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Last weekend I made a live show only with polyend play+. It took me 20 days to arm a 30 minute set and it was my most successful live show to date. Now I'm a fan of self contained hardware and bring only one or two machines to a show. I learnt that if you use more gear at the end you have more possibilities to make boring music. It's best to concentrate always on one or two. Nothing more.
9:14 , well i think Midi sequencers can sound very different ... plus ... once we fully know a piece of gear we might always do the same thing , Learning the circuit tracks and how to auto mate blind and use a machine with no screens , MAKES me create new and different music ..
Very nice video, great to see this being covered. What annoys me is people saying that something is 'dead' or 'obsolete' after an upgrade is released and I think it must be people who's jobs depend on gear being sold/popular who say this stuff to feed people's gas. For example, I saw someone tell a kid that the SP-404A (which he owned) was dead after the MK2 was released and I felt sorry for that kid. Someone recently commented that you have to use MPC3 and stop using MPC2 by saying "adapt or stagnate". It was clear from the profiles that both of these people were gear influencers. I also saw these memes saying the Digitakt is dead after the DT2 was announced (maybe by marketing people, I mean if you are a musician, why would you waste your time making this), yet still some of the best new DT videos I'm seeing were made with the og. I just think, if a person cannot make as good music with the SP-404A vs MKII, MPC2 vs MPC3, or og DT vs DT2 etc., then they are the ones who have struggles with music making/creativity/technology, not the ones who can continue to make great music with whatever they have. I have my own remedy for upgrade GAS. I've come to see owning a discontinued instrument as a positive thing, not only am I spending more time mastering it than those who upgrade and have to learn more features, it gradually takes on a retro quality for me and I like this aesthetic (look at the Machinedrum etc. now for example). So instead of the industry making me feel pressured to spend money and time on new gear, it's going to assist me in gradually building up a studio of discontinued (and eventually retro/vintage) gear as each item becomes upgraded.
The DJ mindset is a really good one to mention here. It’s not unique to hip hop which was my route but this progression from DJing to making sample based music just felt like a very natural one - all the focus is on what sounds good together and you have to train your ear so you can do that in real time when you’re playing out, so it really sharpens the focus onto the music and the moment.
Thanks for your refreshing approach which is in direct contrast to the almost universal mindset of " buy .. buy.. buy "... always healthy to step back .. ponder .. drawing a personal conclusion to the question .. " do i need this " ... over reacting to the retail methodology of ... " i must have this" .. cheers to transparency !!
I have a rule - If i haven't used the gear in a year, I sell it. My current setup, i have only sold 3 pieces using this rule. The next thing I did, was spend a day a week with my studio just for learning gear and playing around.
@@MyReasonToPlay absolutely! I sold the JP8080 for $650 in 2009 to fly my ex wife out to vegas. Always regretted it. Recently though, I saw one for $1K (they are going for 2-3K right now) and grabbed it immediately. So yes selling gear can be bad too. Never sell units you use!
I agree. It’s like the Mpc vs Maschine or Ableton Push. From a spec point of view they are exactly the same in terms of the sound you get out of them. But when you get deeper into how each one works, the buttons, workflow, shortcuts etc I think they start to become actual instruments. And you will favour one or the other. Also, you wont come up with the same music on the different devices because their interfaces lead you in different paths. Music is probably one of the few digital creative areas where the spec wars are over and it’s just about vibe now. How you do what you do is now where it’s at. It’s more about instruments rather than “gear” definitely.
I think it being an "instrument" is what makes a lot of pieces of gear great, for example Elektron Model:Cycles isnt super flexible or advanced, but its so immediate, it doesnt feel digital or virtual, its absolutely usable like an instrument
Preach Inspiration is key for me. Comes in waves. I find it incredibly difficult to sell gear but its important not to have so much its limiting. About to do a purge soon.
