Paughrock Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 I think I would be a much more developed player than I am now had I learnt to avoid GAS throughout my career. When I was younger, like most people, I played what I could afford. I got really lucky and scored a huge gig that carried me for a large part of my career...when that happened, I went nuts with GAS. I had to have the latest/greatest/most vintage/most cutting edge/..my GAS was so bad that I am too ashamed to admit how many "upgrades" I went through during my tenure as a touring keyboard player. Horrible, not to mention what I put my crew, the band, and my FOH tech throughout the years with my gear neurosis.... Now that I am off the road for the first time in a long time, and have returned to the clubs, I have gone through the longest period I can remember not changing my rig. I play a yamaha P200 and an original korg cx-3 through a traynor K4. No pedals, no effects processing...straight to the amp and out. The weird coincidence is that this was my rig (minus the K4) before I turned pro. Not sure if it's nostalgia, or just what I knew, but playing a 'dated' rig has never been more liberating. I spend most of my free-time now writing, practicing, and developing my improv chops...Knowing that my tone sounds completely dated, I have, in a sense, freed myself from GAS, which in turn has made me a much more innovative and freer musician. I did have a younger player come up to me the other night and ask "why I play those old keyboards.." (i.e. not "cool" old keyboards...but just dated ones..) I just smiled and said "it frees me to concentrate on being completely present and in the moment..." p.s. thanks for letting me turn the KC into my own "Keyboard Confessional!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthoid Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 thanks for letting me turn the KC into my own "Keyboard Confessional!" You are forgiven, my son... When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paughrock Posted May 24, 2017 Author Share Posted May 24, 2017 and I resolve to avoid the sins of GAS in the future, and avoid those things that lead me to GAS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 I'm having that problem trying to learn guitar. I keep getting caught up in this or that guitar or related gear--what I really need to do is get #$%@# better at playing the darn thing through the gear I have, which certainly sounds good enough to practice on. I do think it's true that there's a certain point where the sounds or feel can negatively affect playing (for instance, playing on a guitar with sharp frets that won't stay in tune etc isn't going to make you want to play it...). Or in keyboard-land, trying to get better at b3 technique on a Yamaha Motif *raises hand, been there*...just not a satisfying endeavor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paughrock Posted May 24, 2017 Author Share Posted May 24, 2017 I can't play more than a few chords on a guitar so I can't really comment...perhaps it's purely a keyboard thing...as for the motif b3 thing, I wouldn't really equate preferring to play B3 on a synth action keyboard over a fully weighted one as a GAS/hindrance issue...it becomes an issue when someone who has a synth action keyboard, or clone, or console for that matter, who is spending 90% (or a disproportionally) large amount of their time obsessing with their rig at the expense of developing their technique..again, as with the transpose issue, I am the absolutely LAST person to judge someone on gear obsession...my list of "upgrades" without a doubt would shame anyone on this site...so bad.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stokely Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 Actually, I do the same thing with virtual instruments--endlessly pining after some other instrument instead of diving in and really learning the ones I *do* have, or better yet, writing some music! And based on my son and brass instruments (wanting a pro trumpet) it's the same there as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmerJFudd Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 Changing DAWs all the time. Changing rigs all the time... Yeah, I can see reading manuals and messing with tech rather than playing eating up practicing, gigging, writing time. Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EscapeRocks Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 Actually, I do the same thing with virtual instruments--endlessly pining after some other instrument instead of diving in and really learning the ones I *do* have, ............ This was me for a very long time until recently. When I first got Mainstage, I couldn't program my way out of a paper bag with scissors. Now that I have spent the time to learn, I have found I don't need to spend $$$$ on the latest and greatest VST/AU. At least in my band setting, Mainstage sounds wonderful. Having spent the last several months really digging under the hood, and with the recent updates to MS, I have found it is a very deeply programmable tool with all of its built-in sound engines. David Gig Rig:Roland Fantom 08 | Roland Jupiter 80 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cphollis Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 My recent Behringer DeepMind-12 has proven to be hugely distracting. Want to make your band better? Check out "A Guide To Starting (Or Improving!) Your Own Local Band" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrokeys Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 Say three 'Hail Jimmys' and give us your gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 What difference does it make if I play piano stuff my 2009 S90XS or on my 2015 Kronos or if I up and buy a RD-2000 and play my stuff on that? Playing old shit doesn't make me play