Third Take

I added a new category to this blog, called Philosophy, because I want to start writing about the philosophical aspects of home recording. I think most of us who have little “home studios” got started because we wanted to record ourselves or our bands. Many of us are singer/songwriters, or have a desire to record our own original compositions. I think there are ideas worth exploring that go beyond gear reviews, how-to articles, and links to free plugins.

One of those ideas that has been on my mind lately involves what is known on the internet as G.A.S. - Gear Acquisition Syndrome. It is the driving need to acquire another piece of gear that will make your recordings better, and I think it is detrimental to recording music.

Of course, gear is important. The recording equipment is what allows you to record in the first place, and we all know that some products sound better than others. The difference in quality between my first cassette-based 4-track, my digital 8-track, and my current DAW is real and measureable. Better gear, in the hands of someone who knows how to use it, does make better recordings.

There is a certain minimum collection of hardware you need to make acceptable recordings, and there is an accompanying level of technical competency you need to operate it. But beyond that point, I think the margin of improvement drops off. That is where we get into trouble - we trap ourselves in the mindset that it is useless to record anything now, because it won’t sound as good as it would if we save up and buy that new microphone, preamp, or compressor.

I went through a long phase of procrastination, where I spent more time thinking about gear I wanted and planning my studio’s expansion than I did recording music. I look back on that period as wasted time. I should have been recording with the system I had, learning to make the best recordings I could with the gear I had. I should have been making music, rather than buying and playing with gear.

The two most productive and satisfying periods of my musical life were when I was making and recording music. The first was in college, when I had a 4-track PortaStudio and no money for anything else. I recorded on that thing because it was my only option, and I was writing and recording music almost every day. The second period has been the last year, when I stopped upgrading my DAW and started on a serious project. I’m actually afraid to upgrade any software, because I can’t afford to lose any of the projects I’m working on. My hardware buying has been minimal; I’ve hit the point where I have what I need to make a recording. Any additional purchase would be an incremental upgrade, with a new learning curve.

Building a home studio is an expensive endeavor, and for the amateur/hobbyist, it can take a while to assemble a working system. I think there comes a time, however, when you have to draw the line and start making music with what you have. Stop buying gear, for a time, and start making music. Seriously.