Increasingly, I prefer gear that has a substantial DIY element. The last thing I was eyeing was the Tulip Creative Computer, which is just a whole programmable touchscreen designed for musical stuff. When you can actually program the device, a lot of features become programs, and then the language you're using shifts around from "does this have the interface I need" towards "what interface do I want to build". There is a reason to want the commercial preset stuff as a professional tool, of course, but if you're moving in the direction of exploring your own sounds and sequences, it makes sense to discard that and start with some mathematics and code instead. The performed part, you could apply an acoustic instrument for. Those would all be durable skills, while manipulating a particular piece of plastic is less so.
I see an instrument as a piece of something that you tame. It is an instrument, as the word implies, to express yourself. You use it to get where you want. So in the end, it does not really matter if it is a keyboard, a mixer or an empty bottle of wine (check Hermeto Pascoal - "Música da Lagoa", it will be worth).
Hello,, thanks for your vidéo.. I am french and dont understand all but i Guess the main idea....and you are totally right ‼️💥 the tracks that i made with only a po-33 or only the korg es2 are the tracks that i find better.... sorry for my bad english language ‼️💥☮️🙏👍 thanks again ‼️
I, like probably everyone in this comment section, watch all of the new gear videos and test drives and tutorials and such for the kind of stuff I'm interested in. However, it's great in terms of satisfying G.A.S. because I'll see something or hear something and it gives me an idea of something to try with what I already have. Then, when you get into sampling, you don't need new gear to find new sounds, so that helps. Usually what I find is that when I hit a creative or inspirational wall, I don't look at the gear as the problem, I look inward and realize I'm not pushing my own limits, never mind the gear. It's like if a guitar player plays the same 3 chords for every song just in different rhythms and timing...that would get boring, so learning new chords, or even trying new genres on the guitar (or in this case your setup) can help you see your setup in a new light. Often times, I find I'm having a lot of fun making, say, a rompler not sound like itself, twisting the sounds so that even another seasoned vet on that box can't tell I made it on it. That's also a fun thing to do and keeps gear feeling fresh.
I’d say 90% of what I make is just coming out of my Octatrack, the Tlso s4 is quickly adding some very cool options and I could do a set on either two. Over all though my entire set up is about as big as a lot of peoples live set ups and my self imposed limitation is if it can’t be out and plugged in, it’s gotta go.
Good discussion. For the most part, people have overlap, and there isn't really a true need for multiple ROMplers, Subtractive Synths, etc. There isn't a need for 20 guitars to hang on the wall. The tools make the same type of sound with slight differences in Timbre/Charachter in most instances. I have never heard an average person say, "this song is great, but this is a P bass, and I want a J bass sound" or "this track is great but would have been better with a ladder filter". Gearheads, Producers, etc care and obsess over the tools, and I don't necessarily think it is wrong as long as it isn't creating problems in their life. The general public doesn't care for the most part. Ask yourself did you care about what type of pots and pans the chefs used when you last went out to eat...no you just cared about the meal being good. People care about good songs that they can nod their head, tap their foot, and singalong to. We all have are things we like, and will probably always want more even though we are probably only using at best 30-50% of what the current gear can do. That is how it is🙂
It really depends on the quality of the components. Under-using the controls on a mixer is probably worse. I make sure I regularly move the controls on my gear to reduce oxidization. My bass amp is particularly prone to this.
I love the Circuit Tracks and want to ad a good sampler for breaks, for possible Drum n Bass. Considered the Circuit Rhythm, but thinking I should just go for the Digitakt. I have two PO 33’s but they obviously don’t have the space for multiple breaks. It’s worth going straight to the Digitakt right?
Hey, Circuit Tracks user here. If you want to create some drum and bass... there's a nice free pack on Components that you can download and not only provides you with some really cool growls and reese basses, but you can find examples of making your own break in the Circuit Track, no need to use the Amen Break sample! I've used that template and created some nice liquid drum and bass and more neurofunk tracks too.
