Great video! It's so true. I fell into the same trap as a BeatSmith and a photographer. You realize after a while that you develop your style no matter the gear. It's all marketing designed to take advantage of our G.A.S.
This is a sentiment I've been on for 15 years since I published the "minimalism in production" blog post. Much of the gear consumerism is driven by Instagram, Tik Tok, RUclips and other "content" that is visually driven. I think most people wouldn't own much of their gear they own if they didn't have an outlet to share the visual aspect of owning said gear. Minimalism forces creative thinking. Thanks for sharing this video!
@@TheCratesMotel Also appreciate the sentiment regarding Akai, also something I find annoying about the DAWifcation of the MPC's. Wish they would just perfect what they have vs. cram in more features into the software.
I still have the same gear since the 1997-2002 period. The only latest addition is the S2400 and I only want to buy the OB-X8 & OB-6! You can create miracles with your old gear, it is the music someone can create! Thanks for the video!!
Great video. Spot on. My personal guideline is to only buy something new if my current gear is completely incapable of producing a particular sound I need. I have "one" of each type of gear I need, all the bases covered, and I'm never overwhelmed with options. Thanks for the insightful video.
Brilliant. At last, honest refreshing and useful advice. I totally agree. I rarely buy new gear. Always look for good used kit for broadcast, audio, video production and buy gear for life, buy once from top brands and use it to its full potential and master it. A lot of new gear advice on line I have found to be incomplete, questionable or misleading for a number of reasons.
@@jpdeclaiterosse I think it’s because they send out the new gear to content creators who then review it without actually really knowing how to use it lol
I purchased almost all the plugins that every famous mixer uses... needless to say that due to lack of time I never used them much or learned them well... let alone my mixes sound like theirs even though I used the same plugins as them... they are there after a while I came to understand that the difference is made by me and not by the plugin... I set out to use only the hardware synths I have (bass station 2, mpc live 2, hydrasynt) and make a selection of plugins to learn Well
Great video man. I definitely fell into this when I first started making beats. It’s not that I thought I would be the best ever if I had a certain plug-in or piece of equipment, I thought I had to have all this stuff to be able to do it. It’s literally not the case at all which I have learnt. I do feel that a lot of producers who make you tube videos to are almost predatory with the way they shill plugins and gear. It’s like they know people starting out have that mindset so they see that as an opportunity to make some money.
Excellent vid! I fell for this HARD about 10 years ago. Had a terrible eBay habit, too much gear vintage samplers, analog synths, and was also making far less music ironically. My current setup is MPC Live MIDI keyboard, Logic and a Roland Integra 7 rack.
You know Conan ive been on the fence about buying the RNC 1773 compressor. Im glad you put this video out, ive fallen into the trap numerous times of buying gear that in hindsight i didnt really need. I did buy the mpcx se and sold my live 2 im happy that i have the x, the additional q links and dedicated buttons really speeds up the workflow 😎
🤔 I just picked up an MPC ONE+. I have to say, I love it! And, I must agree with Conan. If I can't get it done with this piece... I probably can't get it done. Consider: the power of a unit like this, to George Martin on 4 tracks: Sgt. Pepper. Think about it. It's all in the creativity of the producer. Not in a mountain of gear. PS - Hey Conan, how about a list of ur 20 plugins that you use daily? Or do you have a clip about that already? Thanks!
yes! I really needed the blofeld vsti! I need that easy way to get content onto the bofeld! too expensive though, damn. I can’t believe i paid that much for a librarian. I mean the software synth is cool, having renoise all blofelded out will, indeed be cool. but the real point is the librarian because the real thing will be recording the boleld into the MPC so yah it’s a librarian. Damn expensive one. I hate myself.
Good advice. I purchased almost all the mpc plugins but because of the ram limitations i can only use a few. Your advice about limitations increases creativity is excellent. Thanks
Yeah I’ve been suffering from GAS for the past three years. Bought a Akai Force, SP404mk2 & a Live ll. I’d been using the MPC1000 for years & was looking to upgrade my sound a bit and switch up the visuals/workflow but I really just could’ve stopped at the Force smh
Haha, I don’t think I have ever done this. My reasoning for buying something has always been based on features that will enable me to do something I couldn’t do before, provide a certain sound or character I like, or enable me to work more efficiently.
@ As an example, I got an MPC60 back in 1991. At the time the only person I knew of who used one was Teddy Riley, and I hated new jack swing! Yet this was an Akai sampler with a sequencer and smpte (which had 30 drop frame) for syncing to my 4 track without drop outs. And when I found one second hand for 40% of its retail price, it was a no brainer. My next sampler after that was a Kurzweil K2000, which nobody I knew of used! Although with 16mb, which was huge at the time, I figured I could use it for vocals, instead of recording to 4 track. As well as it being a killer synth.
Really hit the bullseye with this one. I haven't really fallen into this with plugins because I've never really enjoyed using software in general and have always defaulted to stock plugins, about 90%+ of the time. Hardware has been the thing that trapped me in this loop. The amount of time I spent buying and returning stuff, trying to find the perfect hardware, between 2022 and 2023 is embarrassing in comparison to the amount of compositions and tunes I finished haha. I have been seeing this sentiment, to be more focused on the music and less on constant obsession with gear, echoed more and more recently and I think that's a good thing. I've just got to stick to this philosophy!
