Are you a hoarder? [Extensive gear chat]

[Gary_Munday]

No pun intended.......

I'm interested in hearing your views and opinion based on the topic. Are you a gear hoarder? That is to say (do you collect just for the sake of owning, do you go for expense, do you believe that you can make use of minimal setups, or quite simply-you own just because you honestly believe it gives you more sound power?) People adapt different views & opinon.

Thinking of my own setup, my opinion is this. I believe that owning a decent foundation of gear is good for helping to convert your ideas. But going overboard with cash is (a lot of the time) totally unnecessary. So minimal can be enough. The kind of attitude I adapt is that 'I wouldn't buy the next new synth just because it's new'. I wouldn't buy a synth, just because it has newer features. Even analog synths, I wouldn't buy them extensively just because they were used in the 80's.

Perhaps at some point I would of thought that, but certainly not anymore. Equipment are just tools -- and yes, it's not what you have but how you use it. I was saving up for my next two synths, but do I really need them? Of course not.....;) If you put money over mind, then things can get 'OTT' as you just keep spending. But if you get to know your gear and how to use it effectively, problem solved. That's what I think anyhow.

As for synths, I currently own 3VA's and 1 analog monophonic. Out of that, I mostly always just use two. The virus,and the MS. And you know what, that's enough for me. And as for the value of creativity and idea, priceless.

..............just my opinion!

[logo80]

Having a Triton proX, a k2661, a k2500r, a Motif Rack ES, a Virus B and a V-Synth XT I could seem a little like someone who just like to collect synth... anyway, no, this isn't my case. Here is how I use them all:

1 The Triton was the first piece of gear of my studio, I used it live and to play in my studio. I don't use it live anymore since it's too heavy and due to the fact I don't play in a band where I need 88 keys anymore. If I'll join a band where I'll need all the 88 keys maybe I'll use it again for live purpouse, till now it will remain the center of my studio since I play piano too and I really need an 88 with hammer action.

2 K2661 I use it as my main keyb in live situation due to its incredible sound and master capabilities, can't live anymore without it.

3 Motif Rack ES: I bought it a year ago to play live with a master+rack setup and I still use it in live situation (now I'm waiting for a guitarist to join the band cos we kicked out the old guitarist) with a metal cover band (I use it with the kurzweil or with a CME UF7). I use it in my studio for acoutsic sounds too like basses some flutes, guitars, drums etc.

4 Virus B and V-Synth XT: it's the center of my setup in a prog-psychedelic band I play, it's the perfect companion for the K2661 and the new V-Synth XT I bought, I need many strange sounds, samples etc with them so Virus and V-Synth XT mastered by the K2661 are THE perfect setup for the band. They are also really usefull in studio.

5 K2500r I bought it for a few money a few years ago, then I tried to sell it but the same days it had trouble with scsi and ram... so it can't work like a sampler anymore... I couldn't sell it in that condition and I decide to keep it in my studio for its VAST capabilities to create strange synth sounds and noise.

two more things to say: when I talk about "studio" I don't mean a real production process, I just experiment for myself to find something usefull for my bands, live and for me too, just for pleasure. The second is that I love all my synths as the first day I had them and I really think that this is my perfect setup... untill GAS will rule again on my brain and make me spend some more money on something analog that I really would like to have here with me :-)

regards, Lorenzo

[Gary_Munday]

Hi

That's very cool. You do have a decent selection of gear. The reason I refuse to buy another synth is purely because virus works well for me as solo, and nearly always delivers sonically well. Plus it has an extremely defined sound--and excellent configurable filters. It's a beautiful instrument.....

The way I work is virus for pad/lead/blips & weird sounds, and MS for bass. Actually, it has to be said that I do prefer MS in favour of virus for bass, but that's inevitable for most 1VCO analog monophonics. Even the MS-10 is minimalist, but non the less delivers nicely.

Also some have to think about space. It would be a lie to say that I work in a fully furnished studio, if studio at all!!! But you get use to that from a minimalist point of view, where the focus is just making some good choons. Not faffing about as to why you need more space


which, as it happens, has crossed my mind come to think of it.....

