The Overcoming Gear Lust Thread

[Draw the Moral]

*sigh*

So I've been doing home recording now for about 6 years.

The more I learn, the more I learn how much farther I have to go before I can even make a "proficient" recording.

And with each piece of new gear that you read about, you get this little nagging voice that tells you that "Your mixes will NEVER be good until you get that *insert expensive gear here*"

Then, you start this self-defeating cycle of being lazy on your music because you think "it won't measure up" until you have the new gear.


Well you know what? That's crap! I refuse!

Gear doesn't make someone better! It's simply a tool that makes life easier or harder to get the final product.
Sure, I have a wishlist...and I'm well aware that upgrades will make life easier to get the sound that I'm looking for....but I'm not going to sit around until then!

It's more important to me that I take care of my family/responsibilities first, and do what I love with what I already have while putting the hard work into saving up for pieces of gear that will ACTUALLY help me get farther.

I'm having to make myself realize that I have a descent setup for what I'm trying to accomplish, and I need to be creative with my current gear.

So here's my current setup:

Macbook pro 2.15ghz w/Samsung 25" display
Apogee Duet
Logic 8
SM57
Rode NT3
M-audio 88es key workstation
Genelec 8030A's
'76 Gibson Explorer w/seymour duncan JB's
Custom B&V guitar with EMG pickups
Martin Backpacker guitar
Mesa Mav. Dual recto
Ernie Ball Bongo 4 string bass
Drum set with pearl snare, zildjian A custom cymbals
Istanbul Darbouka


So, I've been overcoming gear lust by forcing myself to mess with mic positioning, sample rates, acoustic manipulation of the room, being restricted to only two mic's etc. to get some descent recordings of my instruments.

The one that I tried most recently that got some cool results was micing my amp with the NT3 off axis, and then running the slave signal from my amp's preamp into the line in of the duet and blending them into a stereo track.
What crisp, clear, full sound!

I'll post some recordings later so you guys can hear.


So THIS is the thread for all of us low end guys that are refusing to stand by just because we don't have Abbey Road in our house.

How are YOU overcoming your gear lust until you can get what you want?

Pictures and Audio are welcome here as well.

[BOWIE]

I've been there brother and the best advice I can give is to do a bit of trading/selling/buying until you find pieces that you really love. If you're good at finding bargains, you might even pocket a few bucks in the process.
I have a few low-end guitars and other pieces of gear that I've still hung onto for years because I truly love the sound they give me. There's also been times when I "upgraded", only to miss the sound I got from the cheaper device. So, just remember, it's not about the price of the gear you have, it's about what that gear can do for you. Try new things and don't hang onto dead weight.

[fallforward]

Yes I have been going through a bout of gear lust over the past year. When I first got into this racket I would always have the sweetwater catalog near and fawn over all of the stuff to buy. Once I got a decent PT rig up and going and got really busy the lust subsided because I was too busy to think about that stuff. I went a solid 3 years without buying any gear. I then went to bought some new monitors, and decided to upgrade my whole setup. Not wanting to make a bad investment I started doing hours of research to make sure I would get maximum use out of my gear. Well the gear siren has been singing her sweet song to me… I just hope I can avoid the rocks!

I think a great way to overcome gear lust would be to focus on more of the music side of things. Transcribe some of your favorite guitar solos, write some new songs. Right a set of lyrics and write a few different melodies to them just for practice. I notice with myself that is a great way to make the most out of what I have and focus on some other things besides buying gear.

Robby

[BOWIE]

Originally Posted by fallforward

I would always have the sweetwater catalog near and fawn over all of the stuff to buy.

Ha ha! That brings back memories. While my friends had playboys stashed under their beds, I had Guitar Center catalogs, sweetwater, EQ mag, and the real naughty stuff like Mix. My girlfriends would be pissed that I'd stay up all night reading about mics and preamps. Earleir this year I finally threw out all the catalogs. I kept the mags though. Just for the interviews.

[KeithMoonwannabe]

this is definitely the phase I'm in especially with how tight money is at least for me personally.