I have an MPC one plus and I bought almost all the plugins with instruments because I produce from scratch. It was worth it because I bought them for a fraction of the price when Akia had a sale
I like having options, own old and new mpcs and many samplers. I own MpC live for when I’m traveling, the key 61 in the studio. Rack samplers for low bit rate sampling, etc. I do enjoy making a beat on the new mpc then doing same beat on an old one like the 2500 for comparison purposes and I end up liking em both. They are both fun to use, I tend lately to enjoy the old MPCs much more, forces you to commit. Limited and easy, while new ones I end up trying to tweak the sound more with plugins but it’s not necessary sometimes just go down a rabbit hole. In the end the old ones benefit from the new as I can use new ones as an external outboard device or do the chopping of samples there.
Dear @Conan thanks for putting it together this good. Kindly, would you mind to share your Top10-20 Plugins list? Fully based on YOUR opinion. I'd be very interested and really appreciate it if you would share this with the Crates Motel Community ❤
@@TheCratesMotel I really appreciate that and am all the more pleased if you can make it happen as soon as it fits well with you. Thanks a 1000 in advance ❤️
I just want new pads for my old MPC One at this point. I didn’t get too deep into buying gear but realized early I don’t need too many things to make what I want to make. Thanks for sharing this message, some people really need to hear it
Yea I'm pretty broke these days sooo.. 😅, I barely have time to learn the gear I already have, the last piece of gear I bought was the space echo pedal for my synths, but yeah I moved from FL to the MPC and I traded a synth for an Akai force, both of which I still need to learn. But I like the outcome a little more on the MPC1. The last thing I bought though was 3 plug ins for the MPC1, 2 of them also worked on the Force. I agree 💯 though 👍. Peace!
I just got back into music production and did my research and kept it cheap. Instead of the mpc se I got the regular x. A good mix board m1 Mac maschine and some good monitors. I’m done. Just need a mic.
@@joefire4265 Yeh man, you have a you need right there. Really though, my point wasn’t to say don’t buy gear, it was more to say think about it first. You’ve done your research. That’s exactly what I was trying to say. Good work.
Strangely? enough I have the opposite of GAS. Love making simple? hip hip on 'One' machine. Occasionally pull out my old 1000. A reason I love your videos, so focused on the finer points of a single box) and lol...still rock with an ancient Beseler 23C, a Calumet 4×5, and a beat up old Nikon F series...big up Conan.
Man i have had the original Mpc Live but still wanted the Mpc 2 then the Mpc Key 37 but have held out. Definitely got a few plug ins in my time and some are dope but others I have barely used or scratched their potential. I just enjoy the creative process and keep on learning every track I make. Better to master what you have than be an "All The Gear But No Idea!" type.
This is so true. I’m fairly new to making music, got hooked into this ‘dawless jamming’ trend and started buying up bits of equipment, thankfully the MPC got my attention fairly quickly, since buying it I’ve realised that’s all I need. Far from a black belt, but I’m working on it. Cheers
Conan Manchester Nope. I have at the moment the MPC One as DAW, the Waldorf Iridium the ASM Hydrasynth as my mainsynth for everything, the Korg EMX-1, Cyclone Bassbot TT-303 and the Behringer TD3-MO and thats enought. My focus was always to be dawless and efficient and creative gear that I can do alot with it. And also alot of possibilities for experimentation etc. I am fineshed with my setup.
A can not put more than one like 👍🏻 on this video. I want to put like 1000 tongues up for you my man! Thank you so much for what you do and what you say! Thank you very very much! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
I learned this when I saw producers rave about Schwabe goldclip. I am very sensitive to Gas and make impulsive purchases because of ADD. I got the demo of Goldclip and used it on one of my tracks. I made 4 versions of the track, used goldclip on 2 of the versions and listened to them blindly in the car. Afterwords I checked which versions I liked. The Goldclip versions were not it. Saved me 250 euros.
The old less is more comes in here. Work with less and get more out of it. It used to be with physical equipment it made a difference. With digital totally not the case. Great advice.
The only thing on fyah will be your bank account! All jokes aside, people buy/want new gear because of that boost of inspiration you get when working with a new piece of equipment. I personally have a one piece of gear in, one piece out policy. If I want to buy something new, something of equal value has to go. Keeps me grounded and the wifey happy!
