Hits
Strega - a great hit for me, even if I mostly use it as an fx unit. There is something lively about it as an fx unit and then it can also do some sound design stuff when I need. Doesn’t bore me or end up feeling gimmicky like a lot of fx do for me.
A sit/stand desk and stool - never really realized how much better I would feel with a desk set up like that but it’s a life changer I think.
Misses - too many things on order not in my hands yet…
Hit: DNK, lovely exploring all the different modes. A lot of new stuff since I last had the DN, I love the Ext mode, Hold, Portamento, and other stuff like step recording. It’s great having a proper midi keyboard for a change, as a result flipped a Launchkey Mini Mk3. The DNK feels like the centrepiece of my setup now, with so much flexibility for its use as an internal synth, midi sequencer, & midi controller. I can’t see myself getting rid of it anytime in the future, it serves too many purposes. And it’s workflow suits me more I think, I love those digital aspects of saving things and being able to come back to projects later. It’s also just a great chill instrument to turn on and dream away with. I’m often surprised how much I’m doing with one track before I even look to the other 3.
Miss: Moog Sound Studio. I know a lot of people really get into these, and I do too in some ways. Both the dfam and subh are great instruments, the subh particularly with high frequencies cutoff I found very sweet, but something about the higher frequencies when you open that right up is just too tonally homogenous and brittle for me, kindve ringy. The dfam I could see as a great sound design tool as you’re able to really head in all sorts of directions, great for sampling. But as a first look at modular it didn’t really grab me, honestly, I couldn’t be bothered learning a new language of sorts, I was only really using the synths in subtractive ways and not in a modular sense. I recorded some nice sounds with both, but I originally did want a DNK in my new pad this year so I’m not sure why I took a right hand turn and jumped on the MSS. Was good to play with for a while and if I was made of cash would probably keep them around.
In the end I’m happy now with a sequencer/keyboard and a few effects, and Live. I’d like another box or two at some point, or not. If the Syntakt turns out to be as exciting as it sounds that would be a great addition next year.
Bit of a quiet year for gear purchasing but…
Hits
Toraiz Squid - I’d been looking for a sequencer I could perform with. Something that could handle multiple polymetric patterns. I’d been watching some Craven Faults performances on Youtube and wanted some of that modular analog sequencer behaviour in something a bit more flexible/affordable. I’d read such conflicting things about the Squid but, aside from a couple of UI/menu quirks, it is everything I’d hoped it would be. Combined with an Elektron sequencer (mainly for drums) I genuinely feel able to work DAW-less for the first time.
Pro 2 - I had one when they first came out but foolishly sold it to buy a Prophet 6 (should have kept both). When the Pro 3 was announced it simply reminded me what an incredible synth the Pro 2 was. This one’s a keeper. 
M1 MacBook Pro - My old MacBook was 12 years old and not good for much. I was going to wait for the rumoured M2 but I’m glad I jumped. Easily the best laptop I’ve ever used and Bitwig runs beautifully (natively) on it.
No real misses so far this year although I am regretting selling my Digitakt last year as 1.30 appears to fix all my annoyances with it. I’m not loving the RYTM mk1 as much as I hoped I would so that might be the next thing to go.
Hits:
Pulsar-23: I sat on the fence forever and I’m glad I bought it. Super fun to play, surprisingly easy to integrate with other stuff, amazing sound.
Modules: Twiigs (double MI Branches clones, great to add probability and variations, love the interface with the sliders), Doepfer Multicore (great solution to the constant spaghettification of my patches), Joranalogue Compare 2 (just super usefull in every patch I make), Takaab 2PLPG (2 HPs and like 30€ for two good sounding LPG).
Miss:
Still undecided:
Hits- Polyend Tracker, Digitone, Fender Jaguar, Zoia, Field Kits
Misses- Digitakt, Lovepedal COT 50, MPC Live 2
Undecided- MOTU mk5
Hits:
Polyend Medusa - I actually passed on it the day I drove an hour to check it out, then regretted it and called the guy the next day. It’s got such a cool sound between the analog and digital oscillators, especially with out the voice allocation works. The grid is great for idiots like me with no real musical training and a severe inability to play instruments. It sounds insane through a good effects chain, too.
Misses:
Arturia Microfreak: I hated the keyboard in it’s implementation. The build felt cheap. But most importantly, the majority of sounds I got out of it could be easily gotten from my iPad or other gear - and they’d sound better! I literally regretted buying it the minute I plugged it in.