[RTR]

Originally Posted by BOWIE

Ha ha! That brings back memories. While my friends had playboys stashed under their beds, I had Guitar Center catalogs, sweetwater, EQ mag, and the real naughty stuff like Mix. My girlfriends would be pissed that I'd stay up all night reading about mics and preamps. Earleir this year I finally threw out all the catalogs. I kept the mags though. Just for the interviews.

WOw..I have tons every one of those mag's..some on my studio desk, some next to the couch, some in my bed room, and some in a book rack in the dineing room..and I still look through all of them...man I need help!!!

[Draw the Moral]

Originally Posted by BOWIE

I've been there brother and the best advice I can give is to do a bit of trading/selling/buying until you find pieces that you really love. If you're good at finding bargains, you might even pocket a few bucks in the process.
I have a few low-end guitars and other pieces of gear that I've still hung onto for years because I truly love the sound they give me. There's also been times when I "upgraded", only to miss the sound I got from the cheaper device. So, just remember, it's not about the price of the gear you have, it's about what that gear can do for you. Try new things and don't hang onto dead weight.

Man, I'll tell you what. I had 8 guitars back in 2006. There were a few descent ones, along with my very first Ibanez GRX-40.
Anyway, in 2007 I got hired by one of the Air Force Band's (Tops in Blue) to go on tour with them for a year as the guitarist and band leader. You go all over the world to every base in the military to play shows for the troops. So I had to put all of my stuff in storage.
I didn't want to put my guitars in storage, so I sold all but one of them (including my first guitar).

My thinking was something along the lines of "once I get off tour, I'm gonna so much money to get all this cool gear!" Pshh.

Instead, I met my (then) future wife on tour. She was the lead dancer and one of the singers.

It was the best decision of my life...except for selling all the guitars...

One of the things now on my "gear lust" list is a new acoustic guitar.

It never ends...

[aclarson]

As long as you have musical ability and enough gear to get it to recorded audio, the inbetween stuff is just a matter of effort. I know the pain of recording something when you feel like you could do it better with a different piece. Buying gear makes me happy. But what makes me happier is to create something.

[KeithMoonwannabe]

yeah it's just one of those realities you end up facing.

You can sit around collecting gear being lazy making excuses. Or you can make well informed gear purchases that fit your budget and actually make music and sound great.

right now I'm saving for some of the new JBL active nearfields since I sold my KRK's to help fund some moving expenses.

Aside from that I'd like to upgrade to a better drum shellpack but that probably won't realistically happen soon. I'm thinking year and half if i put money aside every month and that's like a Mapex Meridian kit.

[Stevil]

it's a constant battle. i think it's good to know what all is out there & have a vision for how you want your current setup to grow. also scoping out possibilities so you know a good deal when you see it. as long as you can maintain focus on playing/ writing/ recording it's healthy. the trick is to enjoy what you have until the budget opens back up.

[Chris Lago]

But Seriously, my life will be complete once I actually get my SSL Alpha Channel... It Hurts

[Draw the Moral]

Exactly Stevil.

What I've done recently is a few things to help in this department.

1) Set aside specific time during the week when my wife takes the baby so I can actually get things done on my projects. Having a family, a full time job, and going to school limits your time.

2) I've made a list of songs that are going to be on my album. I'm sticking to that list, and I'm finishing those songs first before starting any new projects.

3) I'm in the process of trying to set dates for when I want each song to be finished. If it were up to me, I would just keep tweaking and never be done...no more of that.

4) I'm re-recording all the songs that were done with my old interface, and I'm recording all the new parts at 96 instead of 44.1. I'm gonna make this Duet work for every penny i paid for it!

4) I'm starting to take meticulous notes about mic placement and settings when I get a particular sound that I really like. I've only got two mics, so I'm gonna make them stretch as far as they will go until I can get a LDC.

5) My most recent purchase was an SM57. I'm going to start doing some A/B comparisons between it and the NT3 on different sources so that I have a little cheat sheet for what works better on what.

6) We've budgeted for music stuff, so I've got a definite goal time for when I can get the next piece of gear. That way, I can research, and when the time comes, I'll feel good about a great purchase.

7) If it's an inspiration night, and I just need to write a new song, then I record scratch tracks of whatever comes to me, and then I put away until I'm done with my first project so I don't get side-tracked (no pun intended) on rabbit trails.

