Some Thoughts About G.A.S.

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2001 8:45 am

Okay let's admit it. Stand up and say my name is <blank> and I have G.A.S.! I don't mean the burrito kind I mean Gear Aquisition Syndrome. You own a,b,c (i.e. Mackie, Shure 57s, AT 4050, ADAT etc. ) and feel you really need x,y,z (API, Nuemann, Neve etc) for your stuff to sound good. Before you refinance your house, max your Visa or lose your significant other think....Can I afford this at all?What am I trying to do with this gear?
(make tapes of yourself, pre production for your own tunes, basic demos for local bands, cut Celine Dion's next CD) Am I a professional (getting paid), if so are my clients asking for this and will the return be worth the investment?Am I getting everything I can out of the gear I own now?
A good engineer can make a decent recording with a bunch of 57s and a Peavey mixer, given a Neve 9098 and some Neumanns and it just gets better.
It's too easy to think that a Neve pre will make all the difference. Good tracking and mixing chops will go farther. If you hit the ceiling with what you currently own then look to the gear answers before you're in deep debt and selling your new gear for half the original price to pay the rent.
Just a couple of my pennies
Your thoughts?

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2001 10:24 am

NO!NO!NO! i HAVE to buy new gear now...i'm just finishing my new ROOM...it HAS to have new gear.... Surprised

:s: <img src="graemlins/retard.gif" border="0" alt="[retard]" />

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2001 11:48 am

I think it's important to distinguish between Reactive G.A.S. and Compulsive G.A.S. The former is a legitimate and probably unavoidable phenomenon, while the latter is definitely pathological.Reactive G.A.S. is when, in the course of your work, you realize that there's a gap in your toolkit, a sound that you can't get with what you've got. For instance, I've been using a Shure KSM32 for my #1 vocal mic the past year or so, and lately I've decided I need something with a bigger, more solid low end and a brighter upper midrange--maybe a TLM103.Compulsive G.A.S. is when you open the latest Guitar Center flyer and froth at the mouth: "TLM103s for $699? I've GOT to have one!" Then there's the hybrid version, Reactive-Compulsive G.A.S. This is when you hear a piece of gear in action in someone else's rig, or in a shootout, and fall in love with it. You may or may not have been dissatisfied with the equivalent tools in your own arsenal; that's irrelevant. You're infatuated, and you must buy. Lynn Fuston's preamp and microphone shootout CD's have induced particularly virulent cases of R-C G.A.S. in this observer.Well, gotta go home and see if any new catalogs are on the doorstep....pant pant...Brian

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2001 7:26 pm

I dunno, it's easy to justify dynamic mics under $150 (or better, under $100) off of ebay, as the cost isn't so bad, it does increase options and flexibility, they generally won't depreciate, and you know that slovakian harmonica mic will be perfect on some voice sometime . . . Of course I'm in trouble if my woman catches me browsing ebay. Rolling Eyes

Oh well. I am settling in to just wanting a few nice, flexible pieces of gear instead of one of everything Fletcher carries (sorry Fletcher, I have to help you with your Harley Acquisition Syndrome). Then again if I were a full service studio, I wouldn't have the luxury of austerity.Bear

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2001 1:52 am

ah, reactive vs. compulsive, I like that Very Happy

here's a couple of tips from a fellow sufferer -1. The WAIT ONE WEEK trick. During that week, do intensive research on that object of desire. Nine times out of ten the research will lead me to conclude I don't really want THAT ONE, I want THIS ONE... in which case, the clock starts again. And in the course of reading and pushing buttons and turning dials, I usually learn something.2. The DORSEY test - as part of your research, make yourself read about two hours worth of posts from Scott Dorsey on rec.audio.pro. The gear in question doesn't really matter - Mr. Dorsey's laser wit makes folks THINK HARD about what they're trying to achieve with it. The only side effect is a tendency to develop an irrational awe of Nagra tape recorders.If the gear survives those two tests, it's not G.A.S, it's Fate.(the new Lucid AD9624 sounds great, Fletcher!) :c:

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2001 6:34 am

The sight of an empty 2U rack space brings tears to my eyes. Surely there must be a cure?Top line gear pimps should sell rack panels with pots attached, made to look like HEDD products or Neve pres ... a quick, easy and cheap fix.

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2001 6:55 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>1. The WAIT ONE WEEK trick. <hr></blockquote>A similar tactic is to post a question about the gear you're salivating over to the Net forum of your choice. Inevitably, the responses will be mixed and will complicate your view of the item in question. As you sort through the conflicting opinions, your enthusiasm will cool enough to allow for rational thought, and you will realize that you can afford a B.L.U.E. Kiwi *or* a divorce lawyer, but not both.

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2001 2:11 pm

I've been hiring in gear and keeping a mental tally of how much it costs. I figure when I'm either halfway into the cost of buying the unit or the client starts complaining about the cost of rentals, its time to buy.

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2001 9:21 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Rog:
The sight of an empty 2U rack space brings tears to my eyes. Surely there must be a cure?<hr></blockquote>Yup...

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