I felt the same. I actually really liked the keyboard but couldn’t find any sounds I really liked. Spectrum on iOS FTW
I totally forgot that my Field Kits purchase was this year - seems like I’ve had them longer (in the best possible way!). Definitely a massive hit
HITS:
Moog Matriarch
Vermona Perfourmer mk2
Alesis Midiverb II
As already stated above replying to @Strutter’s post, I absolutely love the Matriarch and have already used it a lot. Besides providing great bass it gives you beautiful chords in the paraphonic mode.
The Perfourmer is awesome as well but with that I have to be careful not to have it just run like four different arps from the OT midi arp - sounds great with a touch of reverb but makes me (and the jam sound) kinda lazy sometimes. Haven’t featured the P4mer on an actual track yet (what’s an actual track anyway?).
Speaking of lazy, I think I’ve had the Midiverb on one specific preset the whole time I’ve had the unit (I did go through the presets on the first day). Sounds great! The best reverb one could get for 50€.
KEEPERS:
Oto Boum
Analog Heat mk1
Both are very nice but I haven’t used them a whole lot yet as I’ve been busy with one-machine setups (MD and MnM) and mixing a couple of older projects.
UNDECIDED:
DSI Prophet 12 Desktop
This is a great-sounding and DEEP synth for sure but after going through a couple of really nice polys (most notably Peak and OB6) in the past two years, I’m starting to think my music doesn’t really need a monster poly as I also tend to have some piano and string arrangements in many of the songs. However, I’m pretty sure the P12 will see more use soon.
Already sold and therefore MISSES for me:
Waldorf Blofeld
Analog Rytm mk1
Got a good 2nd hand deal on both but decided to pass them on. The biggest and (for the price) basically only downside of the Blofeld is the UI. I just don’t like the menus. I did like the sound but the Blofeld was just redundant in my setup and not a very immediate or intuitive piece to me.
As for the Rytm, I already had a mk2 in early 2020 (sold it) but decided to give it another shot. Alas, it arrived at a wrong time as I had just fallen head over heels with the Machinedrum. I still like the sound but at the end of the day I think I just don’t want (big) analog drums in my music.
Spectrum is dooooooope
Lots of hits this year!
Undecided:
Misses:
I have a Summit and I’m thinking of something very similar: rather than trying to combine functions, get a Hydra desktop for digital and maybe a T5 for analog. The Summit is lovely, but the UI could be better (it feels very cluttered and nonintuitive, especially that mod matrix). On the fence about the T5 though–part of me wants to save up for a P5 but that might be overkill for my purposes…
I agree on both issues :).
part of me wants to save up for a P5 but that might be overkill for my purposes
I very nearly wrote ‘Hydra + T5…or P6/OB6 if i win the lottery’. Exact same thoughts as you except one floor below on the tone/cost vs the P5 
The theory is that scratching the sound design itch with the UX of the Hydra, would balance out having a less deep, but more immediately characterful analog poly…
Hit:
Make Noise Strega. Logically, I feel I am sorta undecided about this (I’m not sure I like its oscillator), but it actually ends up being in lots of stuff that I do and is useful in lots of ways, so it’s definitely staying.
Eurorack. Bought a bunch of utility modules to put in a case to expand the semimodular synths that I have, it’s been really useful and fun. The standout module is Maths (didn’t really understand how useful it would be until I got one!), but 0chd, Pamela’s New Workout, Scales and 3x MIA have all been super useful.
Miss:
Poly FX Beebo. I keep trying to love this – so much potentially useful stuff in one unit – but the little touchscreen isn’t much fun, and I always end up feeling like I might as well just be in the box. I well might end up selling it. Keeping for now because with the ALM SBG module I can interface it with my Eurorack, and I need to to try hoooking it up t my Faderfox to see if that makes it feel more hands-on.
#FACTS
Anyone who uses iOS but doesn’t have Spectrum is 
to me
You and me, both, buddy.
Somebody on the forum posted a studio picture of their 2 AS-1’s standing on the front edge, and barely within reach. I asked him about it and I think he said he uses the editor software for everything. I’ll have to check that out.
I have 2 Echopuss that I run in parallel or stereo sometimes. They’re good, but I would never buy them again. Too limited in sound design and too short of a delay time for me. I do like hipstering it up thought with the 0Coast and EPs as I can then say IT’S ALL ANALOOOOOOG
I have mostly sold gear the last few years, but this year, finally got an Analogue Heat. Definitely a hit. Planned to use it analogue, to add some drive to a monomachine, but have found the plug-in utility surprisingly useful as well.
wtf is Spectrum? i looked for it and can only find a visualizer. it can’t be a visualizer.