Should I get M8 Tracker or Yamaha Seqtrak if I just want one device to do it all that at most just able to connect iPhone, iPad or a Mac for the piano style inputs if I'm a newbie to create music myself and I want to make techno, soundtrack and vocal songs? By the way, my name is Johnny and I'm a freelance logo designer, currently I'm looking for more works, do you love to have a logo for your channel's branding to have a memorable graphic based monogram logo to help your audience recognise and follow your channel easier? I would love to design a music themed logo inspired by your direction for you! Let me know if you interested to make it happen! :-)
@@LiamKillen I see, I have garageband, I didn't use it much as I think I will need tutorial because it's quite lose without a starting point, I could have Logic Pro if I get it with the student bundle at cheap price, but I feel like it's hardware that make me able to play better, but then M8 is just a screen with mechanical computer keys ence it's basically a handheld computer experience? Yamaha Seqtrak is more like a Flawless but is it worth it? I read a person wrote hardware you can sell later but software can't, it's true but I not usually but things with sell it later in mind, I buy when I really planned it well and sure about it that I I'll use it even it's just software
calling out gas shouldnt be controversial. a lot of people are gear fetishists with a shopping addiction and no motivation to actually make music. IMO gas is a result of our entire economy hinging on ad revenue. artists cannot exist and feed themselves anymore without being forced to engage with consumerism, and it has shifted the focus of pretty much every artistic field away from actual theory and practice and into gear centrism .
An iPad keeps my gear spending in check. If I get excited about a piece of gear (the Lemondrop let’s say), I can try a few *much* cheaper apps to get a feel for the what that device does (granular synthesis) and if I enjoy it, see how the hardware device might take that further. I don’t think electronic musicians are alone in this at all. Guitarists, even pretty ‘traditional’ sounding ones are always seeking the next tweak for tone whether that’s from a pedal, an amp, pickups etc.
@@LiamKillen I enjoy it. After several years of using it it’s shaken down into a few use cases: hardware hub/recorder, utility (mostly sample utility for Digitakt I), and couch jamz.
Just discovered your channel and am really enjoying it! I’ve been wanting to dip my toes into DAWless but have been worried about buying the “wrong” instrument and don’t have a super high budget. What do you think about the Circuit Tracks as like the one piece of gear to buy for someone new? Thanks!
I think part of the issue is all these nice things create nice sounds and nice sounds that sound like music. But unless you just want to have fun you’re likely looking to make a body of work. And for that you need to figure out what your voice is. And a dodad might make a cool noise but is it you? A technique might make you sound a bit like X band but is that you either? If it’s for fun just don’t get in debt, if it’s your voice you’re developing, spend time feeling what bits of what you have resonate with you most. You may find very little does. Build on the rest until you can either record a track or perform it live.
My perspective: Limitations define your style of music, and help you to become a brand. Wrong approach: Buy gear -> realize limitations -> buy more gear.
Hello @Liam. The only solution for me is : Gears Understanding & Try to do the same with my gears. It's Help a lot to think like this. Have a nice day. Asterisium
4:36 I really don't get this "discussion".....They ARE instruments, full stop. Else we can stop calling a Hammond organ an instrument too. AND they're tools (thus gear) but mainly instruments.
He means that they can be used more as instruments. If you build up knowledge and skills where you can perform with it (such as the way Jeff Mills performs with a 909) you are using it more like an instrument than if you don't spend much time with it or you only learn how to program it and just press play without performing with it. You can't program a hammond organ, you have to play it live to record it, so if you can play something electronic live it's more like a hammond organ or any other instrument.
Sometimes I’ll ask myself, “what would I be willing to pay to rent this piece of gear?” Let’s say $100. So if it costs $500 brand new, I’ll wait until the “buzz” passes and buy it used for $400. If I use it for a year and decide I don’t like it, I can sell it pretty easily for $300. So I just rented it for 1 year for $100. Maybe just a method to justify GAS.
When I get gas , I just buy some shit. I can’t help it. I used to care about how much gear I have and how a lot collects dust, but then I realised if I’m ever hurting for $$$ there’s money sitting in the lab. Buy buy buy!!! 😂😂😂😂
I for one, encourage the mindless emotionally driven fad following consumers to keep digging deeper into their seemingly bottomless pockets and infinite bank accounts as this drives the market for creating truly remarkable instruments. As long as they keep following every trend set by youtube content creators, they will continue to feed us hungry engineers 😅😂 ♥️ 🕊️ .
