max. And the digitone doesn’t really offer anything that can’t be done with stock Ableton Live.
I am doing exactly this! Hear that I was super excited about buying, that just hasn’t worked it’s way into my workflow. Selling this month: Chase Bliss Habit 4MS SWN Deckards (beautiful but not for me) Pladask Matrise
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE I can’t put my finger on it. I was still using the Blooper and the Mood regularly, but just wasn’t feeling myself drawn to using the Habit. I would have been interested in the looping element had it not been restricted to 3 mins in length. The delay sounds I felt like I had covered in other pedals (EG Timeline) albeit without the quirkiness. I fully expect to see awesome vids of people using the Habit over the next few months and getting regret-GAS over it!
Recently sold my Microfreak because I wasn't really digging it's keyboard and sound. Got a very good price too, almost full refund, owned it for a year and a half. Also sold my Ableton Push that I owned for about 8 years now and which even now holds upon the highest ROI of all my stuff, but I used it less and less in recent years due to moving over to hardware more and more. Currently not sure if I should keep my good old Microkorg and the Oceans 11 Reverb pedal - I got myself a Prophet Rev2 Keyboard version and the Oceans 12. I think I'm gonna keep the Oceans 11 because it handles hot input way better than it's big stereo brother but really not sure about the Microkorg. I don't like it's sound or to program it, but there's something to it and it was my first ever synth.
Recently sold a row of original Mutable Instruments Eurorack modules. Worst decision ever, since they are now out of production and are real collectibles.
Metropolix is one that you can really jive with if you spend more time with it. Self patching and the gate expander as well as midi out really adds to the value imo. You can also use the knobs for performance of other gear as well as use the mod lanes to output sequenced voltage!
@@GatedCaffeine It also goes against every eurorack was supposed to be. 5U was too big... cut the size in half. But these digital modules with tiny screens and menus... no, just no.
What a calm and honest video. Subbed.
Your channel is a treasure and an inspiration! Thank you for your support!
Before you sell anything, make sample packs of all of your favorite sounds and patches.
definitely!!!
This is such an awesome sentiment but I have a hard time just getting to the post office, but yeah.. haha
I did that with my crave... I still miss it tho lol
..lol.. of all your patches.. that's impossible
I think the Pulsar-23 is a modern classic that will increase in value in the future. Apart from that, the sounds it produces are absolute madness. If I were you, I would spend another few weeks with it and only then evaluate whether a sale comes into question.
I sold my Pulsar yesterday. It's a brilliant machine, just not a good fit for me. I never see it mentioned, but the finger drumming is a cornerstone feature and the main reason to use the loopers. Learning to finger drum isn't where I want to invest my time so felt like I was missing out on a huge portion of Pulsar's power.
@@NickVu Well, that's something you should think about before buying a drum machine :-) But the good thing about the Pulsar is that it is a fantastic machine for sound design. I hope you didn't make a big loss. Merry Christmas.
It sounds so good. But if you can trigger via MIDI or CV/Gate... what does it matter if the sequencer sucks or the finger drumming? Just sayin
I’m think we can all agree we need to do whatever you do for a living 😎
Agreed - this guy has an astonishing collection of gear.
The Octatrack is hands down my #1 piece of gear. It’s the one constant in my DAWless setup
I have analog Rytm lying there. I haven’t touched it in months.
Tough I got it for free, so it’s ok
Show off lame
Analog Rytm sounds great but I thought it was a pain in the ass to
Use
Selling gear actually got me inspired to make music again, as all the gear was just in a pile... It was a mess. Now though, I am back to where I want to be. I can see my gear now, and the gear I don't use as much, but love too much to sell, I keep tucked away for later (if I miss using them and get inspired)
Thank you, great video, and content. Subscribed❤
Awesome and honest video! It's inspiring me to dig deep for chopping block candidates. I have a kp3 that ive bought for the second time that I've been debating to sell. I want to start funding my journey into modular with an arturia rackbrute, and kp3 can probably get me halfway there. I think it's ok to sell because if I miss it, maybe I can find a kp3+ down the road. Good luck with your purge!
Brillant video. Totally on the same vibe about the Octatrack. Took me several years to get the magic of it. So happy now that I never sold it !
I have like 4 synths packed, don't need to sell just yet but they're on the chopping board, not down sizing, just getting rid of stuff I really don't need.
Great channel, subbed.
Great topic! I do this type of gear cleansing/inventory quite a bit these days.
I had the same experience/outcome w/ Metropolix, AKAI MPC Live (v1), Deluge and a few others.
I had a similiar reaction to yours on the OT, and gave it more time with different setup/pairings, and glad I kept it. Definitely a workhorse more often now.
Pulsar-23 is another new piece here and I am struggling with that one as well, but giving it more time and experimentation. It's honestly the most perplexing machine I've had in terms of love/hate relationship so far.
Anyhow, my GAS tank marches on. Cheers, DMT!
Thank you for creating this video and sharing tour experiences with gear and downsizing. I have been putting off getting rid of some gear for awhile. Your video has inspired me and it's time to pull the trigger! Now to get to listing & selling!
