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.

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!

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!)

( 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 ( 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