Soooo... Do I buy the Waves sampler tool that will help me manage my existing software library? Half joking, but even mostly using free tools, my biggest hitch is getting to the good stuff that I already have
I have definitely done this over and over. I recently realized that the MPC X SE and Logic Pro are for me, more than I’ll ever need. I just sold about $3k worth of gear and I’ve got another $3k or so I need to decide what to do with. The key piece people should take away from what you said is being a black belt with one thing or a few things rather than a white belt in using hundreds of boards and plugins. The MPC X SE is so much more than I even need. Logic Pro is the same. The last piece of gear I’m stuck on is the S2400. It’s gonna be hard to sell that. But I’ve unloaded a dozen drum machines and synths already and am about to let go of just as many more. I’m grateful I didn’t buy too many plugins and it was hardware instead. Prices are down but at least I’m recouping most of my money now. Even though selling is a PIA
I think we all have fallen into that trap, for sure. The music is inside you.... all the time, these tools can assist at times, but never make or break the music. Going into debt for it is like adding insult to injury. The ERic Clapton story was great !! At 15 years old, I went to a concert at Madison Square Garden here in NYC, I looked around at 20K people and said to myself.... At least 1/2 these guys play guitar. What are the odds of making it in that business?? Kept playing and then eventually went to piano but that lesson has kept me sober for the following 50 years. Made some mistakes for sure with gear but now... all that is gone. Great Advice Conan. Well Done.
Once you get to a certain skill level gear does matter. Analog gear will always sound better than digital gear and that’s just a fact of life. True you should become proficient with the gear you have but if you want to get to that next level of polish you are going to need a good outboard/hybrid set up. Even adding some fairly cheap guitar pedals and 500 series racks to your setup can make your mixing sound really good and make your music stand out from intermediate producers who don’t use any outboard gear.
We’re forever doing this. I do it far too often. I love my Force, it does more than I could ever imagine and use. But I’ve just got a Digitone 2 because ‘it works differently to what I normally use, I know the Elektron sequencer well, it’ll make me work differently’. It hasn’t. I probably won’t be keeping it. I can achieve similar on the Force and chuck in my breaks on top of electronic beats as well. I don’t think we’ll ever learn Conan. GAS is real and us humans love dopamine.
Well said, I agree. I had to cut myself off like a bartender 😅 I feel like I have a good core workflow of gear that is versatile and helps me get things done. FYI I'm a black belt in martial arts so I loved that analogy 😂
Hit records have been made in Logic Pro alone with stock plugins. I no longer buy the latest and greatest. At the end of the day a hit song is a hit song. But owning a MPC has made a difference. Its a preferred workflow thing.
@@TheCratesMotel tbf I only have a few bits as I only got started during lockdown as a hobby,I'd never get in debt and I only spend what I can afford,I've been wanting a piece of elektron gear for ages tho so I finally treated myself,I don't think I need anything else now but never say never eh lol
I have an Mpc one which I brought 2nd hand about 3 years ago ....I've knocked out about 70 tracks which I feel like are gradually getting better. I've hardly scratched the surface of what my Mpc one can do....I wouldn't think of upgrading until I know and have exhausted every single thing my Mpc can do , and only then ...when I hit that brick wall, will I start looking to upgrade
The MPC X is the last piece of gear I’ve bought which was two years ago. I’d be lying if I said I needed any more new gear. I wouldn’t mind having a hardware compressor and EQ to use with my Tascam DP-24 but it’s not truly necessary.
@@TheCratesMotel I agree with your thoughts on this topic man. Hey I have an off topic question. What are your thoughts on committing a sound “to tape” so to speak? Like have / would you ever EQ’d or compressed anything on the way in? Sometimes with my Tascam I have to do that because of its limitations. I don’t mind personally but I wondered what a professional thinks about it!
Preach! If i gave myself £1 for everytime ive heard get *insert classic machine here* and youll get that *insert artist here* sound, id be a very rich man! We're told so many times that we need to buy these expensive vintage pieces to make hot beats, but the people who own them showing their machines off on RUclips (e.g SP1200s)? Theyre making weak 'renaissance man' bs. Their beats suck. I wouldnt listen to their stuff personally. Ive completely stopped now! The one thing im happy im invested in lately though is a P6 to keep me occupied on my commute. Staying creative on the commute keeps me sane!
lol. I think most of the commenters would really enjoy the r slash synthesizercirclejerk subreddit. The other smaller portion would cry. DUDE! We gotta perfect that aaaaammmbbbiiiieeeennnnccceee wind arp. My SquealLikeAPig v1.0 just doesn't make those rich analog squeals like the latest SquealLikeAPig mkII. MPC ubur alles.
I have a Gibson SG Angus Young Signature, I have a Les Paul AFD like Slash, I have a Valley Art Standart Pro Like Steve Lukather, I have a Stratocaster like Jimmy Hendrix, I have a Telecaster like Tom Morello and many others (Yeah I have a lot of guitars, i'm a luthier..) In theory I should be a guitar hero ! but ! wait ... No
Who wouldn't agree?!??!! - Funny story. I got my MPC One about 3 years ago and promised myself to not buy any plugins, instruments or sample packs until I really have used up the ones, that come with it. And I managed to keep my promise until the last sale, where I got the MiniMoog and Jupiter clones cheap. - But it's true, it is ridiculous to believe a tool would make you better, and it's true that we all fall for it …
Words of wisdom. It's not the DAW, VST, or instrument that make a song work. It's the person. Those who burn would burn with any tool you put in front of them.