When I truly got into gearing acquisition, I had a vision and a very precise idea of what kind of gear, and especially sound I was looking for. Once I got my effects pedals, synth (singular) and sound processing stuff, I felt fulfilled and I now feel like I genuinely don’t need anything more or new. My signature sound is what it is because of the hours put into the gear I bought and the sound design research. Your video is a great reminder, to me, that a vision for your creative process and sound is key before impulsive purchases and getting overhyped over something you don’t necessarily need to make your music, and ultimately, your workflow and mindset, better.
Thank you for that!
Great insight! Thank you sharing
I'm in the middle of doing an end-of-year purge myself. Already gone are an Octatrack mk2, UDO Super 6, Strymon Starlab, ALM Squid Salmple, and a few other misc euro modules. Still have more to go. I finally realized that if I can't remember how to use a piece of gear after not using it for a month and have to dig out the manual I don't want it in my studio. Pulsar 23 is a classic dont let it go... also... the octatrack makes a great sequencer for the pulsar. Enjoyed your video man, have a great holiday.
Thank you for the kind words! and also +1 for KEEP Pulsar :) haha!
I sold alot of my gear when I went out of work and although it paid my rent for three months, it's stuff I'll never be able to afford again. Bought a little drum machine and mono synth last year but ended up selling it again because of life. Once I have moved house I gotta really think along the lines of, how much will I use it? Does it bring me joy? Do I get the full value of its feature set compared to what it's worth? Important questions to ask yourself and healthy to do so. It's a daunting feeling to be surrounded by possessions you don't use.
I Bought a few physical sythersizors and pedals however actually setting them up and using them is alot of hassle because I have damp and cant keep the gear set up, plus My space is limited. What happens is, I'll get a single sythersizor out of the box, mess with it, usually just editing from presets and enjoying the device maby load up some drum loops from My laptop or tablet and play along for a few hours then back in the box it goes for another few weeks. Its easier to just use software however, plus everything is easy to capture like midi and audio.
If you are in doubt, then sell it I would say and that goes for anything. There is nothing worse than having a box that you feel kinda guilty of not using/utilize. Only keep what you dont contemplate selling.
if you havent used it in years and dont have active plans on using it, sure. But if you use it sometimes but maybe think you'd like to sell/trade it there can definitely be regret of getting rid of it. depends a lot on the financials of the situation.
@@mwatkins0590 never regretted anything I sold. It frees up not only cash but also mind.😊
@@mwatkins0590 another aspect is the availability of the gear. If you regret it, can you get another one? Or maybe there is a somewhat equal alternative? I've owned plenty of Ensoniq's, but had to wait about 10 years until I found an ASR10-Rack (the absolute flagship of Ensoniq samplers) at a decent price. I finally let it go about a year ago, knowing I won't get many chances of securing another one. Intellectually, I don't regret it, it was kind of a PITA to program even when knowing it inside and out (which took me years), not the best UI, and who knows how long a 30+ year piece of gear will hold up? But emotionally, it still hurts, I even have dreams about it. I loved that thing, the algorithms were pure magic. The sound had its own identity, gritty ambient deluxe.
I regret almost every synth I sold. Tb303. Tr606. Supernova 2 rack. Don't regret Blofeld, a station Roland gaia
I've only regretted selling stuff.
Selling things just got a lot more complex. Well, in the US. We're about to all feel the pain of the new 1099-k threshold.
Good point!
Sold all my gear apart from my MPC and my microfreak ,I had a room full of gear and now I have the instruments I will actually use ,no regrets ,I used the money to buy my girl some nice presents
Nice video! This is the first time I've seen your channel, hilarious that you started it out as "Stereotypical Asian accountant guy", which made the switch to YOU as you are all the more enjoyable.
I have an MPC Live (one, not two) as the brain of my hardware setup. Interesting that you feel like it is like being tied to a computer. One of my favourite things about it is that it means I'm NOT tied to my computer. No notifications, no fussing with a mouse and keyboard. Just pads, buttons, and the touchscreen. I've gotten well used to the interface and workflow, having used it since 2017, in which time I've seen its functionality improved upon by Akai for all of these years. As a sequencer/controller for all of my hardware synths, not to mention the device that turns tracks and sequences into printed MP3 and FLAC files, it's a Godsend, especially as it removes any need for a computer in the process.
I've seen that you have a LOT of gear, how do you get your music from all that gear into recordings, MP3s, and sharable sound files? What's the end process or end step, for you?
Anyhow, thanks again for the enjoyable video and Merry Christmas, brotherman.
Thanks for the kind words. Obviously Akai is a great piece. I just wasn’t jiving with the touch screen Ux even though it’s very well implemented. I guess I felt a little bit too much like an iPad for a computer. But still yeah I hear yeah! Thanks for sharing!!!
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE Yep, I can totally understand how a device can work for some and not for others. :D Neither makes it good or bad, at least not universally, it just is what it is.
Anyhow, thanks again for the great presentation! Happy holidays, brotherman.