Liam with all the respect i find it a bit controversial talking about gas while surrounded by some of the finest equipment money can buy costing probably 10000-15000 dollars and more of equipment around you from what i see unless i am greatly mistaking in which case i apologize. Its like going to a candy store and get advice on how to save money and be healthier by not buying things there. I would buy it if you said „i sold all my equipment apart from a digitakt and 1-2 other things“ It somehow does not compute for me tbh. Please take this as absolute honesty feedback and not ill intented criticism Still love your channel
Yeah I get that- but also…this video: ua-cam.com/video/HMWO7876-TM/v-deo.htmlsi=bcXGpLUvKrQrdmRL I sold like 20+ units just a couple months ago. I’m mostly focusing on the AR mk2, big 6 and tr-8s these days- I’ll have a DIY 909 coming in the near future as well. That’s where I’m at! I understand the cognitive dissonance for sure. It’s a very fine line to walk, recording your experience with all the overlapping gear you’ve accumulated over the past 5+ years- thanks for watching.
@@LiamKillen this is why I like you. Honest and direkt and can talk in a civilized and respectful manner. Yes I get it. Don’t get me wrong, I myself am caught in this redundant offerings world. So I am really open if someone finds a new way. It’s more than welcome. Peace
I like gear that does one thing super well like.. i just backed the chromaplane on kickstarter, it to me (along with most koma stuff) seems like it does one really cool thing same with the cosmos the sp404mk2 does a lot of things, but its like the best sampler the strega does scary ass drones and kicks but at it
Join the limitless music tech 🧠 power of my Discord:
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Last weekend I made a live show only with polyend play+. It took me 20 days to arm a 30 minute set and it was my most successful live show to date. Now I'm a fan of self contained hardware and bring only one or two machines to a show. I learnt that if you use more gear at the end you have more possibilities to make boring music. It's best to concentrate always on one or two. Nothing more.
That’s so awesome! Love hearing this kind of stuff !
9:14 , well i think Midi sequencers can sound very different ... plus ... once we fully know a piece of gear we might always do the same thing , Learning the circuit tracks and how to auto mate blind and use a machine with no screens , MAKES me create new and different music ..
Absolutely ! In the end it really just comes down to putting the time into exploring.
Very nice video, great to see this being covered. What annoys me is people saying that something is 'dead' or 'obsolete' after an upgrade is released and I think it must be people who's jobs depend on gear being sold/popular who say this stuff to feed people's gas. For example, I saw someone tell a kid that the SP-404A (which he owned) was dead after the MK2 was released and I felt sorry for that kid. Someone recently commented that you have to use MPC3 and stop using MPC2 by saying "adapt or stagnate". It was clear from the profiles that both of these people were gear influencers. I also saw these memes saying the Digitakt is dead after the DT2 was announced (maybe by marketing people, I mean if you are a musician, why would you waste your time making this), yet still some of the best new DT videos I'm seeing were made with the og. I just think, if a person cannot make as good music with the SP-404A vs MKII, MPC2 vs MPC3, or og DT vs DT2 etc., then they are the ones who have struggles with music making/creativity/technology, not the ones who can continue to make great music with whatever they have. I have my own remedy for upgrade GAS. I've come to see owning a discontinued instrument as a positive thing, not only am I spending more time mastering it than those who upgrade and have to learn more features, it gradually takes on a retro quality for me and I like this aesthetic (look at the Machinedrum etc. now for example). So instead of the industry making me feel pressured to spend money and time on new gear, it's going to assist me in gradually building up a studio of discontinued (and eventually retro/vintage) gear as each item becomes upgraded.
Yeah the whole obsolete thing is problematic to people trying to settle on a unit that is totally capable
Most of my gear is "obsolete"! Only a handful of my synths are still in production.
