G.A.S. - How to deal with it.
The Definition:
Gear Acquisition Syndrome, also known as GAS, is commonly understood as the musicians’ unrelenting urge to buy and own instruments and equipment as an anticipated catalyst of creative energy and bringer of happiness. For many musicians, it involves the unavoidable compulsion to spend money one does not have on gear perhaps not even needed. The urge is directed by the belief that acquiring another instrument will make one a better player.
We all agree that buying new music gear is quite exciting and refreshing and there is nothing wrong with that. The real problem starts when you convince yourself that without the “X“ piece of gear, you cannot create the music that you want and imagine. Another problem is simply becoming a victim of overconsumption and buying new stuff you don’t really need.
Today, we will not go through all those things that you’ve heard before, like “Use the things you already have in their full potential“. We will reach to the source of the syndrome and try to fix it.
To solve the problem, we will investigate the reasons that fuel your G.A.S. and how you should avoid them.
Don’t trust YouTubers and Social Media “Influencers“
Don’t get me wrong, the music gear community on YouTube and other social media is still a somehow healthy community. We are not at the stage of being blasted with ads and so-called influencers that try to sell you stupid stuff all the time. But at the same time, reviewers and YouTubers are fueling your G.A.S. constantly. What you need to do is take a step back and think of the following:
YouTubers, especially the big channels, are a form of business. They make money from ads placed on their videos but that’s not the only source of their income. A big portion of the money they make comes from Affiliate links (check out the link in the description kind of links) and by music gear companies that send them free gear and most of the time pay them to make a video about their brand new product. That alone is enough for you to understand that their judgment is a bit (or a lot) biased and at the end of the day they want you to buy the new piece of equipment they promoting. That of course doesn’t make them bad people, it’s just the way things work. And you should be aware of that beforehand.
The non-existence of choice. When you buy a new synthesizer, you make a choice. A choice to buy this instead of that, a choice of how much money you are willing, etc. YouTube reviewers don’t have to make a choice. New synths are handed over to them for free to review. They didn’t have to think if they are willing to spend the money the synth costs. So, judging a piece of gear while removing the choice factor is, from the start, a totally different experience. You are not going to take this for free too, so keep that in mind.
Most YouTubers or Instagrammers are Content Creators first and Musicians and Recording Artists second. That means, that most of the time, you are taking advice on what piece of gear will help you create more and better music by people that are not making that much music themselves. That of course does not apply to every one, since there are a lot of well-established producers that also happen to make reviews and YouTube videos.
When they do make music, it is not the music that you like or want to make yourself. This is probably self-explanatory. For example, it does not make a lot of sense to trust a Trap producer on what plugin will help you create Techno arpeggios. So, if you are to follow someone, make sure you enjoy the music that they’re making as artists. Then, their opinion will have a lot more weight on your decisions.
The Solution
As you are an artist and music producer yourself, get influenced by people that you admire for their artistry and productions. They have made decisions that got them to where you will probably want to be in the future so learn from their journey. Instead of listening to a random reviewer talking about the new Volca that no one uses in an actual studio try to find resources that will give you an insight into your favorite artists.
My top suggestions would be:
Equipboard: This is a website where people track down and report music gear that their favorite artists use in their studios or live shows. It can be very helpful to actually have a list of the gear your favorite producer uses and see what they prefer to use. The downside is that it only features well-known artists and you may not be able to find an underground producer you follow but if you start searching you will definitely find musicians you relate to. Great source of inspiration for your studio and your next purchase.
YouTube Studio Tours: Instead of spending hours watching reviews of gear you will not use, use YouTube to watch artists’ studio tours. There are lots of videos of people taking a tour in their home studios where they actually produce music (and not content). These are my favorite type of videos because you can see all their gear, how it is set up, what kind of DAWs they use, etc.
Some Playlist links
Do your own research. Just use Google to find out what your favorite musician uses in his/her studio. You can find lots of articles with artists talking about their favorite gear.
A blog that features tons of not so famous artists that I really enjoy
Source: Instagram - @hannesbieger Studio
Do you really need this?
The first rule of over-consumption is to make people buy things they don’t actually need. That’s where marketing comes in and tries to create those fake needs that we tend to have. It is pretty much the same thing that hypes all your G.A.S. Marketing teams are putting out all those reasons you would want their new product, they have lists with all the cool features they provide, they take beautiful photos, they hand their products into the hands of many talented reviewers to make the best out of them and they try to have a competitive price. All those things to convince you that you want their brand new synthesizer.
I mean that’s their actual job, and again, there is nothing wrong with that. If they manage to provide value to the customer aka you, they will be even more successful in their job and you will be a happy customer.
Your job is to make the best choices possible for yourself.
How to make the correct decisions?
Workflow is king. Print that and post it on your wall. To be able to make the best decisions requires that you have a clear purpose and goal and you can identify what will get you there.
Follow those simple steps to clear your head:
Actively think of your music-making workflow and pinpoint any gaps. As you are in a creative state try to take notes on how do you write music. Do you use a lot of plugins that take time to program and you wish you had a hardware synth? Have you run out of inputs on your interface and you waste time plugging and unplugging your gear? Do you have a piece of gear you rarely use and takes space on your desk?
The goal here is to try and map your process step by step and have a clear view of what needs to change/ upgrade/ or get removed.
Learn how to read behind the specs. When you check out the specs of a new instrument you’ve been thinking of buying, go back to step 1 and try to fit it in your workflow. Will it help the process get faster or not? Will it open new creative ways of making sounds? For example, if you have an interface with fewer inputs than you need, buying a new one that has more will definitely be a worthy upgrade.
Sell gear you don’t use if you want to buy new or upgrade. The good thing about synths is that they tend to have a great re-sell value, so if you want to upgrade something or get something new, it is a good move to start selling those who just collect dust in your studio.
Go big or go home. Most of our G.A.S. is targeted to some cheap or budget-friendly options. You see a new Roland Boutique for 400€ and start itching to get it although you don’t really need it. To fight that urge, I would suggest visualizing your absolute dream studio and start saving up for it. If you buy all the new Boutiques, you’ll never save the money needed for a 2K Matriarch. When you finally get the best Mono or Poly synth you can afford, it would be easier to resist buying a 500€ knock-off. And that’s because it will not provide anything extra to you and you know it. So, instead of buying a new cheap thing every couple of months, save for a year and get your dream synth.
In conclusion, try to get off the hype train soon and instead focus on your goals. As a musician, your goal is to release your best quality music as fast as you can. And music instruments are just the tools to help you achieve that. When you get your focus straight, you will be freed from all the synth sirens out there and you will be more productive and more successful as an artist.