OMG, selling my Octatrack is one of the best things I ever did. I spent a year learning and using it, only to be disappointed by it's actual capabilities. This unit like no other gains credit for being "powerful" because nearly nobody who owns one actually gets far enough through that crappy and conflicting user interface to realize it's actual capabilities. It's pretty limited compared to so much other gear you could get. I feel a lot of gear does this to us... we "feel" like we should be getting more out of it because we see someone else doing that. But in the end, it's just a bad piece of gear for us that is stealing our attention and time. It's ok if someone else loves the same gear and makes music on it. But my rule is, if I don't vibe with something immediately, I probably never will. It has never been worth the effort on gear like that for me, no matter what the marketing on it says.
I did keep my MPC Live II though. I agree with you (and others) that it does have some "bad in-the-box" elements, but it also has some killer pads on it that are fun AF to jam on. And the speaker and onboard is the deal sealer for me. While I would never mix or make crucial decisions on these, the ability to drag ONE box anywhere I go is excellent and can promote a lot of music making and experimentation. Limitations on power just force you to make decisions sooner and move on. Then add the fact that it can sample, auto multi sample, control via CV or midi out, use audio interfaces, and export full stems, and you have seriously the best game in town IMHO. I think of it as a scratch pad rather than a DAW replacement, and for many that shift in focus can make all the difference. "The best" is the enemy of getting shit done. "Good enough" lasts all day/night long! Also, not to start a flame war, but feature to feature, the MPC live shits all over the Octatrack when it comes to features and power. Honestly, the gap is TREMENDOUS. And yet interestingly people tend to refer to the MPC as underpowered, and the Octatrack as super powerful.
"The Best" is the enemy of productivity. Never truer. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Disagree. I used a Live for a while and all I felt like I was doing was the same work as in a DAW but with ho hum in box elements and an annoying sequencer/interface. I see no benefit from the speakers and personally I hate pads.
An Octatrack takes a lot to learn, and it isn’t perfect, but I like the zone it puts you in and the immediacy of mangling samples and audio.
For me the fact that the Octatrack has limits helps. The design is well thought out, but you have to learn its constraints and be aware of the time investment for that. To me that makes it more like a musical instrument.
The real way to feel best about keeping a Deckard's Dream is that an actual CS-80 goes for like $50k+ ...
Love this! Yes!
I'm thinking Deckard's Dream will retain its lofty value over the long haul and its really an excellent, unique analogue poly. Played alongside the most excellent Novation Peak there's sonorities and timbre quality in the DDR that, imho just aren't available in the Peak - ( ...but that Peak UI is really laid out extremely well).
@@xpump876 I can only hope as I spent more on the DD than anything musical I own other than my Mac Studio.
Pulsar-23 is less "sequencer" and more "CV looper." Try: rst-.25clk (sets the loop length), record random tapping on an instrument, quantize, erase random parts, quantize, tap randomly again, etc.
Use that as a way to breakup and add character to a clock trigger source for that signal. It can be really useful and fun when you don't think of it as a sequencer
I’ll give it a try
I haven't sold anything since 2004, - and the last device I sold was a TB-303.
These days, I just buy gear I know I'll want to keep, - I don't rush out anymore and do pre-orders for every new shiny thing that comes out, like I did when I was younger.
Older and wiser! Thanks for sharing!
I had both MPC and Okta. The same feelings - MPC brings me back to PC\MAC feelings - to check the updates first, load the samples via WIFI ets. While Okta always surveys the main purpose - to mess up with a music, mix and mangle with sound on the go, and so on. I felt Okta should be more complex to master that MPC, but at the end - I forgot what to do with Akai all the time I'm touching it, while Elektron gets more and more intuitive with every usage. So, MPC - gone, Okta - left (+ added more elektron devices)
I love the Elektron stuff - I have an Octatrack and an Analog 4. They have a steep learning curve because they work so differently to many other products, but after using them, I’ve convinced they have given a lot of thought to the workflow, and they have made it very logical - harder to learn, but much easier to stick with it.
I had to watch this. Congrats on the fact that 4/5 of your pieces for evaluation are unknown to me! You've got some gear!
I recently sold a Dreadbox Typhon. It has a real nice sound but I struggled with the menu layout. And though I got some real nice sounds out of it, I also had a high level of frustration. Sometimes you turn a knob and nothing happens. Sometimes you barely touch a knob and it goes off the rails and even though I've saved it I still can't get back to the original sound. I sold it and replaced it with an Elektron Digitone. Too early to tell but so far I am glad to make the trade.
I went from 3 modular cases to 1. It's not even that I need the money... I 1) Don't really have enough space for all this stuff. 2) I like to focus on one or two pieces of gear every time I make an album anyways. Limitless possibilities are a paralyzing factor for me, and there's so much sound you can actually squeeze out of 6U 84hp. So in general, if there's something I haven't been using for a while it's a good indicator I should get rid of it. The only thing I stubbornly refuse to part ways with is a Prophet X... hopefully when I move to a bigger place and can set it up I'll have it set up so its more comfortable to use.
... also the octatrack,... I have a very shameful history of selling it and buying it again... 4 times....
Hugh underrated aspect of home studio management is space. Even more specific, ergonomic space. No matter how much gear or money you have, there's only so much physical space your hands and arms can reach for. Finding that optimal balance meanings cutting things and consolidating. Thanks for your thoughts!