[Draw the Moral]

Originally Posted by KeithMoonwannabe

yeah it's just one of those realities you end up facing.

You can sit around collecting gear being lazy making excuses. Or you can make well informed gear purchases that fit your budget and actually make music and sound great.

right now I'm saving for some of the new JBL active nearfields since I sold my KRK's to help fund some moving expenses.

Aside from that I'd like to upgrade to a better drum shellpack but that probably won't realistically happen soon. I'm thinking year and half if i put money aside every month and that's like a Mapex Meridian kit.

Actually, I just sold some KRK's as well.

Fortunately, I already have the new monitors...so I had no tears when the KRK's left.

[KeithMoonwannabe]

Originally Posted by Draw the Moral

Actually, I just sold some KRK's as well.

Fortunately, I already have the new monitors...so I had no tears when the KRK's left.

yeah I was gonna get yamahas but I heard the JBL's and I think I prefer listening to them. But for around $400 per pair new I'm not expecting that much of a variance between monitors nor am i expecting them to blow me away.

[Draw the Moral]

I hear ya'.

I spent outside of my budget on the new monitors...by quite a bit....

But boy, was it worth it!

[superiorsound]

Originally Posted by BOWIE

I've been there brother and the best advice I can give is to do a bit of trading/selling/buying until you find pieces that you really love. If you're good at finding bargains, you might even pocket a few bucks in the process.
I have a few low-end guitars and other pieces of gear that I've still hung onto for years because I truly love the sound they give me. There's also been times when I "upgraded", only to miss the sound I got from the cheaper device. So, just remember, it's not about the price of the gear you have, it's about what that gear can do for you. Try new things and don't hang onto dead weight.

Great Advice!! The problem with me is that everything I get I find a use for. no dead weight.

[Draw the Moral]

Originally Posted by superiorsound

Great Advice!! The problem with me is that everything I get I find a use for. no dead weight.

As of right now, I don't have any dead weight....I just don't have any heavy hitters on the Recording side (unless you call the 57 a heavy hitter.)

It's like, I have quality stuff, but I don't have the "centerpiece" like a good mic or pre or something...

[Xestenz]

Originally Posted by Draw the Moral

As of right now, I don't have any dead weight....I just don't have any heavy hitters on the Recording side (unless you call the 57 a heavy hitter.)

It's like, I have quality stuff, but I don't have the "centerpiece" like a good mic or pre or something...

That's right -- all you need is just one more thing...

[Ca$h Marty]

Thanks for the advice guys, its easy to get lost in getting more and more pieces. But nothing is more satisfying than actually getting down to work and making something that you are proud of - regardless of what you made it with.

[Xestenz]

I hate to say it, but the best way I've found for overcoming gear lust is to stay away from Gearslutz, and do actual work instead.

I love it here, I always learn something new, but I ALWAYS come away wanting a new piece of gear after reading some thread about the latest great thing, or checking out a shootout, or browsing the classifieds.

When I've stayed away, the gnawing, ever present lust for more cool stuff really seems to lessen.

Sorry Jules!

[Draw the Moral]

Originally Posted by Ca$h Marty

Thanks for the advice guys, its easy to get lost in getting more and more pieces. But nothing is more satisfying than actually getting down to work and making something that you are proud of - regardless of what you made it with.

But then that leads us to which side are you proud of?

The musicianship or the production?

I'm really pleased with a lot of the material that I've been writing lately. But I've been writing songs for almost 16 years. It's about time that I'm writing something halfway descent.

I've been recording for about 6 years.
I'm not as pleased with the production of these songs, because I know how they COULD sound.

I used to pay to go to real studios, and I was just amazed that my songs could sound that good (from the video taped versions of them that is...)

Then, I started the dastardly journey of recording myself.

For years, you're a musician, and you make music and you've developed your ear for good music.

So then, this new part of you creeps up called "Recording engineer."

At first, "Musician" dominates the decisions. But after "recording engineer" gets a foothold and begins influencing decisions, then "musician" gets told to sit down for a little while.

Pretty soon, on the right shoulder you have "musician" with his little angle wings, and on the left "recording engineer" with his little gear-lusty pointy tail.....

...the battle rages on.