Business is business….they are following algorithms…for us that know better, it can be overkill with the latest gear etc…all I do now is cut off the videos and companies and rhetoric of non professionals and hustlers. One MPC is good for me until it breaks lol…then I’m on the market for a new one. Master your one piece of equipment is my point. Buy a new one when it breaks lol 😂
I told myself that I wouldn’t buy anything else unless I make money off of the gear that I already bought. A lot of RUclips content creators job is to entice you to buy as much gear as you don’t need.
When you got the move out the box it already had everything you needed to mix and master,then they say oh you need a date to really dig in and master your tracks get this 😂
Thanks for sharing. GAS is real. Late stage capitalism is the whole world's affliction now... but in the end the masterpiece is in the painter, not the paintbrush.
Take your music to the next level, Level up your production game, make a hit record in 10 seconds. Look at all are payed shills they love this thing but after there payed video is done you will never see them use it again EVER. Look at all celebrities we are names dropping without there permission We don't know if they actually used are product but We will tell you they did because wht can you do to verify what We say you home producer in your bedroom in mums house? Success you bought are product, get ready for us to now bombard your email account with spam.
Buy the right tools once.... don't buy shite and expect the latest, greatest. So yea, just buy a few bits of quality kit... i.e. your tools. AND learn how to use them.
Probably the best Music Production Video anyone will watch this year… arguably 👍🏽
I’m not sure the audio companies will agree, but yeh, I’ll take that 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Great video! It's so true. I fell into the same trap as a BeatSmith and a photographer. You realize after a while that you develop your style no matter the gear. It's all marketing designed to take advantage of our G.A.S.
Exactly mate. GAS is the real deal!!
This is a sentiment I've been on for 15 years since I published the "minimalism in production" blog post. Much of the gear consumerism is driven by Instagram, Tik Tok, RUclips and other "content" that is visually driven. I think most people wouldn't own much of their gear they own if they didn't have an outlet to share the visual aspect of owning said gear. Minimalism forces creative thinking. Thanks for sharing this video!
Thank you for the comment mate.
@@TheCratesMotel Also appreciate the sentiment regarding Akai, also something I find annoying about the DAWifcation of the MPC's. Wish they would just perfect what they have vs. cram in more features into the software.
I totally agree with that
I still have the same gear since the 1997-2002 period. The only latest addition is the S2400 and I only want to buy the OB-X8 & OB-6! You can create miracles with your old gear, it is the music someone can create! Thanks for the video!!
@@Musical.Maze.1 Word!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Master what you already have.
The MPC Live has made me focus on learning the stock tools to get my sound.
That’s a good ethos
Yeah man, plenty in there to play with and get creative and then there is sampling on top of that of course.
Great video. Spot on. My personal guideline is to only buy something new if my current gear is completely incapable of producing a particular sound I need. I have "one" of each type of gear I need, all the bases covered, and I'm never overwhelmed with options. Thanks for the insightful video.
@@synthsoniq 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Brilliant. At last, honest refreshing and useful advice. I totally agree. I rarely buy new gear. Always look for good used kit for broadcast, audio, video production and buy gear for life, buy once from top brands and use it to its full potential and master it. A lot of new gear advice on line I have found to be incomplete, questionable or misleading for a number of reasons.
@@jpdeclaiterosse I think it’s because they send out the new gear to content creators who then review it without actually really knowing how to use it lol
I purchased almost all the plugins that every famous mixer uses... needless to say that due to lack of time I never used them much or learned them well... let alone my mixes sound like theirs even though I used the same plugins as them... they are there after a while I came to understand that the difference is made by me and not by the plugin... I set out to use only the hardware synths I have (bass station 2, mpc live 2, hydrasynt) and make a selection of plugins to learn Well
That's a good attitude mate. We have all done it. You got there in he end.
Great video man. I definitely fell into this when I first started making beats. It’s not that I thought I would be the best ever if I had a certain plug-in or piece of equipment, I thought I had to have all this stuff to be able to do it. It’s literally not the case at all which I have learnt.
I do feel that a lot of producers who make you tube videos to are almost predatory with the way they shill plugins and gear. It’s like they know people starting out have that mindset so they see that as an opportunity to make some money.
100% mate.
Excellent vid! I fell for this HARD about 10 years ago. Had a terrible eBay habit, too much gear vintage samplers, analog synths, and was also making far less music ironically. My current setup is MPC Live MIDI keyboard, Logic and a Roland Integra 7 rack.
@@UnpopularOpinion42 it’s all a journey. We get there in the end. Or we don’t lol
I appreciate you did this in one take. No editing. Stay safe.
@@krazywabbit wow thank you for noticing. Almost all of my videos are done in one take and nobody has ever noticed before lol. I appreciate that 🙏🏼
All you need is a decent computer, flstudio , and an interface. Whatever plugins or vsts you choose to use are up to you.
You know Conan ive been on the fence about buying the RNC 1773 compressor.
Im glad you put this video out, ive fallen into the trap numerous times of buying gear that in hindsight i didnt really need.
I did buy the mpcx se and sold my live 2 im happy that i have the x, the additional q links and dedicated buttons really speeds up the workflow 😎
@@sirsilver1968 we’ve all done it mate. I made the video from vast experience of doing that exact thing lol
Buy it the RNC 1773 well respected and cheap in price
🤔 I just picked up an MPC ONE+. I have to say, I love it!
