So there is a cure for that?Guynextdoor wrote:...Unlike other musicians I don't suffer from GAS.
GAS is a lot easier to resist when it comes to hardware. Software is another story, but I am so loaded up with software fx, synths and sample libraries now that even when the GAS kicks in, I have trouble finding anything I want. But hardware is naturally self-limiting due to cost, so any purchases I make have to be well-researched and fill a genuine need. 8 years ago, I had long given up live performance and was totally committed to recording, so hardware purchases weren't pressing.
Then life took a turn that I didn't see coming. Two life-changing things happened...
First, my wife of 40 years passed away suddenly. Sitting alone in my garage studio, not speaking to humans for days at a time, I suddenly felt less like a creator woodshedding and more like a cranky old hermit in the making. This, I decided, was not going anyplace good, so I answered a Craigslist ad and joined a band - just to get out of the house and interact with people again. That meant buying a second keyboard for organ, new amplification, even a new van. Playing in a band again was rejuvenating, and probably saved me from medication. Life was looking up.
And then I got robbed. Somebody broke in and absconded with literally everything: my DAW (including my external backup drive with 12 years' worth of projects), keyboards, amps, microphones, guitars, even my beloved ADAM monitors. Insurance covered only about 60% of the replacement cost, but fortunately I had some savings - one benefit of being an antisocial hermit is it's a cheap lifestyle. I took this as an opportunity to upgrade. The crappy Roland keyboard amps went away, replaced by QSCs. The Yamaha MO8 and Hammond XK-1 were replaced by the Kronos.
Actually there was a third unexpected development: the band started to get pretty good. Not making much money, but that didn't matter. We were getting tight, expanding the song list, paying attention to details. This surprising turn allowed myself permission to upgrade some more, starting with the NS3, a spiffy new keyboard stand, and some tasteless Hawaiian shirts to wear on stage.
Sorry if all that was TMI, but that's how I got here. Thanks again for everyone's comments.
