You have gas!

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
v00d00ppl
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Re: You have gas!

Post by v00d00ppl » Fri Dec 24, 2010 3:35 pm

I'm glad I got GAS out of my system. With live 8 stable for me and melodyne editor being 64 bit, I actually wake up in the morning making music on the weekends.

But before that, gearlust and vinyl lust were getting out of hand. People need to know that the grass may seem greener on the other side until they still can''t make a track.

Tarekith
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Re: You have gas!

Post by Tarekith » Fri Dec 24, 2010 3:41 pm

Definitely, you have to remember the point is to make music, not collect things. Well, unless you're really into collecting things and not making music.

Errr.... paradox in there somewhere...
Tarekith
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JuanSOLO
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Re: You have gas!

Post by JuanSOLO » Fri Dec 24, 2010 3:59 pm

I recently sold most of my gear. Just kept my Turntables, Jaguar, and Orange Amp. As far as controllers and such, it's all gone.

The result is I have made a bunch of tracks with just my laptop alone. I had intended on getting new gear for performing with, but after being without everything I had before, I am really starting to see things differently about what I think I want vs. what I actually need.

Pasha
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Re: You have gas!

Post by Pasha » Fri Dec 24, 2010 5:55 pm

Tarekith you're right!
Sometimes GAS comes to me in waves.. and then it leaves.. like a sine wave.
At the moment I'm under big GAS willing to get a VG99 even if sometimes I ask
myself if it's really needed or not...
GAS exists and no immunity is possible!

However, your savvy suggestion bring you in a region where enlightenment is all!

Image

A Zen story tells:

Once a man found a little statue carved in gold. On the statue was written that
were made other 11 statues. All the people in the little town parents and friends
were happy for the old man but the old man was sad. He could not find the other 11
statues... and so on and on until he became ill. Then one day he realized that it's
was not important to find the other 11 statues when he got one and so he was healed
and lived happily ever after.

So as Tarekith said... dig your gear before getting new one.. little treasures are
waiting there...

- Merry X Mas and Happy New Year!
- Best
- Pasha
Mac Studio M1
Live 12 Suite,Zebra ,Valhalla Plugins, MIDI Guitar (2+3),Guitar, Bass, VG99, GP10, JV1010 and some controllers
______________________________________
Music : http://alonetone.com/pasha

LoopStationZebra
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Re: You have gas!

Post by LoopStationZebra » Fri Dec 24, 2010 7:39 pm

I have ASS.

App acquisition syndrome. Cannot stop downloading new synth/instrument/controller apps for my iPad.

:x
I came for the :lol:
But stayed for the :x

Tarekith
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Re: You have gas!

Post by Tarekith » Fri Dec 24, 2010 9:33 pm

Aas?
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LoopStationZebra
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Re: You have gas!

Post by LoopStationZebra » Sat Dec 25, 2010 5:11 am

Shit, too much spiked eggnog. And here I thought I was going to be all witty. :x

Seriously, I've been absolutely BLASTED all day on an eggnog cocktail consisting of:

1 part eggnog.
1 part Kahlúa
4 parts rum

I'm going to be reassessing that abbreviation, and puking, within the hour I'm sure.
I came for the :lol:
But stayed for the :x

anybody human
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Re: You have gas!

Post by anybody human » Sat Dec 25, 2010 6:15 pm

Amen. So glad I finally got over the gearlust. Why did I buy all of those soft synths? I basically use 1 soft synth, one hardware synth, a few plugin effects (2 compressors, 1 limiter, 1 eq, 1 delay, 1 reverb).

sporkles
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Re: You have gas!

Post by sporkles » Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:39 pm

I think I might want a new laptop, but by now I know that I can use what I've got to create what I want. I did get the Komplete Synths at a 50% discount lately, but as far as hardware goes, I'm not going to bother anymore. All that stuff just clutters my workspace. That said, I don't intend to expand my software library either. In fact, I probably won't upgrade to Live 9 when the time comes. Unless that no-brainer thing comes along.

macmurphy
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Re: You have gas!

Post by macmurphy » Sat Dec 25, 2010 11:08 pm

LoopStationZebra wrote:Shit, too much spiked eggnog. And here I thought I was going to be all witty. :x

Seriously, I've been absolutely BLASTED all day on an eggnog cocktail consisting of:

1 part eggnog.
1 part Kahlúa
4 parts rum

I'm going to be reassessing that abbreviation, and puking, within the hour I'm sure.
fuck abbrvtns, absinthe and lemonade ftw! :wink:

mp3
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Re: You have gas!