And, I must agree with Conan. If I can't get it done with this piece... I probably can't get it done. Consider: the power of a unit like this, to George Martin on 4 tracks: Sgt. Pepper. Think about it. It's all in the creativity of the producer. Not in a mountain of gear.
PS - Hey Conan, how about a list of ur 20 plugins that you use daily? Or do you have a clip about that already? Thanks!
That’s actually a good shoot for a video.
yes! I really needed the blofeld vsti! I need that easy way to get content onto the bofeld! too expensive though, damn. I can’t believe i paid that much for a librarian. I mean the software synth is cool, having renoise all blofelded out will, indeed be cool. but the real point is the librarian because the real thing will be recording the boleld into the MPC so yah it’s a librarian. Damn expensive one. I hate myself.
@@theorize999 breathe! You’ll be ok lol
Good advice. I purchased almost all the mpc plugins but because of the ram limitations i can only use a few. Your advice about limitations increases creativity is excellent. Thanks
I bought an 808 mug last week and now I'm Mantronik
🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂 Mantronix The 1st🐐 GOAT of The 808 !!!
🤔putting your head down and working is the best money spent. great vid
You have reached enlightenment my friend.
Yeah I’ve been suffering from GAS for the past three years. Bought a Akai Force, SP404mk2 & a Live ll. I’d been using the MPC1000 for years & was looking to upgrade my sound a bit and switch up the visuals/workflow but I really just could’ve stopped at the Force smh
We’ve all been there mate.
Haha, I don’t think I have ever done this. My reasoning for buying something has always been based on features that will enable me to do something I couldn’t do before, provide a certain sound or character I like, or enable me to work more efficiently.
@@Lofyne That’s good mate. I wish I could say the same lol
@ As an example, I got an MPC60 back in 1991. At the time the only person I knew of who used one was Teddy Riley, and I hated new jack swing! Yet this was an Akai sampler with a sequencer and smpte (which had 30 drop frame) for syncing to my 4 track without drop outs. And when I found one second hand for 40% of its retail price, it was a no brainer.
My next sampler after that was a Kurzweil K2000, which nobody I knew of used! Although with 16mb, which was huge at the time, I figured I could use it for vocals, instead of recording to 4 track. As well as it being a killer synth.
Yeh man, all true. Thank you for saying it out loud.
@@BamStroker 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Really hit the bullseye with this one. I haven't really fallen into this with plugins because I've never really enjoyed using software in general and have always defaulted to stock plugins, about 90%+ of the time. Hardware has been the thing that trapped me in this loop.
The amount of time I spent buying and returning stuff, trying to find the perfect hardware, between 2022 and 2023 is embarrassing in comparison to the amount of compositions and tunes I finished haha. I have been seeing this sentiment, to be more focused on the music and less on constant obsession with gear, echoed more and more recently and I think that's a good thing. I've just got to stick to this philosophy!
@@remyvegamedia we’ve all been there mate
I have an MPC one plus and I bought almost all the plugins with instruments because I produce from scratch. It was worth it because I bought them for a fraction of the price when Akia had a sale
@@boomboombaby9140 That’s a good move mate. You had a purpose, you got a good price, win win.
I like having options, own old and new mpcs and many samplers. I own MpC live for when I’m traveling, the key 61 in the studio. Rack samplers for low bit rate sampling, etc. I do enjoy making a beat on the new mpc then doing same beat on an old one like the 2500 for comparison purposes and I end up liking em both. They are both fun to use, I tend lately to enjoy the old MPCs much more, forces you to commit. Limited and easy, while new ones I end up trying to tweak the sound more with plugins but it’s not necessary sometimes just go down a rabbit hole. In the end the old ones benefit from the new as I can use new ones as an external outboard device or do the chopping of samples there.
That’s cool though. It sounds as if you use all your gear. It all has purpose. That’s a good thing.
Dear @Conan thanks for putting it together this good. Kindly, would you mind to share your Top10-20 Plugins list? Fully based on YOUR opinion. I'd be very interested and really appreciate it if you would share this with the Crates Motel Community ❤
Hey mate, I have had quite a few requests for this, so I will probably make a video about it. Thank you
@@TheCratesMotel I really appreciate that and am all the more pleased if you can make it happen as soon as it fits well with you. Thanks a 1000 in advance ❤️
I just want new pads for my old MPC One at this point. I didn’t get too deep into buying gear but realized early I don’t need too many things to make what I want to make. Thanks for sharing this message, some people really need to hear it
Yea I'm pretty broke these days sooo.. 😅, I barely have time to learn the gear I already have, the last piece of gear I bought was the space echo pedal for my synths, but yeah I moved from FL to the MPC and I traded a synth for an Akai force, both of which I still need to learn. But I like the outcome a little more on the MPC1. The last thing I bought though was 3 plug ins for the MPC1, 2 of them also worked on the Force. I agree 💯 though 👍. Peace!
We’ve all done it mate
I just got back into music production and did my research and kept it cheap. Instead of the mpc se I got the regular x. A good mix board m1 Mac maschine and some good monitors. I’m done. Just need a mic.