The DJ mindset is a really good one to mention here. It’s not unique to hip hop which was my route but this progression from DJing to making sample based music just felt like a very natural one - all the focus is on what sounds good together and you have to train your ear so you can do that in real time when you’re playing out, so it really sharpens the focus onto the music and the moment.
Exactly- there’s no wonder why they dominate
Thanks for your refreshing approach which is in direct contrast to the almost universal mindset of " buy .. buy.. buy "... always healthy to step back .. ponder .. drawing a personal conclusion to the question .. " do i need this " ... over reacting to the retail methodology of ... " i must have this" .. cheers to transparency !!
Cheeeers!
I have a rule - If i haven't used the gear in a year, I sell it. My current setup, i have only sold 3 pieces using this rule. The next thing I did, was spend a day a week with my studio just for learning gear and playing around.
Have you ever missed something you sold and wanted to buy it back?
That’s an excellent rule
@@MyReasonToPlay absolutely! I sold the JP8080 for $650 in 2009 to fly my ex wife out to vegas. Always regretted it. Recently though, I saw one for $1K (they are going for 2-3K right now) and grabbed it immediately. So yes selling gear can be bad too. Never sell units you use!
@@bLiNdEDM Thanks! I'll keep my JP8000 then (I bought it for $400).
@@MyReasonToPlay wow thats a steal!!!
I agree. It’s like the Mpc vs Maschine or Ableton Push. From a spec point of view they are exactly the same in terms of the sound you get out of them.
But when you get deeper into how each one works, the buttons, workflow, shortcuts etc I think they start to become actual instruments. And you will favour one or the other. Also, you wont come up with the same music on the different devices because their interfaces lead you in different paths.
Music is probably one of the few digital creative areas where the spec wars are over and it’s just about vibe now. How you do what you do is now where it’s at. It’s more about instruments rather than “gear” definitely.
It’s true- vibe is king
Great video. I like the direction your channel is going in lately.
Appreciate you watching 😊
I think it being an "instrument" is what makes a lot of pieces of gear great, for example Elektron Model:Cycles isnt super flexible or advanced, but its so immediate, it doesnt feel digital or virtual, its absolutely usable like an instrument
Absolutely
0:10 what about chaotic good
🤔
Preach
Inspiration is key for me. Comes in waves. I find it incredibly difficult to sell gear but its important not to have so much its limiting. About to do a purge soon.
100% AGREE!
Increasingly, I prefer gear that has a substantial DIY element. The last thing I was eyeing was the Tulip Creative Computer, which is just a whole programmable touchscreen designed for musical stuff. When you can actually program the device, a lot of features become programs, and then the language you're using shifts around from "does this have the interface I need" towards "what interface do I want to build". There is a reason to want the commercial preset stuff as a professional tool, of course, but if you're moving in the direction of exploring your own sounds and sequences, it makes sense to discard that and start with some mathematics and code instead. The performed part, you could apply an acoustic instrument for. Those would all be durable skills, while manipulating a particular piece of plastic is less so.
I’ve been eyeing some DIY 909 units myself
Music focus over gear focus is the way! It is more rewarding to whip something up than to watch gear videos for hours or days.
Absolutely!
I see an instrument as a piece of something that you tame. It is an instrument, as the word implies, to express yourself. You use it to get where you want. So in the end, it does not really matter if it is a keyboard, a mixer or an empty bottle of wine (check Hermeto Pascoal - "Música da Lagoa", it will be worth).
Exactly- that notion of expression!!
It should be always like that… instruments are like brushes for the painter
@@Hessencemusic That's a great analogy!
I think I started seeing my whole (home studio) setup as one instrument as soon as I had a patchbay. Feels so much more organic.
Ouuuu good comment
Hello,, thanks for your vidéo..