[Hollowcell]

I haven't bought much at all except for outboard gear since buying my V-Synth. The V was what I was looking for I think....

I think I would sell off a fair bit of gear if the money I would get back would make it worth while.

I have said it many times, and I will say it again.... If I could get what i paid for the Virus back I would sell in a heart beat. I do have it hooked up so anything off the desk can be routed through the filters, but that's it.

At the moment there isn't much I have GAS for in the way of Synths, but I would love to swap some of the stuff I have for some different outboard. I guess in that regard, I am a hoarder of outboard, just not of noise makers.

[F5D]

I am already happy when I sit on my chair in the middle of my gear. :D

Well, I couldn't really make music without good hardware synths or powercore. I've been very busy at university for the last 3 years so I have not had much time to produce anything. After 2 weeks from now, I finally have time to produce music again! :D

I will purchase more gear next year. The first investment is going to be a new mac. Then maybe the sonnox plugins. I also have the prophet 08, Moog LP and mackie controls on my purchase list. I also have to upgrade my audio interface because I don't have enough inputs. I've been thinking about an ff800 + adi8 or something, or a pcie-based solution. I don't know yet.

I could produce using just a simple setup but not without a powercore and at least 1 or 2 good hardware synths. :)

[AlexHall74]

I used to be a MAJOR gear hoarder. I think its natural for a new hobbyist (like me, only in this for 3 years or so) to go through a phase of G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome).

Now, I am content to have a relatively minimal setup. I did not go overboard on synths, but I do have 1 of every instrument that I wish to record directly. I guess I strive to have a balanced mix of "real" instruments vs. sampled/synthetic tones, it just sounds better to me as such.

Right now I have:

(1)Ibanez RG-2550EX 6-string electric guitar ; Line 6 Flex Tone II modeling amplifier

(2) Ibanez 4 string electric bass (can't rmember the model, but its a really nice one) ; Crate BT-50 bass amplifier

(3) Access Virus KC

(4) Mackie Onyx Satellite

(5) Behringer "Truth" 2031A monitors (saving for Mackies or Genelecs now...)

(6) A few different microphones

(7) M-Audio Trigger Finger (there's no way in hell I'm buying a full drum kit!)

(8) Sequencer Software: Mackie Tracktion 2 (easy and effective to use)

I don't like getting caught up in too much technology, I want to record, not figure out VSTs for the rest of my life. Last year I sold my Motif ES Rack as I realized I didn't use it for a 10th of its capabilities. I know now that I can find any sound I need from a workstation/ROMpler synth in good VSTs.

Software instruments I use the most are:

(1) Albino III (2) Wusikstation 4.xx (3) Stylus RMX (4) Atmosphere (5) Trilogy (6) Battery 3 (7) FM7 (8) AbSynth 2 (9) Pro-53

If I can't get the sounds I want from this setup of hardware/software then I must be a fucking idiot.

;)

Simplify your rig and make more music!

[AlexHall74]

One last thought.

I hate the complete lack of interface on much hardware. For instance, as much as I liked the sound of the Motif ES Rack, fiddling around with all the parameters with litle buttons and knobs and a TINY LCD display was torture. One thing that soft synths/FX have over hardware is the use of the nice, big LCD monitor of the DAW.

I'm considering purchase of one of the Virus patch editors (Rekon or the other one) to get more use out of it.

That's all!

-Alex

[Gary_Munday]

Yeah, I appreciate that rhetorical. Plus, I guess that software advancements have come such a long way - some people might even feel happy enough with just VSTi and DAW -- and it still does the trick. Well thats another question 'does a shed load of vsti make you a hoarder'? haha..
Unfortunately, I didn't get on with a computer daw/software environment. Speaking from personal opinion, I chose to change over to a modern 16-track hardware recorder for around £500, and I much prefer it. Editing is more time consuming (obviously) -- and you won't get the exact precision as a computer DAW. But hey, it has everything I need (personally) and with some kinds of music, it pays to be a bit rough as you go, otherwise things sound too mechanical and robot like.
Guess I'm just old school like that.
That was my last buy.

[AlexHall74]

REF:
Gary Munday wrote: "Well thats another question 'does a shed load of vsti make you a hoarder'? haha.."

