There is indeed entire section for specific gear talk, but not sure has there been topic about do you have some kind of urge for new gear and how it happens?
I know some people just buy, seemingly whatever, give it a try, and if it works, it works. If doesn't, they trade/sell it forward. Some know exactly what they are missing or what they would need to do, but do not have tools to make it happen. Therefore buy something new.
I recall already years ago talking with one US cut-up harsh noise artist who was sitting on almost complete recording, that he felt is missing like couple seconds long fragment, that he needed to buy new pedal to be able to make it. At the time, had to wait for it. Did it make a difference in album, who knows, but there was still that urge that album was not going to be ready until there was that exact thing in there.
I personally have quite little moments when I feel like I'd randomly buy something and see what it can be used for. Already have enough gear that can do so much, plus I prefer to keep it quite minimal in a way that one item and its functions means more. If something is cheap and just sort of lands in my lap, I may take it. Different pedals or mixers or something.
Few things I have been thinking about and purchased are things like: What is the tool that would go AFTER mixer, to make especially live sound better. Not the tinny line-in to PA type of sound, but make it something closer to recorded material. Have had bunch of solutions for it that work, but they work for different situations. Currently been looking at 200 euro value pedal that should be functionin like Tascam 424 input gain - which is sort of perfect for final noise boost over whatever you are doing. But does it really work like the real deal 4-tracker sound is? In studio and Finnish shows, I can theoretically use real 424 as mixer. While flying somewhere, it would be impossible to carry too much stuff, so buying small pedal that does the trick would be luring idea. Just thinking is it really like it says to be, or would any generic overdrive pedal do the same trick. Which is fine, but not really the same.
Occasionally, I do think would I need one more synth? Something that works differently than the former ones? Since there are so much a synth oriented sound out there, I am tempted only very short periods of time and quickly realize I have not even fully immersed myself into all possibilities of former synths I have. Same with filter banks. Do I need new filter? And why exactly? Would it do something really different or is it just excuse to be able to toy around new gadget?
So what did I buy? This year, maybe nothing? I did buy octave pedal of some sort, bass-distortion with clean/wet balance button on it. Couple of years ago rat -clone pedal. Most important have been updating looper. Same pedal, newer model. That was already couple years ago. That really made a difference, especially for live.
Can i give you my personal opinion about the tascam pedal?
I own the 424 and i tried the pedal.
Absolutely a total different thing.
Not worth the price for me.
It's just a simple booster/overdrive/distortion
Btw, as a gear addict for long time (at one point i had like 120 pedals),i found out that most of the stuff i bought was just for the excitement of the moment.
Tried and then realizing that they didn't work for me.
Nowadays I'm more focused on multifunction looper devices (like the soma cosmos) and self built junk metal instruments, because it's my main sound source.
For the rest, i had everything i need.
It took ages to understand it.
I am a gear hoarder. But I work exactly like you said at the beginning. I buy (after checking demos that is not always easy for noisy stuff since most machines are built to do something completely different), then have a first try, then get deeper, and if it doesn't work or sits in my cupboard for too long I sell it.
Usually my choice is not drawn by need but by "opportunity" (suggestions, reviews or videos I stumble upon by chance). Then when I do my own thing I rarely improvise or jam, I get straight to that machine.
I used to buy as much as I could. The thought was "always be prepared. You never know what sounds you may need" Over time though, I have found the certain pedals that do what I need (i.e. right pedal combo for distortion, favorite delays, etc.). Not really trying to flex as many styles across my output as possible. I got more than enough 4 tracks to last me a lifetime. No need to get 4 or 5 anymore.
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on November 17, 2025, 10:22:53 AMFew things I have been thinking about and purchased are things like: What is the tool that would go AFTER mixer, to make especially live sound better. Not the tinny line-in to PA type of sound, but make it something closer to recorded material. Have had bunch of solutions for it that work, but they work for different situations. Currently been looking at 200 euro value pedal that should be functionin like Tascam 424 input gain - which is sort of perfect for final noise boost over whatever you are doing. But does it really work like the real deal 4-tracker sound is? In studio and Finnish shows, I can theoretically use real 424 as mixer. While flying somewhere, it would be impossible to carry too much stuff, so buying small pedal that does the trick would be luring idea. Just thinking is it really like it says to be, or would any generic overdrive pedal do the same trick. Which is fine, but not really the same.
I've been looking at getting something similar as well -- something to go between mixer and PA at live shows. I've been using an EHX Platform for this purpose. It's a stereo compressor/distortion unit that handles line level signals. It's pretty good, but a little samey, so I might be on the market for something else. Pain Appendix uses an OTO Machines Boum, which sounds really good. Might be within my reach in terms of price, just about. The Electron Analog Heat used to be almost reasonable priced, but then they threw in some digital effects processor and doubled the price. No thanks.
One option that seems promising is the Endorphin-es Golden Master, at about 350€. It's specifically designed for live techno and other dance music, so it might be too clean and clinical sounding. I curse not getting the FMR Audio RNLA when it was still available.