Totally agree about the Live 2 being a slow computer DAW
What a great video! No wonder you got 6k views in a day!!!! The intro was entertaining. Also, for those of us with G.A.S. (gear acquisition syntrom), this is a great "pep talk" for us to review our inventory in a purposeful way. Case in poinrt ... I sold my Metropolis. It was cool but the notes themselves were not part of what was "saved" in a preset. Since I'm largely focussed on live performance, it was not what I needed.
get a life, or get a room
@@busterbuster1641 is that a joke about Gear Acquisition Syndrome? ( if so, it's pretty funny ).
I think I’m the only bloke in the world that didn’t like the sound of my Pulsar 23. I sold it at a loss but don’t miss it. Sold a Buchla Easel two years ago and still miss it.
I have a Roland Fantom 06 and a Yamaha MODX6 all boxed up and ready to sell/trade. Just gotta get to doing it.
I’ve had the OT since about a year after launch. I bought an akai mpc thing and I agree with you, it made me miss ableton. I’d NEVER got rid of the OT but it take about 10 years to feel like I truly understand it and I use it daily! For live performance there is none better. PEROID.
Haha. That was fun to watch someone else go through what I do constantly. I also once owned a Deckard's Dream and went through the exact same process. But I include another question: What could I get instead with the money I would make? Ulitmately I sold the Decard's Dream and don't regret it.
I've also moved along a Roland Jupiter 8 and replaced it with four other synths, some microphone and other studio gear. Now I'm selling the Prophet 10 that replaced the JP8 as my primary synth. Ultimately it's once again because it doesn't inspire me. Is it iconic? Yes. Beautiful? Yes. Nice sounding? Yes. But I'd rather get a PolyBrute and pocket the change.
The other thing that triggers selling gear is workflow. If I can find ways to improve my workflow by selling something and replacing it with something else, I will.
Thanks for sharing! Great insights! Workflow is really the trigger for sure!
I must agree, ear cleansing really helps my music.
Fun video. Love the cap! (Warrior fan here.)
Go warriors! But this season tho :( ugh
personal preferences are great, I have the metropolix and absolutely love it. I personally don't mind the menus as a lot of it can be set and forget but I can understand how it wouldn't gel with a lot of people as it is so deep as you say.
as far as sequencers for euro go maybe take a look at varigate 4+ by malekko it has some button combos to learn but it's far more accessible and immediate than the metropolix (its probability based so maybe suit your style more) you can give it a probability from 0-100% of whether a step will fire or not. it can either be 4 gate sequences, 4 cv sequences or 2gate and 2cv.
another VERY cool and overlooked sequencer is the erica pico seq, if I want a really fast sequence I always go for that. it has a randomize button, so you basically select a scale for it to work to, an octave range then select how many steps you want (up to 16) and press random a few times till you get something you like. (of course you can also enter notes manually if you want) also its VERY cheap and only 3hp
Seeing you in a dress shirt made me sit up a little involuntarily to match the pro atmosphere at the beginning, lol
😂😂😂
Haha.... Oh, man, been through this agonising soooo many times. Great video.
Subscribed.
Happy Christmas!
🎄❤️🎄❤️🎉
I highly recommend to dig deeper into the Octattrack. After learning it in and out, you will never see any point in selling it ever again. With this much stuff in your studio, it will always come in handy to have it around. cheers
Much appreciate the feedback!
Haha, the intro is tooooo real!! PLEASE, why is your handle "Dungeon Music Theatre"? I wanna know if you have ever smoked DMT.
It's very interesting regarding the "upgrades" of some of the famous sequencers such as the Metropolis and Rene. Seems many preferred the original versions because of their immediacy and absence of menus.
Appreciate the kind words! Thanks for the insights! Also smoking can lead to health and other issues so I don’t recommend it! 😂
Oddly entertaining! Mainly because it was like hearing my own voice...I own much the same kit for much the same reason :) I kept my Octa as it just has some tactility that draws a different creativity from me. Don’t try a Terra ;) ...but you should
mpc all day! best maschine to chop samples etc.
i have a mpc live 2 and a roland tr8s + a minilogue but i will sell the minilogue and get me a sequential pro 3 soon. thats all i need. :)
keeping and collecting is much more easier than selling gear for me. to sell gear you need to take an decision and think about it. buy, store and "forget" ist much more easier if you are not in moneytrouble or storageissues. BUT i confirm that it is healthy to sell stuff(and also gear) that you are did not really -need- ! the upcoming new year is an good time check your gear-storage for stuff that you did not really need. BUT in the way of mine - I always having less time - I dont want to make an mistake that I can going to hate in future - sold an gear but without knowing it deep enough to see the potencial of creativity ;-) best regards, Frank Liebe
It definitely took some discipline to set up a small table, scale, and packaging tape station to make things easier to sell. Also you gotta get in the habit of taking good care of your gear and make sure you have all the parts and accessories that it came with. It IS a pain for sure! :)
If I were to sell equipment I don't use, I would have nothing left.
Hahahaha! :)
Thank you for sharing your thought process on getting rid of gear, it is helpful to hear. I ended up selling the Pulsar-23 I had. It is a unique piece of gear and excels at creating sounds and grooves you could only get from a Pulsar. But, I could not justify keeping it for the space given how often I found myself wanting those sounds.