[ejmaroney]

Originally Posted by BOWIE

Ha ha! That brings back memories. While my friends had playboys stashed under their beds, I had Guitar Center catalogs, sweetwater, EQ mag, and the real naughty stuff like Mix. My girlfriends would be pissed that I'd stay up all night reading about mics and preamps. Earleir this year I finally threw out all the catalogs. I kept the mags though. Just for the interviews.

I love it, sounds like a smut mag or something... I don't look at the pictures, Ijust read the articles.

I'm there with you "Moral." It's a cycle, progress, and then the closer you are to reaching the summit the more you realize how far down the foothills you are.

One piece of advice would be to avoid GS all together, but I'll tell you, "Moral," you helped me with a recent post about acoustic treatment. There's a lot good going here. So, I guess, we're stuck, half support group, half enablers, and surrounded by gear pimps.

[lord_bunny]

Originally Posted by Draw the Moral

But then that leads us to which side are you proud of?

The musicianship or the production?
.

I disagree. I spend my week-days producing stuff from hip-hop to jazz to indie rock. I have also been a writer since I was 12, and I still write a lot. I think the one informs the other. For me, what I gave up by getting into recording was playing live. But I never liked playing live that much, because I've always been more interested in making records. That's where I experience music, I don't like concerts... i'm a bit introverted. I don't feel like one has to suffer at the expense of the other. As long as your willing to let the ownership of a car... or family life suffer!! lol.

If your crazy enough to JUST record and write, nothing has to slip except everything a normal person would deem as the staples of a happy life. But they'll never know the rush we all get to experience, and i dobut that my story is unique in any way, we're all "infected" with a good thing here.

Oh and i'm thinking either Furman headphone amps or a U87 or an AEA R84 as the next purchase if anyone's keeping score.

[RARStudios]

Ever since i joined this damned site i have read so many forums and tips and classifieds wishing i had all of it...

Instead ive been getting extremely lucky with affordable starter gear!



just got 2 perfect condition Rockit RP8s w/ stands, an 100' 16x4 Live wire snake and 2 57s w/ 30' cables for $450 total.

This site has helped me alot as well as burned some holes in my pocket
(im 19 and worked full time all summer to be able to support paying for college shit and having extra cash to buy recording gear)

I sure wish i could afford those Neumann mics...those expensive ass preamps....and that entire protools hd studio


-Evan

[KeithMoonwannabe]

this brings up an interesting perspective but for most here in the low end at least for myself. I'm aware that I'm not a great engineer, and I could argue I'm not as good of a musician as I'd like to be but I'm short on time these days working about 60 hours a week and going to school full time at age 23.

I'm actually moderately autistic on top of all that so I have my hands full.

I've just come to realize that my nature/personality leads me to be a little compulsive about things. I had to really let go of needing the latest greatest things and just get down to business.

I'm happier now that I'm playing in a band and beginning to do my own music again. I've never been one to play many shows and I'd like to do some small gigs maybe just me and my acoustic guitar in some coffee shops. I have tendencies now to be both extroverted and introverted. I've gone through a lot of therapies and things to help with my social skills and a lot has changed over the 23 years of my life.

When I'm drumming in my band I play out some. When I studied music at college (before I had to come home and go to community college) I played out a lot.

I've come to realize I enjoy playing shows and recording and with my hectic life I can't do everything I really want without sacrificing something and for now I need to put surviving in front of my music.

But I think for most people having the best gear and the most for a home studio is a little ridiculous and far fetched because quite honestly I can't use that much stuff. I can justify the expense if you will honestly make some of your money back but most of us aren't really profiting from our investments. Most of us are buying the gear for the thrill of it.

I haven't really sacrificed the engineering side of it I have just realized that at least at this stage in my life I'm not going to be making my living off of engineering or really my music. So it's a hobby and it needs to be treated as one. It makes it more fun and more of a getaway and relaxation for me. I feel though that since I've focused more on my music I've been happier with myself as a person and I feel like I've accomplished things. The engineer in me actually inhibits a little bit of my creative side. Not that I'm a dull person I just won't let myself do things without fill in the blank piece. But when I get that piece I really need fill in the blank to go with it. And it's a never ending cycle.

