Im sad..

[Everybody]

Everyday I come on here looking for techniques and to see what gear is superior to other gear, and sometimes to look at boobies in the motivational posters thread =]

But recently ive been bummed out, Ive been saving up money recording bands and collecting coins for a long time now, and I only have like $400.

Now, to some people, thats a lot of money, plenty of money for meals, nice clothes, a new phone, new ipod, things like that.

But as you know, when you have a studio, that stuff comes in last place, you always want to use money to make your studio nicer and better...then buy other "non-essential" stuff. Heres where my sadness begins....

$400 is basically nothing in the music world. You cant get anything with $400and if you can, its like one thing and your money is gone, and most likely its something your going to want (need) to upgrade.

Now I know im being semi biased, sure you can get a few nice things for $400 but you also have to see my point where $400 doesnt get you what you would think $400 could buy..

This makes me sad. Very sad. Ive saved for a long time...and it seems like the only thing I can buy is mediocrity. A lot of people have been saying like all the n00bs have the same gear and expect fantastic results (speaking generally of course) but the thing is, speaking for myself, I cant afford really nice gear. I cant afford to buy different gear from the norm in hopes to find the next underrated product and then tell everyone about it.

One subject that comes to mind is like, mic preamps. you can buy mediocrity (loose term) or just crap for under $500. (minues a few products RNC etc..) but generally speaking you have to save up another $500 to get something acceptable. and thats just for a little preamp. probably single channel. thats very frustrating!!

It just sucks. Ive been saving up for months and months, and looking at people on heres wonderful gear, flipping through sweetwater and MF magazines looking for things Id love to have, or look for a Xmas present. and the pricetags are just so degrading. its like taunting me that I will never be able to afford anything. unless I want to save up for a year and then be able to get one peice of gear...and at that point, what should I get, with all of my chips in, what do I bet on?

I dont exactly know what my point is here, or what I want to hear. I just wanted to throw my thoughts out there, maybe someone else is feeling the same. Idk. Idk. Idk.

 

[updog]

Well, even though my home studio is build on a budget, no one ever believes I've actually spent about 4k on it. People think that's like what a pro studio equipment should cost.

What I've noticed is that you'll never have enough stuff, or at least you don't know when you do.

I'm supposed to buy a new guitar, and a bunch of different plugins (see? Vocals are the ONLY acoustic thing I have the resources to record, no proper rooms, nice amps, nothing. I do have drums, but no room)

It's just the curse of being on amateur/hobbyist level. Even though I'd want to, I probably couldn't record bands for money yet.

 

[lolzgreg]

Everyday I come on here looking for techniques and to see what gear is superior to other gear, and sometimes to look at boobies in the motivational posters thread =]

But recently ive been bummed out, Ive been saving up money recording bands and collecting coins for a long time now, and I only have like $400.

Now, to some people, thats a lot of money, plenty of money for meals, nice clothes, a new phone, new ipod, things like that.

But as you know, when you have a studio, that stuff comes in last place, you always want to use money to make your studio nicer and better...then buy other "non-essential" stuff. Heres where my sadness begins....

$400 is basically nothing in the music world. You cant get anything with $400and if you can, its like one thing and your money is gone, and most likely its something your going to want (need) to upgrade.

Now I know im being semi biased, sure you can get a few nice things for $400 but you also have to see my point where $400 doesnt get you what you would think $400 could buy..

This makes me sad. Very sad. Ive saved for a long time...and it seems like the only thing I can buy is mediocrity. A lot of people have been saying like all the n00bs have the same gear and expect fantastic results (speaking generally of course) but the thing is, speaking for myself, I cant afford really nice gear. I cant afford to buy different gear from the norm in hopes to find the next underrated product and then tell everyone about it.

One subject that comes to mind is like, mic preamps. you can buy mediocrity (loose term) or just crap for under $500. (minues a few products RNC etc..) but generally speaking you have to save up another $500 to get something acceptable. and thats just for a little preamp. probably single channel. thats very frustrating!!

It just sucks. Ive been saving up for months and months, and looking at people on heres wonderful gear, flipping through sweetwater and MF magazines looking for things Id love to have, or look for a Xmas present. and the pricetags are just so degrading. its like taunting me that I will never be able to afford anything. unless I want to save up for a year and then be able to get one peice of gear...and at that point, what should I get, with all of my chips in, what do I bet on?

I dont exactly know what my point is here, or what I want to hear. I just wanted to throw my thoughts out there, maybe someone else is feeling the same. Idk. Idk. Idk.

Let's talk about a few things:

a. How old are you?
b. Do you have a job/go to school?
c. What is the economy of your area like?

I work 32 hours a week, go to college full time, and fix guitars on the side for extra money. I also help out with animals which gets me paid a little. I'm 21 years old now.

