In the past year I probably spent 4 hours a day watching TH-camrs talk about and demonstrate music gear and software and some theory. I spent on average at most 1 hour on those days to actually implement what I learned. This has to stop.
There's a thread on elektronauts called "no gear new year" and that has been great for keeping my gas at bay. Ultimately what I find is that if I keep off TH-cam (with the exception of videos on gear that I already own) and forums then I'm not finding out about new gear or recently updated gear. Out of sight, out of mind. Then I still have to remind myself, scrolling and doing research has its limits before you gotta just get to your set up and make some music even if it doesn't materialize into a track.
#1 antidote to GAS is realizing how much time it takes to get up-to-speed on new gear and how much that takes away from being able to actually find time to make music. There’s nothing wrong with buying/collecting gear, or if just learning new gear is your thing, all the more to you - have fun with that. But if you really want to make the music, you need to make the most with what you have and carefully plan/choose new gear.
@@SlowHaste this is soo true- I just updated firmware on my Intellijel Tete/Tetrapad and now can use it instead of buying a new module. No gear now has me focused on mastering what I already have.
I've encountered G.A.S many times, It definetly feels like you are more focused on the buying of equipment than the making of music which can be a toxic circle. I used to call this issue a toolbox fallacy which is when you don't feel you can do the job (make music) withought the right tools (Synths) when you already have more than enough. I feel G.A.S fits this issue much better than what i listed above. This video will really help alot of people! Keep making the great content.
Thanks so much!! I actually really like your terminology too. The concept definitely applies to lots of other hobbies, professions, and crafts for sure.
This video is always welcome throughout the year! It’s like therapy! I wanted to add that there’s that period of exploration (it happened to me with art supplies) in which you need to get your hands on stuff to decide what you really like, and that’s a dangerous period. I would say: find friends with gear, try stuff at stores or get cheaper gear that give you a feel of what that field might be (for instance, a PO-33 for sampling). I know influencers in general are doing their thing, but I’m sticking more and more to people that master one medium or instrument rather than consuming marketing per se. 🌝
Yeah that’s a great point! I’ve thought about that a lot recently, since when I was in Chicago I had so much access to pedals and synths and modules to tinker with in stores. But where I moved to, there’s…. nothing. The best I’ve got is a guitar center an hour and a half away hahah.
GAS is a real thing, for sure. Imagine the combination of GAS with manic spending episodes, that's unfortunately where I fall at times and it can be a true wallet killer. I have made it a habit to slowly evaluate what I truly use the most and not keep certain pieces of gear simply because "it's nice to have." It helps big time with GAS.
@@dannyllerenatv8635 do you get sentimentally attached to pieces of gear? I find it happens to me almost immediately once I've made any kind of music with it... then it's SO hard to part with same thing happens to me with cars and motorcycles (lol) it's really hard for me to let go
Thanks for this. The Microfreak has greatly reduced my desire for new gear of late. It’s like a Pandora’s box that just keeps on giving. Also, listening to records and performing with others (when possible) helps me to focus on the gear that is really needed. Cheers again:)
This video is amazing advise and can work across all disciplines. As a musician who can play 5 songs on every interment, a skater who can barely kick flip, a lock smith that can only open master locks, a sailor who got stuck in mud than called out a mayday on the radio, a chef that sticks eggs to stainless steel, a watch maker who buys and breaks expensive watches from eBay, a realtor who hasn't sold a single house, a pest control commercial applicator who cannot identify more than 3 insects, a gamer with 10k hrs stuck in bronze, a polyglot that can say "Do you speak English" in over 8 languages, I can confirm that following this advice can save someone thousands of hours, and that's the only resource we can never get back.
I have decided I have way too much clutter, have decided to keep just the things I use and inspire. Its a bit like the 80/20 rule, I use 20% of my gear/plugs 80% of the time. I believe my new clean, focused music space will lead to more creativity. I am spending some of the cash raised on thing like good headphones and monitors, which really are essential to our craft.
Don't get in to modular, oops! :D That ship has already sailed, but I'm trying to keep it focused. Best synth purchase - Synthstrom Deluge, hands down. Worst, probably the MC-707 which sounds great but was completely unnecessary for me. I never wrote one song on it, and sold it at a loss.
I am into this thing of electronic music since a year, and I understood GAS was a danger so I decided I wouldn’t buy anything until I was able to produce something that I like a little bit on the gear I have which is basically only an iPad , ableton lite, a keyboard and a guitar. I have never been able to put together 1 minute of something I liked, while watching tons of video about gear I don’t have, so I probably saved money but still I failed in the saddest possible way.
Thanx for sharing… My solution for my own gas : I really dislike modular and even pedals….😎 I restricted myself: 1 x deluge, 1x microfreak, 1x uno synth pro, 1x op -1 and 1x polyend Medusa…….. and a I pad…… If I want something new some other piece has to go…… And I just like my gear to much and they suit my purpose…..
I think many people fundamentally overestimate how much gear helps making music. you can literally do everything with jsut your computer easier and quicker than with hardware. hardware is only about the fun, not about improving music.
Yep My Name Is Rob and i have GAS. I have fallen for the stuff on youtube. The hipster synths etc. Yes I coveted the microcosm. Yes I bought Elektron*, Synthstrom*, Novation*, Vermona. Because so many people make lovely stuff with it, and you get carried away thinking you could do the same... except... I don't. I have a busy life and I'm in a band doing non synth stuff. I write far more sat with my tenor guitar downstairs out of the studio. I have had the "not learning instrument x because you want instrument Y" followed by the realisation that you just noodle at BEST with what you have learnt so far. But lately I've found myself being much better able to say "I'm just not using that in the way I imagined in my GAS moments". Powerful to know this. One of my boxes is about to get advertised.... having only just paid off the credit. I like to think I'm getting over the emotional dopamine connection a bit, but I'm not there yet. *which i love
I used to buy and sell, buy and sell, buy and sell. Now I store synths and effects and "unbox" them to re-discover them. Erasing every sample and preset that isn't your sound really helps, too. I recently erased four banks in my Digitone, and now, every patch is a fun process in which I get to approach the instrument differently rather than modify things I had made before. It is also a good idea to backup your old presets before you store.
I dont GAS for gear I buy what comes My way used. I dont want loads of gear just cupple more sythersizors. I bought some pedals because they where for sale at a local shop, Reverb, Flanger.
Oooof this video spoke to me in an uncomfortable and very real way. I recently scrapped all my old outdated pedals in hopes of starting fresh and I’ve been GASsing so hard over that one perfect thing that will satisfy all my needs and it’s definitely become an obsession. VCV has been a godsend in terms of saving me from many regrettable purchases but I’d love to get off the computer. Mulling over the Digitakt for a while now. Maybe it’s the one. Thanks for talking me off the modular ledge!
My favorite and most valuable purchase was the Teenage Engineering PO-12 back in 2015. It put me on a path away from the computer and the tons of VSTs and made me want to focus on 'less is more'. I eventually got a few more POs and then an OP-Z which is a close 2nd for most valuable. I absolutely love the OP-Z and being able to make whole tracks while completely disconnected from any screen is so freeing. Additionally, its limitations make me want to push myself to make more interesting things with it. One day I'll buy an OP-1, which I've been eyeing for like 10 years now, but for now, I'm doing pretty good. Great video.
The PO-12 is what got me into hardware in the first place!! I also had an OP-Z but at the time, I wasn’t ready for a sequence-based approach yet so I ended up selling it, but I did have a blast with it.
I feel that modular has come such a long way. Due to the advancement of technology. Especially in means of the amount of modules needed. One module can have many uses. This also makes them more pricey though.
Yeah you’re absolutely right - there are a lot of tiny tiny “this does everything” modules, which is pretty cool but almost antithetical to the reason a lot of people get into it in the first place! It’s fun to try to find a balance between form and function when setting up a case. But then I always get distracted from the whole reason I’m putting a case together!
@@SlowHaste Endorphin.es Queen of Pentacles is great- 7 drum voices, FX processing and filter in one module. I can do most of what I want in this module and add to case with sequencer and mixer for small techno house modular setup.
Man. Bless the TH-cam algorithm for recommending this in the 11th hour - before pulling the trigger on new gear this week. Your commentary on GAS is on point and just what I needed. Time to go make music with the gear I already have and love.
GAS? I'm a photographer and filmmaker to make a living, and an amateur guitar, bass and synth player. So yeah, I have some idea about what you're talking here... And yes, TH-cam feels more like teleshopping everyday.
Most regretted synth purchase? Probably my Launchpad Pro. I intended it to sequence several voices in my AE modular and since I use Ableton as my DAW it seemed like the perfect best-of-both-worlds option. Only problem: I didn’t realise that the midi port of the AE modular can only handle a single channel 🤦♀️ Multi channel midi modules are expensive and hard to DIY. I should have gotten the Keystep or Beatstep Pro since they have CV outs. Most valuable synth purchase: Ironically also the Launchpad Pro 😂 I never sell gear, so I had to make it useful for myself. I wrote an entire album with it in Ableton already and I’m using the sequencer a lot with my iPad and AUM. It got me into finger drumming too! I use it pretty much every day, just not for what I had originally planned. I guess eventually I’ll be able to get that midi module too. Not selling gear is a good treatment for GAS too by the way!
