"I debate over $2 to $4 bread at the market, while at the same time giving my local synth shop $500 like i found it on the floor" *I'm in this photo and I dont like it*

I've learned that when I'm searching for new gear, what I'm really searching for usually isn't new sounds or practical solutions. It's about a new EXPERIENCE. Interacting with a new machine is like interacting with a new person, going a new place, doing a new thing (well, it is doing a new thing) and all of these spark inspiration. I've also grappled with addiction to buying stuff. Literally emptied my account buying and selling stuff, not keeping track of my money. It was a constant treadmill of new shit. So in other words, get your inspiration from life. Get out in the woods. Go to work and feel like shit, then channel that through your music. Buckle down and read the manual, learn a new feature on your piece of gear that you don't know your way around yet. Or hang out with a friend etc. Best thing of all, is all of those things are cheaper than that new piece of gear you want. Also don't be afraid to set music aside for a few days or a week (or more even) when your burnt out. Peace y'all

Also, for the record, you've probably caused me more trips to the local synth shop than anyone else on the planet, lol.

Reminds me of a mantra i try to focus on sometimes - “depth beats breadth”; knowing one thing deeply is usually better than knowing a lot of stuff only a bit

Zen koan: It is better to do more with less than less with more.

I needed to see this, thanks for posting. After being an active musician from 92-08, I took a 13 year break after becoming a father. I stepped back in recently and the amount of amazing options that exist now for synths/samplers at first was a ton of fun but my mind was so overloaded with "I need to try this.....and this....oh and that....oh but this is even better...", after 3 months I was so stressed out with the amount of stuff I had amassed, I almost sent it all back and quit. None of it was gelling, I hadn't actually learned to use anything specifically to even begin to get a flow going. I stopped last week and did exactly what you just mentioned, "a synth, a sampler and drum machine..." I minimized, put all the extra shit back in their boxes and just focused on the basic building blocks. Much happier now.

Something I’ve found helpful for me as well is to keep coming back and watching demos and tutorials of gear you already own every so often. A lot of times you’ll be reminded of new workflows and ways in which your gear can be used, and also sometimes as you get more familiar with a piece of equipment you can actually get more out of watching the tutorials since you have a stronger background in what is actually happing in the videos and how they relate to the rest of the machine. This allows me to continually get excited about equipment I already own because I’m finding new ways to use it (which is sort of like getting a new device), rather than just always looking to get something new.

Critically analyzing $2 bread vs $4 bread and dropping $500 at the music store on whim on the way home feels like a direct personal attack. 😄 😄 😄

A sampler A synth & A drum machine ... Being a regular of your channel, I smile each time I re-learn the same lesson: that was the key point of your "compact creations". Then, you made a series of videos about your thought process before a couple of dawless live set: {OT + Moog Sirin + Circuit} VS. {MPC + Circuit + Avalon} VS {some other permutation of the same}. All these videos convinced me to sell some gear this year. As a result, I became more focused & much more productive. I also enjoyed more time *actually* sampling my own gear as well as using my h5 field recorder or my iPhone to record every sound that catches my fancy. Today's video is super-meta, like Return of The Synth Jedi. Share the Love. (Self)-knowledge is power. Thx Ricky !! A sampler A synth & A drum machine ... This is the way :)

I was feeling stuck for a while and honestly your advice earlier this year of just moving my room around and making it so the instruments I play most often were within feet of me helped close that feeling of things being out of reach - turns out for me it was just literal. But this video is more inspirational than you might realize. Really appreciate that you can stay grounded and always re-examine your perspective. Cheers

For me, when I hit the studio thinking ‘hey, I’m gonna make a really dope boombap or house track’, I rarely ever do. My best work is when I go in completely blank and let the gear show me the way. Often, it’s as simple as pulling out an old album and letting that inspire me, and sometimes it’s just about flipping some knobs and discovering something new that jives with me. When I start pulling out and rearranging gear, it’s usually bad news for me too - keep it simple in the studio :)

I made some of my best music from an iPad because I had a more focused intention of how things could be put together - everything was contained in this little rectangle. SO...That’s why I bought an sp404 as a main brain (main out) for all my hardware synths to run through to achieve that same bottle neck and focus. It simplified everything, I can sketch out ideas, I can instantly sample ideas I have on my gear. It allows me to have the same workflow and approach as when I’m working as a graphic designer.