I am french and dont understand all but i Guess the main idea....and you are totally right ‼️💥 the tracks that i made with only a po-33 or only the korg es2 are the tracks that i find better.... sorry for my bad english language ‼️💥☮️🙏👍 thanks again ‼️
All good ! Thx for watching :-)
I, like probably everyone in this comment section, watch all of the new gear videos and test drives and tutorials and such for the kind of stuff I'm interested in. However, it's great in terms of satisfying G.A.S. because I'll see something or hear something and it gives me an idea of something to try with what I already have. Then, when you get into sampling, you don't need new gear to find new sounds, so that helps. Usually what I find is that when I hit a creative or inspirational wall, I don't look at the gear as the problem, I look inward and realize I'm not pushing my own limits, never mind the gear. It's like if a guitar player plays the same 3 chords for every song just in different rhythms and timing...that would get boring, so learning new chords, or even trying new genres on the guitar (or in this case your setup) can help you see your setup in a new light. Often times, I find I'm having a lot of fun making, say, a rompler not sound like itself, twisting the sounds so that even another seasoned vet on that box can't tell I made it on it. That's also a fun thing to do and keeps gear feeling fresh.
I think you’re doing it right. In terms of being creative- the gear is not the problem !
I’d say 90% of what I make is just coming out of my Octatrack, the Tlso s4 is quickly adding some very cool options and I could do a set on either two. Over all though my entire set up is about as big as a lot of peoples live set ups and my self imposed limitation is if it can’t be out and plugged in, it’s gotta go.
I heard the s4 had some major bugs- I’m hoping they sorted through those!
DrumBrute Impact, MiniBrute 2S, MicroFreak, BlackBox, and a mixer. That is the setup I’ve challenged myself to master.
Lots to work with there!!
Good discussion. For the most part, people have overlap, and there isn't really a true need for multiple ROMplers, Subtractive Synths, etc. There isn't a need for 20 guitars to hang on the wall. The tools make the same type of sound with slight differences in Timbre/Charachter in most instances. I have never heard an average person say, "this song is great, but this is a P bass, and I want a J bass sound" or "this track is great but would have been better with a ladder filter".
Gearheads, Producers, etc care and obsess over the tools, and I don't necessarily think it is wrong as long as it isn't creating problems in their life. The general public doesn't care for the most part. Ask yourself did you care about what type of pots and pans the chefs used when you last went out to eat...no you just cared about the meal being good. People care about good songs that they can nod their head, tap their foot, and singalong to. We all have are things we like, and will probably always want more even though we are probably only using at best 30-50% of what the current gear can do. That is how it is🙂
Yeah it’s the overlap that’s gets you for sure
Learnt so much from the guys and girls on Liam's Discord. Great place!
Thx for being here!
2:28 instead of a spectrum most other fields have what they call the 5? levels of craftsman
Interestiiiing
Thank you Liam. You're awesome. 👍
Always a pleasure!
I think using a non DJ mixer as an instrument, will couse issues for the faders. But I don’t have first hand experience
The model 1.4 is a great DJ / non DJ mixer
It really depends on the quality of the components. Under-using the controls on a mixer is probably worse. I make sure I regularly move the controls on my gear to reduce oxidization. My bass amp is particularly prone to this.
I love the Circuit Tracks and want to ad a good sampler for breaks, for possible Drum n Bass. Considered the Circuit Rhythm, but thinking I should just go for the Digitakt. I have two PO 33’s but they obviously don’t have the space for multiple breaks. It’s worth going straight to the Digitakt right?
I aaaalways recommend the Digitakt / Digitakt II - the best!
Hey, Circuit Tracks user here. If you want to create some drum and bass... there's a nice free pack on Components that you can download and not only provides you with some really cool growls and reese basses, but you can find examples of making your own break in the Circuit Track, no need to use the Amen Break sample! I've used that template and created some nice liquid drum and bass and more neurofunk tracks too.
Should I get M8 Tracker or Yamaha Seqtrak if I just want one device to do it all that at most just able to connect iPhone, iPad or a Mac for the piano style inputs if I'm a newbie to create music myself and I want to make techno, soundtrack and vocal songs?