better. It's pretty much a non factor. At home I pretty much play everything on my Baldwin. "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorayM Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 Actually, I do the same thing with virtual instruments--endlessly pining after some other instrument instead of diving in and really learning the ones I *do* have, or better yet, writing some music! And based on my son and brass instruments (wanting a pro trumpet) it's the same there as well! I'm definitely guilty of it with software - probably because it's cheaper and just a download away! I've got so much I've barely touched. My gear purchases tend to be much more considered and because all my hardware is live-focused it forces me to dig into it. Whatever last minute changes happen before a gig or whenever something goes wrong on stage I've always got an answer. I'm far less familiar with the hardware that just lives in the studio. I do get GAS for organs though, but I think that's more to do with the fact I've hit the limit of what I can do with a single manual and non-traditional controls. Cephid - Progressive Electro Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkiGuy777 Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 As a weekend warrior, I also avoided GAS. The Korg 01W has been working all these years. I had a Hammond XB-2, but it developed a sound problem, so I worked with Goff and traded it in for an XK-2, which I've had ever since. I've oiled the keys on the 01W even making a popular web page here showing how to do it. http://www.nogodforme.com/korg-01wFD-sticky-keys-repair.htm The Korg Triton and the Trinity didn't blow me away, they seemed like minor upgrades. I had all the sounds I needed. Most players only need two keyboards. The Korg has pianos, strings, clav, synth. I can layer and have splits for songs where I need to play two sounds at once. Then I've got the Hammond for the organ sounds. The most recent thing I bought was the Neo Ventalitor 2 which was a great purchase. I'll spend the extra time setting up for that sound and the pedal makes the XK-2 sound fantastic. I play a Hammond XK-5 and Korg Kronos in rehearsal. These are great keyboards but I still don't have GAS for them. If my 01W completely dies then I'd probably get the 61 key Kronos, but I'm hoping my 01W keeps going. I used to run my two boards through a Mackie 1202 mixer, but then it developed a problem on the Aux send, so now I run the Korg through the XK-2, run that line to the Vent2, and run that to FOH and my JBL Eon. Pictures. http://www.quatraine3.com/tw2017/SolidBrass0214171mp001.jpg http://www.quatraine3.com/tw2017/SolidBrass0214171mp002.jpg Another keyboard player who followed me was using an M1 hooked to a laptop. So it's not uncommon. Korg 01W/FD, Hammond XK-2, Neo Ventilator2, JBL Eon, Rhodes 88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paughrock Posted May 24, 2017 Author Share Posted May 24, 2017 I love it! and your rig looks super cool and uncluttered...good for you to avoid the GAS game, would love to hear an mp3 or see a video! I was at a few festivals in Jamaica (rebelfest...) the korg 01W and M1 are still very popular keyboards with reggae keys players down there...everything sounded irie from where I was listening... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 10-15 years go, I was doing my wedding gigs with a Casio PX500L and a Yamaha S30. I've made numerous changes since, but honestly, I could pretty much still get by just fine with those same two boards. In fact, some stuff would be better. The S30 had a better organ than anything I bring today unless I bring a real clonewheel, which I usually don't (the S30 has better organ than the more recent MOX/MOXF/MX). It had aftertouch, too. And I liked the action on that old Casio more than on the newest ones, too. So all along, it's still been a matter of trade-offs rather than improvements. Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkiGuy777 Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 Latest videos are here. This is the same gig where I took those pictures. Set 1 Set 2 Korg 01W/FD, Hammond XK-2, Neo Ventilator2, JBL Eon, Rhodes 88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paughrock Posted May 24, 2017 Author Share Posted May 24, 2017 Sweet! Great sounding band! Those boards do the job, and do it well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 Many years ago I decided I don't want to be on the perpetual gear upgrade treadmill so I chose gear carefully to serve my needs a long time. By about 2000 there was very little new gear that interested me (other than clonewheels) so I pretty much stopped keeping up. That meant no music catalogs and no music magazines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legatoboy Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 It's not always . . . I always find time for just the music. The gear is fun but it's in the Junk Food & Bowling Night part of my brain now. Before I decided to get serious about studying piano again I felt much more like that about my GAS problem. I wouldn't play Rock or Blues through the first 10 years of piano study either. It paid off for me big time laying off gig music and the gear and I kept the good habits! Now gear is much more in it's right place, could I be at the piano instead of programming patches for my next gig, Yes....but I go to the piano every day regardless. I'm just so wonderful now I don't know what to do with myself! CP-50, YC 73, FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 There is an equivalent in sports. When I played golf I was riddled with GAS, thinking the next big thing would improve my game. We see it in music, too. Legatoboy, I agree. "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paughrock Posted May 24, 2017 Author Share Posted May 24, 2017 I am too absolute to be able to dabble in GAS...either I'm spending my time obsessing about gear and 'upgrading', or I'm spending my time obsessing about creating music... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marillo Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 Also agree. Ever since I realised nothing much was going to better my CP4, I've spent a lot more time practising and noticed huge improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsetto Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 I like this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoken6 Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 Those videos posted by the OP go to prove that even gear that some of us might consider outdated and not up to today's standard can still sound good in context. Cheers, Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Quinn Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 Interesting topic and one that I struggle with at times. I try to keep in mind that the player is the instrument and that the things we express ourselves on (i.e, gear) are machines. Of course we want great machines, but hopefully not at the expense of developing the instrument (i.e., ourselves). When accessing gear I try to focus on it's affect on my musicianmanship, rather than technical stuff or an obsession with authenticity. Does it sound great and inspire me to play better, or does it distract me from getting in the zone, or is it something in between? https://alquinn.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paughrock Posted May 25, 2017 Author Share Posted May 25, 2017 What difference does it make if I play piano stuff my 2009 S90XS or on my 2015 Kronos or if I up and buy a RD-2000 and play my stuff on that? Playing old shit doesn't make me play better. It's pretty much a non factor. At home I pretty much play everything on my Baldwin. I'm not sayng playing old shit makes me play better...what I'm saying is the old shit is not really different than the new shit, and when I factored in how much time and money I wasted on GAS, I realized that I would be a way more developed (and wealthier) musician than I am now had I learnt to avoid GAS. When I got off the road, I sold all my gear and bought the same rig I had when I started out. My rig (without the amp...) cost me $800 which is way, way, less than what I have lost to GAS. Given that my touring career consisted of playing pretty much only organ and piano, it is particularly shameful when I reflect on how much time and money I have wasted on clonewheels and DP's. My current rig is pennance for my sins...Never again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed A. Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 My recent Behringer DeepMind-12 has proven to be hugely distracting. Must be all that menu diving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synthizen2 Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 Anybody who's in Weekend Warrior status (unless they have independent financial resources outside of their music life) is a complete fool to get bogged down into GAS. If you are at the Pro level (making good $$, touring, playing large venues or festivals), it actually DOES pay off to keep your gear "current", as it is usually connected to product endorsements, and you really DO want to be seen with current gear on stage. The investment usually pays off. But for weekend warriors (like myself), you will live forever in DEBT for letting GAS override your better judgement and instincts. For the past 12 years I have stuck with an Alesis QS8.2 and Korg Z1 as my main rig... played hundreds and hundreds of gigs with those 2 boards, never a complaint from ANY band, and they did the job. I would probably still be using those 2 boards if I hadn't come into a bit of extra cash to finally afford an upgrade to the MOX8 and PC3. It is certainly NICE to finally get an upgrade. I enjoy the 2 new boards very much, and the hammond+leslie sound is noticeably improved. And more horsepower and sounds and functionality are available under the hood. But the upgrade was not an earth-shattering "change the world" type of thing... the older gear would still do the job just fine. Kurzweil PC3, Yamaha MOX8, Alesis Ion, Kawai K3M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 The only upgrade I ever bought that was much a distraction was the Kronos. It too a lot of time to program the combis .... which was the reason I bought it. The old rig couldn't pull off what I technically needed to do for the Pop gig. Other than that I replace stuff when it wears out or becomes undependable. Since 91 I've pretty much been a piano/organ guy. I played a tone wheel then a XB2. Eventually the little teeth inside the black keys in the upper register began to wear or break off and cause keys to get stuck. Must have been the way I did palm smears. I replaced that with the XK3c rig that I still use. Before the XB-2 I tried my first clonewheel experiment. A Hammond B3000 modified to drive a single channel Leslie..... That was a disaster. The B3000 didn't like trailer rides and bouncing up and down on the road cause connectors inside the organ to come loose. That organ was not built for road use. My one unnecessary upgrade was my stage piano. I played a Roland RD-500 that I liked but everyone else I knew was breaking hammers. I never broke a hammer but I sold it before I got to experience that and bought a Kawai MP-5. Heck that RD-500 is probably still rockin' but I'm a big chicken. "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthoid Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 Happy to say this is my http://images.kpopstarz.com/data/images/full/277123/1llionaire-records.jpg without buying any new gear. When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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