this is a bit corny and nerdy but it really works and got me in the stuido today. i picked it up from the anime Food Wars (sensing a theme here?) and the tip is: dedicate your craft (music in this case) to something or someone. not just for views and likes and to pay the bills. commemorate your grandmother, to celebrate the love you have for a partner, as an offering to vishnu, it doesnt matter, but do it for someone else. its a potent fuel. god bless, 🙏🦊🤠🤙

Becoming a fan of Squarepusher really taught me one of the most valuable lessons in making music. I remember thinking, 'My God, his stuff his so varied and complex, his studio must have thousands of synths!'. Nope, he's been using the same setup with very little change since about 2001. A Yamaha QY700 sequencer as the main brain, the same two Yamaha rackmount FM synths, Eventide effects processors, a 303, 909 and 101 and a custom Reaktor sampler. That's pretty much it. He's used the same gear for 20 years, makes a track once a day and has mastered using all of his equipment and as a result can do virtually ANYTHING with it. That is the dream I think and what every musician, not just electronic musicians, should be striving for. Streamlined efficiency and total creative mastery over the things you already own. Excellent video as usually, Ricky. All the best!

I was just going through this same issue. Buy more equipment. It’s not the answer. Mastering what u have is key. Thanks for this reminder.

It is weird, funny and absolutely inspiring to listen to what you feel you have to share … and sitting there, totally able to relate to it. Just a couple of weeks ago, after months of somehow feeling, no, being unable to make any of my ideas work (not to mention come alive/being recorded), I decided to start keeping it simple again. The idea, the music, the feeling - that returned to be important, more often than not while using limited gear in the sense of limited options. And while you and your way, your art of making music sure is on a completely different level compared to where I find/see myself, I really feel that I can relate to what your are talking about and subscribe to it from the bottom of my heart. Thanks for sharing that!

This is a great point. As someone who suffers from ADHD your video sounds eerily familiar to my struggle to stay focused and not want to keep adding or subtracting gear. It’s very hard to stay the course because there are multi million dollar companies doing everything they can to keep us buying their products. I’d be curious how many artists have ADHD and how the condition effects their set up.

I can relate to this subject. In fact I recently confessed to a friend that my home studio setup has induced hardcore writers block. So I stripped it down a little, and have three working areas that are not clocked to each other. It’s allowing me to limit my projects to less pieces of gear per setup…. If that makes sense. Setup one: Moog GM, DFAM, M32, King Korg sequenced and clocked by the Digitakt. Setup two: Digitone for leads, Roland SH-01a for pads and bass, and Model Cycles, and Samples for drums and FM sequencing. All clocked by the MS. Setup Three: a blank table with a mixer for jamming and experimenting with pedals and other synths…. Like the MicroFreak, Korg Minilogue, Deepmind 12, Volca FM, Microcosm, and BigSky. Plus I have other stuff. The third setup is just for experimenting with sound to be sampled and what not for downtempo trip hop style chill grooves. It will include a SP 404 MKII soon and thats when I plan to dust off my wacky vinyl and sample all kinds of weird things. Three working areas. All with separate purposes. I’m hoping it will get me recording again. I just made these changes yesterday and feel very creative working within these three spaces so far. I’m inching to create now that it’s not all clocked and rigged in together. PS: Everything records into Reason 10 via a 16 multitrack interface and I have two extra outs…. One going into the Digitakt, and the other the soon to be SP 404 MKII. So that means both samplers will be able to samples every thing. So that’s kinda like a 4th option lol. Not really but yes, I need to just start making music now that I spent 2 years buying and learning gear. Thanks for listening to my ramble y’all 😂

Getting new stuff makes me feel good for a little while but then I feel worse.

Seriously brother, this is such good advice. I've made this mistake so many times over the years, and the worst thing is that it usually takes me a bit of time to realize I've once again done it. Had a "perfect" studio before the summer, with gear I know well, the live streams were going great and then (without any real reason whatsoever) a feeling of staleness came over me. I was tempted to change things up. And before I knew, I'd torn the whole thing to pieces. Took me a couple of months of unproductivity to realize what the problem was and put things back as they were. Trying my hardest not to do it again any time soon... Because as you say: this is the ONLY way to mastery.