You see my buying gear all the time. I get my ass kicked for the money I earn. I'm not a spoiled kid with rich parents, trust me. I buy all of my own food, my own clothes, I pay $2860 dollars a year for my car insurance, $2080 a year for my health insurance, $1200 a year in gas. That adds up to a lot of money, right? The only thing I don't pay is rent, but I do pay for a portion of my electricity. I also have a girlfriend. She costs money too

I'm not here to show off or whine about my bills, I'm just trying to say that your age, your determination to bring in the bucks, and your bills really scope out how much money you're going to be able to spend on gear. Don't get upset. You can get by with what you have pretty darned well. Just strive to make the best from what gear you have, and take it from there.

 

[updog]

I also have a girlfriend. She costs money too

Now this is too true...

Everybody, I noticed you're 17 years old. Don't worry about anything, man. I have some friends who are over 10 years older than me, but in the same spot. You don't need to advance in the speed of light here..

 

[HandsOfDespair]

Let's talk about a few things:

a. How old are you?
b. Do you have a job/go to school?
c. What is the economy of your area like?

I work 32 hours a week, go to college full time, and fix guitars on the side for extra money. I also help out with animals which gets me paid a little. I'm 21 years old now.

You see my buying gear all the time. I get my ass kicked for the money I earn. I'm not a spoiled kid with rich parents, trust me. I buy all of my own food, my own clothes, I pay $2860 dollars a year for my car insurance, $2080 a year for my health insurance, $1200 a year in gas. That adds up to a lot of money, right? The only thing I don't pay is rent, but I do pay for a portion of my electricity. I also have a girlfriend. She costs money too

I'm not here to show off or whine about my bills, I'm just trying to say that your age, your determination to bring in the bucks, and your bills really scope out how much money you're going to be able to spend on gear. Don't get upset. You can get by with what you have pretty darned well. Just strive to make the best from what gear you have, and take it from there.

Judging by the gear you buy each time you post in the gas thread, what is your job? Lawyer?

 

[Everybody]

@sopulurn My studio altogether is also around 4-5k and it makes me really upset that some people spend that much on a single peice of gear! not upset I guess, but its just like wow....im nothing and my studio is nothing.

but your right, noone just starts out with a million dollar studio. its a gradual thing.

@lolzgreg

a. im 17
b. i go to tech college full time, and a gf that takes up all of my other time. the only time i get to myself is after 10pm.
c. economy is fine i guess, I live in the heart of south carolina. just a normal boring place.

I would love to have a job but I have a disability. the only jobs I can have are from home (hence why Im hoping my studio and dreams of getting into audio will come true) and im going to college for web design and such so that I can work from home. but until I get my degrees, I cant get any other jobs from home.

I also teach drum lessons to one person for $10/half hour, once per week, but thats nothing.

my studio makes barely any income because im learning and am not good or reliable enough to charge a good amount. I spend a ton of time at school, and out of school studying to keep my scholarship, and I spend a shitton of time trying to keep my gf happy and she also happens to be one of my only real friends sadly haha.

lolzgreg, I know it is very possible to afford nice things, and like you said all you need is a kick in the ass and some determination, and you can get what you want. I in no way want to sit here and ask for pity. you are a prime example of how someone working 2 jobs (gf is deff a job lol =]) going to school, and paying for everything himself, can still afford kick ass expensive amps because thats what he wants, and hes willing to work his ass off for it.


Idk.

 

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

Take $50.00 out of that $400.00 and buy yourself a balaclava, a jimmy bar, a small torch, a pair of gloves and a slab of piss, and then go ........................

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Don't sweat it too much... .you're 17. Hell, I worried about that shit when I was that age too. The thing is, you build up your gear over time. I'm almost 40 and for the first time, don't feel the need to run out to the pro audio shop when I get some disposable income. But make no mistake, it takes a lifetime to build it up.

Be patient.

 

[Harry Hughes]

Ah I know how you feel man.
I was lucky to have a sister that worked at Ableton so I could get a free legit copy of Ableton Live 8.0, and I own 2 great guitars and get to borrow a high quality bass guitar from a friend, but otherwise, I have shitty studio monitors that I'm borrowing until the guy that owns them comes back to Australia and my crappy POD X3 Live because I can't afford anything else.
Hell, I don't use any cracked plug ins or anything, I just use whatever free plug ins I can get and just the effects that come with my DAW software which aren't going to compare to high quality plug ins you pay for you, but it will have to do for now and I'm not good enough to justify using expensive plug ins anyway.
I spent most of last year being completely fucked up and basically being mentally disabled. It was just a bunch of issues that accumulated over the years and then just exploded one day. Anxiety issues were pretty much raping me every single morning, and instead of going out and doing things in the prime of my life and making money or whatever, I was basically home bound because my mental problems were too severe for me to be able to go outside the house most days and I would get panic attacks from many social situations.