Lots of guitar pedal companies seem to be coming out with products that promise to emulate earlier, more expensive gear. Like the Tascam pedal, old compressors, amps, vintage reel to reel tapes, whatever. This is a very broad blanket statement ofc, but I'm pretty skeptical about a lot of these. They seem pretty pricey for you get, and as for how authentic they sound, well, I can't judge that usually. There's also the question of how they will behave if you intend to use it in an unconventional way. The results might be total ass -- or, they could be great, who knows.
I used to buy and sell a lot of gear, with the excuse that I was just trying things out to see what works. I guess its true to some extent. New gear is fun, but it is also an investment of not just money, but also time and effort. You need to actually learn how to use it effectively, and integrate it with your existing equipment. That is why I tend to be quite a lot more conservative when it comes new gear purchases these days. I'm convinced that GAS is (or it can be) a form of procrastination.
10-15 years ago when I had more spare money I used to buy more gear. It was always (at least almost always) something I thought would be useful, not just any random stuff. Preferably second hand if available. Then I sold a lot away and concentrated on other things. In the last couple years I've started to buy more again. Again preferably second hand and even more preferably from people I know. The latest purchases are a few different distortion pedals and a Whammy from one friend, a looper from another (can't have too many loopers), and a neat oscillator/drone box and an EHX Flanger Hoax from yet another one.
Of course in the end all you really need is a fist, a cock and possibly a contact mic, but I like to have options.
At the start I definitely bought gear a lot more with the idea of "let's see what I can do with this", and this coincided with the era of still looking for my own sound and not having any specific ideas to target with specific gear. Part of it is the excitement of the though of what new doors new gear would open. This was especially the case with synths for me, where every new synth appeared as a new world of possibilities. But when you get to understand basic analog synths a bit more you realise they're very similar to each other, and while some weirder ones like LYRA-8 are conceptually interesting they're also very limited. I did end up buying some that basically did the same job as the previous ones but had that one more extra trick in their sleeve. In hindsight perhaps unnecessarily so. But I also don't mind having a few synths lying around, they're handy when you have different roles or layers of sound to make at the same time, e.g. percussions, murky drone, weird space sounds.
Nowadays I have a lot firmer grip of what I want to do and how it's done, and the general orientation towards gear isn't as naively enthusiastic. I also just have enough of tools at my disposal already and I've been focusing more on DIY stuff rather than buying anything.
When I first started out I was buying anything that looked interesting. I don't have kids to take care of and live well below my means, so I have the disposable income to do it, but still realized how unsustainable that would be over time. I've been trying to stick to a "one in, one out" policy. If I want something new, I have to sell something that hasn't been getting much use.
I got into gear pretty hard during Covid, having nothing else to do than sit at home and make noise. I had a sampler, some pedals and a synth or two before but I acquired a pretty extensive collection of pedals, tape players and synths, both classic noise shit and more obscure boutique stuff.
What I found out was that most pedals or gear kind of sound the same, or that there's a few different type of pedals that most fall under. Cold vs. warm distortion, delay that oscillates or not etc. You can get so much out of a DOD Buzz Box and a mixer, or a 4-track and a mixer that I've just sold most of my pedals. I actually want to get rid of gear and definitely not buy new stuff, rather study and learn all the intricacies of what I have. I do have a lot, though. But in the end I think gear is sort of a crutch for people to find inspiration. Just getting a field recorder, a few classic pedals and a decent mixer is enough to make any kind of noise.
So I've been getting out of the trap of constantly needing new gear to stay motivated and inspired and see gear as just tools that don't necessarily define the outcome, they're just what you use to make what you want.
We've called a halt to buying new gear as such as we have equipment we still havent fully explored, but we have purchased more studio equipment. The train of thought here is to try and make what we already have sound as good (or as bad) as possible. Also trying to avoid getting into the rut of "It sounds good but needs something else", as many times it doesnt need anything else, it just needs to sound better/bigger etc etc.
I always bought targeted stuff to do the widest spectrum of things with the minimal expense. I built my studio with the things I needed, and I don't feel the urgency (despite the obvious immediate instinct to purchase stuff which sounds cool in the moment I see a demo/tutorial) to accumulate gear anymore. I have been pushing the purchase of a granular synth for a few years because I would prefer to sell other stuff before getting it, and I don't have as much time as before to experiment with music, so I don't really "need" it, but I really like it.
What are the hardware options for granular synths currently? I had a GR-1 for a few months, got a very good deal for it. It was fun but sadly the hardware was way underpowered, iirc it's running on a raspberry pi. But Tastychips has a new, bigger model out that looks like its fixed the things I found lacking with GR-1.
There is an certain lure to the new gear. I used to be an gear hound when I actively played guitar and gigged with one and I did have this cursed mindset of adding just one more pedal or guitar to my collection just to spice things up or to "finalize my sound". With noise and industrial I haven't had it such an bad way than i used to have. Latest addition have been a EHX 720 looper and Behringer mixer and those have been most valuable acquisitions in years. They really have been adding "value" to my creative process.