Good advice, thanks for the podcast rec, looks good!

100% agree. Thanks for all your work, Ricky. When making music, I like to get inspired by the Bastl Microgranny, that very lofi sampler makes me twist my melodies...then I sometimes even remove it, but most of my melodies/ideas come from it.

7:28 I'm trying to stay away from media/internet. Sensory overload causes blockages and I might think that can only be solved by buying new stuff or change the system. Certainly easier said than done with so many temptations. However. The other day, after a long sound design session, I started to love my hardware again and was just grateful.

Man oh man, this video might just contain some of the best advice I’ve heard from a music production channel in over a year, especially having a dedicated hot-swap area for transitory hardware. Nice one Mr T. As always, you prove that you have grade A wisdom from experience.

2 minutes thirty in, and this is already the most authentic youtube video out there. Your pain is our pain, brother. Thank you for hitting the spot and lancing the boil (addressing the issue) because all the other channels out there are deluded in that area, or hide it from us - they profit from making us feel inferior. However, your channel deserves to grow through your authenticity. Keep it coming. Love x

Yep - I think this is really good advice for those of us fortunate enough to have lots of stuff. Keep a consistent core brain area, and a side area where we hot-swap pieces we don’t need all the time for that fun/spice zone. I’ve worked like this for years now and it makes it so much more efficient to finish tracks and albums for me. One of the main points of using gear, for me, is limitation of options, so we have to keep that mindset by not having 20 different machines flashing in weird places where only 4 are required for the track

I concur 1000%, bro. I’ve been producing for about 12 years and it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that buying new gear every week didn’t make my music any better. I found out the hard way that a new flashy synth, for example, was a huge interruption to my workflow. I have weeded out my room full of hardware and now I make do with my PC, a LaunchPad Pro, a Korg Minilogue, a Yamaha MX49, a Launchkey 61 and a Maschine Mikro drum machine. These are the devices that I have achieved at least some level of mastery over and anything else simply interrupts my workflow and induces choice paralysis. Sometimes I like to challenge myself and I will produce and entire track with say, one synth plugin (Sylenth, Massive, etc,) and my drum machine. That’s it. Choice paralysis averted. I used to envy producers with rooms stuffed to the rafters with expensive and complicated gear, but now? Not at all. I could be a hardware collector or produce music, but not both. I chose music.

I used to be pretty nimble with my set up. I could think less about how to do something and just get in the zone and make whatever music I wanted. Then I decided to “upgrade” and get a bunch of new equipment. I was too young to realize that new isn’t necessarily better and “good gear” is subjective. The equipment I got didn’t work with my workflow and it made me rethink if I was actually ever that good at making music. I kinda stopped doing it, lost a bunch of years, and recently started noticing tutorial videos for how to get the best sound out of the same equipment stack I had been using earlier on. It’s a shame that I lost so much time and I feel a little disappointed in myself. I don’t think ever new gear story will be that bad lol, but it can be a trap!

I wrote a lot of music during quarantine when I was first learning how to record on reaper. I’m now going back and re-recording some of my favorites on ableton and switching instruments or compositions and it’s been super inspiring and fun.

I feel you on this and constantly go back and forth with trying to justify getting new gear here and there. Sometimes, Im just trying to cross grade / slightly upgrade something that has maybe some more useful features, and sometimes it's just about getting something entirely new to light a little spark and learn something new. Either way, I value the honesty in this video and can definitely appreciate the message. Something that I like to do sometimes for a little switch up or inspiration is to take my smaller pieces of gear and my older set of studio monitors and go set up a little stripped down mobile studio somewhere else in my house, or some sort of offsite location that Im not typically making music in. It usually yields something different, and at the very least is fun.

Thanks bro, I really needed that. You’re the only music KZfaq channel I get excited when I see there’s a new video. We all appreciate you!

100% agree with this. I've produced music consistently for years and years in the box withouta 2nd thought, but once I finally had some success with a few film scores etc I upgraded my studio massively, hardware, synths etc...and then didn't finish any music for almost three years. Only now that I've begun placing limitations on myself and removing things have I managed to get back into the flow. Option paralysis is so real.