Thanks for sharing!!
@SYNTHPUNK Howdy :)
I'm here for this!
Good video, cogent reasoning… to counter G.A.S & clutter.
I sold my Microkorg this last year to buy a Neutron semi modular. I could never wrap my head around the Microkorg. I know a lot of people love it, but I never made it past the presets. On the flip side, I've learned more about synthesis from semi modular than I did in over ten years of working with soft synths.
I don't think you are the target for this video.. you need to actually own some gear first
@@Wagoo Neutron and Microkorg are gear.
For me, I just don't get along with some gear... its not a rational thing its just a combination of does it inspire plus do I find it easy to use. For some reason I find using my Kawai K5000 both inspiring and pretty easy to use... despite most people finding it a bear to program. I guess my brain just works the same way as the people who designed this pad monster!
Right about time. I just sold off $5K worth of gear within the past week alone, and $10k in 2022 overall. Why? Bc, yes, I have gear-hoarding issue. Oftentimes, I told myself that I would sell gear off to fund the next purchase and you know, it never happened.
I hear that! Based on how many people have commented on this video, this is a whole category of topics that "gear tubers" have failed to address. I'll be the first one to admit how gear can inspire. But there should be guard rails and best practices. Thanks for sharing!
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE Yup. It’s a pretty unique problem pertaining to synth and perhaps guitar pedal communities bc these gadgets don’t take up too much space and can be relatively inexpensive. It’s pretty easy to just buy and forget. Plus they actually have functions so it justified the purchase as opposed to many other hobbyist items/collectibles. I’m sure we all had told ourselves that “I just need this monosynth to complete my collection…”
Anyways, great to see another fellow Asian synth fiddler with quality contents. Subscribed.
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE I also spent a lotta money on building my guitar rig (old rack efx) which I rarely used bc I'm afraid they will break. I had two PCM80's that died back to back within a year and I was just like nope, fucking this noise. Should've just bought an Axe-FX 3 and called it a day.
Cool vid. Exactly the reason i got a mpc1000 instead of a new akai
You are missing on option with the Pulsar-23 which is "Give it to Lennart!" 🙂
Great video with good production value and insightful thoughts! Subscribed 😀
My problem is that if I don't actually need the money for something else then I don't sell anything.
I've got a stack of stuff that I've meant to sell just to move it out for more than a year including an expanded OP-Z, a whole rack of the Tangible Waves modular from early in their run with several discontinued modules, a Moog Rogue, a Roland 80 boutique, the very first version of Ericas Polivoks euro synth, hell even an old Synare drum synth. I just never seem to get around doing more than putting it in a pile in the corner of my studio.
Then there's things like my Korg Arp 2600 FS that I almost never use for who even knows what reason, likely the same as your Deckard's Dream. That's appreciated like crazy and to the point I'd never buy a replacement again if I moved it on. I doubt I could ever sell it though just because it's a full size 2600. The keyboard is pretty sweet too and that really holds back any other clones or mini versions.
It's all sort of stupid.
Thanks for writing in. Yeah, I feel ya. Though here's the thing, I feel like if you're blessed with having good amount of gear, but don't need it, I think by purging a bit is very healthy even if you don't need the money. So for me, once a gear fails my "keeper" test, it's done. It also contributes to others getting to use it without manufactures making more stuff.
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE I don't mind buying new synths and helping to keep the companies I love in business.
It's not like these are disposable razors.
Really enjoyed hearing you talk about which gear to keep or sell. I’d say keep the Pulsar, it looks like it has great potential for amazing sounds.
AGREE! Nowadays you just need one good powerful functional computer, a good quality interface and a couple of plug ins and that's it.
I’d say 5k worth of samples and s3000 in 1998.
Good samples are still priceless.
extremely enjoyable video. and Def an important topic. I realize I'm nervous to sell gear for a variety of reasons
I haven't used most of my gear for over a year. I Just stuck to maybe 2 - 4 things.
Hoarding is fun....hoarders unite!
Sold the MPC live II, sell it now because new mpc will be released soon.
Sold my Juno 106 (about 6 years ago) and recently my Digitakt. An excellent combo if you only want a few pieces of gear, but they were doing nothing since I started Eurorack. Also I could use the cash 😅
Not the Juno!! :( I owned a Juno 106 in college and I didn’t know what I had! I traded for a Korg M1 and I so regret it) ahh to be young and foolish!
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE yes 😔 Do I regret it? No, not really... played on it now and then, only because I wanted to have it turned on and off once in a while. If I see the prices today, ok, I should have kept it and sold it now, but still, no regret.
I wish we could just all share gear, like a commune.
For example, there’s a ton of gear I have which I’m not using but I’m not sure I want to sell - Nord Modular G1, Kurzweil K2000RS, Emu Audity2000, tons of rack FX, etc. I’d be happy to share tho and see someone else enjoy, make cool music with, maybe I’d get inspired to use again or collaborate with them.
Reciprocally , I’d love to borrow and learn and use your pulsar-23 for a bit. I’d love to buy one but don’t have $2k to just splash out, to find out if if I like/love/hate it.