That’s true about not selling gear! Viewing things as a permanent investment changes the perspective of what you actually “need”. I think Midlife Synthesist mentioned what is essentially “sellers remorse”, and how he’s re-purchased gear he thought he didn’t want, only to end up gassing for it again down the road! Happens to us all :,)
@@SlowHaste In a way it’s also about how much you want to have the gear fit you rather than adapt yourself to the gear. I’m actually a photographer by profession. For a couple years all I had was a broken Soviet camera. I made it work, even if sometimes it tore the film in cold weather and the shutter was wonky. I made some decent work with it too, even though there were some things I couldn’t do with it. Basically if I buy something I simply have to make it work, even if it’s not really the easiest or most intuitive thing. Sometimes it takes a while until I get something decent out of it, but I’m ok with working at it until it clicks. I guess “It doesn’t suit my workflow” is just a different way of saying “I don’t want to change my workflow”. I wish people would work at it a bit more rather than buy and resell quickly, it really drives prices up because people always try to sell at a profit. It’s the same for cameras actually, prices have been going through the roof because of GAS, buyer’s remorse, seller’s remorse and even reseller’s remorse. I know a guy who bought the same camera 3 times and always at a higher price 😅 Guess what, he sold it again recently 🤦♀️ I doubt he’ll ever learn 😂
@@LillySchwartz YES I'm so glad you brought up cameras. Honestly it's the same exact type of thing, except arguably worse because so much of camera tech is just companies upgrading the same thing year after year; there isn't as much "new tech", at least in a new form factor the way there often is with music gear.
@@SlowHaste totally true. In fact for a few years investment into digital camera gear made very little sense because it became obsolete so fast without any significant improvements where it really mattered. The colours were pretty awful in comparison to film until maybe a couple years ago? What does resolution or improved high ISO performance matter if the colours are garbage? For stills even now I prefer film. Colour science improved only over the last couple of years, so that’s something, but what else is there to improve after this? Even we TH-camrs don’t need more than 4K raw video with decent colours and … we have that now? The gear buying obsession is even weirder for old film cameras. They are essentially glorified black boxes of different shapes and sizes 😅 With music gear you at least get different sounds out of it or more capable sequencers etc, but with cameras I don’t really see a real difference, at least once all the basic functionality is covered.
Film director Robert Rodriguez in an interview said that Hollywood's money stifles creativity because a problem that would otherwise be solved creatively just has money thrown at it.
I did the same thing with my keyboard synths. They take a lot of room and all they’ve become are sound generators for Ableton and Elektron gear. I also have a decent full-sized keyboard controller. So now I’m full-on grooveboxes, synth modules and replaced my keyboards with plug-ins and Roland Boutique synths. I also narrowed my groovebox of choice to Elektron devices. Couldn’t be happier. :)
I have been baby stepping in to modular for few years now and started with the 0-coast. I still think it is my favorite piece of gear to use when I want that sound. I recently added some add-on items to take it up a notch, but I don't see myself going full blown wall rack. I am going to just take advantage of vcv rack go full hybrid and be one with it.
Most regretted purchase, five synths in... maybe the Model Cycles. Thought I was getting a drum machine, and the snare and hats suck, but when you don't have too many synths, you learn to love the ones you have. I found that while i don't connect with it as a drum machine, I DO connect with it as a synth and a weird-textures and sound machine. And the kick is epic. So I'm keeping it, learning to love it, and doing more research in the future to be sure that I make purchases that are a better fit for me.
Slow Haste These are these two Synth’s, Erica Synths Syntrx; and MiniKorg 700 FS, Although I have plans to joystick VIA MIDI CC… My primary notions // original intent was to utilize Syntrx w/ OXI ONE; Korg SQ 65; or Analogue solutions fusebox X; or Yorick tech; or Intellijel Metropolis etc.. Considered: Strymon nightsky SynthMania had just recently demonstrated the Behringer 960
The same here. I was too much focused on buying gear than focussing on music production. My most regretted synth purchase was a modular synth, I find out that I'm not a sound designer but a track maker.
I'm glad I never got into modular. The closest synths I have to a modular are the Arturia Matrixbrute and Polybrute combo. I also have a Prophet REV 2 16 voice if that counts too. That's it for me as far as modular or semi-modular. I did G.A.S for a Behringer 2600 for a short while but I said to myself (that would be too much overkill as well as a huge learning curve, hindering creativity) and passed on it. I also like the idea of the pushbutton grid matrix (much neater and cleaner) as opposed to a mess of patch cables. Also having the limitations of the hardwired synths and not having separate modules in a huge cabinet won't have me lusting after additional expensive modules. Instead, it would force me to be more creative wirhin their limitations and focus on the overall purpose for having them in the first place, which is to "compose" music. In fact, these synths are so powerful and flexible that I don't see myself ever outgrowing them anytime soon. Chances are I will still be learning new things about them 10 years from now. I feel like I'm good to go as far as having synths with lots of modulation capabilities. With thatvsaid, there are other synths I do G.A.S. for (very few) and two of the biggest things that control my G.A.S. are financial resources and space limitations. Although that's a good thing (and it really is) I pretty much know where I'm at now and there aren't a whole lot of additional synths out there that I'm looking to aquire....maybe one or two. However, I've reached a point now where if I aquire a new synth, one of my current synths must go. If I get a new synth, it would have to bring something new and different to the table or fill a void my other synths don't.
What fixed my guitar GAS was buying the HX Stomp. It sounds so good and let’s me explore sounds so easily. And it’s tiny! But I do need a new drum machine in my Elektron setup, the OT works better as a sampler/mixer/sequencer. Really GASing for a Model:Samples, they’re so cheap and performance based!
Cheap is good!! That’s actually another point I was thinking of including, is starting small. Something like: instead of jumping to a crazy analogue vintage drum machine, start with something that’s affordable that will help you determine what your setup actually needs!
@@SlowHaste absolutely something I’d agree with! And my Octatrack can do most of the fancy things the DT can do, so buying a simpler, more performance based device makes more sense.
I totally identify with your wisdom. I’ve gassed for new keyboards from the polybrute to the new obx8 to the matriarch……. …… and then gone back to my Rev2. Which does everything I need. Not want but need.
Not a regretted Synth purchase but a gear-related: I "upgraded" my audio-interface from the arturig Studio to the Universal Audio 8xp. The UAD is absolutely great, but not worth the money. So if you think about upgrading your interface, think twice ;)
I bought a lot the past few years but nothing this year due to bills and taxes for my car and home repair. But I am good as have tons to still use and master.
Very good video and a topic worth discussing openly. I’ve sold a lot of gear in the past. I’ve reached a point where I have everything I ever dreamed of and yet I’m not making that much music. Most of my synths are not used much other than ocasional jams. Yet I cherish every piece of my current setup so much that I’m having a hard time to sell them. For me it’s TH-cam that has spiraled my gas out of control, additionally, as I get older and have family my social life has been reduced a lot so I guess it’s a coping mechanism for me to have as much fun as possible in isolation. For me, buying gear is a lot of fun, like I don’t expect to release music but I enjoy what it brings, dopamine rush. As I’m slowly filling up my studio, I will eventually run out of space which is the ultimate cure for gas I guess. Difficult subject…
I use a similar antidote; prove to myself that I can’t do such and such with the gear I have. If I can, then I use it that way for a while to see if I need something better or find that the such and such isn’t all the interesting after all.
I have a love / hate relationship with my Moog Subharmonicon. It took me a looooong time and more effort than I would have liked to get just ‘okay’ with it, but in the end the perseverance paid off and now I pretty much exclusively use it as the backbone of my polyrhythms
That’s awesome! That one definitely caught my eye when it was released, but I never delved into it. It seems very unique and rewarding to spend time getting to know
Thanks for providing us with perspectives to GAS. I have experience with GAS as well. In short, my way of coping GAS, was to narrow the creativity down to a genre (more like a soundscape) and acquire the bare minimum of tools needed to realize the soundscapes. Read more if you're interested. So... Going somewhat dawless, I was watching reviews form TH-cam, researching from reddit and other forums which took a lot of time and money. I learned to recognize that the scene revolving around musical gear, especially on TH-cam, emerges most visibly from marketing the gear. But... Finally, I discovered a genre (or a sort of a soundscape) that inspired me. So I went hunting for sounds and the tools that could produce those sounds. I also wanted to keep the gear to bare minimum and decided to mimic a traditional band. I needed a drum machine / sampler, a bass synth / melody synth, and a synth for chords (arpeggios, stabs, lush strings and pads) which was pretty much it. My plan is to stick with the current setup until I have made a study of the genre (created enough songs).
That sounds like a solid plan for the project! I’ve definitely made purchases with a specific use case in mind, knowing I’d be able to resell when it had served its purpose.
