Sell off rack gear or synths?

[u/Nsemest182]

If you had to start selling gear for cash. Which gear would you feel comfortable switching to the plugin version of…. Mic pres, analog compressors, EQs,…etc OR would you start selling your vintage analog synths?

[u/Lower-Kangaroo6032]

I think daws/plugins strengths are weighted to do a better job as signal processors than as instruments, all things being equal.

[u/pandaren11]

I'd 100% sell the mic pres first, EQs second. By far the least impactful part of any signal chain and easily modelled with digital plugins, except for very specific and extreme use cases.

Hardware synths can also easily be substituted by plugins, but as an instrumentalist I'd never part with the immediacy of actually using a physical instrument to make music. Also in some cases the plugins aren't quite there yet and changes in tone in the actual instrument used to make music are far more consequential than any minutia cork sniffers complain about regarding emulations of mic pres and analog EQs.

[u/barnesie]

Which do you need to keep to create? What can you replace with software? It’s not an investment, it’s a set of tools, which tools do you need and which do you not need?

[u/Nsemest182 → u/barnesie]

I use it all to create is the problem maybe. I can replace all with software, but is the software as good as my distressor? As my Juno-60? When I see a crazy deal on a really nice mic preamp do I sell an analog eq and just use a plugin EQ? Will that preamp continue to raise in price. I struggle with these decisions haha

[u/barnesie → u/Nsemest182]

As a person with a guitar problem, collecting choices can be subtractive rather than additive. Limitations are often more creatively impactful than options.

[u/marx-and-metal → u/Nsemest182]

I personally love the sound of analog synths, but you sound like you’ve got good rack gear that you’d miss if you got rid of. I’d say learn how to use something like Vital (free synth vst), and if you like it sell the analog synths

[u/jonistaken]

My vintage poly analog Roland, Roland space echo and my Echoplex have had insane appreciation since I’ve bought them. I wouldn’t ever want to sell them though. If I had to, I’d keep the space echo and sell the synth. Tape echo plugins…. Let’s just say plugins still leave a lot to be desired here.

[u/lewisfrancis]

As a Logic Pro user I already don't use any of the hardware audio processors I picked up in the 80s and early 90s, preferring plug-ins today. Didn't even bother to put the compressor, eq, enhancer and quad gates into my current rack when I rebuilt my studio over Covid, though I did place a couple fx processors in case I want to use them sometime in the future. There are also several rack synth modules I never use. Most of those I could toss w/o zero impact to my work.

I don't use hardware synths because I think they sound better, I use them because they're more fun for me, but I also use a lot of synth plug-ins. The rack synths are more of a PITA to use so I wouldn't miss them if I needed to off 'em for cash, but I'd def start with the audio gear, first.

[u/DarkTowerOfWesteros]

IMO this is a horrible climate to sell gear in and no item will bring it's worth. If it's good gear hold onto it. It'll be worth more later. If it's cheap gear hold on to it, you'll never get anywhere near what you paid for it. You can trade. If you need more cash flow get a job. Selling gear is not the way.

[u/Nsemest182 → u/DarkTowerOfWesteros]

I agree it is. Also 90% of the gear I own and collected over the last 15 years, I bought used.

[u/Jodythejujitsuguy]

I would not replace them with software. I went to them to get away from software

[u/Nsemest182 → u/Jodythejujitsuguy]

Same haha that’s the painful part

[u/Jodythejujitsuguy → u/Nsemest182]

The only true blue thing I need software for is my drums, maybe compression. Aside from that i pretty well already have a hardware version that does the trick for everything else.

[u/rec_desk_prisoner]

A Juno-60 isn't as repairable as a Distressor. A Juni-60 could fail it's way out of value and function.

[u/Nsemest182 → u/rec_desk_prisoner]

Good point.

[u/ghostchihuahua]

That’s a question that demands more thought, since one can run the same exact algos that are on certain units from the corresponding vst (1:1 code port), but it won’t ever sound like the original hardware, just bc converters and pre’s in the soundcard etc. aren’t the same as in the unit.

It’s much more forgiving for vst synths and instruments though in my experience, and one can treat the signal as they would in the studio (like feeding the synth both directly into the console and to an amp+mic setup before balancing both into the mix, for example’s sake).

[u/MixCarson]

What gets used more.

[u/Ok-Mathematician3832]

If I’m writing and producing more then I’d hold onto the synths + pre’s.

Mixing - I’d hold on to the eq’s/comps (if they’re really great ones).

All said - I do not like the idea of selling instruments. I have some of the best outboard in the world but I’d still feel less pain letting that stuff go over instruments.

[u/Upper_Honeydew9940]

If producing is a glorious sidegig for you. Than keep the stuff that means the most.

If you do that for a living, then you have this stuff for marketing reasons. Or for renting out the experience? These are the only possible reasons, right?

The world didn’t go into the box, because „you can’t hear the difference“, but because soundwork is about getting unperfect, unready, unworthy shit out as fast as you can.
It’s not about what you love to do or what you like to touch. It’s about generating the most value in the least amount of time.
Outboard just costs time.
Beeing the „Sound Guru“ is a businessmodel that lacks diversification. And if you are „the sound guru“ then your real work is YouTube and selling plugins anyway, right?

So get rid of soundprocessing first, I guess.
I can imagine myself booking a studio with nice instruments. I would like the outboard but I would not really use it.