Yes, absolutely it does. Guilty of it at one point, but my list of gear is locked as of the post above, until I release my first album that is. ;)

You've got to have goals, right?

Also, I don't necessarily think that you need to be a MASTER of a given synth (hardware or software) in order for it to be useful to your purpose.

If you use it, and you like the results, and you feel the money was worth it, then play on!

Just my .02...

P.S. Interesting your not using a DAW! I'd go batshit with a multi-track! You must be a patient man! ;)

[Gary_Munday]

'You must be a patient man!'

Well er, I've earned a badge of virtue in the essence of patience. That said who doesn't have the odd tantrum? LOL..........just kidding.
As for being a master, not always important. Things take time. If you think something sounds good..........you know, what the heck. Show the world. Everyones different, so why try and be like the next person using your ideal gear.
It's possible to produce something decent using just quarter of a studio and less.......coz as I've said, the gear is just there. Ideas are by far important. And yeah, goals are important too!
I think the multitrack is just down to personal taste really. Most of all, no more crashes or reboots, just plug in and record & edit. Bliss.

PS: I was experiencing shed load of trouble with my old computer DAW

[AlexHall74]

REF:
"I think the multitrack is just down to personal taste really. Most of all, no more crashes or reboots, just plug in and record & edit. Bliss.

PS: I was experiencing shed load of trouble with my old computer DAW"

I know that feeling all too well. My first year of recording/sequencing was very frustrating. I had a fairly basic setup (1) M-Audio 2496, (2) Behringer UB-1204 Mixer, (3) 2031A crap monitors, (4) PIV 2.6 GHz PC w/ 1GB RAM. I was trying to use the Cubase LE version that came with my soundcard. It FREAKING sucked! I hated it to death. I tried Reason LE and HATED it more.

After minimal success with budget apps devoid of intelligent interface the Tracktion 2 ads caught my eye. "Want a single screen easy to use interface? Want to concentrate on making music instead of figuring out your sequencer?" I bought it, and got along with it quite nicely. I am not trying to be George Massenburg, I only want to live out my childhood dream of recording the songs in my head!

Sometimes I wonder if I should have bought a really nice workstation (like the Fantom X7) and used it exclusively, for the sake of not worrying about reboots, crashes, RAM maxing out, etc. You can record a whole album on that damn thing I'm sure. But now I wouldn't think of buying one unless Roland spends an extra $50 and puts a damn VGA video card in it to use a decent widepanel LCD monitor. I hate teeny-tiny LCD displays, God bless you Access (and Yamaha too!)!!!

I guess that's where I am in life right now, finishing unstarted projects before starting any new ones, and making the next big leap. My first album should be titled "Finished Loose Ends..."

;)

[Gary_Munday]

The trouble I had with my computer daw was hideous. I should of followed my original instinct and either saved for a mac or a carillon. But something good can emerge from something bad, and I'm glad to have the hardware recorder now.
Initially, the memory started to go like.....2 months after I purchased. Then it finally died on me just 2 weeks out of warranty. Pre planned? ;)
So I throw in another stick of 2GB and guess what................that went as well. So everytime I opened up a project, the PC would reboot..........because of faulty memory etc. How can you record like that? So now I'm fuming with this broken computer just sat there and refuse to use it anymore.
The hardware recorder was a really good buy and a good choice. I'm very much an 80's (watch DS emerge) person so having some older ways of recording is ultra appealing.
With custom daws you can never be too sure. Some people are lucky, others are not. But risk is the name of the game.

Be sure to post links when your album is finished btw :cool:

[AlexHall74]

A spontaneous reboot is most always the devil's work. I've been really lucky after my one year long experiment that led to my surprisingly reliable current rig. The worst choice I made in the last year or so was to buy a nice new Dell Inspiron 9400/E1705 laptop (Dual Core 1830s, 2 GB RAM, Windows XP, 7200 RPM hard drive, etc..) to use as my DAW. It has a firewire port so my Mackie Satellite works fine with it, for awhile, until that damn little 4-pin port got screwed up some how and I had to wait for months of tech support hell "chatting" with Dell's tech support staff in India before I was granted a service call.