I think letting gear get dusty actually decreases the flow of creative juice in your studio. I don’t know how to explain it beyond woo ideas. Machines want you to spend time with them and reward you for doing so.
gear locker concept or gear library isn’t new. It’s just hard to implement. Either it’s strictly an honor system amongst pro’s (who do this quite often) or it’s super restrictive and it becomes like a rental service. Yeah :( but it’s possible. Thanks for sharing
Keep it. I got a mother 32, hate the sequencer, don't use it often and even though it is expensive for what it is + the second hand price is good I will never sell my mum. But seriously, That Pulsar is as everything else from Soma, iconic, best quality build and such a weird invention that you just have to keep it for the sake of it. Got the Lyra, same as with mum, don't use it often but no no to sell.
That's +2 for Pulsar! :)
I'm thinking of selling my OB-6, I don't use it enough and can easily live without it, but I know it's gonna be instant regret when that sound is gone 😭
haha! don't sell it!
That synth seems gorgeous, but unaffordable for me. If you don't need the cash don't sell it
@@willp3754 awesome synth
Dpo was sold for 650$Cad after 6 years of use cause i was only using the fold in the end
At first it was in all patches
but with time i bought
Piston Honda MK3
Hertz Donut MK3
and they took charge
and DPO was left to the side and its a lot of real estate
heh! How do you like the Piston Honda? That's been on my list for a while
@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE
It's Perfection
It will be with me till my death
I have been using it with stock waveforms and original firmware since I purchased it a few years back
There is nothing like it
Warning I'm a Industrial Music Electronics / The Harvestman Fanboy
I own 15 IME Modules
I just gel with his modules
IME modules beg to be played
It's rare that I Use them as set and forget modules
Hertz Donut MK3 is worth looking into as well
It took time to wrap my mind around it but it's my favorite Oscillator now and put the Piston in second place which doesn't diminish the Piston Capacity
Scott Jaeger is a Mad Scientist
Cheers
I think this is a good practice to just go through old gear that has been collecting dust and just focus on using it and see if you still click with it. Maybe find new ways to use it or decide to get rid of it. I might take stuff I am not using and do a bracket style thing to see which ones survive.
Super helpful assessment of mpc live. Been thinking about getting into the modern mpc's but now think I won't. The easiest gear to sell is gear you never bought!
To be fair, I was told persons other Akai mpc versions are less computery so perhaps you can look into the other versions? I think they are cheaper and more compact! They don’t have speakers though..
I would keep the pulsar and learn a better way to sequence it via midi or cv. I kinda want that drum machine some day.
moral of the story: the best gear is the one you're reading this comment on 😁 i didnt sell much of my gear, but had to move and now all my stuff lies in boxes in the basement. i only took upstairs the MPC One which i use (now) mostly in controller mode with PC, but sometimes i get to friends of mine with different gear so i can just sync with them, without the need of laptop, midi interface, sound interface etc etc. i played with octatrack too, im glad i didnt get one but i respect those that do great stuff with it.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing! 😎
Keep the Pulsar-23
Everybody knows that the true purpose of gear's existence is to be sold later at a loss.
Re: the Octatrak, I'm always surprised at how many people own them, especially folks who seem to be more recording-oriented than performance-oriented, as it's not like there's an Overbridge option to get what you made back into a DAW to be refined and mixed.
Haha! :)
I sold my Live 2 and got a second hand MPC ONE and a Syntakt with the money.
I'm going through a decluttering / cleaning too. My biggest criteria is does the gear enhance/enable my creativity? Applied to recent gear...the Octatrack gets in way due to the learning curve and its untypical naming conventions, so sold... Per the Pulsar, yes, it was creativity helpful sound wise but the inability to recreate sounds and the interface learning curve and the overall size were too much, so sold... Per stuff kept, the Syntakt ticks a lot of boxes for creativity, learning curve and form factor, so I am keeping... Where it gets tricky is when I have several pieces of gear that do the same thing but work well in different situations...such as the Isla s2400 vs sampler based eurorack modules. I can make cases for both and have benefitted from both, so for now, I am keeping both and as long as each offers benefits, then Ill prob keep both systems.
Thanks for sharing! Always fun to hear these stories told!
MPC def gotta stay lol. I never felt like it was computer. Actually the opposite. I love standalone. Hook any piece of gear u want to it. Great workflow…..
Owner of an Octatrack mk2 and an MPC live 2... I perform with both - I use the OT as a mixer/live sampler and the MPC as a synth/sample(clip) player. But purely on connectivity (OT as a mixer and MPC as a midi hub) they are worthwhile in my studio, for me. I'm a bit disappointed with Akai as a company though, I do feel like the MPC is trying to make money from me. I'd give up the MPC first.. nothing at the same price point could replace the OT, the looping, slicing and it being a mixer + FX box is still mad. I also didn't fully appreciate the OT until I got a novation launch control XL. The menu diving is way less now but the midi controller solves that although funnily enough, I route it through the midi processing from the MPC..! The pair of them together are a studio swiss army, not just the knife.
As to the Pulsar-23, IMO don't sell it. I have one and I love it. Just sequence it externally. Unless Soma had included an amazing Ornament-8-like system on the P23, which would have almost doubled the size of the instrument, all you could really expect of the onboard sequencer is basic triggers. The P23 prides itself on an organic feel, so to me it makes sense that you have to bring in a MIDI sequencer to get tight percussion triggering from it, while the CV modulation is looser and that helps give the P23 its weird Industrial "groove" - a description that on the surface seems like an oxymoron, until you actually hear it and it makes perfect sense.