Once I was mad about the Yamaha FS1R, bought one, sold one...regretted it, bought TWO, sold them, regretted it, bought another one with a HIGHER price...and tried to sell it, nobody would buy it for only 450 Euro...but then I managed to sell it, after months. I settled with a Motif ES rack...but then I think I should have kept all the FS1R racks and sell them NOW, for BIG money, hehe. Slowly, one can be cured from GAS, when you tried everything and kept the best synths, a PCM, a VA and an analog. It's important to always keep a few hardware synths so you don't relapse, lol. I checked the Korg Wavestate lately...but as you said, I could do that stuff in Cubase + Korg Minilogue XD I already have.
A similar thing happened to me when Reverb did an insane sake on the Korg Op-Six. I was truly on the verse if just getting it, but I already had a Digitone, why would I need another fm synth! So I talked my myself down haha
I have been buying synthesisers for about 20 years. I don't have too many regret purchases and they tend to be among the only things I've then sold.... I bought a Roland SP404 and a Yamaha MX-1 at some point when I already owned a machinedrum and perhaps an octatrack - they added nothing except frustration and so had to leave. I bought a mininova when they were launched and I already had an ultranova. Similarly, this unit added nothing to justify its presence as I literally had the same instrument in a different form. So, I tried to avoid making those sorts of mistakes (blatant duplication and buying things that are probably not as good as things I already own) but there's still so much redundancy in my collection. Maybe the worst synth purchase was the first one?? :)
I know this maybe sounds strange, but coding my own modular plugin has seriously reduced my GAS - of course not everybody can do that :) If there is some kind of sound missing in my gear, I will try to code a new node or design a new patch - this is partly the entire reason I went down that path (but anyway, modular synth software is one way to go to reduce GAS). One thing with hardware, I would say, don't feel guilty about getting synths and not being productive if you just enjoy playing them (providing you had the space and budget to begin with).. sometimes it's like therapy to just sit and play, and nothing beats hardware in that respect.
At the beginning of last year I decided to spend my energy taking advanced lessons in music composition and ear training, and just use what I had. It worked for most of the year, although by the end of it I had succumbed to selling/buying some of the modules in my modest eurorack. This year I'm going to make a few necessary purchases for my studio, but in general I'm going to follow the same mentality as last year and just focus on my musical mind instead of gear.
OT and a small modular set-up has been keeping me GAS free for about 2 years. Not to say there are no downsides, but Elektron boxes really are the type of devices that you can spend a lifetime exploring.
How many synths are too much? If you are in it for the long haul and use these things as possible investments for rainy day back ups (if tight on cash, you can sell). I see gas as ok (to a degree) if you have the money, and see them as stores of value (as the dollar evaporates before our eyes), and if you are content in not learning your machines too deeply, I think you can still stay focused and get some music recorded.
I bought a sequential pro 3. I thought I needed it for bass. I already owned a bass station 2, peak and hydrasynth. Don't get me wrong, it is a great synth but I didn't need it. I find myself just not using it. I am thinking of selling it. I am kinda waiting for the used prices to go up after the recent new price increase to sell it. Part of me wants to keep it. I don't know what I'll do. That was the synth purchase that made me realize I'm was falling into the gas rabbit hole. I bought it and immediately started researching my next purchase. I also went on a guitar buying spree recently. I went from 3 guitars to 9 in the matter of two years. I am putting the breaks on purchases for a while. I need to show some self control lol.
@@SlowHaste I've decided I am going to pack up all but two synths. I will keep the hydrasynth and peak hooked up, the rest will go into storage. If in a few months I am content with this setup I will sell everything else.
I bought a mantis case and spent thousands on modules and never was happy I sold all of it and ended up with matriarch that makes me way more happy. Now that I know more though I do have guess to build a modular inspiration machine in a small case so fun maybe one day. But it will be more thought out then piecemeal purchase of modules
Cards on the table….. my problem these days is that because of historic GAS I now have SO many options for synths to play/patch/learn that I have a real problem focusing on any one (or even small combo of 2 or 3) synths long enough to make decent sounds/tracks on it. I seem to find myself setting up one set of synths to work together perfectly then no sooner has this set-up been finalised I am thinking about what the next “perfect” set-up of my synths should be instead of settling and making music. Your DT+DN+KS set-up is great and I love that you have settled on this and are focussed on learning and producing from this pretty much exclusively. I wish I could just do the same ! 😫
Option paralysis is very real!! That’s what I had with the DAW, and it led me into the world of hardware. It sucks that gear can just be so much fun to tinker with though
Yes! I can so relate to this. I recently got a Microcosm and that led to my MPC One and Digitone purchase. And now I’m like, “Holy shit there is so much here to work with 😯.” But there is something I really enjoy about bringing the Digitone or MPC to the coffee shop and working on a beat with no laptop or distractions. I think where I’m at now is getting some beats out the door with my current grasp of the gear, cuz I can fiddle forever.
The thing is that it is very difficult to get to know what you need, before getting it and knowing how it will fit your workflow. Once I have it, I get attached to it, I it is difficult to let it go....because this things are difficult to get in my country. That’s not the case with Roland stuff...but I will need some therapy to get to sell my Intellijel Atlantis, dreadbox and Dsi stuff...even though what I get to use the most of the time is an analog 4, a digitone and a minitaur...right now the a4 mki with the minitaur are my desert island synths. ...I will never go the modular way again...for me is overpriced and pointless if your goal is to make some music....you can sound different with Elektron, just spend some time sound designing.
My first step in GAS suppression is to add it to my Amazon GAS wish list instead of the shopping basket... Then I try to put it out my mind ... maybe I'll research a budget alternative and put that on the wish list too. the important thing is to put off the purchase, til at least next payday or promise it to myself as a reward for some goal achievement...whatever! The objective is to get distracted from whatever it is I'm obsessing over. Eventually I'll come back to my wish list and find a whole bunch of stuff I've 'collected' virtually. Then I'll find that the Object Of Desire I was obsessed with last month isn't a such priority this month. Maybe I'll have a new GAS now but the trick is to keep putting it off. After a while I found just doing the research was enough - it was all about the joy of the chase!
Yes, learning is actually such a fun part of the process! I often find myself deep in product manuals for thing I know I’ll never own. Also, I love that you have a specific GAS list on Amazon hahah
@@SlowHaste Mate, I have *many* specific GAS lists on amazon - Guitars, Pedals, Keyboards, Amps... I even keep a 'wishlist' (archive) of the stuff I *don't* want anymore - bonkers!
I would say I fall into the category of occasional mild G.A.S., which I indulge due to my general enjoyment of seeing others excited about inspiring bits of kit. I mostly dive down that rabbit hole when I'm not in active creation mode, but it's a delicate balance for sure. My setup is intentionally minimal (MPC Studio, 1 soft synth for drums, 1 soft synth for instrumentation) because it provides me with the optimal workflow I deem necessary for realizing output. Great chat on an important topic.
Thanks so much! Yeah that’s a really solid setup. I think I’m currently in the same boat as you where I’ll fawn over some boutique pedals and then I remind myself of the power of the LFOs and the master effects on the Elektron boxes to curb my consumerist enthusiasm hahah. But a little GAS can definitely be good to get creatively inspired :)
Yep! I think a lot of people equate that learning phase with a “honeymoon phase” and once they’re familiar with a piece of gear, it’s time to learn a new one
Really great video. And I totally got hit with a Sweetwater clearance! ad right in the middle of this. But I am undeterred and will now go make music with what I have. thank you!
My G.A.S is just about wanting the things because they're so cool. I don't have any delusion that some new synth is going to improve my skills or anything. I just want them :-( lol. I think about the only thing I really regret buying is Circuit, and that's because I got Digitakt pretty soon after it. I should have just got Digitakt from the start.
Very good advice! I’ve had to force myself to purposely not watch demo videos of new products for GAS reasons...😂...often that means I have to unfollow/unsubscribe to channels for that reason. Regrettably I still have gear such as my Digitakt that I’ve had for over 2 years & still have barely scratched the surface of knowing what I’m doing because I was getting distracted by more new gear(such as my MPC ONE). I’m making goals to learn my gear better & trying to write my music within the gear I have & will TRY not to start songs on a DAW(in my case garageband) which take away my time learning from the hardware I bought to get away from creating in a DAW....of course we will likely never totally get away from the DAW world. I just don’t want to depend on it for everything creatively.
Oh man, getting distracted from new gear BY new gear is always something haha. It helps to remind yourself why you gassed for that original piece of new gear in the first place!
Thanks for talking through this dude. You hit all the nails on all the heads...I had too many experiences with discovering that I'm the same person/musician before and after new gear arrives. I still played crappy riffs through my fancy Moog pedal as a senior in highschool. We need to be honest that the researchers/review scrutinizers/and used gear hagglers are a subsect of this creative world and that's fine. Just be honest with yourself about where your interests are. 🤣
Thanks Slow Haste - enjoyed that even if it hurt a bit! You are so right about Modular but it's also loads of fun... I have bought a second Go case and only (!) have about 110 hp of space left in that... I have 4 modules on my shopping list but I must call time on it after that. Have I made any meaningful music with it yet? No... I have owned an MPC One for over a year and have done nothing with it until recently. This is GAS... and it must stop!
