Too much equipment. Trim down?

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Albert
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Post by Albert » Thu Jan 04, 2007 10:41 am

Having trimmed down and changed/upgraded my setup many times, maybe I can offer something of value.

First and foremost, there are no others factors to consider other than musical ones. It *doesn't matter* that you have better gear than people that do it for a living. That's their problem, not yours.

Second and foremost, the gear you keep should be based on what you use. If there is gear you are not using, dump it. If there is gear you are indeed using, then keep it, no matter what hoops you have to jump through to make it work.

Third, how much space gear takes up can be a factor, but almost any large piece of gear can be worked into a space if enough creative thinking is used. So do not sell something just because it is big. Like the Ecoplate III.

I feel part of your problem is work flow. That somehow your studio setup ahs gotten in your way, and so it feels like there is too much gear. If all the gear is placed in the right spot, and is easily accessed, then even a lot of gear should not feel cumbersome.

What I think you should do is make an inventory of gear that you never use, and rarely use. This is the first stuff to go, and just get rid of it. Sell it, eBay it, whatever. Then use your studio without that gear and decide what you need to do at that point.

randrohe
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Re: Too much equipment. Trim down?

Post by randrohe » Fri Feb 01, 2019 7:49 pm

This so applies, I just had to dredge this up.

The second posters name was Randy, as is mine, so, setting here drinking beer in my 20x30x18 studio, complete with all the eccentric craziness i’m surrounded by from staying in one spot too long, it just hit home.
I spend more time thinking about my investment I got into all this, about $80,000 over 20 years, and the fact that I don’t really use it like I thought I would.
I live in a county with one red light, and 6000 residents.
I have a couple of band projects that I am lucky enough to be part, and there ain’t a one of them who has ever heard the numbers 1176 strung together.
Thank God!!
But I long for some like minded nerdies.

I feel concerned for the unfortunates who have to disassemble this carefullfully routed madness.
I have actually considered leaving instructions, like,” use scoffolding to remove sound panels from ceiling, please don’t cut the snakes just because they go through walls”, unplug carefully, etc.

Anyway, Miller lite... This is like my third time going back through archived posts..yeah, winter time as a house painter.
And I just got my new issue of Tape Op today!

Yet another sign to actually post this.

If you have waded through all this, you deserve something.

So, putting attenuation on the output of a Daking mic pre I’ve is very much awesome.
Excitement and a compression like quality.

And as a third sign to post this and not worry / guilt out about having too much, a song? of mine popped up on a random shuffle of 20,371 songs.

Please don’t ban me for drunk posting...lol

If your ever in the middle of nowhere, pop on over!

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Scodiddly
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Re: Too much equipment. Trim down?

Post by Scodiddly » Fri Feb 01, 2019 8:05 pm

It's still relevant. Moreso these days because I'm getting rid of stuff right now. Not just audio gear, though a few old project items have already left, but all kinds of stuff I was saving for when I finally bought a house. I've been in the house almost four years, and the stuff that hasn't been used yet (often not even unpacked!) is getting culled.

Not the mics though. Cold dead fingers, most of them, though I've been occasionally sending mics to my brother who actually is doing recordings with them.

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losthighway
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Re: Too much equipment. Trim down?

Post by losthighway » Sat Feb 02, 2019 1:58 pm

I recently hit a stage where when I want something I ask myself what its role is, and if I want it because something else in that role isn't giving me the results I want. Then I do this crazy thing where I buy something and sell something. It's been blowing my mind. You see I used to just get more stuff, but I'm trying this thing where I get different stuff. It only took 36 years. I have a lot of grey hair already, and a few guitars.... and lots of microphones. Also I might be selling a JCM800, which is weird.

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A.David.MacKinnon
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Re: Too much equipment. Trim down?

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Sat Feb 02, 2019 2:43 pm

Im in the same boat. Mostly because my studio is now a converted one car garage and space is at a serious premium. It's solved my weird, vintage keyboard addiction. There isn't space for anything now unless something else goes.
I still lust but it's mostly under control.

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Studiodawg
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Re: Too much equipment. Trim down?

Post by Studiodawg » Sat Feb 02, 2019 7:19 pm

I like to give my excess gear to the local battered women house that has a thrift store to raise funds to sustain itself. Whenever I go back to the store, none of my sh!t is ever still there. Also, I just saw this smilie that me me chuckle...
:high:

Trick Fall
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Re: Too much equipment. Trim down?

Post by Trick Fall » Sun Feb 03, 2019 6:11 am

Studiodawg wrote:
Sat Feb 02, 2019 7:19 pm
I like to give my excess gear to the local battered women house that has a thrift store to raise funds to sustain itself. Whenever I go back to the store, none of my sh!t is ever still there. Also, I just saw this smilie that me me chuckle...
:high:

That's a really awesome idea. It's funny that I see this thread today as I'm trying to motivate myself to go down to the basement/studio and start going through some stuff. I sold a bunch of small items last year and turned it into a new guitar and it was very liberating. I have a bunch of stuff now that I need to sell, but they are larger and more of a hassle to deal with. I'd love to put stuff on reverb, but don't want to have to deal with shipping a guitar etc.

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Studiodawg
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Re: Too much equipment. Trim down?

Post by Studiodawg » Sun Feb 03, 2019 7:46 am

I've always had good experiences selling stuff to Guitar Center. In spite of all the bad press they get, they buy equipment for reasonable prices. I have some stuff I'll be offing to the battered women shelter and other stuff may go to GC. I'm not a GC fanboy by any stretch, but the experiences I've had in Lansing, MI, Mayfield Heights, OH and Youngstown, OH were all fine and respectable.

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vvv
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Re: Too much equipment. Trim down?

Post by vvv » Sun Feb 03, 2019 10:18 am

FWIW, until they closed the local one, I used musicgoround. Their policy, at least at that store, was to pay 80% of re-sale value, I was told.

Of course I never sold stuff, but the owner so advised when I was negotiating to buy a MIJ Strat ...

As for the thread title, "Too much equipment. Trim down?", my answer is :shake:

Or mebbe, :rofl:
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Trick Fall
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Re: Too much equipment. Trim down?

Post by Trick Fall » Sun Feb 03, 2019 10:45 am

Thanks for the suggestions. I may try GC, or Sam's Ass for an item, or two. I just dropped off a couple of guitars to my brother-in-law/luthier to do some work on before I let them go so that's at least a start.

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markjazzbassist
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Re: Too much equipment. Trim down?

Post by markjazzbassist » Mon Feb 04, 2019 7:08 am

A.David.MacKinnon wrote:
Sat Feb 02, 2019 2:43 pm
Im in the same boat. Mostly because my studio is now a converted one car garage and space is at a serious premium. It's solved my weird, vintage keyboard addiction. There isn't space for anything now unless something else goes.
I still lust but it's mostly under control.
LOL i also have a vintage keyboard fetish. they come and go so much i keep telling myself i don't need more but i just can't help myself.

to the OP, i try and keep my studio very minimal, if something doesn't get use (like preamps "just to have") they are out the door. i'm not a pro anymore and honestly that preamp isn't going to make my hackkneed guitar line sound better, playing guitar will. so i'm working more on playing and just having the equipment i need to capture said playing. it's been freeing for me. i do more with less and love boundaries, it challenges me to create stuff and sounds i wouldn't if i had all the gear to do so.

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