Once that happened a technician came over to my house and replaced the motherboard, it runs like a champ now, but I am very hesitant to try and use it for anything with the firewire port (which sucks because I wanted to use it for mobile DJ gigs) but oh well, it's a great laptop for school...

Ultimately though, if I need to, I can record remotely with it. I have a license of Tracktion 2 on it and a few simple VSTi's so it is possible to show up and record some vocals on the fly. This is the one last big hope for that little rig as it is so hard to get good, original vocals, and if I come across a singer (or a volunteer with a good voice!) it would be really cool to be able to grab some tracks while the opportunity existed...

REF:
Gary Munday wrote: Be sure to post links when your album is finished btw 8) "

Absolutely! My dream is to be able to play it on Pete Tong's Essential Mix or Kiss 100 or another BBC live broadcast. High hope for a freshman effort, but stranger things have happened...

:)

[Gary_Munday]

My dream is to be able to play it on Pete Tong's Essential Mix or Kiss 100 or another BBC live broadcast. High hope for a freshman effort, but stranger things have happened...



Sounds cool, and absolutely no reason why you can't! I've come to a little conclusion that luck and opportunity occur when you least expect it. Will power and determination can create luck so keep what you want in mind....
Do you have any links to your tracks?

As for the faulty gear, yeah just one of those things. I had a lucky escape a few months back......went to plug in my MS only to find out that the live had pulled out inside the plug and was close to touching the neutral. Could of caused some damage.....thankfully it didn't. Who an earth wired that? = Not me.

As for hardware multitrack, time stretch/compression is not as good as software algorithm etc. The way I record is very much dated now. Everything is recorded live directly into mono channels to link a stereo - I wanted to make it sound a bit more natural. So recording freely without any correction shifts the accuracy ever so slightly. That don't matter though............on one of my fathers old 70's cd, a guitar riff goes *painfully* out......lol

I'm guessing on a lot of today's styles, you just wouldn't get away with that.....so everything is by far more precision.

[jasedee]

Good thread.

I think I'm guilty of being a hoarder. There are things in my studio that I never use, but for some strange reason, I can't bring myself to sell. The fact that I won't get much money is probably one reason, and then there is this feeling in the back of my mind that says that one day I might need it.

I've truly run out of space in my studio/bedroom.

[Gary_Munday]

I have to laugh. If anyone visits, they nearly always say 'you got enough gear' 'you have so much equipment'..........I'm like.........well hang on a minute, this is hardly rackmount palace. You ain't seen nuttin. Go take a look at JMJs studio, or someone who does own a lot of gear..............and put the meaning back into 'you have so much gear' ;) hahaha

That said, if I thought for a second that I needed more power I'd go buy another synth. Not a problem. As it happens I just dont. My classic desktop is a little gem, and I've been using that for the best part of 4 years now. I work that synth and it just delivers what I'm looking for everytime really.

Of course it would be nice to own a mighty modular or something one day............but ah well, not losing sleep over it :rolleyes:

[AlexHall74]

The only thing that cured my gear lust was becoming a father...for the second time.

;)

But now it's in check, and I'm content. Of course that would most likely change if for some reason I suddenly became unexpectedly laden with cash. One must reserve the right to get smarter as they move along...

[Gary_Munday]

Yup, true Alex. I'm a bit of a hoarder when it comes to wires however. If I had a box of broken wires, I'd keep them just incase they come in handy. Wires can be a nightmare as I'm sure you know, and if you don't have space you might aswell be living in a wired cobweb. Strangely, it's possible to re-break and re-wire broken wires :o

There's some nice desks which tidy up wiring by feeding the wires down into the frame. The quiklok z-600 is an example, and a beautiful desk. I had it in mind but they are a complete nightmare to get hold of. It's a big desk but because of the large workspace can house quite a bit of gear including racks. So that would really tidy the setup. I can't seem to get the z-600 anywhere........

