Yeah, like for food and electricity. 
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Yup well PG&E jacked up gas prices like crazy for heating in NorCal.
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How many times the average?
I live in Finland and here the electricity price went x15.
Super interested in hearing if companies think I should keep on spending when half of the money from selling my MD went to electricity bills.
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Ya…the thread isnt saying buying gear it bad. It’s for those who have bad spending habits supporting each other.
If retailers are counting on GAS…feeding it…
Buy gear if you want, but I fully support those that want to get their GAS under control. For me…it got me into the gear I own, enjoying it, actually learning how to use it. Instead of lusting after some gear that will be “THE ONE” that helps me make good music. The gear ain’t fixing my music making problem. The problem is me not learning to make music.
I’m with you 
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Same here and after getting my studio cleaned up it lets me refocus.
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I’m sorry, what?
It’s a smattering of people grouped in one thread in a corner of the internet.
This forum is basically just a big fuck off hotbed of GAS. This thread is brilliant, but even coming to this forum to view the thread is triggering AF.
As if NGNY is going to be a movement that wins out over this massive synth love-
in. There wouldn’t even be this forum then… And this forum and others like it is the fuel for people purchasing boutique products. However large or small the business, Elektronauts NGNY really is none of their business, and definitely shouldn’t be on their lips in public. Screw that.
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I’ve recently muted the sale and new purchase threads and now am focusing on Jamuary and challenges. It’s a good time!
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I’m joining NGNY this year!
I just spent a bit of cash for a guitar and fuzz pedal to add to my arsenal (my birthday is late January, so I decided to treat myself ) and that’s it, really gotta keep things under control in 2023
Excited to step back from a bit from the neverending gear chase.
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Count me in! I’m rocking the following gear:
Octatrack
Digitakt
Wavestate
Monologue
Volca Sample 2
I have no excuse to not be making some good music with what I have, no need to buy more!
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As gear addiction is a huge problem for so many, I see it as almost comparable to a small brewery trying to derail an AA meeting.
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I think this is a hurtful characterisation of many people here. Sure a few may behave like you suggest, but people have made a pledge that is worth respecting.
If you don’t like the idea of NNGY, it is okay to mute the topic and never see it again. It is disrespectful to come in and say things like this.
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It was not my intention to paint everyone with a broad brush, and I apologize if I gave that impression. I read every post in last year’s thread, and I know how it went. I like the spirit of NNGY, and think there is room for discussion on how to move in that general direction.
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Dude, you’re in the wrong thread.
This isn’t the one where you brag with your latest purchases.
Also you never even took the pledge.
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hopefully it’s not strictly an addiction for most, rather a ‘bad habit’.
I didn’t sign up to 2022, and won’t for 2023…new years resolution don’t tend to work for me.
however, I didn’t spend any money on gear in 2022 (after having spent quite a bit in '20-21) ( * )
the solution was pretty simple for me… control my social media intake.
this, for me, is the real addiction.
- stop watching YouTube review videos
- stop reading peoples forum post about gear I don’t own
it was tough for first few weeks, as clicking on stuff is a habit.
but sure enough, the GAS disappeared on its own, nothing more was needed.
I even went to Superbooth, (synth/modular heaven) , had great fun with friends, listening to music, looking at, playing with new shiny toys… but still nothing more than a bit of short term gas (more ‘ooh isn’t that clever’), which disappeared even before I got home. (you cannot buy at superbooth)
so for me, lesson was simple… control your media intake, and gas naturally solves itself. ( ** )
of course, you might be in the studio and feel you need a cable/audio interface, and even buy one…
but thats not gas!
( * ) ok, strictly speaking … I bought the Osmose in late Dec,
but that was a pre-order from 3 years ago… money put aside, and in the end I also sold some music gear that more than paid for it.
(**) almost to prove the point, I got into gaming videos at one point, and unsurprisingly started buying more games… solution was the same ( wip 
) - control what I watch.
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I cannot really speak for others other than what I’ve read from the 2022 thread and it really seems to be a real addiction for many ppl to the point that it’s crippling their creativity and financial matters and for many it has been detrimental for their well-being, and they’ve not been able to stop it alone.
Glad you’ve been able to avoid that, no sarcasm.
Over the past 5 years my focus slipped from making music to gear scouting big time.
That absolutely took it’s toll on my self respect and mental health aside from the financial stuff.
I knew it was fucked up but didn’t really tackle it properly before the challenge last year.
I was totally addicted to that feeling of allowing myself to buy stuff I didn’t need with money I didn’t have and the dopamine rush from walking home from the music store with a new gizmo in my hand. I wasn’t going to kick this habit or addiction, what ever you wanna call it, alone. It wasn’t happening.
I’ve known ppl that have had it even worse so I’d say it is and has been strictly an addiction for many of us.
Thanks to this challenge things are almost the exact opposite from that for me atm.
I’ve sold half of my gear and feel more creative and happy for it.
I failed a little bit last year but that is nothing compared to what it used to be and it’s good to still have some space for improvements, the hubris lol.
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There’s nothing wrong with being a gear explorer and wanting to try a whole bunch of things imo.
However, I’ve noticed the trend of “if I get this synth I can finally start making x genre” or “this band used this synth so if I get it I’ll make music like this band” which I am of course guilty of, mainly with Autechre.
But the thing is, not having the exact gear isn’t stopping you from making music in that genre. If you haven’t tried to make it already, you probably won’t suddenly be driven to make it because you get that one synth.
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I do feel for you @Strutter and, sincerely, hope that you have success in tackling it this year.
what you said, is why I said I hoped for most, it was not an addiction, as this is not something to take lightly… very different impact, and also often different solutions…
I made this point first, because I did not want to trivialise addiction, and my lightweight ‘avoid media’ advice is not aimed at it… rather something easier to control. (aka my ‘bad habit’)
indeed, though this is the thing we have to watch out in YouTube.
even though we know its often ‘marketing’ , its often framed as ‘infotainment’ or just entertainment.
I consciously knew this… but still consumed.
one thing I found interesting in the first few weeks of cutting back, was that my brain wanted me to watch, rationalising that watching review-like videos was ‘keeping me up to date with technology’.
of course, really this was also had a huge dose of fomo.
so no its not wrong… and frankly, like anything, in moderation its fine.
I can now watch a (even review) video of a synth or (eurorack) module that uses some new tech, without feeling gas ( or perhaps, more importantly to watch another review video!)
but of course the point of this topic, is when that becomes difficult.
as I said, I personally ‘pledges’ don’t work for me, my motivation has to be more internal.
BUT, thats internal motivation is why, I find these kind of topics healthy…
I like reading about struggles, successes and tactics (which was the point of my post), to help build up that internal / self-motivation… and also keeping doing it, to keep it ‘topped up’
theres no wrong/right way of doing things in this area…its all self improvement. ( * )
even if you fail this week, its not something to worry about, just ‘get back on the saddle’
( *) again, Im focusing on ‘bad habits’, true addiction is more serious… and never something I’d trivialise, nor feel comfortable advising on.
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No no, I get what you mean and I agree with you. You made good points.
Thanks but by no means am I in a bad place with this anymore.
I’d say my mental backbone has made a comeback and everything is under control.
Even in one year things can get so much better with appropriate adjustments and peer support.
A lot of this stuff is about perspective and I really needed a wake up call.
I still watch videos of new interesting gear but the intention is completely different already.
Every bit of this was me. Much more a mental health issue than anything else. I’m all for supporting equipment manufacturers but not at the cost of my own health and financial stability.
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