As they say, admitting you have a problem is the first step. I just mentioned this to someone else, but one thing modular is great for is actually teaching you what you *don’t* need!
I set space limitations for gear and that seems to work for me because my house is small, too many options is paralyzing for me, and I'm lazy and want everything in arms reach 😆. I've been at capacity for a while so if anything comes in, something else has to go.
1. Know what type of music you want to make. Don’t buy anything that just looks fun but isn’t part of the sound you are looking for 2. Use what you have 3. Stop watching videos of gear you don’t have start watching videos of gear you do have. 4. Practice what you preach 😋, (I am still working on that)
Your video was comforting an confronting at the same time! It’s good to open a conversation about such a topic. Tomorrow my Digitakt/Digitone setup will be completed though, thanks a lot for the inspiration! 🙂 My Microfreak isn’t used that much actually, it’s a fun synth but the sounds can be a bit harsh. Maybe I’m not using it in the right way 😅
I would definitely recommend checking out artists like Andy Black and Blank Forms on Instagram! They both use the microfreak in very soothing ways, and find ways to make its harshness kind of nostalgic. Thanks for watching!
The only device or 2 I need to complete my setup (yeah right) is an effects pedal and mixer. I’ve watched so many videos on pedals! Microcosm, Bigsky, Nightsky, Specular Tempus (like this), Ventris, I watch a fun one for ambient music to chill to. Not heard of GAS btw, nice vid!
Tbh, I’m gassing quite hard for the Nightsky at the moment… hence the Strymon reference haha. You’re totally right about the music part too - a lot of gear demos are just plain pleasant to listen to for the musical aspect!
I probably would have a made a different decision yesterday if this video had come out earlier. 😂 Right now my GAS is about seeking the One True workflow. But I already have plenty of options to explore in my current gear. In fact, I have one or two things I should really sell so I can refocus.
Sometimes g.a.s. occurs when you don’t want your sound to sound like everyone else’s because of the popular gear you own, that everyone owns. Obscure gear can create a unique signature.
@@SlowHasteso I just said fuck it and bought a digitakt. I know this is about GAS but life is short and I want what I want. Thanks for helping me make my decision!
I have GAS and haven't bought anything yet, 😆, still deciding it is impossible! I want to start small and at moment find it even hard to decide on which audio interface I like to buy. I have however been sporadically making some music on IOS apps and a midi controller when I don't look at gear reviews 😆My plan is to have a small dawless setup to relax after a whole day looking at screens... Any advice on how to start 💚 greatly appreciated by this lovely community.
That's a good question, and can be hard to answer not totally knowing your background & goals! A good place to start if you're not yet familiar with sequencing would be the TE Pocket Operators, or even Garage Band's sequencers!
@@SlowHaste Hey so background years of piano lessons as a teenager (middle aged now SIGH!) but I love drone/ambient/nature/noisy stuff which I have been making with the following IOS apps: Korg Gadget, Moog Model D and Model 15 (really just using the presets there....patching like you said rabbit hole) also some FX like Dessert Cities and the tape looper GAUSS (which is my favourite atm) oh I think I understand sequencing a bit and also having been using AUM a bit to mix stuff. I am a big fan of John Carpenter, Vangelis and 80 synths sounds, but I have never really composed so I think I want to stick to the music style I mentioned above. As I work full time in 3D animation and have GAS for art supplies and computers, it is my pet peve I really want to buy something I will love, sucks haha. I kind of decided on the less necessary or lets say secondary gear like Mood or Microcosm pedal, Make Noise Sterga but I can't decide for the life of me on a main synth yet and I guess for now the plan is to still use the ipad with an audio interface and AUM as a mixer until I get into it more and invest on a sampler/mix or groove box for a completely DAW less setup. SIGH 😮💨 I hope I didn't bore you with my chatter. Thanks again 🙂 p.s. I was looking at the samper from TE, can you connect synths to it? or just uses the microphone? thanks
Great content. One suggestion: find a way to eliminate the sideways eye flip to read from your script. It makes your presentation feel much less direct and authentic.
Thank you!! Hahah I’m kinda happy you noticed. I put my script in a place I usually don’t, to see if I could get away with less cuts and it absolutely did not work 😅
You’re gonna love it. It’s the most beautiful sounding machine in my setup. It’s a lot less complicated and scary to learn than people say. Watch some tutorials and go crazy!
@@georgekay372 also hard agree here - learning curve is a bit daunting (esp if new to elektron), but you’ll quickly learn your own short cuts and preferences for sound design, setting up projects, etc etc etc!
@@SlowHaste I started with a 84Hp case, then bought a second one (168HP). I just ordered a Tiptop Mantis (208HP) because I wanted more modules. All this in two to three months. I haven’t made a song since I started modular. Just a bunch of dope synth sounds. FML. 🫣.
Don't buy new synth till finish an album. Don't buy new synth till get some club play. Don't buy new synth till get some AM collage raido play. Don't buy new synth till can operate current rig in the dark blind folded. Don't buy new synth until master FM synthesis... ...the synth market crashes 🤣
Tfw you keep getting told you have gas but you're just getting your shit started. Like Jesus, no I don't have GAS just because I bought 2 cs-80's! Jeez, get off my back! ;)
In the past year I probably spent 4 hours a day watching TH-camrs talk about and demonstrate music gear and software and some theory. I spent on average at most 1 hour on those days to actually implement what I learned. This has to stop.
An hour a day of using what you learned seems quite a lot to be honest. 😀
I've been doing the "sell a thing if I get a thing" tactic, which has served me well. Great video!
This is zero-sum gold! The bulk of this stuff holds value so if you're trialing and reselling that's very different to me than obsessing and hoarding
yes yes! one in, one out... a fantastic rule to live by.
@@SlowHaste I disagree… If a tool could be priceless, it would be a Synth…
Yes, yes, the balance! Sell a pedal, buy a moog. “Zero”-sum :)
@@minoclue Hey.
Sometimes I sell two pedals.
_"But I just need one more guitar."_ 🎸
To quote Keith from Five Watt World -
_Maybe that money would be better spent on lessons, instead of new gear._
There's a thread on elektronauts called "no gear new year" and that has been great for keeping my gas at bay. Ultimately what I find is that if I keep off TH-cam (with the exception of videos on gear that I already own) and forums then I'm not finding out about new gear or recently updated gear. Out of sight, out of mind. Then I still have to remind myself, scrolling and doing research has its limits before you gotta just get to your set up and make some music even if it doesn't materialize into a track.
Yes, well said!! I’ll have to check that thread out for sure. And that’s basically what it boils down to for me: what you don’t know can’t hurt you.
agree- I am doing this contest this year and so far have not bought any gear!
#1 antidote to GAS is realizing how much time it takes to get up-to-speed on new gear and how much that takes away from being able to actually find time to make music.
There’s nothing wrong with buying/collecting gear, or if just learning new gear is your thing, all the more to you - have fun with that.
But if you really want to make the music, you need to make the most with what you have and carefully plan/choose new gear.
Well said! I kinda had the same realization, that learning gear and making music are almost two completely different hobbies.
@@SlowHaste this is soo true- I just updated firmware on my Intellijel Tete/Tetrapad and now can use it instead of buying a new module. No gear now has me focused on mastering what I already have.
„realizing“ would mean that one goes here with reason to work. But what does G.A.S. have to do with reason? 🙃
@@SlowHaste that's accurate
TH-camr says don’t watch TH-cam - appreciate the rare honesty 👏👏
I've encountered G.A.S many times, It definetly feels like you are more focused on the buying of equipment than the making of music which can be a toxic circle. I used to call this issue a toolbox fallacy which is when you don't feel you can do the job (make music) withought the right tools (Synths) when you already have more than enough. I feel G.A.S fits this issue much better than what i listed above. This video will really help alot of people! Keep making the great content.
Thanks so much!! I actually really like your terminology too. The concept definitely applies to lots of other hobbies, professions, and crafts for sure.
This video is always welcome throughout the year! It’s like therapy! I wanted to add that there’s that period of exploration (it happened to me with art supplies) in which you need to get your hands on stuff to decide what you really like, and that’s a dangerous period. I would say: find friends with gear, try stuff at stores or get cheaper gear that give you a feel of what that field might be (for instance, a PO-33 for sampling). I know influencers in general are doing their thing, but I’m sticking more and more to people that master one medium or instrument rather than consuming marketing per se. 🌝
Yeah that’s a great point! I’ve thought about that a lot recently, since when I was in Chicago I had so much access to pedals and synths and modules to tinker with in stores. But where I moved to, there’s…. nothing. The best I’ve got is a guitar center an hour and a half away hahah.
@@SlowHaste buuuuutttt I feel more creative in isolated areas tho 😂 my minimalist senses activate that way 🌝
@@newflanged_ it's so true!!
GAS is a real thing, for sure. Imagine the combination of GAS with manic spending episodes, that's unfortunately where I fall at times and it can be a true wallet killer. I have made it a habit to slowly evaluate what I truly use the most and not keep certain pieces of gear simply because "it's nice to have." It helps big time with GAS.
it's those manic spending episodes that get us, isn't it :D
@@NICUofficial Oh yeah, those episodes are like a freight train coming your way.