Quote from: host body on November 22, 2025, 04:13:47 PMWhat are the hardware options for granular synths currently? I had a GR-1 for a few months, got a very good deal for it. It was fun but sadly the hardware was way underpowered, iirc it's running on a raspberry pi. But Tastychips has a new, bigger model out that looks like its fixed the things I found lacking with GR-1.
Torso S4
Endorphin.es Evil Pet
There's also the 1010 Lemondrop, no experience of that one.
And the Sonicware Texture Lab, which I do own. It's very limited and frustrating, and the hardware is flimsy and unreliable. BUT I do like the way it sounds -- it sounds "bad", lofi and digital in a way that is pretty pleasing to me. But I wouldn't recommend anyone buy one without the option of sending it back.
A question maybe someone could answer:
Is there a mixer where you can record directly on an usb pendrive?
I'm searching for recording while I'm playing live, without bringing any other equipment.
Thanks in advance
Quote from: host body on November 22, 2025, 04:13:47 PMGR-1
I meant exactly this one. What do you mean exactly when you write "hardware underpowered"? Does it show regular problems, work bad, or what happens exactly?
Quote from: Stipsi on November 23, 2025, 09:58:06 AMA question maybe someone could answer:
Is there a mixer where you can record directly on an usb pendrive?
I'm searching for recording while I'm playing live, without bringing any other equipment.
Thanks in advance
I know that there are mixers that can record directly into USB or also SD cards. Mackie and Presonus have some, probably some others as well.
Quote from: Atrophist on November 24, 2025, 01:56:13 AMQuote from: Stipsi on November 23, 2025, 09:58:06 AMA question maybe someone could answer:
Is there a mixer where you can record directly on an usb pendrive?
I'm searching for recording while I'm playing live, without bringing any other equipment.
Thanks in advance
I know that there are mixers that can record directly into USB or also SD cards. Mackie and Presonus have some, probably some others as well.
Thank you.
I will check!
Quote from: Into_The_Void on November 23, 2025, 12:39:52 PMQuote from: host body on November 22, 2025, 04:13:47 PMGR-1
I meant exactly this one. What do you mean exactly when you write "hardware underpowered"? Does it show regular problems, work bad, or what happens exactly?
Max sample lenght is pretty short, resolution of the grains is a bit underwhelming and it would stutter if you had too much stuff going on. The UI is great, it worked great but Rapsberry PI just isn't enough to run a granular sampler. I would look at something else if I were you, like their newer model. It's naturally more expensive but looks to have fixed the issues the original had.
Has anyone else reached gear fatigue? I haven't brought anything new in years.
Quote from: Andrew McIntosh on November 24, 2025, 11:50:41 AMHas anyone else reached gear fatigue? I haven't brought anything new in years.
I think I kind of have. My bass rig has been the same for years, excluding buying a new utility pedal if need arises for new songs. It's all the same, really and specialist boutique pedals and synths usually just automate experimental workflows in a way that makes them less versatile, like Soma gear for example. Or those noise synths that are only capable of generic noise sounds.
I'm still interested in gear and browse used gear for sale almost daily, but I rarely feel the urge to buy anything, much less actually do make a purchase.
I do have plenty of pedals and still get excited to try new things. Usually new gear brings the level of enthusiasm up for a while. If the gear sounds great/interesting to my ears it will excite me whenever I include it in my signal chain. I am not getting that much new gear anymore (I can achieve a lot with what I have if I just keep practicing, trying different combinations, and just using my imagination) and I am slowly learning that a new fuzz is not gonna sound much different from the fuzz pedals I already have. But then again the last pedal I bought was a fuzz :)
I have kept almost everything I have bought. I feel like if a pedal does not sound good then I am using it wrong or I should use it with a different sound source. Maybe one day I will realize it might be that a certain pedal just is not for me and I should pass it on. Looking forward to that day.
Quote from: Stipsi on November 23, 2025, 09:58:06 AMA question maybe someone could answer:
Is there a mixer where you can record directly on an usb pendrive?
I'm searching for recording while I'm playing live, without bringing any other equipment.
Thanks in advance
teenage engineering tx-6 but you need very small hands (like mine) and is very expensive (got mine via trade)
Quote from: tiny_tove on November 27, 2025, 07:57:59 PMQuote from: Stipsi on November 23, 2025, 09:58:06 AMA question maybe someone could answer:
Is there a mixer where you can record directly on an usb pendrive?
I'm searching for recording while I'm playing live, without bringing any other equipment.
Thanks in advance
teenage engineering tx-6 but you need very small hands (like mine) and is very expensive (got mine via trade)
Grazie Marco!
Quote from: Andrew McIntosh on November 24, 2025, 11:50:41 AMHas anyone else reached gear fatigue? I haven't brought anything new in years.
I, but I am also less inspired lately, and I have way less time to do music. But yeah, overall I think I don't really need more stuff than what I already own.
Quote from: Andrew McIntosh on November 24, 2025, 11:50:41 AMHas anyone else reached gear fatigue? I haven't brought anything new in years.
Yes. I alternate hoarding to long moments of not purchasing anything. Same goes with books and records. at the moment I don't buy/trade almost anything. But I am in a manic gear moment, especially video gear.