We’ve all either got “that friend”, or are guilty ourselves of feeling the need to treat ourselves to something new to inspire us.
Occasionally a new toy can break a writing drought or actually solve a problem that is stifling efficiency or creativity. However in about 95% of cases I come across, people are convincing themselves that they would be following in the footsteps of Mozart if only they had…
Just a trip to eBay, local “Buy, Sell, Swap” Facebook groups and Bargain Pages reveals this isn’t just a music/ production problem. Rowing Machines, Kettlebell sets, Sewing Machines and a whole myriad of barely used, but expensive (when new) equipment are there for the taking at ridiculously low prices.
I equate this to my old hobby of Golf. Magazines have had front cover headlines of “We Can Cure Your Slice” for at least the 40 years I know about, with new club designs and various straps that lock your arms together, promising immediate solutions. But why are people still slicing the ball, and why do these teaching aids and new clubs sit gathering dust in the attic?
(For you golfers, slicing happens because the clubhead is approaching the ball from an out to in trajectory with an open face.) The real cure is understanding that you have to change the trajectory of the swing and the angle of the clubface to approach the ball from the inside and square it off at impact, then turning that knowledge into practice.
That wasn’t so hard was it?
On the face of it it’s incredibly difficult to learn to do things well, however it is actually just practicing the correct techniques and constantly reevaluating until you are getting to the place you want to be. Reacting to feedback is how we go from crawling to walking. We fall over, it hurts, we modify our technique and eventually the cycle results in balance and forward motion.
New Workflow - New Gear?
The current Pandemic has left a lot of people shocked and helpless wondering what will become of the music industry (amongst others), but it hasn’t stopped the global Gear Acquisition Syndrome from firing into overdrive. Webcams, HDMI Capture Cards, Audio Interfaces, Instruments, New Computers - the list goes on.
Dealers are reporting record sales months, but the reality is that only the smallest percentage of purchases are actually going into productive homes. The rest will be on eBay (or more likely in a closet) within weeks because they didn’t turn the owner in Spielberg or McCartney.
I had mild panic at the start of lockdown and wondered how I could possibly do my Masterclasses, collaborations and Mix work without spending on a bunch of (price hiked due to demand) new equipment.
Turns out, however, that with judicious use of a couple of resources that I now had in spades (time and en- ergy) I was able to research ways of bringing new life and purpose to things I had long consigned to storage.
Recycle, Repurpose
I turned my box room into a second studio with my old Apollos, a mac Mini that had been retired from my old HDX/Chassis system, old iPhone as a webcam, some free software, old LED lights and a lot of effort and learning. I did masterclasses to virtual rooms with more interactivity than if I’d been in a studio with a bunch of people sat looking at my back, and the bonus was I didn’t need to spend a penny to make it happen - I collaborated with knowledgeable people, took their advice, reinforced that with hours of google and YouTube research, and got on with the process of putting it into practice. In Facebook speak I felt “produc- tive and accomplished”
However, for many weeks, I sat on Zoom calls watching sad and desperate faces complaining that they couldn’t get anything done as they had no income, couldn’t find a way of collaborating because they didn’t have the right tech, and wanting people to give them solutions which many of them didn’t want to implement because they didn’t want to invest the time in learning new skills.
Many wanted reassurance that everyone was in the same boat and eventually things would get back to normal, or just wanted to know what they could buy to catapult them into productivity again. In short they were looking for validation. This is not a slight on them but it did highlight one problem that the peer pressure of their normal worlds was making them feel inadequate that they don’t have the newest Mac Pro and 4K camera setup.
This is endemic and, the more I experience the excuse making of some very talented procrastinators, the more I feel that it’s time to re-educate ourselves to understand that it’s (still) not about the gear, but it’s about the application of knowledge and skill.
Nothing in life comes very easily, but it doesn’t have to be hard either.
I’ve lost count of the number of times a particular friend has asked me if they should buy something (Note - they’ve always already decided they’re getting it, but just want me to validate the decision) only to find out that months to years later they still haven’t produced a note of music, and more frustratingly bought new computers, changed software and gone round the youtube/google world researching themselves into the mistaken belief that they “just haven’t had the right setup” - UNTIL NOW!!!
This happens again, and again, and then more years pass until I’m called upon again to reinforce their decision making process, and get dragged into installing OS upgrades and new software which “this time is going to change my world”.
The bad news for them is that no amount of gear will make up for the fact that they aren’t prepared to put the time and effort into learning (sometimes extremely slowly - and that is perfectly OK) the systems they have.
You Can’t Buy Practice
I didn’t step in front of a console and tape machine and make records the first time I went into a studio - I had to learn a whole bunch of techniques and mind sets, making mistakes and learning from them, until the habits (hopefully good) were formed and set me on a path that has continued to today.
Mastering, or even just becoming competent at, any skill takes time. We will have setbacks, we will find frustrations and look for an easy path, but that just distracts us from the actual requirement for learning - a de- sire and thirst for becoming better at something.
When you look at your current system vs the “Wish List” (which generally results from peer pressure to not appear behind the times) why not research how many amazing records were made using just the exact setup you own. I’m not going to quote Sgt Pepper and how many tracks it was done on (wait I just did), but the point is that you have the tools you already need.
Another friend had no gear at home before lockdown but had an opportunity to audition virtually for a project. He had already gained 70,000 Subscribers on YouTube performing songs to his Phone camera. He bought a cheap Interface/Mic/Headphone package with an included copy of Ableton Lite, borrowed his brother’s laptop and secured the gig. He is working with an extremely talented producer and label owner and their new project’s single is going out next week. He spent 300 quid but he had the important ingredients of motivation, need and drive - other friends have (literally) racked up thousands over the years for no apparent progress.
Old Gear Doesn’t Have To Be Vintage To Be Useful
So .... what is the solution? Why not give yourself a project to do? Find a favourite song that’s already been written (so you don’t need to worry about the creative/compositional aspect) and record and mix a version using your ‘old and out of date’ system. Shoot a short piece on your phone or last year’s DSLR, concentrate on framing and exposure and edit it on your 2015 MacBook Pro or iPad. Dust off the acoustic guitar and practice riffs and scales whilst watching the morning news and work towards buying that new guitar as a reward.
It’s amazing when you realise how much you can do when you put your mind to it and stop putting barriers in front of you. Be honest with yourself, but also give yourself a break - if you aren’t in the mood you shouldn’t force yourself (but don’t let that in itself become a habit).This is meant to be enjoyable!!
Who knows, you may actually start having fun! Another thing you’ll realise is that that you are way ahead of the game compared to the person who just spent $15,000 on a new Mac Pro which won’t work fully with the latest OS (and by the time it does, the newest OS will hit the ground and the cycle will begin again) and is staring down more months/years of strife and instability with OS and Application developers unable to achieve parity in providing systems that work as reliably as DAWs we had 20 years ago.
So dust off those toys in the attic and start using them to do what you bought them for in the first place. Become virtuoso on the system you already own and you’ll not only save thousands, but you’ll gain amazing satisfaction in learning skills and creating wonderful work.