[AlexHall74]

I've had a mother of a time finding a good desk to organize my setup. Oddly enough On-Stage Stands, the company that makes quick-lock keyboard stands and various mic stands, released a metal-frame DAW desk that essentially has platforms for everything, 2 19" LCD monitors, nearfields, 2 synths, a rack underneath for a power conditioner, mic pre, and maybe a synth or two, keyboard, mouse, etc. It doesn't look that sexy without gear on it but in the end its more adjustable than anything, and its around $300 I think. I'm considering this oprion as I'm not spending $500 on some partile board RTA desk and don't have the cash of $1,000 or more for anything Mid-Atlantic.

Oh yeah, wires are awesome!

[Gary_Munday]

Be careful with x-frame stands. A few times I've almost had mine topple without noticing, and you have to be ultra careful with 2-3 tier stands as the weight and load must be watched as well. Saying that if you have a bit more cash handy I think higher end quik-lok frames are designed to take the weight, and are safe--all be it pricey. I don't use a very expensive stand, and quite often have to tighten the tooth lock manually. I should really rethink about where I put my gear.

As for the metal frame desk/workstation, is it the WS-500? Some great flexibility there. I quite like the concept of a modular desk, where you can add on optional extras if you wish. Another that caught my eye was the versa audio video development center. I don't like the way the monitors are housed on that though. Still, it appears tidy.

On stage/studio I guess they are. Just not in bedroom lol

[Mr F]

I prefer the minimal setup with just a few key pieces of kit, this is what i have

Roland JP8080
Roland Alpha Juno 1
Access Indigo 2 -- Although im thinking of selling this
EMU E5000 Ultra Sampler
Sherman Filterbank 2
TLA Ivory 2 5051 (x2)
TC Powercore

going into the computer via a RME Fireface 400 and mixed inside Cubase SX3

I have been tempted to get a mixer to run my synths and sampler into before going into the computer so that i can have everything running at once. Maybe a Mackie Onyx or VLZ...

[Gary_Munday]

Minimal, but still a great setup there Mr F. JP80xx is one hell of an extensivly used synth from what I gather. A few gigs I've seen on TV had JP8000 involved pretty much all the way through by various bands. I think having a mixer is a good choice even for expanding I/O. On the other hand it's good if it features control surface to DAW, as that is pretty much where it's at isn't it?

What about monitoring?

[Mr F]

For monitoring im using Mackie HR-624. I managed to get a good deal on them from eBay a couple of years back

The JP is a very popular synth.. although technically its inferior to the virus i prefer the sound for leads. The Virus does bass better though

Those mixers ive been looking at dont work as control surfaces which is a shame
Ive used a Mackie Control surface before and loved it.. i would get one but they are very expensive for just a controller

[Ibunshi]

Hey, new here!

this is the gear i have now.. i certainly dont need all of it, i would do fine with just the mpc alone.. having more gear just gives me more options when im creating.. just different tools, good for different things:D



-- SAMPLER/SEQUENCER --

Akai MPC4000

-- SYNTHS --

Access Virus Indigo 2
Novation Supernova 2 rack
Clavia Nord Electro 2 rack
Studio Electronics SE-1X
Novation Drumstation V.1
Waldorf RackAttack
Yamaha FS1R
Elektron Machinedrum SPS-1UW
E-mu Morpheus
Yamaha DX-200
Roland SH-32
Korg Karma
Hartmann Neuron KB

-- PROCESSING --

SPL Charisma 8
SPL Transient Designer 4
SND FB-14
BBE 462 Sonic Maximizer
Alesis DEQ830
Alesis CLX-440
Line6 Bass Pod XT Pro
tc electronic Triple C mono
tc electronic Finalizer 96k
tc electronic M2000
Electrix MO-FX
DBX DDP
Orban 290RX
Soundart Chameleon
Samson S-com plus
Art TCS
Presonus ACP-8
Behringer Virtualizer
Behringer Modulizer
Behringer DEQ 1024
Behringer Utradyne DSP 9024
Behringer Ultracurve DSP 8024
Behringer V-VERB PRO
Behringer Tube Composer

-- MIXERS --

Behringer Eurorack UB1832FX
Yamaha MG12/4

-- MISC --

Behringer Ultrapatch Pro
Motu Midi Timepiece AV

-- MONITORS --

Alesis M1 active

-- SOFTWARE --

Wavelab+Cubase+plugins

[Gary_Munday]