I'd also say don't sleep on the capabilities of the Shaos section in combination with the clock divider to introduce some glitchy rhythmic qualities into the instruments. If I had one complaint about the P23, it's that I think it should have two more instrument channels; four just seems too limited.
right on! thanks for the feedback! much appreciated! :)
I have bought and sold most of the popular gear. Deluge is my only constant. It was the first "dawless" box I ever bought. I kind of want a Live II retro edition right now even though I have an MPC One that barely gets used. I love built in batteries. Actually, if Polyend would put a lithium battery in a Tracker, I'd probably get rid of everything but that and Deluge.
Do you have the OLED mod?
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE not yet, still waiting for my name to come up on the list
@@bigtiredkeith I'm seriously looking into pre-ordering. I digging the indie-vibe of the company too! ;)
Some of my moog gear and vintage gear have nearly doubled and even tripled in resell value over the past 15 years. That's a great ROI lol. But I definitely want to simplify my life and sell off gear that takes up lots of physical space that is used rarely.
"Menu-divey" is my new favorite adjective :)
:) So menu-diving doesn't have to be negative. For example, Pamela's New Workout, or my first M1 Korg, I spend countless hours on that small screen and I didn't mind. I think if the UI designers don't try to do too much, it can be just fine. It's when the designers overreach. :(
I'm selling digital/beatbox/sampler/midi controller asap when realize not clicking (my latest sell Force, RolandMV-1, BeatstepPro. Final rebuy-and-keep forever are Push2, Maschine+, OP-Z (those are all beatbox/midi). For synthesizers I try to buy and keep forever, so far managed past 6 years: Moog Subsequent 37CV, Buchla208C, Polybrute (also my main keys), Korg ARP2600m.
It was cool decision to keep Deckard's Dream (though it too expensive, and would keep the value). Keeping sequencer Octatrack sounds strange since over time it will be version 2, 3, X, so can't count on it keeping value. Though if it still inspires you (maybe not every day) its a value for you. Cheers!
I might buy Metropolix at some point .... as soon as get my first enclosure, but manage staying away from modular so far :)
Managing to stay away from Euroack! Impressive and good luck :)
Wow what a studio, so many gears 😍
Yes... guilty as charged. It was much worst. The struggle is to always prioritize creative productivity over noodling over gear.
I will never sell my Octratrack - it’s just too useful. It can be a DAW (but this is not straightforward) a live-looper or beat box, or a superb effects box. It’s not THAT menu-deep, I know my way around it pretty well. The sampling and sequencing is extremely versatile and thorough. MIDI control over other instruments, on top of the 8 audio tracks, is more than enough for it to drive my other synths. On the down-side, it doesn’t have remote control over MIDI or USB - a big disappointment after using Elektron’s software interface for the Analog 4, which gives complete DAW control if that’s your thing. Also the song construction process is a bit weird, stringing loops together. Never used an MPC though so I can’t compare.
The only synth I sold was the much-maligned Timbre Wolf - however I haven’t got as much in Studio M as we can see in the Dungeon Theatre!
I have way too much stuff, but living in NYC makes it really difficult to sell stuff. I usually just take stuff I'm not using to the storage unit, then it basically lives there.
haha nyc is like the best city to sell this stuff
@@phillymopwater only someone who doesn't live here would think that. NOTHING is easy in this city. haha.
Great vid. I flip gear a lot but don’t want to keep things I don’t use much.
Generaly when i buy something to the studio it is well reseached and i know what i get, if i don´t use that gear for a while at some point it has it´s place again, it is like to rediscover or have a new second experience, i seldom sell my gear, the only time was when i was needed money for treatment,...i love my gear,..Love cheers💚🙏
Good you kept the Octatrack. It is something special. I once had the idea to switch it for the MC707 but it did not work out. 707 was too clean and had too many options and I was used to the octatrack workflow (but I still have my moments of f*ck why is this thing not doing doing it the way I want it to). Never had the MPC One but the mpc2k and mpc1k and mpc500 but sold the older models for not doing the beat stretching thing that Ableton did new that time. The thing that keeps me off from the MPC One is the touch screen. I feel the same like you, that is too distracting with the touch screen and the many options. However I miss the Option to record longer audio tracks next to the patterns of the Octatrack.
Great insights! Thank you for stopping by!
Instead of the Pulsar 23, the Perkons HD 01 might be something you wanna look into
Perkins looks and sounds awesome but can’t find one anywhere as of this moment. Don’t like prep ordering gear but maybe I should think about it’s. Thanks for writing in! :)
Love this video. I'm glad Deckards made the cut and happy you're keeping it. Regarding, Pulsar 23, Agreed on the sequencer, but sending triggers in (try noise Engineering's Zularic Repetitor). Aso, send Deckard's Audio into some signal paths in pulsar. siiiiiick!
Thanks for the suggestion. Appreciate the support! :)))
I sold an Atlantis, octotrack and an mpc live the mk1 versions.