Love this video...very honest and insightful....this is what works for me: I sit down in my studio with some rough sounds I like and then whatever the song is at that end of the day is the song, simple as that....this focus and time restriction means I finish things and don't get lost noodling around for the sake of it...one thing I've learned that seems counterintuitive is that restriction is the mother of both creativity and productivity....in a world of endless gear options less truly is more...a drum machine, sampler and one or two synths is all that is needed...

Ah yes the consumerist conundrum. Good talk man. And also, wow what is this lighting? Amazing. As always, love hearing you talk. Very calming, honest and to the point. Personally, music making for me is still a journey that I often abandon, but mix/master is the bread and butter. I've often heard the "kids" coming up and asking me "did you try xyz new plugin/tool etc" and I'm like "no man, I'm still learning how to tightly use what I've been using for the past decade!" and the fact that having a workflow you're deeply familiar with helps you throw out releases quicker to paying clients. But yea, similar philosophy. I'll try out A new plugin per session to "keep things fresh." But I know guys who will throw in fresh plugs all across their new mix and get awful results and thoroughly confused as to why said result was awful. We often get carried away with the new toys, but let's not forget the stuff that gave us results in the first place.

I felt the same way to a point that, I was going to get rid of some of my sound equipment. You just feel so overwhelm with too much equipment that your creative process just despaired. I hope you find that place that you are really comfortable with what you already have.

It’s a never ending journey to find that perfect piece of gear. I’ve done more with an Electribe MX in 2003, but still want that technology

Love this. Been feeling the same way about buying things now I have a little more money to burn. Back when I had nothing, I'd keep the same setup for a year and really felt like I knew every single corner of a pedal or my guitar or something. These days, the choice is overwhelming. I'll try a simple setup and keep it the same for a few weeks and see how I get on. Nice one RT!

Imagining a future "perfect setup" can be a form of control seeking we fall victim to. It's reassuring to think that we could create a setup so practical that it would make music right away. And sometimes we crave that reassurance. Then you get the gear, and you realize this search for control isn't really making you feel better. Maybe it's even made things worse. That's tough.

This was great man I’ve been obsessing over buying a bunch of gear I’ve always wanted and not actually making music and enjoying the process with what I have by utilizing what’s right in front of me to its maximum. Your video came at the perfect time for me I do believe a lot of us suffer from this. Thank you

I spent years (literally) using an RM1X, a JV1080 & one other synth ( e.g. cheap ebay purchase so as to 'quick flip' it after wards) , as my main sequencing set up. That got me placements in t.v. & film, some of which i was paid for, and others i sadly wasn't (you can get ripped off when young & hungry). My point is echoing Ricky's earlier point; you don't need a ton of gear to make music that works not just for you, but for others too. Granted, luck & blessings are required to get placements, but if you can master (or come as close to mastering) one or two pieces of gear in your set up, it'll pay dividends down the line in terms of speed of workflow & results. It'll also help you save time in terms of troubleshooting & KNOWING what gear works FOR YOU, irrespective of what you saw, heard & read in a review.

Such a well spoken description of a problem I think a lot of is deal with. I’ve gone broke trying to create “my new sound” and it lead me to wasting way more time. Great video as usual man 💯

amazing video ricky!!! this piece of advice is a little common but i feel it is often over looked something that has helped me a lot is to go in and purposely limit myself i can do this in ways like limiting myself to using only 8 mixer inserts or only allow myself to use one synth this forces you to look at the wall head on and work with it rather then around it hope this helps someone even jus a little it was ground breaking for me as someone with ADHD and i implement it in my life beyond music now lol

Nailed it! 🔨 - great summary and thoughts. Thank you for bringing this “challenge” to the surface. It can be a balancing act, regardless of your experience making tunes. It’s encouraging to hear from someone else about it and nice to know that - We are not alone 🖖👽 - at least on this one. 🍻

I actually started my current hardware journey about 2 years ago when I watched one of your videos about using only 3 bits of gear and I have been kind of experimenting since looking for the setup that suits me and my budget. I know I haven't got there yet, I know what I am lacking but..... I am thinking very carefully about my next purchase, I thought I had a decision but I am glad I waited as another piece of kit with a completely different workflow has made me think it could be a lot more useful and would also let me scratch that new learning itch without me needing to completely replace me old kit.

