2022 Gear (& music???) Goals

[cosmicevan]

After 2020, I was all ready for 2021 to be year we got back to normal and it kinda became the year of accepting that things are gonna be fuckt up for a while. I thought I might not continue on my gear buying binging in 2020, but BOY was I WRONG?!?! But enough about the past...let's talk about the future.


Here's what I'm thinking for my 2022 goals...



1 - HARD CAP of 24 (or less) new to me things. This does not include trades (ie. look for me to be posting lots of trade threads to skirt this rule ) I've been very out of control for a while now and while 24 seems like a LOT still, I think it is more realistic than 12 or none. We'll see what happens. It's also important that I lose some weight this new year so we'll see where the focus really goes.

2 - Complete the re-do of my main board leveraging the Morning Star MC8 as the heart and building out presets that really let me take advantage of the pedals on my board, but in a usable layout so that I can use this board for improv jamming

3 - Record...something, anything...I dunno. I used to LOVE recording stuff, but these days I just don't. Rather than creating some lofty goal around a set of 4 intertwined concept albums, how about let's just get back into recording anything...even Feedback Friday's (which were weekly snippets of short pieces of music - usually improv'ed in one take).

4 - Go deeper with all of the gear I have. There's some amazing stuff I have that I've shamefully barely scratched the surface with. Let's try to put some attention around addressing that

5 - Create a somewhat stable board for guitar. I've been playing a lot more guitar lately. I will always be a bassist first, but as a musician my guitar chops aren't bad, and I really dig making noise with a guitar. Not having a consistent board holds me back from really playing as a guitarist...maybe I'll even do some jams as a guitarist instead of a bassist.

6 - Learn to play some guitar songs - as a bassist primary, I often write off my abilities as a guitarist but I can play okay. I'd like to learn some tunes...maybe some solos...maybe try to learn a Hendrix song or something like that to really push the way I look at playing the guitar and to open up my voice?

7 - Run through a learning book I have of exercises to learn some new tricks and keep my chops up and moving forward. Like buying a treadmill, I have some books of exercises that I should invest some time in. The few exercises I have run in these books have expanded my vocabulary and enhanced my playing. If anyone wants to swap learning stuff, I have a nice library.

8 - Not get into Eurorack / modular - I need to remain focused on this. I do feel I'm dangerously close to getting a DFAM and this could get dangerous. Must stay pedge.

9 - Write some new music...cause why not? I'm experiencing life. The music that's coming out of me these days is different than any other time, so why not add em together and try to write a bit?

10 - Have fun and enjoy music - whatever it is I choose to do with my time as it relates to music, I'd like it to be fun. Not stressful, overwhelming, or something to feel down about. I want to enjoy the release and the magic.

What are your goals for this coming year?

[goroth]

1. Buy less dirt.
2. Get a case that fits my Vs
3. Don’t buy an 8 string
4. Get something so I can make vids and recordings in the rehearsal room that are better than just the iPhone mic.
Edit: I mean something for putting up clips on insta. Actual recording of demos etc is not a problem.

[Disarm D'arcy]

1. One more guitar to complete the setup. Probably the Yamaha Revstar with P90s.

2. Rebuilding a working and comfy studio setup when we move.

3. No need for much more pedals or anything else, so keeping the pedge.

[dandy13]

1. Actually sell some things that are collecting dust. I have failed at this for the last couple of years. Maybe I just change the word sell to use and I'll feel a little bit better about it?
2. Finish writing and record current batch of songs that are laying around unfinished
3. Once #2 is complete, really want to focus more on diving into my synths, loopers, and deeper effects. Just take a break from guitar from a writing and exploration standpoint.
4. Figure out the band situation.

Don't really have my eye on anything gear wise. We shall see if 2022 brings anything interesting

[Paul_C]

My current gear goals are:

Roland AE-01 Aerophone
Akai Midi Mix
E Bow

I'm pretty much sorted for pedals and guitars now, so apart from those if I want to spend money on myself it'll probably have to be on a synth or some other device I haven't discovered yet.

I did so much recording last year that I'm tempted to be a little more thoughtful about what I create and release, but there's no guarantee that will happen. I'm still listening back and enjoying what I created so I don't see any reason to steer too far away from that.

[qersty]

I want to learn more creative gear things. Not making actual music, god forbid. But getting better at electronics, I wanna build my own amp ideally. Or learn to program, that would be fun.

