I’m not even going to install software that uhhhh “fell off the back of a truck” so as not to distract myself (as per the intention of this project.)
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you can buy mine 
DT and DN hit eBay soon…as there are no takers here…to date.
I NEED LESS SHIT. [and the money]
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It’s been several years since I was primarily making music on my laptop, but back then I definitely enjoyed picking up new plugin instruments and effects whenever the mood struck. There’s just so much interesting stuff out there to get excited about. Plus you get the instant gratification of downloading your shiny new thing as soon as you buy it which is pretty cool.
I recently got a new laptop and so far I haven’t re-downloaded anything from my old plugin collection. I’m pretty happy just working with Ableton’s stock effects and such, they’re plenty powerful to do what I’m trying to do. (Okay I might need to get Valahalla Vintage Verb on here but that’s it.) Anyway, from someone who did “no new plugins” for a few years here, it definitely broke the cycle of adding to the digital collection and I feel way more appreciative of this stuff now.
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I do. Never really had a problem with soft gas though. Prolly don’t have the system resources to take proper advantage of the latest and greatest anyway.
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yes, i definitely do. in the small chance i might get a newer m1 MacBook air for personal/audio use in the coming year, i don’t plan on buying any new plug-ins. whatever’s installed now is more than capable. just as with my other hobbies, the limitation is me.
this morning while watching videos for that new twisted electron box, i thought “that’s nice,” and had no other impulses. it was a pleasant experience. there are always going to be new things. it’s fine.
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I do. I’ve had a few crazy software spending sprees, and they tend to move even faster than hardware, so I’m definitely off those as well.
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Think of all the compressor vst’s we wont buy!
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Maybe we will finally learn, how to use them?
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Yeah no software for me either. For the past year that hasn’t been a problem and for mixing purposes I do fine with the stock plugins in Logic. Last autumn I went a bit crazy with some VST instruments though when I got a new MBP to replace my 2009 one. Of course software is a thing to watch out in any case cos my GAS tends to shift from synths to pedals to fx, and maybe also to software.
The thing I’m not entirely ruling out are sound and sample packs for my existing gear. Of course I want to learn stuff myself by doing sound design and this year I’ve actually started to enjoy that part of the process but having new fresh sounds ready to play with is sometimes what I need.
So soundpacks, and I’m finally going to refurbish my Fostex 4-track.
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That’s a slippery slope for me. I have a couple of stocking stuffer musical toys coming from family members for Christmas, one is a Korg NTS-1, which looks great as a little effects box for my Volca collection, but I could see myself spending a bunch on those expansions. I decided I would have a look between Christmas and New Year to see if there are any paid effects/oscillators on sale that I want, and then I’m limiting myself to free downloads, like the stuff Korg has put up on their site in 2022. I definitely don’t need to spend a ton of money on that stuff in the coming year.
I have to take a hard line for myself, just because I really do want to break the pattern of buying stuff I don’t need/use.
I have given myself the option of paid upgrades for existing stuff I own and use a lot. For instance, I’m a pretty heavy user of Kontakt, so it would be stupid not to benefit from workflow enhancements if it gets upgraded given the extent I use it. I won’t, however, buy any new Kontakt instruments. I consider software upgrades akin to maintenance. In the same spirit, I won’t pay to upgrade my Arturia V-Collection in 2022, for instance, as I have barely scratched the surface of what it has. Logic doesn’t charge for upgrades, so not an issue for me, but if I had a DAW that did charge, I would consider that OK for myself.
I personally consider that to be in the spirit of where we going with this (for me), but I think everyone should decide on the grey areas for themselves. Just my 2 cents.
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I agree 
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Yes! No hard rules, you know your personal relationship to gear and how it’s shaped by art craft and consumption/external stressors, there’s no way to fail trying to understand the relationship better and more honestly.
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So will this create a divide in this community? I can see repercussions.
And then, the Great Schizm of the no new gear topic happened.
PS: @igtheflig @Artsutanav @subduct yes, that’s the article I posted, and the topic on lines is a discussion that span several years pretty similar to the one we’re having here, some nuggets of wisdom here and there but mostly people sticking together against the Great Gear Threadmill. Usually it was active in the few weeks around the new years and slowly faded, starting again the next year at the same period. I don’t think the topic itself is that important taken out of the moment, just people motivating each other and stating their goals.
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No worries! We’re all back in line once Syntakt drops from the Gothenburg heavens on a February Tuesday / Wednesday. No divides after that.
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I cannot. I want a M8 Tracker, missed the last sale phase because I was ill and now need to wait until next year 
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Personally I’m going to be pretty lax/fluid with this promise. As I am with all of them! I gave up drinking, but not in a grand promise way, I just tried it for a bit, and found I prefered it. (I have made a lot of life changes this way). I’m approaching this the same way. I DO think I get on the hedonistic treadmill of new thing, new sound, new creative spurt, slide into doldrums, look at new thing.
This seems like a way to save money, and break a cycle. BUT if it turns out I hate it, I will stop. No need for self-flagellation, making music (including buying gear??) is a hobby. There is enough flagellation at work/home.
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Yes it feels like self inflicted punishment rather than anything else. Get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness stuff. I think it may make you worse in the long run. Imagine 2023 you may go bezerk making up for lost time.
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Sounds like my approach. I’ve done the same previously with going vegetarian and stopping drinking. Six and (about) ten years going strong without punishing myself for an occasional sip of a beer my friends have wanted me to taste (their big aficionados and some of them even brew beer themselves). For me that’s the healthiest way to go about it and probably the best in the long run.
So baby steps first instead of a giant leap. Not looking for all possible loopholes but completely fine with going into the grey areas (like soundpacks) if I feel like it. I guess what I mean is I’m going by “our rules” but doing this for me.
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I, for one, will go extremely hard on myself. I expect public shaming and ridicule, if I fail. But I respect that people work in different ways.
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