You’re not alone, bro. I do this all the time. I have finally reached a point where everything I own has turned against me. I went through a good couple of weeks of no productivity, to the point of depression. Yesterday was the first day where I became productive, and today, I stayed busy making music. I boiled it down to a couple synths and lots of experiments. The best part was, I didn’t buy any new gear to do it. I’m hoping to start selling a bunch of stuff and go back to basics, but that won’t happen until I get an Akai Force. I’ll sample as much of my gear as possible and see if I can get rid of it. If that fails, then I guess I’ll buy back all of it. Lol. Stay safe, my friend and hope to see you in Anaheim in June.

Wow! Thanks so much Ricky. Good advice.

Very relatable. Thanks for sharing. I start to find inspiration by sitting down and forcing myself to work. 99 times out of a hundred I'm feeling inspired in less than 5 minutes, after that, it's just that nice flow state where times stands still and I'm just bobbing my head. Gear helps, but it's not the answer - focus and dedication is.

I`ve learned this lesson along time ago too. Use what you already got. Master it. When it’s working you don’t need to fix it. Keep getting better with what you have, it will inspire creativity in both music and mastery of your workflow. If your creating music then keep dong it. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted from your art by the lure of that new gear you never needed, as it will pull you away from what you have been doing well upto now and destroy your already established method by distraction and burning your valuable time energy.

I love soft synths with randomize features. I use the random patch feature on Omnisphere to get me going in directions I never thought I'd go. The random feature on Absynth (of course I still use this) is a source of endless inspiration. I'm just now really getting into modular and hope to incorporate a lot of generative types of things to keep it fresh too.

TTU (two thumbs up!) Great reminder. Just bought my first MPC (the One) and decided to get the MPC Bible and literally work page-by-page through the "get up and running" content before striking off on my own (which would be fruitless anyway - that's why I need the Bible in the first place 🤪). This video helps me stay the course with the nightly "homework" slot on my calendar. Thank you - keep sharing!

Wise words, man! Thank you. I might re-watch this clip of yours whenever i‘m tempted to make another purchase.

Definitely needed to hear this. Thank you Ricky!

Your video came at a good time - I recently moved my stuff out of my flat into a dedicated space and am already a bit afraid of what the extra room might do to my always-suppressed gearlust. Still in the process of setting stuff up. What always gets me going is loading samples at (semi-)random into the digitakt and just starting. The first choices end up being arbitrary, but most of the time the results inspire more concrete additions/changes until a solid vision appears out of noise. One of the best things I did for that purpouse was loading the digitakt with all Unreal/Unreal Tournament tracker-samples, restricting myself to "only" using those and flipping through them at a pace that doesn't allow any deeper consideration, then "making it work" with whatever my lizardbrain made me choose.

so true, recently, I ve been working only with hardware, and whenever I jam, I record ''versions'', and the second or third are always the best, whenever I try to make it better by adding stuff, it never works. I also waste a lot of time trying to recreate my own sounds from my own tracks sometimes! But that's the problem with working with hardware that doesn't always have presets...I kinda like that though.. I can't even edit in a daw anymore, everything has to be live or else I feel it lacks the immediacy. matter of taste I guess.

I've really enjoyed the #RK006 from @RetroKits. I have an SQ-1, (2x) NTS-1s, (3x) POs, a Volca Sample, and a KP3+. KP3+ for master timing to RK006, then dealers choice. I've been messing with sending different timing to various pieces of gear. "Luckily" for me, we have been prepping for a move so trying not to buy new gear is usually fought off with the idea of saving money or having to move whatever I buy in the near future. My goodness what an ever growing list of things I'd love to own some day. Thankfully, I have channels like this and art like yours to enjoy and help me decide whether something will be right for me in the future; whilst I wait. Thank you Ricky and those like you!

I guess what keeps me inspired other then love of music is the puzzle itself of figuring out how to do what KZfaqrs do with a qtr of there size and money. So thank you for paving the way because I go back and watch your house eurorack setup often.

