Why I Don't Recommend Gear (Or Gearslutz for that matter)

Published: Tue, 09/25/18

My least favorite thing to do is recommend gear to aspiring home studio musicians.

I'd like my website to stay relevant for more than a week and recommending specific brands or models will make it outdated faster than you can find a troll on Gearslutz.

If you're a Gearslutz moderator, I apologize in advance to whatever nOOb you'll end up taking your rage out on today.

It really is the Mos Eisley cantina of internet forums, isn't it?

Bunch of angry old bastards trying to get into fights, young padawans just trying to learn the ropes without causing a ruckus, and there are always some foreigners talking about some obscure form of fusion latin jazz from one tiny barrio at the outskirts of a shantytown in southern Brazil.

Gear is less important than the music you're recording with it. And even if you have great musicians, you still need to know what to do with the equipment you have, regardless of what it is.

Good luck trying to ask a beginner question on Gearslutz. Here's an example answer you'll get:

YOU CAN'T RECORD ANYTHING WITH THAT GEAR (whatever it is you have). YOU HAVE TO HAVE A NEVE! AND REMEMBER TO USE YOUR EARS! GOSH!

All right, maybe I'm being a bit too harsh here. Gearslutz is just such an easy target you know? It's like making fun of Costco. Or Florida.

But my point still stands. Gear recommendations are silly because they get outdated really fast. It doesn't really matter what equipment you're using as long as you can use it well and the music you're recording is great. Even if you have a budget microphone it's a great start. You'll upgrade later.

Remember that the giant Universal Studios theme park conglomerate that has parks all around the world started off as a tour around a back lot of a movie studio back in 1915. Start small. Think big.

Have a great rest of your day,

Björgvin

P.S.

If you want a small but powerful guide to making your mixes bigger and punchier, Step By Step Mixing is the guide for you.