Well this? Coming from the guy who despises the act of buying gear for no reason? Yes! I’m telling you to buy gear. Not only that. I’m telling you not to be cheap about it either. Spend what you need to acquire the sampler you require to be your instrument of choice.
In a nutshell that’s what we’re going to explore today. And by the way “Thanks” for hanging out with me in written form. It’s much appreciated! The sampler you choose to be your main instrument ought to be regarded as your teacher and your inspiratory laboratory. An instrument is just an instrument if you don’t have a plan for it. Why? Because if you can’t learn and experiment with that instrument you will remain stagnant as an artist. This phenomenon is so common. Far more that it should be. So how do we choose the right sampler? The first thing to do is accept the reality that there is no one best sampler for everyone. We are all unique creative beings and it’s impossible for us to naturally conform to one thing that an instrument manufacture makes for us. People force themselves to conform to the idea of a perfect sampler but it’s not realistic or practical.
You have to choose a sampler that works with your creative ideals. Your main sampler is where you’ll create and discovers breakthroughs in knowledge and understanding of music. It’s easier to accomplish that when it’s an enjoyable process. By enjoyable I’m referring to seamless. I suppose I should’ve just said that in the first place. Anyway the flip-side will make things more clear. If you aren’t able to lean and gain knowledge/understanding from your instrument, your music will reflect this deficiency and your advancement in the art from will be senselessly prolonged. Why?
1. Your knowledge determines your skill level.
2. Your skill level is what makes way to achieve what you can imagine creatively.
3. Your creativity is the one thing that no one else can have but you.
If, however you can’t arrive at your true creative potential it’s a loss for you. Not to say that your sampler is responsible for all of this, but like all things artistic it’s part of it. It’s like a nutritional requirement that you need to have in order to grow.
RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS Over the years I’ve gotten acquainted with identifying the patterns of artists who never settle down with a main instrument. It’s obvious that they bounce from instrument to instrument. How do I know? Because they typically make every effort to say so themselves. Of course they’re not cognizant of the negative effects this has on their overall creative journey. They’re usually blinded by the high of sharing the news of their newly acquired sampler with the world.
The main tell however, will always be the quality of the music. I often note the musical progress of artists who flip flop on samplers to test my theories. And like clockwork my assessment is bang on. Their musical progress noticeably seems retarded to a degree where it doesn’t seem like their current sampler line up is aiding them in any positive way.
THE FLIP-SIDE
The opposite happens for those who lock in with a main sampler. In addition I’ve found that artists who do stick with a main instrument are more prone to be presented with opportunities that benefit their career which in turn often creates their career in the first place. Continuously buying samplers and being a master of none indicates a lack of self-confidence as far as personal musical skill is concerned; While focusing on one main instruments indicates a healthy reliance on musical skill which ultimately fuels creativity.
Now is there something inherently wrong with buying lots of gear. No! It just requires more discipline and experience and is best delayed until you’ve at least gained a solid foundation with one instrument.
I would always recommend financially investing the most in one main sampler and building from there. That’s why it’s important to choose wisely when selecting a sampler to express yourself through. You don’t want to have any unwarranted conflicts between you and your medium.
My first sampler was the Ensoniq EPS16+. In addition to making music, I used it as a reference tool to help me understand:
Digital Audio
Sampling
Synthesis
MIDI
Modulation
Filters
Aftertouch
SCSI
General Electronics Repair & Maintenance
Electronic Music
Music History
I mean I could go on forever. When people ask me how I learned what I know. I tell them…… “Education”! I learned, through traditional academia yes, and also through independent study! Especially when it came to samplers! You can’t lean about that type of topic in school. It comes from hands on experience and research through the instruments that you use everyday. When you want to get something done and don’t know how, the first place you’ll begin to look for answers is on your main sampler………… At least that’s how it should be.
Overall if your goal is to be your best, focus on yourself first and invest in a tool that will bring the best results out of you!
Thanks for reading!
TDS
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