Great tip!!! I think for me keeping my setup to a literal 1 synth 1 sampler 1 drum machine has been the key to not getting wasteful with time or feeling paralyzed by options. My tip recommendation goto is before wondering if i really need more samples, go through what i have and destructively resample them into new interesting sounds. That and go adventure recording for new samples!

Good stuff!!! Thanks for sharing your insight!

Respect! I love the transperencey (with us and yourself), this was some quality time well spent.

Solid advice, appreciate you bro! 🙌

Oh man, i feel you. Last years i finally was able to buy more gear than i had in the past and man, it has been quite a wild ride. At least, to my standards. I feel a bit guilty towards "the gods of inspiration" because, like 20 years ago i just had a fl studio demo and was spitting out tracks almost every day. Now i'm in a somewhat infinite mode of buying/swapping stuff. I try to keep an eye on "the process" by regularly writing down what my goals are, and what gear suits that best. After using new gear for some time, i evaluate it. Although i can be acting like a maniac regarding gear, i try to narrow things down to BASICS and EXPERIMENTATION. I'm currently thinking out a small new portable setup which makes new things possible. I literally want it to fit on a pedalboard in a gigbag. And my goal is to make a new minu-album, solely with that new experimental srtup. And then see if it is feeling like a rea instrument to me, and re-evaluate. I get unhappy when too much gear is floating around, i get happy when i have a "Masterplan" and act accordingly. I also just think that some people just need their "daily dose of experimentation" to get a kick out of and be rewarded with new knowledge and experiences. Ha, i wrote a lot, i wish you guys a lot of fun on your musical journey.... Ps some of you might perhaps like some parts of my journey on my channel

Currently living this exact situation. Sold everything. All synths. Just have the MPC Live 2 now (until the Force arrives Monday 😝). Realised I could make everything I wanted on the MPC and just filled in and over complicated with the other synths to justify their existence. The Force will allow me to distil that ethos even further by removing my Mac (and associated distractions) from my workflow. Less is more. Mastery of one or two things is better than spreading mastery thin across everything. Thanks for this reminder 👍🏻

Can absolutely relate to this. I’ve ripped my studio apart completely and taking a couple of months off work to re learn everything from scratch. It’s a massive tax on the mind, I have to be really sensitive about going out for walks and stuff as it can get overwhelming so quickly. But my best tip I have, don’t try and integrate new gear right away. Sit on the sofa with it if you can with headphones on. Or use them in isolation. I have a portable sound recorder and it’s the most vital part of my studio (and other studios). I hit record and capture all that early exploration which becomes my sample library to sort through later. Before I could afford my own fancy synths and stuff, I would play and jam in friends studios and use a similar recorder. It’s a great way to build up your sonic voice and personality. Once I’ve got some sound samples I’ve tried dropping into tracks or started to come up with a bit of repetitive technique, that’s when I try and integrate the new machine into my existing studio.

I feel you on this topic. I went back to working on my Akai Mpc Live2 and Akai Force by themselves so I can get the workflow more smoothly. I find it better this way. I’m starting to enjoy the workflow of making music now because I can focus on the one device and get the workflow tight. Thank you for this great video!

I struggled with this issue even when I was out of work. I’m learning now to only purchase a device not only based on reviews but a device that moves my workflow to another level and be content with working the process without worrying about the next great thing.

Just mood of the room for me, I love creating a space and lighting that puts me at ease. I make tea / light a candle often, rituals like that help me get into a more focused head space.

a bit off topic, but might I also add a productivity shoutout to the cards of random suggestions by Eno and Peter Schidt - Oblique Strategies? Here's one at random for a flavour: "Work at a different speed" here's the next one randomly: "The most important thing is the thing most easily forgotten"

This came at the perfect time. Thank you for all your videos!

I would love one of the new MPCs... But I've got an Electribe 2 Sampler, and honestly, I love that thing so much I'd marry it. I have spent so much time on this thing and learned so much from it, and now I'm starting to actually make the kind of beats I want to make. I really don't think I have the patience to learn another machine right now, so I'm sticking with what I've got.

This is so relatable. It starts off innocently enough and before you know it you’re spending more time learning how to use new music boxes rather than actually making music. Thank you for the honesty bro🙌🏻 Ps: if you want to get inspired AF and back in touch with your inner musician, check out Victor Wootens Ted Talk: Music as a Language. Peace!