@@dannyllerenatv8635 do you get sentimentally attached to pieces of gear? I find it happens to me almost immediately once I've made any kind of music with it... then it's SO hard to part with
same thing happens to me with cars and motorcycles (lol) it's really hard for me to let go
Thanks for this. The Microfreak has greatly reduced my desire for new gear of late. It’s like a Pandora’s box that just keeps on giving. Also, listening to records and performing with others (when possible) helps me to focus on the gear that is really needed. Cheers again:)
Glad to hear that, the micro freak is super versatile especially for how affordable it is!!
This video is amazing advise and can work across all disciplines. As a musician who can play 5 songs on every interment, a skater who can barely kick flip, a lock smith that can only open master locks, a sailor who got stuck in mud than called out a mayday on the radio, a chef that sticks eggs to stainless steel, a watch maker who buys and breaks expensive watches from eBay, a realtor who hasn't sold a single house, a pest control commercial applicator who cannot identify more than 3 insects, a gamer with 10k hrs stuck in bronze, a polyglot that can say "Do you speak English" in over 8 languages, I can confirm that following this advice can save someone thousands of hours, and that's the only resource we can never get back.
I have decided I have way too much clutter, have decided to keep just the things I use and inspire. Its a bit like the 80/20 rule, I use 20% of my gear/plugs 80% of the time. I believe my new clean, focused music space will lead to more creativity. I am spending some of the cash raised on thing like good headphones and monitors, which really are essential to our craft.
Don't get in to modular, oops! :D That ship has already sailed, but I'm trying to keep it focused. Best synth purchase - Synthstrom Deluge, hands down. Worst, probably the MC-707 which sounds great but was completely unnecessary for me. I never wrote one song on it, and sold it at a loss.
Oooooh the deluge looks so very nice. Definitely would love to try one out some day!
I am into this thing of electronic music since a year, and I understood GAS was a danger so I decided I wouldn’t buy anything until I was able to produce something that I like a little bit on the gear I have which is basically only an iPad , ableton lite, a keyboard and a guitar. I have never been able to put together 1 minute of something I liked, while watching tons of video about gear I don’t have, so I probably saved money but still I failed in the saddest possible way.
Thanx for sharing…
My solution for my own gas : I really dislike modular and even pedals….😎
I restricted myself: 1 x deluge, 1x microfreak, 1x uno synth pro, 1x op -1 and 1x polyend Medusa…….. and a I pad……
If I want something new some other piece has to go……
And I just like my gear to much and they suit my purpose…..
wow that sounds like an incredibly fun setup, too!
I think many people fundamentally overestimate how much gear helps making music. you can literally do everything with jsut your computer easier and quicker than with hardware. hardware is only about the fun, not about improving music.
A friend said the most valuable thing she'd heard on a visit to India was "happiness is knowing what you don't need."
I dont need any real physical sythersizor as every sound they can make can be replicated in software but I like playing with the real thing.
Yep My Name Is Rob and i have GAS. I have fallen for the stuff on youtube. The hipster synths etc. Yes I coveted the microcosm. Yes I bought Elektron*, Synthstrom*, Novation*, Vermona. Because so many people make lovely stuff with it, and you get carried away thinking you could do the same... except... I don't. I have a busy life and I'm in a band doing non synth stuff. I write far more sat with my tenor guitar downstairs out of the studio. I have had the "not learning instrument x because you want instrument Y" followed by the realisation that you just noodle at BEST with what you have learnt so far.
But lately I've found myself being much better able to say "I'm just not using that in the way I imagined in my GAS moments".
Powerful to know this. One of my boxes is about to get advertised.... having only just paid off the credit.
I like to think I'm getting over the emotional dopamine connection a bit, but I'm not there yet.
*which i love
I used to buy and sell, buy and sell, buy and sell. Now I store synths and effects and "unbox" them to re-discover them. Erasing every sample and preset that isn't your sound really helps, too. I recently erased four banks in my Digitone, and now, every patch is a fun process in which I get to approach the instrument differently rather than modify things I had made before. It is also a good idea to backup your old presets before you store.
I dont GAS for gear I buy what comes My way used. I dont want loads of gear just cupple more sythersizors. I bought some pedals because they where for sale at a local shop, Reverb, Flanger.
That’s a good ideology! The internet makes it way too easy to get whatever from wherever
Oooof this video spoke to me in an uncomfortable and very real way. I recently scrapped all my old outdated pedals in hopes of starting fresh and I’ve been GASsing so hard over that one perfect thing that will satisfy all my needs and it’s definitely become an obsession. VCV has been a godsend in terms of saving me from many regrettable purchases but I’d love to get off the computer. Mulling over the Digitakt for a while now. Maybe it’s the one. Thanks for talking me off the modular ledge!
My favorite and most valuable purchase was the Teenage Engineering PO-12 back in 2015. It put me on a path away from the computer and the tons of VSTs and made me want to focus on 'less is more'. I eventually got a few more POs and then an OP-Z which is a close 2nd for most valuable. I absolutely love the OP-Z and being able to make whole tracks while completely disconnected from any screen is so freeing. Additionally, its limitations make me want to push myself to make more interesting things with it. One day I'll buy an OP-1, which I've been eyeing for like 10 years now, but for now, I'm doing pretty good. Great video.
The PO-12 is what got me into hardware in the first place!! I also had an OP-Z but at the time, I wasn’t ready for a sequence-based approach yet so I ended up selling it, but I did have a blast with it.
@@SlowHaste and love my OP-1 the ultimate grab and go sketch pad synth. A desert island tool.
I feel that modular has come such a long way. Due to the advancement of technology. Especially in means of the amount of modules needed. One module can have many uses. This also makes them more pricey though.
Yeah you’re absolutely right - there are a lot of tiny tiny “this does everything” modules, which is pretty cool but almost antithetical to the reason a lot of people get into it in the first place! It’s fun to try to find a balance between form and function when setting up a case. But then I always get distracted from the whole reason I’m putting a case together!
@@SlowHaste Endorphin.es Queen of Pentacles is great- 7 drum voices, FX processing and filter in one module. I can do most of what I want in this module and add to case with sequencer and mixer for small techno house modular setup.
Man. Bless the TH-cam algorithm for recommending this in the 11th hour - before pulling the trigger on new gear this week. Your commentary on GAS is on point and just what I needed. Time to go make music with the gear I already have and love.
I’m glad it sent you over here too! Thanks for watching, I’m happy you found it useful
GAS? I'm a photographer and filmmaker to make a living, and an amateur guitar, bass and synth player. So yeah, I have some idea about what you're talking here... And yes, TH-cam feels more like teleshopping everyday.
Most regretted synth purchase? Probably my Launchpad Pro. I intended it to sequence several voices in my AE modular and since I use Ableton as my DAW it seemed like the perfect best-of-both-worlds option. Only problem: I didn’t realise that the midi port of the AE modular can only handle a single channel 🤦♀️ Multi channel midi modules are expensive and hard to DIY. I should have gotten the Keystep or Beatstep Pro since they have CV outs. Most valuable synth purchase: Ironically also the Launchpad Pro 😂 I never sell gear, so I had to make it useful for myself. I wrote an entire album with it in Ableton already and I’m using the sequencer a lot with my iPad and AUM. It got me into finger drumming too! I use it pretty much every day, just not for what I had originally planned. I guess eventually I’ll be able to get that midi module too.
Not selling gear is a good treatment for GAS too by the way!
That’s true about not selling gear! Viewing things as a permanent investment changes the perspective of what you actually “need”. I think Midlife Synthesist mentioned what is essentially “sellers remorse”, and how he’s re-purchased gear he thought he didn’t want, only to end up gassing for it again down the road! Happens to us all :,)
@@SlowHaste In a way it’s also about how much you want to have the gear fit you rather than adapt yourself to the gear. I’m actually a photographer by profession. For a couple years all I had was a broken Soviet camera. I made it work, even if sometimes it tore the film in cold weather and the shutter was wonky. I made some decent work with it too, even though there were some things I couldn’t do with it. Basically if I buy something I simply have to make it work, even if it’s not really the easiest or most intuitive thing. Sometimes it takes a while until I get something decent out of it, but I’m ok with working at it until it clicks. I guess “It doesn’t suit my workflow” is just a different way of saying “I don’t want to change my workflow”. I wish people would work at it a bit more rather than buy and resell quickly, it really drives prices up because people always try to sell at a profit. It’s the same for cameras actually, prices have been going through the roof because of GAS, buyer’s remorse, seller’s remorse and even reseller’s remorse. I know a guy who bought the same camera 3 times and always at a higher price 😅 Guess what, he sold it again recently 🤦♀️ I doubt he’ll ever learn 😂
@@LillySchwartz YES I'm so glad you brought up cameras. Honestly it's the same exact type of thing, except arguably worse because so much of camera tech is just companies upgrading the same thing year after year; there isn't as much "new tech", at least in a new form factor the way there often is with music gear.