By the way, my name is Johnny and I'm a freelance logo designer, currently I'm looking for more works, do you love to have a logo for your channel's branding to have a memorable graphic based monogram logo to help your audience recognise and follow your channel easier? I would love to design a music themed logo inspired by your direction for you! Let me know if you interested to make it happen! :-)
I would suggest starting with a DAW actually- like maybe Ableton
@@LiamKillen I see, I have garageband, I didn't use it much as I think I will need tutorial because it's quite lose without a starting point, I could have Logic Pro if I get it with the student bundle at cheap price, but I feel like it's hardware that make me able to play better, but then M8 is just a screen with mechanical computer keys ence it's basically a handheld computer experience? Yamaha Seqtrak is more like a Flawless but is it worth it? I read a person wrote hardware you can sell later but software can't, it's true but I not usually but things with sell it later in mind, I buy when I really planned it well and sure about it that I I'll use it even it's just software
calling out gas shouldnt be controversial. a lot of people are gear fetishists with a shopping addiction and no motivation to actually make music. IMO gas is a result of our entire economy hinging on ad revenue. artists cannot exist and feed themselves anymore without being forced to engage with consumerism, and it has shifted the focus of pretty much every artistic field away from actual theory and practice and into gear centrism .
There’s absolutely some truth to this
Agree
quick heads up: the book a 1-on-1 link in the description leads to an outdated page
Aiiiii I’ll fix it thx
Good thoughts. Good channel.
Thx for watching 😊
I have never spent more than $1000 USD on anything musical in my life. 32 years in the game now…
I cannot say the same lol
An iPad keeps my gear spending in check. If I get excited about a piece of gear (the Lemondrop let’s say), I can try a few *much* cheaper apps to get a feel for the what that device does (granular synthesis) and if I enjoy it, see how the hardware device might take that further.
I don’t think electronic musicians are alone in this at all. Guitarists, even pretty ‘traditional’ sounding ones are always seeking the next tweak for tone whether that’s from a pedal, an amp, pickups etc.
I’ve never gotten into the I pad / touch screen thing- maybe I should!
@@LiamKillen I enjoy it. After several years of using it it’s shaken down into a few use cases: hardware hub/recorder, utility (mostly sample utility for Digitakt I), and couch jamz.
I like to setup my studio like a retail store and then “shop” it :)
😂
Could you use more pink lights? I think 2 or 3 more would then finally be enough..
Noted
this morning, i remember why last days, i have recently subscribed to his chanel
Hey thx 😊
Op-1 or ko ii? I can’t decide Wich to buy. Any advice?
It really depends! As a sampler - sequencer - ep for sure - as a super unique + quirky synth - op1 all the way
Just discovered your channel and am really enjoying it! I’ve been wanting to dip my toes into DAWless but have been worried about buying the “wrong” instrument and don’t have a super high budget. What do you think about the Circuit Tracks as like the one piece of gear to buy for someone new? Thanks!
That’s really great place to start!
“ i don’t need the new gear to make music but i need all the vintage gear to make music “
😅
I think part of the issue is all these nice things create nice sounds and nice sounds that sound like music. But unless you just want to have fun you’re likely looking to make a body of work. And for that you need to figure out what your voice is. And a dodad might make a cool noise but is it you? A technique might make you sound a bit like X band but is that you either? If it’s for fun just don’t get in debt, if it’s your voice you’re developing, spend time feeling what bits of what you have resonate with you most. You may find very little does. Build on the rest until you can either record a track or perform it live.
If you wanna make music - I think focusing on a few instruments is the way to go!
My perspective: Limitations define your style of music, and help you to become a brand. Wrong approach: Buy gear -> realize limitations -> buy more gear.
Excellent assessment !
@@LiamKillen Thx. It took a while until I understood that paradox, because "more features" usually means "better".
Hello @Liam. The only solution for me is : Gears Understanding & Try to do the same with my gears. It's Help a lot to think like this. Have a nice day. Asterisium
Thanks for this addition!
4:36 I really don't get this "discussion".....They ARE instruments, full stop. Else we can stop calling a Hammond organ an instrument too.
AND they're tools (thus gear) but mainly instruments.