Other than that I should be pretty set gear-wise for a while. the strat gas endures, though. Hopefully this year will bring a comfier one. This is the strat that kept it alive! Pure crapcaster!!

NSFW: show

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[cantremember]

I like these threads every year and that we usually pull up the year before to hold ourselves accountable in a sense. So yeah, I didn't post in the gear goals last year because I failed miserably the year before but I think this last year I bought maybe 4-5 pedals and if you've seen the lists prior years you'll know that is significantly less than the last few years. Anyway, here is what I'm thinking about goal wise this year.

-Instruments/pedals-

I think I'm at a point where I'm good on pedals or anything really guitar wise or at least not interested in much that has come out recently. I do have a Developing Nations guitar that I will have to pay for this year (fucking hopefully) but I'm honestly not excited about it anymore and wouldn't get it if the deposit was nonrefundable. I'm set on synths/samplers but I definitely want to pick up a full scale midi keyboard with weighted keys at some point because I want to learn how to play the piano. The main thing I'm planning on saving for/flipping pedals for is a new computer.

-Music-

Last year I was able to contribute a track to the OKTA comp here on ILF and that was a pretty accomplishment for me personally because I haven't completed anything musically in close to 5 years. I learned a lot about how to use a DAW this year and that was a big reason I was able to put that song together. This year I look to ride that momentum (lol) and complete 3-4 songs by myself for a demo release. I have also come to an agreement with a long time friend to make music together but nothing set in stone as what will come of that other than a good time and an opportunity to learn from someone else.

-A person who plays with musical instruments as a hobby-

Continue to learn as much as possible and push myself to try and get better as a musician. I have kinda put that off, relied on my skill set and not really practiced much and that has definitely set me back. So forcing myself to play music in any context on a daily basis is something that I 'm going to shooting for. I just got the new 404 and that thing will be going with me everywhere so I will at least be able to jam everyday on my lunch break if I can't get to my guitar. This one sounds like the dude who says he is going to start working out but playing music is way more fun than working out so I'm pretty convinced I can do this one haha.

[Blackened Soul]

Erm..

K..

Make more weird instruments

Sell off dust covered instruments

Find extra filthy DOD Deathmetal like distortion that is TBP, small and filled with hate.

Stop gassing for a fretted omnibass...

[friendship]

After the complete and total creative bankruptcy of my pandemic days years, I would like to:

creativity
1. Reestablish and maintain a daily music routine, even if it's only 20 minutes a day or something--an achievable block of time that can help me get back into a groove again.
2. In doing #1, try to reconnect with myself and with the inherent joy of playing music, with little to no regard for what comes out of that.
3. Drive a stake through the heart of my inner critic, then decapitate him, then set him ablaze on a funeral bier.

consumerism
1. The market is fucked up and I don't need anything.
2. Give away a couple guitars I don't need anymore.

cookies
1. choco chip

[goroth]

1. Reestablish and maintain a daily music routine, even if it's only 20 minutes a day or something--an achievable block of time that can help me get back into a groove again.

This.
It makes such a difference. This is now one of my goals too.

[MaxMaps]

I love this thread, I really think it was the spring board of me getting back into playing for a third time around.

Overview:

My second was born in 2020 - from the first bass onward I have a great collection of gear for a sometimes 40 year old dad, who jams for stress relief. I am nowhere near the level of playing ability of where I was when I was actively gigging in my 20's but my love of music has improved on leaps and bounds. I guess I really had to fall back in love with the art forum and ask myself why I still fuck around with it - with out this forum and you guys I probably would have quit forever

That being said here is what I have goal wise:

Music:

- Guitar is really scratching my itch right now and with my Dunable R2 in hand, I plan on playing the living shit out of that thing. I played weekly but as far as ability, I marginally improved which was better when I first picked up the 200 tele I got from guitar center. The goal is simple, play, play and play some more - make it a daily habit and this time next year I will be a better guitar player. As far as bass playing goes, I will be a bass player at heart but I am guning for this guitar deal really hard this year.

- I have a far amount of book and subscriptions to use ( Ric Beato's Beto Book ) and I have been a platinum member Bernth's patiron page. I under utilize both of them so I am gonna improve on that - I have found out that just playing a random song really helps with improving ones ability. So in addition to all of this material I am going to pick up a song / riff book - I started jamming along with metallica''s one album and holy fuck is that fun. Even after some 40 years.