@@SlowHaste totally true. In fact for a few years investment into digital camera gear made very little sense because it became obsolete so fast without any significant improvements where it really mattered. The colours were pretty awful in comparison to film until maybe a couple years ago? What does resolution or improved high ISO performance matter if the colours are garbage? For stills even now I prefer film. Colour science improved only over the last couple of years, so that’s something, but what else is there to improve after this? Even we TH-camrs don’t need more than 4K raw video with decent colours and … we have that now? The gear buying obsession is even weirder for old film cameras. They are essentially glorified black boxes of different shapes and sizes 😅 With music gear you at least get different sounds out of it or more capable sequencers etc, but with cameras I don’t really see a real difference, at least once all the basic functionality is covered.
Film director Robert Rodriguez in an interview said that Hollywood's money stifles creativity because a problem that would otherwise be solved creatively just has money thrown at it.
I did the same thing with my keyboard synths. They take a lot of room and all they’ve become are sound generators for Ableton and Elektron gear. I also have a decent full-sized keyboard controller. So now I’m full-on grooveboxes, synth modules and replaced my keyboards with plug-ins and Roland Boutique synths. I also narrowed my groovebox of choice to Elektron devices. Couldn’t be happier. :)
Finding the perfect workflow for yourself is the best feeling!
I have been baby stepping in to modular for few years now and started with the 0-coast. I still think it is my favorite piece of gear to use when I want that sound. I recently added some add-on items to take it up a notch, but I don't see myself going full blown wall rack. I am going to just take advantage of vcv rack go full hybrid and be one with it.
Most regretted purchase, five synths in... maybe the Model Cycles. Thought I was getting a drum machine, and the snare and hats suck, but when you don't have too many synths, you learn to love the ones you have. I found that while i don't connect with it as a drum machine, I DO connect with it as a synth and a weird-textures and sound machine. And the kick is epic. So I'm keeping it, learning to love it, and doing more research in the future to be sure that I make purchases that are a better fit for me.
Thanks for sharing! FM synths are certainly unique and definitely excel at the weird-texture thing
Slow Haste
These are these two Synth’s,
Erica Synths Syntrx; and MiniKorg 700 FS,
Although I have plans to joystick VIA MIDI CC…
My primary notions // original intent was to utilize Syntrx w/
OXI ONE; Korg SQ 65; or Analogue solutions fusebox X; or Yorick tech; or Intellijel Metropolis etc..
Considered: Strymon nightsky
SynthMania had just recently demonstrated the Behringer 960
The Nightsky looks incredible. I’ve been avoiding tutorials since it caught my eye hahah
The same here. I was too much focused on buying gear than focussing on music production. My most regretted synth purchase was a modular synth, I find out that I'm not a sound designer but a track maker.
I'm glad I never got into modular. The closest synths I have to a modular are the Arturia Matrixbrute and Polybrute combo. I also have a Prophet REV 2 16 voice if that counts too. That's it for me as far as modular or semi-modular. I did G.A.S for a Behringer 2600 for a short while but I said to myself (that would be too much overkill as well as a huge learning curve, hindering creativity) and passed on it. I also like the idea of the pushbutton grid matrix (much neater and cleaner) as opposed to a mess of patch cables. Also having the limitations of the hardwired synths and not having separate modules in a huge cabinet won't have me lusting after additional expensive modules. Instead, it would force me to be more creative wirhin their limitations and focus on the overall purpose for having them in the first place, which is to "compose" music. In fact, these synths are so powerful and flexible that I don't see myself ever outgrowing them anytime soon. Chances are I will still be learning new things about them 10 years from now. I feel like I'm good to go as far as having synths with lots of modulation capabilities.
With thatvsaid, there are other synths I do G.A.S. for (very few) and two of the biggest things that control my G.A.S. are financial resources and space limitations. Although that's a good thing (and it really is) I pretty much know where I'm at now and there aren't a whole lot of additional synths out there that I'm looking to aquire....maybe one or two. However, I've reached a point now where if I aquire a new synth, one of my current synths must go. If I get a new synth, it would have to bring something new and different to the table or fill a void my other synths don't.
What fixed my guitar GAS was buying the HX Stomp. It sounds so good and let’s me explore sounds so easily. And it’s tiny!
But I do need a new drum machine in my Elektron setup, the OT works better as a sampler/mixer/sequencer. Really GASing for a Model:Samples, they’re so cheap and performance based!
Cheap is good!! That’s actually another point I was thinking of including, is starting small. Something like: instead of jumping to a crazy analogue vintage drum machine, start with something that’s affordable that will help you determine what your setup actually needs!
@@SlowHaste absolutely something I’d agree with! And my Octatrack can do most of the fancy things the DT can do, so buying a simpler, more performance based device makes more sense.
@@SlowHaste I recommend buying a Virtual Analogue (digital) Synth first to learn synthesis 1st hand
I totally identify with your wisdom. I’ve gassed for new keyboards from the polybrute to the new obx8 to the matriarch……. …… and then gone back to my Rev2. Which does everything I need. Not want but need.
Not a regretted Synth purchase but a gear-related: I "upgraded" my audio-interface from the arturig Studio to the Universal Audio 8xp. The UAD is absolutely great, but not worth the money. So if you think about upgrading your interface, think twice ;)
I bought a lot the past few years but nothing this year due to bills and taxes for my car and home repair. But I am good as have tons to still use and master.
Very good video and a topic worth discussing openly. I’ve sold a lot of gear in the past. I’ve reached a point where I have everything I ever dreamed of and yet I’m not making that much music. Most of my synths are not used much other than ocasional jams. Yet I cherish every piece of my current setup so much that I’m having a hard time to sell them. For me it’s TH-cam that has spiraled my gas out of control, additionally, as I get older and have family my social life has been reduced a lot so I guess it’s a coping mechanism for me to have as much fun as possible in isolation. For me, buying gear is a lot of fun, like I don’t expect to release music but I enjoy what it brings, dopamine rush. As I’m slowly filling up my studio, I will eventually run out of space which is the ultimate cure for gas I guess. Difficult subject…
Thanks for your perspective! I totally empathize with a lot of that, it can be hard to “let go” of stuff sometimes for sure.
buying gear is such a dopamine rush, relate 100%
TFW getting mid-roll music gear advertisements on this video because the internet already knows exactly who I am 😂
Hahaha oh no!!
I use a similar antidote; prove to myself that I can’t do such and such with the gear I have. If I can, then I use it that way for a while to see if I need something better or find that the such and such isn’t all the interesting after all.
I have a love / hate relationship with my Moog Subharmonicon. It took me a looooong time and more effort than I would have liked to get just ‘okay’ with it, but in the end the perseverance paid off and now I pretty much exclusively use it as the backbone of my polyrhythms
That’s awesome! That one definitely caught my eye when it was released, but I never delved into it. It seems very unique and rewarding to spend time getting to know
Thanks for providing us with perspectives to GAS.
I have experience with GAS as well.
In short, my way of coping GAS, was to narrow the creativity down to a genre (more like a soundscape) and acquire the bare minimum of tools needed to realize the soundscapes.
Read more if you're interested.
So...
Going somewhat dawless, I was watching reviews form TH-cam, researching from reddit and other forums which took a lot of time and money. I learned to recognize that the scene revolving around musical gear, especially on TH-cam, emerges most visibly from marketing the gear.
But...
Finally, I discovered a genre (or a sort of a soundscape) that inspired me. So I went hunting for sounds and the tools that could produce those sounds. I also wanted to keep the gear to bare minimum and decided to mimic a traditional band.
I needed a drum machine / sampler, a bass synth / melody synth, and a synth for chords (arpeggios, stabs, lush strings and pads) which was pretty much it.
My plan is to stick with the current setup until I have made a study of the genre (created enough songs).
That sounds like a solid plan for the project! I’ve definitely made purchases with a specific use case in mind, knowing I’d be able to resell when it had served its purpose.
Once I was mad about the Yamaha FS1R, bought one, sold one...regretted it, bought TWO, sold them, regretted it, bought another one with a HIGHER price...and tried to sell it, nobody would buy it for only 450 Euro...but then I managed to sell it, after months. I settled with a Motif ES rack...but then I think I should have kept all the FS1R racks and sell them NOW, for BIG money, hehe.
Slowly, one can be cured from GAS, when you tried everything and kept the best synths, a PCM, a VA and an analog. It's important to always keep a few hardware synths so you don't relapse, lol.
I checked the Korg Wavestate lately...but as you said, I could do that stuff in Cubase + Korg Minilogue XD I already have.
A similar thing happened to me when Reverb did an insane sake on the Korg Op-Six. I was truly on the verse if just getting it, but I already had a Digitone, why would I need another fm synth! So I talked my myself down haha
I have been buying synthesisers for about 20 years. I don't have too many regret purchases and they tend to be among the only things I've then sold.... I bought a Roland SP404 and a Yamaha MX-1 at some point when I already owned a machinedrum and perhaps an octatrack - they added nothing except frustration and so had to leave. I bought a mininova when they were launched and I already had an ultranova. Similarly, this unit added nothing to justify its presence as I literally had the same instrument in a different form.