Post by mp3 » Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:04 am

Every time I start to get GAS, I think in terms of the music I've made and will make. For me its as simple as recalling a hot track I did a day, month, year, or decade ago, and simply realizing that I didn't use whatever I've convinced myself I need to have when I made it.

I have a lot of gear, that's just the way it is with moore's law in full effect. So to some degree, you have to learn how to stay productive amid a lot of gear. As a hardware head, I cut my teeth in an era where one keyboard, one sampler, and one four track would cost you over $5000. At the current new and second hand prices, I find it VERY hard to resist (I mean do you have any idea how bad I lusted over the ASR-10 and MPC 3000???). But at the end of the day, as long as I stay productive I don't see a problem with keeping the gear I have or acquiring more gear...

Some of the methods I've developed:

1. Don't feel a compelling need to use everything with everything else all the time.
- If you have 10 synths/samplers, pick one or two to work with today and get on with it. If it works today, do it again tomorrow, and don't worry, you'll make your way around to that other gear. If you don't, box it up and put it in the closet (or uninstall it if its SW). Do NOT sell it, for two reasons; first you will most likely want to buy it again in a year, and second, you WILL use the proceeds towards more gear.
- Separate your workflow (and gear) into stages. When you're feeling creative, break out the 1 or 2 pieces that best complement that. When not, start arranging or mixing an older track. Use certain gear at certain stages of the compositional/arrangement/mixing processes and put it away (literally or figuratively) when you move on.
-Try moving the actual DLLs or Components out of your plugin folders temporarily. Same with hardware; put it back in the box it came in. Actually having a desk or workspace that's too small to fit all your stuff can be a good thing...

2. Start with a great idea, instead of convincing yourself that your equipment can polish that turd.
- You are the source of that great riff, not the three million presets you've collected.
- Always capture your noodling.
- If nothing is happening, turn your process on its head. Start with drums instead of chords, or a harmonic structure instead of a melody.
- DO NOT try to get the sound in your head. Aim instead for the melody/harmony/groove in your head.
- Resist the temptation to tweak while in creative mode. Get the idea down as fast as you can. When you have it down, immediately save, close, and do it again.

3. Don't sit down to make music, sit down and make music.
- When all else fails, take one piece out of your studio and sit in front of the TV with it (or take it to starbucks if its small enough - you'll look cool in the process lol...). Of course this is easier said than done with computers (if you can afford it, a great idea is to get an older laptop and load up a small subset of your software) but perfect if you have some hardware. At the very least you won't be staring at the mountain of gear that's killing your inspiration.
- I've come up with some great stuff by explicitly intending to noodle around while watching the game.
- Sometimes your toddler will hit the perfect key at the perfect time. Welcome that distraction.
- Background noise helps when you're thinking too hard.

Anyway, the bottom line is don't let the music stop. If you don't, then I wouldn't consider it GAS. OTOH, if you do, then the GAS wins...

Tarekith
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Re: You have gas!

Post by Tarekith » Tue Dec 28, 2010 12:25 am

Here here, well said. Now if I could just get people to actually reply with all these great ideas IN the blog comments, I'll be set. :)
Tarekith
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mp3
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Re: You have gas!

Post by mp3 » Tue Dec 28, 2010 4:39 pm

Tarekith wrote:Here here, well said. Now if I could just get people to actually reply with all these great ideas IN the blog comments, I'll be set. :)
Happy to oblige :D

beats me
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Re: You have gas!

Post by beats me » Tue Dec 28, 2010 4:55 pm

Tarekith wrote:Definitely, you have to remember the point is to make music, not collect things. Well, unless you're really into collecting things and not making music.

Errr.... paradox in there somewhere...
My work has your blog blocked (you evil man), but I think part of the reason for GAS is also to feel like you're still active or involved with music when you have absolutely no inspiration or can't come up with any keepers. It's not so much "This piece of kit will take me to the next level!" as "I just bought something new so I'm still interested."

From my end, it's also a result of living in economically unstable times and if I have the money then might as well scoop it up because any time I could lose my job, not be able to find another job for awhile, and won't be able to afford anything new. Of course attached to that is with no job there's the assumption I will finally have the time and head space to get into all the gear and software I've been accumulating.

Khazul
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Re: You have gas!

Post by Khazul » Tue Dec 28, 2010 8:39 pm

TBH - I think GAS has alot to do with the old 'retail therapy' thing - just nice to get a new toy to play with...

The rest (its inspiring blah blah) are just the execuses to justify it afterwards for the short time until you realise actually its made no difference at all and your shit still sounds like shit :p

Another good fix for gas can sometimes just be revisiting one of those old toys you never got into and having another go with it even if it isnt quite so shiny any more.
Nothing to see here - move along!

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