I think your absolutely correct! Traditionally, musicians have spent a lifetime learning a single instrument well. As much as I love all the possibilities modern electronics provide, it's way too easy to become a "jack of all trades, master of none". I often have to convince myself that I should really learn to play the stuff I already have before I scratch that itch for something new.

Thanks man! Apreciate your videos !

I am with you friend. 20+ years collecting gear and lots of time spent with it, but constantly adding. This year I decided to just make more music and enjoy the process. Cheers!

Very informative and inspiring… I set up my semi-pro studio şast year and committed to spend time to learn the existing system for many years to come and adding veeery slowly and keeping the core system of doing things as same as possible.👏🏻👋🏼

you are note alone for sure - we are many...really many! ;-) unboxing and exploring new gear seems more exciting to people and gets much more attention than making music or the finished music itself. for example red means recording got wonderful music on his channel back in the days with amazing videos but almost no views...but every synthexploring-vid got thousands and thousands views. weird world...

Love the Hallowe'en studio setup 👍 I am very guilty of everything you said. I change out my setup too often and have recently learned to just pick some gear and keep jamming with it for a good while.

I don't buy a ton of gear, but after a few sessions of making simple tracks, I find I tend to start making my projects way too complicated. It's tanked more than a couple of tunes for me. The thing I've found that helps is to do something experimental and throwaway at the start of a session. It gets the urge to tinker out of my system, and I feel like it lowers the stakes a bit, too.

I'm thinking of changing around my gear. I am concerned about it but this vid made me feel not so alone. Thank you. I'm using an MPC1000, Roland JV-1080, and Korg MS2000R, with a little Meris Reverb on top. I feel stoked on my setup but I couldnt even imagine yours!

This may be a short video, but, its packed with wisdom/experience... and that is what counts. I appreciate this kind of conversation a lot. As Im learning about my motivation and how to focus more on creation, Im seem to be driven by a sound I like and wanting to take that sound and do more with it in a track. The problem is I need more skills and experience how to take a sound and build it into something. Its very easy to pursue an instrument that makes a sound I like vs figuring out what I need to learn turn that sound into something I also enjoy. It can easily get overwhelming if I focus too far ahead and try to understand frequencies, edits, mixing, buses, etc. To be honest, Im not sure what the next step is after I find a sound I enjoy. Tempo, time signature, how I play it, key, etc...and then what to do to find the next sound? All tbd and a pursuit I will figure out, or at least I hope.

Thanks for the advice. Huge help.

Thank you for sharing it . I do have the impression to have sometimes too much but then … collecting after 30 years it seems fine to have more than 3 gears . Since I add a patchbay ( about 3 weeks ago and thanks again for your video ) I feel kind of “ free “ and such a great deal to have in the studio 🙌▶️

I agree with knowing your Gear, it is so- difficult in the world of electronic instruments as there is so much. Unlike a trumpet, you go get a new one it’s plays the same - it’s a trumpet. You buy a new synth and the learning curve starts all over. And if it’s euro rack- forget it. Thanks for the honesty

Tank You So Much for this, there's so much gems in this video. I really needed this. Tank you Ricky

hot swap section👌 brilliant. Funny how the terminology from the Ableton workflow is actually so good, it becomes a clarity of the creative thought process

Like everyone , I struggle with this issue - I think it very much keys into the psychology and magic of the systems inspired musician. I say, system because, unlike a violinist, pianist or harpist, a lot of our musicianship also comes from our system design be it FX chain, particular paring of devices, or modular / max patching. A solution that works for me is to give yourself some experimental days, then build a setup around the ‘best’ result - and then make an albums with of stuff over a dedicated set of creative days, using that setup and stick everything else back in the draw/box. Sounds nuts I know - but whatever works for you right? It is crucial to finish the process otherwise you never get to properly reflect and begin again - like a nature cycle - Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. Thanks for the vids Ricky - always enjoy them. ✌️

Yo Ricky, I feel you on this video. I suffer from a lot of the same feelings and desires to want to add in new stuff constantly, as if the stuff is what makes the music. It is our lifetime of knowledge, analytical listening, mentorship, etc. I recently sold off 80% of my studio and kept a prophet 10, rytm mk2, mpc live 2 and my guitars / bass. Acoustic drums too. That being said, gear lusting and buying has caused me huge financial pain. It’s not entirely the instrument that makes music great. As a lifetime drummer, I can play a class act kids drum set and make it sound dope. I believe as a fairly new synthesist that the same concepts apply. The music will only get better with time in. Making music with mistakes is something I’ve learned to enjoy anyways. Being human is a beautiful thing!

