I know we all joke about Rapid Gear Acquisition Syndrome but I think I am at the point where it’s time to acknowledge the problem and begin on a path to recovery.
A year ago I had made the decision to get back into mixing after a 10+ year break. At this point all I had left from the good old days was a few boxes of records and a pair of Stanton AL-500 carts that for some reason I didn’t sell with the 1210s. I am not going to bore you with the pain in my heart that still exists since I sold them, except to say it’s there everyday (no joke). To put this all into perspective, a year ago I had never heard of DjTechTools.
I picked up the S4 in January and a new laptop to replace the one my son destroyed by slam dunking the screen shut on it.I picked up a 24” monitor screen that does double duty on Traktor and a bunch of graphics/productivity apps I use for work. Then I added turntables followed by a MF Classic and Vestax Pad-One. I sold the classic and got the MF Pro. I switched from Vestax PDX2000s to Numark TTX1s, upgraded to Shure M447s. I got new desks from the good old Ikea in Pittsburgh and also picked up a new USB hub. More recently I added KRK Rockit 5s, got the DJTT knobs for the S4, and upgraded the S4’s crossfader to the superb innofader (btw - any fools that want to question that upgrade can haul their arses to Cleveland and use it for 5 minutes - you will all walk away trying to order one on your phone). My Bose Quiet Comfort 2s died a month ago (after 5 years of solid service it has to be said) and today were replaced with a pair of HD25s. BTW #2 - The HD25s not only sound a lot better than the Bose (surprise surprise) but also block out more ambient noise that Bose’s patented thingimygigger.
When the HD25s arrived today I was certainly excited to try them out but I started to feel a little embarrassed about all the gear that I have acquired since January. I haven't added up all the $$$ spent and frankly, I don’’t want to. I have rationalized it as being someone who has worked hard and has a job that pays well enough that I can support my family and pay for this stuff but I think 2012 has to be the next phase. I think 2012 has to be much more about playing and creating than tweaking, troubleshooting and configuring. I haven't figured out if this means playing out, doing more mixes (like the world needs another “Hey check out my new mix”) doing stuff on Ustream or something else. Whatever it is, I want to bring more playing into the equation next year.
I am not sure why I am sharing this but I though I would anyway. Anyone else feel like this? and what are your plans to better your musical artistry next year?
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