I guess I got dealt a pretty shitty card in life, but whatever, you just gotta sit back, take a moment to think and just appreciate the good things you do have in life.
I may not have a lot of great gear, but I've got my physical health, I've got fantastic friends, I get to live at home without my parents and don't have to pay pills or anything and I get to spend my days playing guitar, bass guitar, listening to music and just reading about all things music related, so I guess I don't have it too bad and I'm a fairly happy guy, despite my history of severe mental problems.

 

[iHate]

my studio makes barely any income because im learning and am not good or reliable enough to charge a good amount.

well there you go, don't need the pro pro shiz just yet?

worrying about this shit just takes years off your life man, i lost my entire teenage years worrying about stupid shit like omfg i need new pickups or effects pedals and then onto holy shit i need mics and preamps and a million dollars for everything else.

at one point, you will either a. slowly fade away from audio or b. say fuck all of this gearslutz bullshit and make what you have work

 

[Line666]

Sad stuff.

Well, you're a year younger than me and your gear list is already much much better than mine, guess that means I should be really depressed

 

[updog]

Well, you're a year younger than me and your gear list is already much much better than mine, guess that means I should be really depressed

so I'm a year older than you? weird shit

 

[Felix Neumann]

Don't sweat it too much... .you're 17. Hell, I worried about that shit when I was that age too. The thing is, you build up your gear over time. I'm almost 40 and for the first time, don't feel the need to run out to the pro audio shop when I get some disposable income. But make no mistake, it takes a lifetime to build it up.

Be patient.

Well spoken, Oz. I agree

I´m 28 years old and I don´t have a car (for example), because I prefer giving out money for studio gear, amps & guitars. YOU set the priority! Recording music (in a certain quality) always was my dream, so sacrifices wasn´t to avoid.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Well spoken, Oz. I agree

I´m 28 years old and I don´t have a car (for example), because I prefer giving out money for studio gear, amps & guitars. YOU set the priority! Recording music (in a certain quality) always was my dream, so sacrifices wasn´t to avoid.

same here...well, not 28, but not far away from that...everything else is the same


I've got bands coming here with 3 cars and being like "wow, you must be rich with all those amps and your rates...
fuck no, I can't even afford a car!
priorities, mate!

 

[gabriel g.]

I´m 24 and dont even have a drivers license. The reason why:
In germany it is very expensive to make one (around 1500€-2000€) so everytime I saved up like 1000€ I bought some new audio tool, because I thought this was more important then driving

I started to do recordings with 15 years, so I´m buying audio-stuff about 9 years and I´m far away (like 10k) from having my I-ALWAYS-WANT setup (and not my dream-setup)

I´m going to collage too, paying my own Appartment, working 20h a week.
And I´m only able to record (not mix) bands in the holidays.

You are so young bro, just live your life and enjoy that time. Save up for your gear, maybe do a lot of compromises, but please dont eat yourself up with this!!!

 

[dcb]

when i was 17, i only had a 10$ mic from walmart going directly into magix music maker ;-)
my recordings sounded like shit, but i think everyone starts out with shitty equipment
and learns to work with that. i know people with rich parents k&h monitoring, neve preamps
and neumann mics... and there recordings sound like mine when i was 17...

so i guess just kee learning and improve your skills, develope your ears. equipment will come to you sooner or later by itself.
your skills though only come through hard work!

if people appreciate your work ("my god, you did that only with this equipment?") they will come back to you.
and they will paay for you next equipment. same with me. every production that i do - half of my income pays for my equipment.

 

[Harry Hughes]

Haha, I thought I was the only guy around here who was of legal driving age and no car.
I'm 21, still no car, although hopefully will have one in about 18 months time from now.

 

[Soundlurker]

I would have loved to have a 4-5k studio when I was 17. Instead, all I could afford was a Stagg guitar and a behringer combo

 

[Joematthews]

Haha, I thought I was the only guy around here who was of legal driving age and no car.

haha I'm like the only person out of my friends that is old enough to drive or learn to drive that isn't. It's cheaper and you have tons of chauffers

Joe

 

[Felix Neumann]

same here...well, not 28, but not far away from that...everything else is the same


I've got bands coming here with 3 cars and being like "wow, you must be rich with all those amps and your rates...
fuck no, I can't even afford a car!
priorities, mate!

Absolutely!

A funny thing is, when my younger guitar students (about 8 years old) ask me..."Felix, are you a millionaire?" NO, i´m poor, because all of this gear!
I can say, all money I earn, directly flows into my guitar school and the studio. I still have the dream, owning a studio like Lasse, Oz or Mr. Sneap himself have.

This is a dream! Patience and diligence is needed to reach this one time.