-- SAMPLER/SEQUENCER --

Akai MPC4000

-- SYNTHS --

Access Virus Indigo 2
Novation Supernova 2 rack
Clavia Nord Electro 2 rack
Studio Electronics SE-1X
Novation Drumstation V.1
Waldorf RackAttack
Yamaha FS1R
Elektron Machinedrum SPS-1UW
E-mu Morpheus
Yamaha DX-200
Roland SH-32
Korg Karma
Hartmann Neuron KB

-- PROCESSING --

SPL Charisma 8
SPL Transient Designer 4
SND FB-14
BBE 462 Sonic Maximizer
Alesis DEQ830
Alesis CLX-440
Line6 Bass Pod XT Pro
tc electronic Triple C mono
tc electronic Finalizer 96k
tc electronic M2000
Electrix MO-FX
DBX DDP
Orban 290RX
Soundart Chameleon
Samson S-com plus
Art TCS
Presonus ACP-8
Behringer Virtualizer
Behringer Modulizer
Behringer DEQ 1024
Behringer Utradyne DSP 9024
Behringer Ultracurve DSP 8024
Behringer V-VERB PRO
Behringer Tube Composer

-- MIXERS --

Behringer Eurorack UB1832FX
Yamaha MG12/4

-- MISC --

Behringer Ultrapatch Pro
Motu Midi Timepiece AV

-- MONITORS --

Alesis M1 active

-- SOFTWARE --

Wavelab+Cubase+plugins

I just choked on my drink looking through this list.
That must of cost an arm and a leg (not literally) haha
Options........you do have. Why did I get rid of 'nathan the piggy bank' ?- otherwise 18 years rewind and I might of had basis for one or two tc units

Great gear.

Demos?;)

[Gary_Munday]

-- SAMPLER/SEQUENCER --

Akai MPC4000

-- SYNTHS --

Access Virus Indigo 2
Novation Supernova 2 rack
Clavia Nord Electro 2 rack
Studio Electronics SE-1X
Novation Drumstation V.1
Waldorf RackAttack
Yamaha FS1R
Elektron Machinedrum SPS-1UW
E-mu Morpheus
Yamaha DX-200
Roland SH-32
Korg Karma
Hartmann Neuron KB

-- PROCESSING --

SPL Charisma 8
SPL Transient Designer 4
SND FB-14
BBE 462 Sonic Maximizer
Alesis DEQ830
Alesis CLX-440
Line6 Bass Pod XT Pro
tc electronic Triple C mono
tc electronic Finalizer 96k
tc electronic M2000
Electrix MO-FX
DBX DDP
Orban 290RX
Soundart Chameleon
Samson S-com plus
Art TCS
Presonus ACP-8
Behringer Virtualizer
Behringer Modulizer
Behringer DEQ 1024
Behringer Utradyne DSP 9024
Behringer Ultracurve DSP 8024
Behringer V-VERB PRO
Behringer Tube Composer

-- MIXERS --

Behringer Eurorack UB1832FX
Yamaha MG12/4

-- MISC --

Behringer Ultrapatch Pro
Motu Midi Timepiece AV

-- MONITORS --

Alesis M1 active

-- SOFTWARE --

Wavelab+Cubase+plugins

I just choked on my drink looking through this list.
That must of cost an arm and a leg (not literally) haha
Options........you do have. Why did I get rid of 'nathan the piggy bank' ?- otherwise 18 years rewind and I might of had basis for one or two tc units

Great gear.

Demos?;)

edit: uhgr, cut that - just seen the link at the bottom, cheers!

[Ibunshi]

I just choked on my drink looking through this list.
That must of cost an arm and a leg (not literally) haha
Options........you do have. Why did I get rid of 'nathan the piggy bank' ?- otherwise 18 years rewind and I might of had basis for one or two tc units

Great gear.

Demos?;)

edit: uhgr, cut that - just seen the link at the bottom, cheers!

cheers! yeah lot of money, but i started buying hardware -99 so its been some time.. and alot of it is 2nd hand gear, so i still have both my arms and legs attached lol:D