@@joefire4265 Yeh man, you have a you need right there. Really though, my point wasn’t to say don’t buy gear, it was more to say think about it first. You’ve done your research. That’s exactly what I was trying to say. Good work.
Good point well made 👍. It’s the organic material latched on to all that’s important.
@@pelvinsjamz exactly mate
I used to study photography aswell , I’m no David Bailey lol 😂
Thanks for saying this out loud Conan!!!! Well said!!!
@@MarcusEDM I’m sure someone will shoot me down lol. Thanks mate.
Strangely? enough I have the opposite of GAS. Love making simple? hip hip on 'One' machine. Occasionally pull out my old 1000. A reason I love your videos, so focused on the finer points of a single box)
and lol...still rock with an ancient Beseler 23C, a Calumet 4×5, and a beat up old Nikon F series...big up Conan.
Ah man, I miss my Nikon F (goes to eBay … )
Man i have had the original Mpc Live but still wanted the Mpc 2 then the Mpc Key 37 but have held out. Definitely got a few plug ins in my time and some are dope but others I have barely used or scratched their potential. I just enjoy the creative process and keep on learning every track I make.
Better to master what you have than be an "All The Gear But No Idea!" type.
Exactly mate. I just wanted to try and get people to think first. I’m not saying don’t buy gear, just have a little think first lol
This is so true. I’m fairly new to making music, got hooked into this ‘dawless jamming’ trend and started buying up bits of equipment, thankfully the MPC got my attention fairly quickly, since buying it I’ve realised that’s all I need. Far from a black belt, but I’m working on it.
Cheers
You reached enlightenment 🙏🏼
So true
Needed to hear this 🙏
@@RawwestHide it comes from a place of love and from a person who has made the error many times lol
Conan Manchester Nope. I have at the moment the MPC One as DAW, the Waldorf Iridium the ASM Hydrasynth as my mainsynth for everything, the Korg EMX-1, Cyclone Bassbot TT-303 and the Behringer TD3-MO and thats enought. My focus was always to be dawless and efficient and creative gear that I can do alot with it. And also alot of possibilities for experimentation etc. I am fineshed with my setup.
Sounds like a nice set up mate
I have really bad GAS... I've been doing good as of recent months but damn it stinks to keep spending money on unnecessary pieces of gear..
I’ve been there my friend.
A can not put more than one like 👍🏻 on this video. I want to put like 1000 tongues up for you my man! Thank you so much for what you do and what you say! Thank you very very much! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
You’re welcome mate 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
I learned this when I saw producers rave about Schwabe goldclip. I am very sensitive to Gas and make impulsive purchases because of ADD. I got the demo of Goldclip and used it on one of my tracks. I made 4 versions of the track, used goldclip on 2 of the versions and listened to them blindly in the car. Afterwords I checked which versions I liked. The Goldclip versions were not it. Saved me 250 euros.
@@MrHannessie That’s a good way of doing things.
The old less is more comes in here. Work with less and get more out of it. It used to be with physical equipment it made a difference. With digital totally not the case. Great advice.
The only thing on fyah will be your bank account! All jokes aside, people buy/want new gear because of that boost of inspiration you get when working with a new piece of equipment. I personally have a one piece of gear in, one piece out policy. If I want to buy something new, something of equal value has to go. Keeps me grounded and the wifey happy!
Yeh you definitely can’t deny the point about inspiration. But what this actually is, is a dopamine spike and that is addictive lol
@@TheCratesMotel Indeed!
Definitely have been guilty of this.🙋🏾♂️ Great post!
@@themightyd.r.3843 I think most of us have.
Soooo... Do I buy the Waves sampler tool that will help me manage my existing software library? Half joking, but even mostly using free tools, my biggest hitch is getting to the good stuff that I already have
It’s actually pretty decent, that tool.
I have definitely done this over and over. I recently realized that the MPC X SE and Logic Pro are for me, more than I’ll ever need. I just sold about $3k worth of gear and I’ve got another $3k or so I need to decide what to do with. The key piece people should take away from what you said is being a black belt with one thing or a few things rather than a white belt in using hundreds of boards and plugins. The MPC X SE is so much more than I even need. Logic Pro is the same. The last piece of gear I’m stuck on is the S2400. It’s gonna be hard to sell that. But I’ve unloaded a dozen drum machines and synths already and am about to let go of just as many more. I’m grateful I didn’t buy too many plugins and it was hardware instead. Prices are down but at least I’m recouping most of my money now. Even though selling is a PIA
It’s good that you’re selling first to potentially buy something new. I try to do that as often as I can.
I think we all have fallen into that trap, for sure. The music is inside you.... all the time, these tools can assist at times, but never make or break the music. Going into debt for it is like adding insult to injury. The ERic Clapton story was great !! At 15 years old, I went to a concert at Madison Square Garden here in NYC, I looked around at 20K people and said to myself.... At least 1/2 these guys play guitar. What are the odds of making it in that business?? Kept playing and then eventually went to piano but that lesson has kept me sober for the following 50 years. Made some mistakes for sure with gear but now... all that is gone. Great Advice Conan. Well Done.