I still have an akai force, and pulsar 23.
Plan on selling a s2100 because its large, expensive, and its workflow doesnt give me pleasure in ratio to what it provides me sound wise. Selling possibly a rc505 because the akai force for me is a better looper / midi sequencer brain still may keep it for impromtu beatboxing but feels like i dont do that enough to justify. And need to cleanse many eurorack modules, I don't use eurorack enough and it's expensive, I need to narrow down what I want my eurorack case to be i keep buying modules and feels I don't use them enough to justify keeping them.
Plan on choosing to buy more hands on immediate gratification / knobby gear as I tend to use gear less if theirs lots of mental resistance/effort. I should focus on my elektrons (a4,mk2,digitone) as they feel the most natural to me.
Though you may hate the look, the Bastl Knit Rider is a GREAT trigger/ gate sequencer. I too, hate eurorack sequencers.
looks interesting! thanks for the share
thanks...
I just made a list of everything and realized I only have two things I could part with, which was actually surprising, and one has no value. That could be a giveaway though...
I'm doing pretty OK on this front at the moment. 😊
This is my first time watching one of your videos and I’m definitely excited to see more.
On the MPC, if you look at the prices of the Live MK1, it’s like half the price it came out at.. (I know, cause that’s when I bought it).. so I have no expectations of it holding its value long term.
I say hold onto the Pulsar. Why not use it for sound design? I can’t think of anything like it or that would fill the same space.
I’ve actually never really sold gear… I mate for life.. such a commitment I know.. but also I have a lot less gear.. and I meticulously plan what I get so that everything has specific rolls… which in part I do because of I don’t have the means to buy more, more often.
Thanks for sharing. Ideally, that is where I’d like to be. There’s a lot of energy wasted buying, selling, learning. Everything costs time, which is def the most precious commodity!
I like this comment.... once bought, learn a device inside out....marry it and make yourself become creative with it. And this was my first time seeing a video by this TH-camr and I'll be watching more :)
I’ve been selling some of the cheaper stuff I own and consolidating into nicer gear. Got rid of a bunch of pedals, a guitar and grabbed a prophet rev 2 😂 but ya I think revaluation is a must do once in a whiles . Wish I had as much stuff to liquidate as you haha
Great to hear. I think it's something that's as important as cable management and decluttering your space. There's the financial side of home studio ownership that's important to get right.
I don't sell my gear. Never bought into Western style consumerism. And I'm glad for it.
Sold the Digitone. Controversial I know. I still have a digitakt but one electron box is my max. And the digitone doesn’t really offer anything that can’t be done with stock Ableton Live.
I am doing exactly this! Hear that I was super excited about buying, that just hasn’t worked it’s way into my workflow.
Selling this month:
Chase Bliss Habit
4MS SWN
Deckards (beautiful but not for me)
Pladask Matrise
lol I just GOT the Habit. What wasn't working for you?
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE I can’t put my finger on it. I was still using the Blooper and the Mood regularly, but just wasn’t feeling myself drawn to using the Habit. I would have been interested in the looping element had it not been restricted to 3 mins in length. The delay sounds I felt like I had covered in other pedals (EG Timeline) albeit without the quirkiness.
I fully expect to see awesome vids of people using the Habit over the next few months and getting regret-GAS over it!
Recently sold my Microfreak because I wasn't really digging it's keyboard and sound. Got a very good price too, almost full refund, owned it for a year and a half.
Also sold my Ableton Push that I owned for about 8 years now and which even now holds upon the highest ROI of all my stuff, but I used it less and less in recent years due to moving over to hardware more and more.
Currently not sure if I should keep my good old Microkorg and the Oceans 11 Reverb pedal - I got myself a Prophet Rev2 Keyboard version and the Oceans 12. I think I'm gonna keep the Oceans 11 because it handles hot input way better than it's big stereo brother but really not sure about the Microkorg. I don't like it's sound or to program it, but there's something to it and it was my first ever synth.
I had similar experience with the freak. It was pushed big by all the TH-camrs but I found it underwhelming, for me personally
I just sold my MicroFreak today. Super pleased.
Great to open with a metropolix... nice machine
Recently sold a row of original Mutable Instruments Eurorack modules. Worst decision ever, since they are now out of production and are real collectibles.
ugh! That's painful! Though that gives me an idea for another video. "TOP 5 regrets selling gear"
@@DUNGEONMUSICTHEATRE that would be very interesting. Maybe sharing the pain makes us feel better 😅
Metropolix is one that you can really jive with if you spend more time with it. Self patching and the gate expander as well as midi out really adds to the value imo. You can also use the knobs for performance of other gear as well as use the mod lanes to output sequenced voltage!
Oh yeah... menu diving using a menu that is less than 2 inches wide. Life is too short.
@@BlackMan614 never more than 1 menu deep but ok!
@@GatedCaffeine It also goes against every eurorack was supposed to be. 5U was too big... cut the size in half. But these digital modules with tiny screens and menus... no, just no.
@@BlackMan614 imagining trying to define what eurorack is supposed to be. LMAO
@@GatedCaffeine Outside of bleeps and bloops... I dunno... you tell me.
Never sell any music gear. You will regret it.