So, I tried to avoid making those sorts of mistakes (blatant duplication and buying things that are probably not as good as things I already own) but there's still so much redundancy in my collection. Maybe the worst synth purchase was the first one?? :)
I know this maybe sounds strange, but coding my own modular plugin has seriously reduced my GAS - of course not everybody can do that :) If there is some kind of sound missing in my gear, I will try to code a new node or design a new patch - this is partly the entire reason I went down that path (but anyway, modular synth software is one way to go to reduce GAS). One thing with hardware, I would say, don't feel guilty about getting synths and not being productive if you just enjoy playing them (providing you had the space and budget to begin with).. sometimes it's like therapy to just sit and play, and nothing beats hardware in that respect.
At the beginning of last year I decided to spend my energy taking advanced lessons in music composition and ear training, and just use what I had. It worked for most of the year, although by the end of it I had succumbed to selling/buying some of the modules in my modest eurorack. This year I'm going to make a few necessary purchases for my studio, but in general I'm going to follow the same mentality as last year and just focus on my musical mind instead of gear.
That's awesome! I would love to take some formal music lessons again at some point, it's really been quite a while.
OT and a small modular set-up has been keeping me GAS free for about 2 years. Not to say there are no downsides, but Elektron boxes really are the type of devices that you can spend a lifetime exploring.
How many synths are too much? If you are in it for the long haul and use these things as possible investments for rainy day back ups (if tight on cash, you can sell). I see gas as ok (to a degree) if you have the money, and see them as stores of value (as the dollar evaporates before our eyes), and if you are content in not learning your machines too deeply, I think you can still stay focused and get some music recorded.
BTW, i have 7 synths, the number of perfection. Haha.
I bought a sequential pro 3. I thought I needed it for bass. I already owned a bass station 2, peak and hydrasynth. Don't get me wrong, it is a great synth but I didn't need it. I find myself just not using it. I am thinking of selling it. I am kinda waiting for the used prices to go up after the recent new price increase to sell it. Part of me wants to keep it. I don't know what I'll do. That was the synth purchase that made me realize I'm was falling into the gas rabbit hole. I bought it and immediately started researching my next purchase. I also went on a guitar buying spree recently. I went from 3 guitars to 9 in the matter of two years. I am putting the breaks on purchases for a while. I need to show some self control lol.
Thanks for sharing - it’s definitely easy to get carried away sometimes!
@@SlowHaste I've decided I am going to pack up all but two synths. I will keep the hydrasynth and peak hooked up, the rest will go into storage. If in a few months I am content with this setup I will sell everything else.
@@ManMadeDisaster that’s a good rule of thumb - I’m about to unload another batch of modular stuff I haven’t touched in way too long!
I bought a mantis case and spent thousands on modules and never was happy I sold all of it and ended up with matriarch that makes me way more happy. Now that I know more though I do have guess to build a modular inspiration machine in a small case so fun maybe one day. But it will be more thought out then piecemeal purchase of modules
Modular is actually so good for that - teaching you what you don’t want by making you buy EVERYTHING hahah.
Cards on the table….. my problem these days is that because of historic GAS I now have SO many options for synths to play/patch/learn that I have a real problem focusing on any one (or even small combo of 2 or 3) synths long enough to make decent sounds/tracks on it. I seem to find myself setting up one set of synths to work together perfectly then no sooner has this set-up been finalised I am thinking about what the next “perfect” set-up of my synths should be instead of settling and making music. Your DT+DN+KS set-up is great and I love that you have settled on this and are focussed on learning and producing from this pretty much exclusively. I wish I could just do the same ! 😫
Option paralysis is very real!! That’s what I had with the DAW, and it led me into the world of hardware. It sucks that gear can just be so much fun to tinker with though
Thank you! Yes, I think I am in the early stages of developing Eurorack GAS. I'm going to take action..😯
So fun, yet so dangerous!!
Yes! I can so relate to this. I recently got a Microcosm and that led to my MPC One and Digitone purchase. And now I’m like, “Holy shit there is so much here to work with 😯.” But there is something I really enjoy about bringing the Digitone or MPC to the coffee shop and working on a beat with no laptop or distractions. I think where I’m at now is getting some beats out the door with my current grasp of the gear, cuz I can fiddle forever.
Yes the Digitone is great! It can do so much and really teach a lot about synthesis, sequencing, and drum programming.
Best G.A.S addvice. Especially with guitar player when it comes to the feel of the instrument. Thank
Thanks for watching!
The thing is that it is very difficult to get to know what you need, before getting it and knowing how it will fit your workflow. Once I have it, I get attached to it, I it is difficult to let it go....because this things are difficult to get in my country. That’s not the case with Roland stuff...but I will need some therapy to get to sell my Intellijel Atlantis, dreadbox and Dsi stuff...even though what I get to use the most of the time is an analog 4, a digitone and a minitaur...right now the a4 mki with the minitaur are my desert island synths.
...I will never go the modular way again...for me is overpriced and pointless if your goal is to make some music....you can sound different with Elektron, just spend some time sound designing.
That's why software will always be better for creative sounds and experimentation.
Thank you for posting this video. Super necessary. I own both DT and DN and I enjoy your videos a lot. Keep them coming!
Thanks so much for watching, and glad you enjoyed! It was a fun one to make.
My first step in GAS suppression is to add it to my Amazon GAS wish list instead of the shopping basket...
Then I try to put it out my mind ... maybe I'll research a budget alternative and put that on the wish list too. the important thing is to put off the purchase, til at least next payday or promise it to myself as a reward for some goal achievement...whatever! The objective is to get distracted from whatever it is I'm obsessing over. Eventually I'll come back to my wish list and find a whole bunch of stuff I've 'collected' virtually. Then I'll find that the Object Of Desire I was obsessed with last month isn't a such priority this month. Maybe I'll have a new GAS now but the trick is to keep putting it off. After a while I found just doing the research was enough - it was all about the joy of the chase!
Yes, learning is actually such a fun part of the process! I often find myself deep in product manuals for thing I know I’ll never own. Also, I love that you have a specific GAS list on Amazon hahah
@@SlowHaste Mate, I have *many* specific GAS lists on amazon - Guitars, Pedals, Keyboards, Amps... I even keep a 'wishlist' (archive) of the stuff I *don't* want anymore - bonkers!
I would say I fall into the category of occasional mild G.A.S., which I indulge due to my general enjoyment of seeing others excited about inspiring bits of kit. I mostly dive down that rabbit hole when I'm not in active creation mode, but it's a delicate balance for sure. My setup is intentionally minimal (MPC Studio, 1 soft synth for drums, 1 soft synth for instrumentation) because it provides me with the optimal workflow I deem necessary for realizing output. Great chat on an important topic.
Thanks so much! Yeah that’s a really solid setup. I think I’m currently in the same boat as you where I’ll fawn over some boutique pedals and then I remind myself of the power of the LFOs and the master effects on the Elektron boxes to curb my consumerist enthusiasm hahah. But a little GAS can definitely be good to get creatively inspired :)
@@SlowHaste Totally agree with its effect on creative inspiration from time to time.
And add that then there is the time to learn a new piece of gear, a whole new system.
Yep! I think a lot of people equate that learning phase with a “honeymoon phase” and once they’re familiar with a piece of gear, it’s time to learn a new one
Really great video. And I totally got hit with a Sweetwater clearance! ad right in the middle of this. But I am undeterred and will now go make music with what I have. thank you!
Hahah what timing!
Watching this video while shopping for a new sampler I don't need. I blame Thomann.
I have an Octatrack, Analog Keys, Babyface Pro, and Neumann mic. I truly don't see anything else I'd need.
That’s the spirit!
awesome! soarley needed these days, these words of wisdom!
Thanks for watching!!
My G.A.S is just about wanting the things because they're so cool. I don't have any delusion that some new synth is going to improve my skills or anything. I just want them :-( lol.
I think about the only thing I really regret buying is Circuit, and that's because I got Digitakt pretty soon after it. I should have just got Digitakt from the start.
Hahah it really doesn’t help that it’s all so cool!
Very good advice!
I’ve had to force myself to purposely not watch demo videos of new products for GAS reasons...😂...often that means I have to unfollow/unsubscribe to channels for that reason. Regrettably I still have gear such as my Digitakt that I’ve had for over 2 years & still have barely scratched the surface of knowing what I’m doing because I was getting distracted by more new gear(such as my MPC ONE).
I’m making goals to learn my gear better & trying to write my music within the gear I have & will TRY not to start songs on a DAW(in my case garageband) which take away my time learning from the hardware I bought to get away from creating in a DAW....of course we will likely never totally get away from the DAW world. I just don’t want to depend on it for everything creatively.
Oh man, getting distracted from new gear BY new gear is always something haha. It helps to remind yourself why you gassed for that original piece of new gear in the first place!
Thanks for talking through this dude. You hit all the nails on all the heads...I had too many experiences with discovering that I'm the same person/musician before and after new gear arrives. I still played crappy riffs through my fancy Moog pedal as a senior in highschool.