Before I started thinking this way for me personally it was just like I was always under pressure and wouldn't do anything because I had developed the ear to know I could sound better as a musician and as an engineer. I always assumed that I needed fill in the blank gear. But really you don't some of the best sounding recordings I've made where with some of the worst rigs I've owned. And now that I've scaled back to a modest and sparse setup for living in an apartment I've really come to realize you don't need more to make better stuff.

The details to focus on for a musician and really an engineer aren't so much the gear as it is being comfortable and getting the best natural sound you can. Treating a room, really knowing your material inside out, being able to perform confidently and comfortably, etc has made me better recordings than all the fanciest gear in town.

that's just my two cents though. I'm still a slut by my OCD nature, but I've learned a little self control / restraint to keep things in check.

[ProducerBoy]

My 2 cents...

1. When you make a purchase, make it count - even if it means only one purchase a year.
Buying lots of little crap tools to get you by will only deplete your possible savings. Pros make investments into their trade, enthusiasts buy crap cause they can.

2, Shop Smart.
Look for "demo", "open box", "scratch & dent" deals. Research the seller thoroughly and buy used. No reason to buy new unless it's a business purchase that can't wait.

3. That purchase should hold it's value to a reasonable extent in order to trade up in the future.
I dove into an Apogee Ensemble on good deal. It was a big upgrade for me at the time. However, it wasn't where I wanted to be in the long run. Paid $1,600 and sold it for $1,600. With that money back in my pocket, I put my savings of $500 into a "demo" UA 2192.... which reinforces point 2 of "shop smart".

4. More expensive (and lots of forum chatter) doesn't mean better.
There's a lot of opinions on forums, and that's all they are. Some folks praise certain gear like God handed down to them on the backs of angels, and others personally don't care for those pieces. Some people are just so inexperienced, their opinion should probably be taken with a block of salt, but it's hard to tell who is and who isn't qualified to advise.
Avoid hype and be the final word in judging what you've got and what you want.


Good luck!

[Yetti]

Originally Posted by Draw the Moral

*sigh*


Gear doesn't make someone better! It's simply a tool that makes life easier or harder to get the final product.

I understand the point, but you will never get the same final product if you don't have the gear you need to do the job.

Originally Posted by Draw the Moral

*sigh*

It's more important to me that I take care of my family/responsibilities first, and do what I love with what I already have while putting the hard work into saving up for pieces of gear that will ACTUALLY help me get farther.

For sure.

Originally Posted by Draw the Moral

*sigh*

I'm having to make myself realize that I have a descent setup for what I'm trying to accomplish, and I need to be creative with my current gear.

Try being creative by using your decent setup to earn some side money by recording local artists and bands....try keeping that money seperate from the general family funds, and invest in the gear you think you need the most.

[Poorbutrich]

Wow ProducerBoy, that post is worth at least a buck man! You make very valid points, and more g'slutz should navigate through all the maze of gear lust with that mentality. I totally agree with all points, but especially 1 and 4. People easily get caught up in the hype, and make impulse buys without doing the ground work. Simplicity is the key I find, if you don't play or track drums, why drop bread on an 8 track pre/interface.

Just my $0.02! If 3 more people give theirs, we'll have have enough to buy a piece of candy.

[Draw the Moral]

Yetti- good points.

I guess what I meant to address was more of my attitude for the set-up that I have now.

I know that as my ear develops, eventually, I will need some higher end pieces of gear.
But I'm just going to keep plugging away until then.

And actually, I'm sorta doing that already. I teach music lessons, and all of that money goes straight back into music.

That's a good idea about recording local bands. I've done it before with even less than what I have now.

I guess I've lost some confidence when I have begun learning how much I don't know.



On a side note, I was really inspired last night by this thread. So I sat down for a music night with the following goals.

1) Write something new and inspiring

2) Limit yourself to ONLY stock preset sounds in Logic



So I did, and I've attached an mp3 of what came out.
I call it "The Waltz of Hope's Triumph"

I've only done level balancing, and I put a quick reverb on it.

Obviously, its a work in progress.....

...but I enjoy it.

Any opinions?

[aclarson]

Ways to overcome gearlust:

1. Get all the gear you'll ever want or need.
2. Suicide. (not recommended)