Respect mate 🙏🏼
100% agree. But sometimes a new piece of kit (hardware) gets my juices flowing. It picks my interest, it triggers my fun amygdala, IYKWIM.
Yeh you can’t deny the new gear buzz!!
On point! Thanks for saying this
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
I need something portable like a mpc mini or a op xy
Or a CyDrums
Once you get to a certain skill level gear does matter. Analog gear will always sound better than digital gear and that’s just a fact of life. True you should become proficient with the gear you have but if you want to get to that next level of polish you are going to need a good outboard/hybrid set up. Even adding some fairly cheap guitar pedals and 500 series racks to your setup can make your mixing sound really good and make your music stand out from intermediate producers who don’t use any outboard gear.
We’re forever doing this. I do it far too often. I love my Force, it does more than I could ever imagine and use. But I’ve just got a Digitone 2 because ‘it works differently to what I normally use, I know the Elektron sequencer well, it’ll make me work differently’. It hasn’t. I probably won’t be keeping it. I can achieve similar on the Force and chuck in my breaks on top of electronic beats as well.
I don’t think we’ll ever learn Conan. GAS is real and us humans love dopamine.
@@ikarugamoo unfortunately this is sooooo true
PREACH. Get to work with what's in front of you and maximise your investment
@@ceetronic Exactly
Well said, I agree. I had to cut myself off like a bartender 😅 I feel like I have a good core workflow of gear that is versatile and helps me get things done. FYI I'm a black belt in martial arts so I loved that analogy 😂
You have reached enlightenment my friend.
It had to be said. Well done for having the balls to say it.
@@BareRareBeats 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
watching this the ad that popped up was waves idx "put this on and your 90% there". ironic
@@ianschofield1728 🤣🤣🤣 brilliant
Hit records have been made in Logic Pro alone with stock plugins. I no longer buy the latest and greatest. At the end of the day a hit song is a hit song. But owning a MPC has made a difference. Its a preferred workflow thing.
Exactly. And hits have been made on a lot less.
I'm guilty of this 🤦🏻 just received a digitone2 lol,I know my music will still sound trash but I enjoy playing with new toys
Yeh I can’t deny that buzz of getting new gear. And it’s addictive.
@@TheCratesMotel tbf I only have a few bits as I only got started during lockdown as a hobby,I'd never get in debt and I only spend what I can afford,I've been wanting a piece of elektron gear for ages tho so I finally treated myself,I don't think I need anything else now but never say never eh lol
I have an Mpc one which I brought 2nd hand about 3 years ago ....I've knocked out about 70 tracks which I feel like are gradually getting better. I've hardly scratched the surface of what my Mpc one can do....I wouldn't think of upgrading until I know and have exhausted every single thing my Mpc can do , and only then ...when I hit that brick wall, will I start looking to upgrade
That’s a good discipline mate. It’s tough.
The MPC X is the last piece of gear I’ve bought which was two years ago. I’d be lying if I said I needed any more new gear. I wouldn’t mind having a hardware compressor and EQ to use with my Tascam DP-24 but it’s not truly necessary.
@@leogolive I’m just trying to get people to think before they buy. We all love new gear and it can be tough to resist all the noise.
@@TheCratesMotel I agree with your thoughts on this topic man. Hey I have an off topic question. What are your thoughts on committing a sound “to tape” so to speak? Like have / would you ever EQ’d or compressed anything on the way in? Sometimes with my Tascam I have to do that because of its limitations. I don’t mind personally but I wondered what a professional thinks about it!
@ yeh I love it. I love doing it. It pushes you to stopping messing about and get shit done.
@@TheCratesMotel Same thing I thought lol! Make a decision and go!
@ Exactly mate
Great video
Thanks mate
Fully agree mate
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Great Video! You said it first! Salute 🫡 Big Respect!!!
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Preach! If i gave myself £1 for everytime ive heard get *insert classic machine here* and youll get that *insert artist here* sound, id be a very rich man! We're told so many times that we need to buy these expensive vintage pieces to make hot beats, but the people who own them showing their machines off on RUclips (e.g SP1200s)? Theyre making weak 'renaissance man' bs. Their beats suck. I wouldnt listen to their stuff personally.
Ive completely stopped now! The one thing im happy im invested in lately though is a P6 to keep me occupied on my commute. Staying creative on the commute keeps me sane!
It’s tough to shut out all the noise. It takes will power and discipline. Commute beats sounds fresh mate.
I want everything: A Sp1200, every MPC, every sampling Keyboard and my music will still be trash but I will be happy
Well I can’t deny happiness. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
absolute true.
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
lol. I think most of the commenters would really enjoy the r slash synthesizercirclejerk subreddit. The other smaller portion would cry.
DUDE! We gotta perfect that aaaaammmbbbiiiieeeennnnccceee wind arp. My SquealLikeAPig v1.0 just doesn't make those rich analog squeals like the latest SquealLikeAPig mkII.
MPC ubur alles.
🤣🤣
Facts… this is why they call it the music business…
Word!!