-I am not going to push recording this year - I really cant scratch this until I have some foundation under my hands and some material to put down. I may get a TC back talk to quickly record over something I feel the urge too.

Gear:
- I will be doing some spring cleaning / trading for pedals - I realize that getting new effects in every so often does get the excitement going. I don't really have anything I HAVE to have other than a few pedals from my earlier collecting days that I would love to have again ( Dwarfcraft ECT, Devi Spectacular Anemia)

- I though I was going to go for the Two notes Torpedo / lunchbox amp for my in home set up - Since receiving the Cab M, it is way more accessible in options, so I am sticking with the pedal board set up. If I really need to play with other people the plan is to get a seymor duncan power amp and then what ever corresponding speaker set up. But this goal is small on this list. I may go for a high end pedal board (Schimidt Array) Because I really dislike the basic PT nano I have.

-I have zero bass gas because the fender I have is the tits. Guitar wise I may or may not trade my EVH striped series for another Strat or Super Strat - this could be my Eb standard guitar and my Dunable set to low as fuck drop A or B tuning. I mean THIS FUCKER IS BURRIED WITH DIMEBAG - its too metal to give up. ( and maybe eddie has something to with it )

-The maximum amount of instruments I can have it four -because there is no room in my house and the wife will start asking questions. I have an old Westone Dynasty bass that I started to sand then gutted - I may have runied it but it belongs to my cousin who got me into music and playing. I need to finish it this year so I might just send it off to a luither to have them start taking a look at it to see how much it would get to get it up and running again.

[coldbrightsunlight]

I think I need to let go of perfection, or the idea of it. It's never going to be perfect, and things can be fine-tuned later. It's always better to get some rough stuff down and fix it up later rather than having nothing.

I find that most of my best recording projects happen because things aren't perfect but at least I've done them. The 90% perfect riff/tone that is recorded, is 100% better than the 100% perfect riff/tone you will never truly achieve. :samurai:

Goals:

1. Don't get more modules, beyond like, one or two since I actually have a space in my case. But that's it!

2. Maybe a short scale bass (I said this last year, didn't happen, still want it)

3. flip/give away a few things to make room

4. New interface/mixer

5. Try to avoid buying anything not on the list. I'm sure I'll get a pedal or two but I really don't need more

6. Try to dedicate more time to practicing/recording, not with any specific goals in mind but just to give myself the time playing and making noise. I was pretty good about this in 2019/2020 but have fallen off a lot in the last 6-12 months. I'd like to brush up on my guitar skills in a couple of directions, and get more new music done too.

[retinal orbita]

1) My gear goal is if I buy a pedal I have to sell one I’m not using to fund it. I’m sure I’ll want some dumb thing but I don’t really want to sink any more money into gear purchases.

2) I (just sold several pedals and) bought a looper (a Boss RC-500) and have been trying to use it every day to get more connected to it. It’s a lot more menu diving than I’m used to and trying to get fresh with it.

3) My laptop died last year and I’ve been plugging away without one. I’ve saved up enough to buy one outright but I seem to have trouble pulling the plug. I keep thinking there’s a new MacBook Air going to be released and I can buy a 2020 for cheaper (I’m cheap) or a newer, better one for a similar price. So I can record some things.

4) I would like to record some things (see #3) and possibly release them on cassette tape.

5) my mother in law offered me this cool rug the other day that she didn’t want and I would like to set it up in my basement like that cool rug the Stooges were posing on on the inside cover of Fun House.

6) I would like to try to play in my basement 4-5 times per week and improve my bass chops.

7) I just moved to a new city and don’t know many people but I would like to stand in a room with other people and make noise - this may or may not happen depending on how things go with this new variant.

I think that’s it - I don’t really want much - I have had a very crazy year with moving and a lot of my stuff was in storage for a lot of the year and getting back into regular playing has been fun and challenging and exciting and I’d like to focus on that rather than buying new stuff.

[retinal orbita]

Find extra filthy DOD Deathmetal like distortion that is TBP, small and filled with hate.

I’ll keep that Death Metal thread updated for when that new clone comes out…..

[Blackened Soul]

That would be cool!

So far the closest I found was the lal deviltail, it was a cool pedal and had cool oscillations but it wasn’t filthy sounding enough and seemed to lack hate.. on the other side price wise the Ibanez black noise was filthy and filled with hate but lacked the all important eq, also the foot switch sucks in those..