What really helps me is not tracking out things and just going in for entertainment and exploration. I find if I sample and arrange on my mpc I get really restricted.

Just before bed I listened to some music I was working on, on my field recorder, and I stumbled upon a little idea I had jammed out and recorded months ago using only the Mininova and the RC-202 loop station, the two oldest pieces of gear I own. That shit was dope. Couldn't believe that was actually me!

It's really great advice to try to achieve what you think a new piece of gear would give you with something you already owned. Since buying my MPC One, I honestly don't "GAS" (verb form) nearly as often anymore since the MPC can basically do everything I want. I'd still love a synth that gives me more unique sounds, but I love the all-in-one box workflow which means I can be more portable. The stuff I still do look for is something more portable for quicker jamming while in bed or on the bus etc. The MPC One isn't really suitable for that. The problem is that all the portable hardware seem so crippled in different ways. Like the Pocket Operators (which seem like a nightmare to program a sequence on, making it only marginally easier than doing it on a mobile app), the SP-404 mk2 (which can't even record m simple notes chromatically into the sequencer, and also isn't very portable), the OP-Z or OP-1 (which just seem ridiculously expensive for what they are). Maybe a Pocket Operator is the closest thing really. 🤔🙈 I can really relate to the urge to save a few cents on groceries while justifying spending a couple of months' worth of food for the entire family for a new piece of hardware. I guess it'd about what you value in the end.

Ricky, I just want to say thanks for two reasons. 1: My studio reorganisation has been a disaster and now I can see it. I either have to go backwards or spend a lot more. 2: You have given me, I think, the defining moment in my channel, and a new approach. Again, thanks.

Excellent subject. I have had the same experience. For me it comes down to putting in the work making tunes and fixing any issues that get in the way while doing so until it's all fluid. The more gear you have, the more time you will spend on troubleshooting. I should just be using the computer. Hardware is so nice though...I had decided to NOT go down the Eurorack hole, and then I was given a small system as a gift by a friend who owed me money 20 years ago! Now my productivity is in ruins. :P

Man, regardless if people believe or not, to me God exists and talked to me through you, I was about to pull the trigger on something but Your final words “whatever your are thinking in buying wait for a week” made me realize that there is no problem to begin with. God bless you man!

Good talk Ricky. Thanks for that.

It's a must in the life of a modern musician, I think, you have to go through this step of wanting equipment, testing things, to then be able to do without it better and focus on the essentials... I am a musician (guitarist) and I have acquired this reflection for years and I think it has built I like simplicity

LOL.. You said it " Got a little too crispy and lost the flavor" so true. Thank You Ricky. i truly learn allot from your videos. i Dj and i want to start incorporating drum machines, synths to my set-up. i still have no real Direction as to what to do with it but the idea is there. i just purchased a Drum machine and already thinking of Getting another one for what i don't really know WHY. Thanks to this video i have to Chill for a min and learn to use what i got first. once again Thanks.

great video Ricky so relatable thank you!

You are one of the top tier Synthesizer Philosopher Kings of today! You inspire, entertain, and educate. That's a lot on anyone's plate. Keep up the intellectual reviews and insights, lad!

I’ve been keeping things simple by making music only with what will fit on my kitchen table lol. My wife will tolerate pretty much only two things on the table at once so it’s usually an Octatrack/Digitone or Digitone/404 combo. I have a TON of other gear but it becomes paralyzing when you get into the studio and you look over at a myriad of synths, samplers, modular, pedals, etc. and you can never really even get started because you end up fucking around for two hours and suddenly you realize you haven’t even laid down any kicks or even a usable synth drone. God bless my kitchen table and god bless my wife for not standing for my bullshit. It’s made making music so much easier.

your studio is a major vibe

Thank you for this great Inspiration