I buy gear for workflow. Whatever inspires me to make music. If it doesn’t help inspire me, then I sell it.
Good attitude.
I have a Gibson SG Angus Young Signature, I have a Les Paul AFD like Slash, I have a Valley Art Standart Pro Like Steve Lukather, I have a Stratocaster like Jimmy Hendrix, I have a Telecaster like Tom Morello and many others (Yeah I have a lot of guitars, i'm a luthier..) In theory I should be a guitar hero ! but ! wait ... No
🖤
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Only thing that helped me improve was practice and trying different things. Not one single plugin helped.
That is enlightenment my friend.
And now you tell the 10 plugins you always use ... and people will jump on it: I must get these 10 essential plugins cause crates motel told so! 😄😄😄
Haha yes the irony of it all
👏 I completely aggre with you.
@@ieyucel 🙏🏼
U save me a lot of money as a newbie😂
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Who wouldn't agree?!??!! - Funny story. I got my MPC One about 3 years ago and promised myself to not buy any plugins, instruments or sample packs until I really have used up the ones, that come with it. And I managed to keep my promise until the last sale, where I got the MiniMoog and Jupiter clones cheap. - But it's true, it is ridiculous to believe a tool would make you better, and it's true that we all fall for it …
You have discipline 🙏🏼🙏🏼
@ Haha. I wasn‘t talking about my modular synth though … 😂
@@Dikkker 🤣🤣🤣
I have a whole studio of equipment that agrees with you..
Hahaha beleee dat!!
People please listen to this!!!! Don’t get caught up with the banana in the tailpipe. Keep it basic buy used gear only if the seller is on point!
Word (I love the OG BHC film reference btw lol)
To late Akai force is my new baby
Blows Mpc under water
Got money to blow fam
Fair play mate.
Words of wisdom. It's not the DAW, VST, or instrument that make a song work. It's the person. Those who burn would burn with any tool you put in front of them.
Exactly!!!
Get the Taylor Swift vocal chain! LOL!!!
You might be on to something there 🤣
All the gear and no idea
Exactly 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Business is business….they are following algorithms…for us that know better, it can be overkill with the latest gear etc…all I do now is cut off the videos and companies and rhetoric of non professionals and hustlers. One MPC is good for me until it breaks lol…then I’m on the market for a new one. Master your one piece of equipment is my point. Buy a new one when it breaks lol 😂
Yes mate. As I said in the video, better to be a black belt on a few things than a white belt on many.
@ absolutely my good friend
Yes I need it alllllllllll
🤣🤣🤣 This is me
Facts. That’s all I can say. Facts.
Word!
I need high-end tube and transformer preamp from the 70s to scream at it in disappointment
Haha we can scream together
Dont need anymore!!!!
@@chrisjay3026 🤣🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Just say NO kids! 😄
Exactly lol 🙈
Sure, buy all the new stuff and sound like everyone else! Much more interesting to have an eclectic mix and do odd things with it.
@@jeffryarchambeau5441 great attitude
I told myself that I wouldn’t buy anything else unless I make money off of the gear that I already bought. A lot of RUclips content creators job is to entice you to buy as much gear as you don’t need.
Exactly mate
Consumerism is an addiction pushed by corporates.
Word!
I bought an SM7, I'm now Michael Jackson
@@Mukomaclan I have the very same mic. We could duet Off The Wall 🕺
@@TheCratesMotel 💯 let's get the grammy
@ 🤣🤣
Leave those kids alone
They keep inventing plug ins!!!! And why does it seem like I need a MPCX I have a 3 a FORCE Sheesh!
Haha this is me !!!
That's why they updated things change things around tell you this is old now or we won't update this get this to replace it 😂
When you got the move out the box it already had everything you needed to mix and master,then they say oh you need a date to really dig in and master your tracks get this 😂
Yeh man, that’s how they get ya
Thanks for sharing. GAS is real. Late stage capitalism is the whole world's affliction now... but in the end the masterpiece is in the painter, not the paintbrush.
Exactly mate
Buy a sampler use it as a synth 😂
@@Roland_Tr909_Swing two birds with one stone
My goal isn’t to copy others. My goal is to be copied by others.
That’s a great goal mate
Take your music to the next level, Level up your production game, make a hit record in 10 seconds. Look at all are payed shills they love this thing but after there payed video is done you will never see them use it again EVER. Look at all celebrities we are names dropping without there permission We don't know if they actually used are product but We will tell you they did because wht can you do to verify what We say you home producer in your bedroom in mums house? Success you bought are product, get ready for us to now bombard your email account with spam.
All true mate, all true!!
Makes me laugh when you see youtubers who have 10 machines that all do the same thing
Buy the right tools once.... don't buy shite and expect the latest, greatest. So yea, just buy a few bits of quality kit... i.e. your tools. AND learn how to use them.
@@stevekirkby6570 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 Word!
Best addition to songwriting and producing? Live life’s experiences that motivate your soul!
@@IdeologieUK word 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
It’s an addiction just like gambling. Stop wasting time looking at new music gear.. just get on with making music with what you have
@@lextron-audio exactly mate. It produces a dopamine spike which is in itself addictive.