We need to be honest that the researchers/review scrutinizers/and used gear hagglers are a subsect of this creative world and that's fine. Just be honest with yourself about where your interests are. 🤣
hahah yep! my level of guitar playing certainly does not deserve the amount of pedals I have owned at various points in time
Thanks Slow Haste - enjoyed that even if it hurt a bit! You are so right about Modular but it's also loads of fun... I have bought a second Go case and only (!) have about 110 hp of space left in that... I have 4 modules on my shopping list but I must call time on it after that. Have I made any meaningful music with it yet? No... I have owned an MPC One for over a year and have done nothing with it until recently. This is GAS... and it must stop!
As they say, admitting you have a problem is the first step. I just mentioned this to someone else, but one thing modular is great for is actually teaching you what you *don’t* need!
Only 110 hp left? Oh boy.... it must be filled!
I set space limitations for gear and that seems to work for me because my house is small, too many options is paralyzing for me, and I'm lazy and want everything in arms reach 😆. I've been at capacity for a while so if anything comes in, something else has to go.
That’s a good system - one in, one out!
Focus on the sounds themselves. Don't worry about how they are created.
1. Know what type of music you want to make. Don’t buy anything that just looks fun but isn’t part of the sound you are looking for
2. Use what you have
3. Stop watching videos of gear you don’t have start watching videos of gear you do have.
4. Practice what you preach 😋, (I am still working on that)
What a great tip at 4:22. Priceless. 👏🙏
🥰
Your video was comforting an confronting at the same time! It’s good to open a conversation about such a topic. Tomorrow my Digitakt/Digitone setup will be completed though, thanks a lot for the inspiration! 🙂 My Microfreak isn’t used that much actually, it’s a fun synth but the sounds can be a bit harsh. Maybe I’m not using it in the right way 😅
I would definitely recommend checking out artists like Andy Black and Blank Forms on Instagram! They both use the microfreak in very soothing ways, and find ways to make its harshness kind of nostalgic. Thanks for watching!
@@SlowHaste Hey man, thanks a lot! Followed them both 😉 good inspiration!
The only device or 2 I need to complete my setup (yeah right) is an effects pedal and mixer. I’ve watched so many videos on pedals! Microcosm, Bigsky, Nightsky, Specular Tempus (like this), Ventris, I watch a fun one for ambient music to chill to. Not heard of GAS btw, nice vid!
Tbh, I’m gassing quite hard for the Nightsky at the moment… hence the Strymon reference haha. You’re totally right about the music part too - a lot of gear demos are just plain pleasant to listen to for the musical aspect!
@@SlowHaste damn if you get the NightSky you’ll no doubt show it off and I’ll end up getting one :D. Although the Specular Tempus sounds stunning!
I probably would have a made a different decision yesterday if this video had come out earlier. 😂 Right now my GAS is about seeking the One True workflow. But I already have plenty of options to explore in my current gear. In fact, I have one or two things I should really sell so I can refocus.
Hahah oh no, just a bit too late! What did you end up grabbing?
GAS attacking me right now so hard with the SP404 MK2, good thing is it's really difficult to get one haha.
I (very intentionally) have not browsed any manuals, tutorials, or forums for the SP line because I know I’ll want one hahah
TH-cam is great for learning more about gear I already have. But yes careful with all the new product presentations…
Sometimes g.a.s. occurs when you don’t want your sound to sound like everyone else’s because of the popular gear you own, that everyone owns. Obscure gear can create a unique signature.
It highly likely that even if you make what you think is unique sounds, its probably not.
I have a 404, mc101, erebus and now a zoia but i’ve wanted that digitakt for years cause of that workflow/sequencer 😭
I’m admittedly not familiar with a lot of other sequencing workflows, but the Elektron workflow just seems very intuitive to me!
@@SlowHasteso I just said fuck it and bought a digitakt. I know this is about GAS but life is short and I want what I want. Thanks for helping me make my decision!
GAS is not limited to musicians. Consumerism is habitualized. I think too many people don’t see it as an issue. Good content
Thank you! I appreciate the comments
My biggest synth is Arturia PolyBrute. And I'm not even using it. So far...
I get it. Now I have to order Digitakt and Digitone to cure my GAS, right? 🙃
Hahaha I promise there was no subtext!
Many of music greats used minimal gear that they mastered.
The SOMA Pipe was so interesting I had to have it. And that was it lol
I remember reading about that one a while back!
@@SlowHaste saw a lady making a beat and she pulled it out and my gas was immediately triggered
What helped me the most is I stopped watching so many gear influencers
I learnt to live with GAS. I realised I actually got a lot of fun from researching, buying, and selling gear.
Yes it can be very fun! Almost like a different hobby, and that in and if itself can definitely teach you a lot and sharpen your mind
I have GAS and haven't bought anything yet, 😆, still deciding it is impossible! I want to start small and at moment find it even hard to decide on which audio interface I like to buy.
I have however been sporadically making some music on IOS apps and a midi controller when I don't look at gear reviews 😆My plan is to have a small dawless setup to relax after a whole day looking at screens...
Any advice on how to start 💚 greatly appreciated by this lovely community.
That's a good question, and can be hard to answer not totally knowing your background & goals! A good place to start if you're not yet familiar with sequencing would be the TE Pocket Operators, or even Garage Band's sequencers!
@@SlowHaste Hey so background years of piano lessons as a teenager (middle aged now SIGH!) but I love drone/ambient/nature/noisy stuff which I have been making with the following IOS apps:
Korg Gadget, Moog Model D and Model 15 (really just using the presets there....patching like you said rabbit hole) also some FX like Dessert Cities and the tape looper GAUSS (which is my favourite atm) oh I think I understand sequencing a bit and also having been using AUM a bit to mix stuff.
I am a big fan of John Carpenter, Vangelis and 80 synths sounds, but I have never really composed so I think I want to stick to the music style I mentioned above.
As I work full time in 3D animation and have GAS for art supplies and computers, it is my pet peve I really want to buy something I will love, sucks haha.
I kind of decided on the less necessary or lets say secondary gear like Mood or Microcosm pedal, Make Noise Sterga but I can't decide for the life of me on a main synth yet and I guess for now the plan is to still use the ipad with an audio interface and AUM as a mixer until I get into it more and invest on a sampler/mix or groove box for a completely DAW less setup.
SIGH 😮💨 I hope I didn't bore you with my chatter. Thanks again 🙂
p.s. I was looking at the samper from TE, can you connect synths to it? or just uses the microphone? thanks
Great content. One suggestion: find a way to eliminate the sideways eye flip to read from your script. It makes your presentation feel much less direct and authentic.
Thank you!! Hahah I’m kinda happy you noticed. I put my script in a place I usually don’t, to see if I could get away with less cuts and it absolutely did not work 😅
@@SlowHaste Cool! Glad I spoke up then. Thanks for hearing it well.
That op-1 beef kit in the background music ;) i know that snare anywhere 😛
hahah yes, it's so recognizable!
Gear Acquisition Syndrome is how us overworked middle-aged men with little time or energy pretend we're still engaged with our favorite art/hobby.
Hi. I'm Andy, and I suffer from GAS.
the term was coined by Walter Becker of Steely Dan
That’s a fun fact - I had no idea where it originally came from!
@@SlowHaste nor did I til recently. the man had a way with words, turns out...
Lmao this just popped up for me, how's that Octatrack? 😂 I kid I kid you put it to good use 👍
Hahahah I ALMOST put a disclaimer on that video
@@SlowHaste lmao all good, the synth lords claim us all as they will and we are merely puppets ❤️🎧
I will always be in denial.
Thank you. I’ve got gas real bad.
Glad I could help, and thanks for watching!
Just move house frequently to smaller apartments and you'll soon want to get rid of almost all of it
My Digitone arrives tomorrow...
Hahahh it’s all good! As long as you don’t have like 12 other untouched synths. And honestly, even if that’s the case, you gotta do you!
You’re gonna love it. It’s the most beautiful sounding machine in my setup. It’s a lot less complicated and scary to learn than people say. Watch some tutorials and go crazy!
@@georgekay372 also hard agree here - learning curve is a bit daunting (esp if new to elektron), but you’ll quickly learn your own short cuts and preferences for sound design, setting up projects, etc etc etc!
My favourite device, you will fall in love with it.
F. U. Once I get this 4ms Ensemble Oscillator,my modular synth will be complete and then the money will start rolling in… 😔😌🤦🏾♂️😢
😈
@@SlowHaste I started with a 84Hp case, then bought a second one (168HP). I just ordered a Tiptop Mantis (208HP) because I wanted more modules. All this in two to three months. I haven’t made a song since I started modular. Just a bunch of dope synth sounds. FML. 🫣.
Girlfriend Alternative Substitute
Or
Girlfriend
Alimony
Substitute
Write which one you prefer in the comments
Don't buy new synth till finish an album. Don't buy new synth till get some club play. Don't buy new synth till get some AM collage raido play. Don't buy new synth till can operate current rig in the dark blind folded. Don't buy new synth until master FM synthesis...
...the synth market crashes 🤣
LOL
Tfw you keep getting told you have gas but you're just getting your shit started. Like Jesus, no I don't have GAS just because I bought 2 cs-80's! Jeez, get off my back!
;)
😅 maybe 3 in case one breaks??