Yeah I agree- they are
He means that they can be used more as instruments. If you build up knowledge and skills where you can perform with it (such as the way Jeff Mills performs with a 909) you are using it more like an instrument than if you don't spend much time with it or you only learn how to program it and just press play without performing with it. You can't program a hammond organ, you have to play it live to record it, so if you can play something electronic live it's more like a hammond organ or any other instrument.
The worst purchase I made was te ep133 ko but I cant sell it it looks awesome on the coffee table
Hell yeah it does lol
I have a rule. You can never have too much gear. Unless it creates a life threatening emergency in your studio😂
😅
@8:52 I find the best way to avoid this is to reverse engineer from daw based tutorials in the genre you’re trying to produce in.
Geniuuusssss
yeah im more a fan of a minimal setup. having too much gets overwhelming really fast
Yyyup
Sometimes I’ll ask myself, “what would I be willing to pay to rent this piece of gear?” Let’s say $100. So if it costs $500 brand new, I’ll wait until the “buzz” passes and buy it used for $400. If I use it for a year and decide I don’t like it, I can sell it pretty easily for $300. So I just rented it for 1 year for $100. Maybe just a method to justify GAS.
It’s always a good idea to let the buzz pass to make a coherent decision!
I use to think so when I sold something for less than I pay for it 💪
When I get gas , I just buy some shit. I can’t help it. I used to care about how much gear I have and how a lot collects dust, but then I realised if I’m ever hurting for $$$ there’s money sitting in the lab.
Buy buy buy!!! 😂😂😂😂
So many peeps do this I think lol
If you buy second hand you’re not even losing money when you sell it again - most of the time
@@BasMoerland this is the way
I for one, encourage the mindless emotionally driven fad following consumers to keep digging deeper into their seemingly bottomless pockets and infinite bank accounts as this drives the market for creating truly remarkable instruments. As long as they keep following every trend set by youtube content creators, they will continue to feed us hungry engineers 😅😂 ♥️ 🕊️ .
😂 😅
Fiesta 🎉
🎊 💃
Liam with all the respect i find it a bit controversial talking about gas while surrounded by some of the finest equipment money can buy costing probably 10000-15000 dollars and more of equipment around you from what i see unless i am greatly mistaking in which case i apologize.
Its like going to a candy store and get advice on how to save money and be healthier by not buying things there.
I would buy it if you said „i sold all my equipment apart from a digitakt and 1-2 other things“
It somehow does not compute for me tbh. Please take this as absolute honesty feedback and not ill intented criticism
Still love your channel
Yeah I get that- but also…this video: ua-cam.com/video/HMWO7876-TM/v-deo.htmlsi=bcXGpLUvKrQrdmRL
I sold like 20+ units just a couple months ago. I’m mostly focusing on the AR mk2, big 6 and tr-8s these days- I’ll have a DIY 909 coming in the near future as well. That’s where I’m at!
I understand the cognitive dissonance for sure. It’s a very fine line to walk, recording your experience with all the overlapping gear you’ve accumulated over the past 5+ years- thanks for watching.
@@LiamKillen this is why I like you. Honest and direkt and can talk in a civilized and respectful manner.
Yes I get it. Don’t get me wrong, I myself am caught in this redundant offerings world. So I am really open if someone finds a new way. It’s more than welcome. Peace
I've definitely got G.A.S 😂
😅
By far the best GAS remedy is not watching gear channels like this one.
Bro just smashed me into oblivion
I have 6 delay pedals😂
I have a lot too lol
I love this gear vs instrument perspective! I always describe my sequencers as the instrument I play.
I think you’re doing it right!
I like gear that does one thing super well
like.. i just backed the chromaplane on kickstarter, it to me (along with most koma stuff) seems like it does one really cool thing
same with the cosmos
the sp404mk2 does a lot of things, but its like the best sampler
the strega does scary ass drones and kicks but at it
Even the 404 though- it does a lot of things really well. Ideally it makes most sense to just pick a way and focus on that
@@LiamKillen totally!
love listening to you but when it comes to gas this video s not that helpful :))))
Oopsie daisy
says the teenage engineering shill
Coming in hot