jononotbono
Luke Johnson
So that’s 1 Flugelhorn then?
How much money have you spent on Libraries in the past 18 months?
- Thread starter easyrider
- Start date
jaketanner
Senior Member
that's how I feel also.. LOLI put 3000 but it might be well above that
jononotbono
Luke Johnson
Do you guys love what you have bought? Do these things bring you joy and help you write music that you could never have done so without them? Then I'd say they are tears of happiness. Money can't buy you happiness. But it can help.
Mucusman
Enthusiastic hobbyist
I'm a hobbyist, with dreams and plans for music that may or may not materialize (dreams to write quality music, not dreams for any sort of financial gain from such music). Some of the shine and luster of the virtual libraries I've purchased has faded and more and more I'm seeing these libraries as what they are - tools. I appreciate having the right tool for the right job. The funds I've spent over the past several years have given me some great tools. I feel I've now turned a corner from the excitement of collecting a good core collection of tools, to the point of diving in to now growing in my ability to use them well.
I went down a similar road years ago with my interest in photography. Getting good gear helped (it really did!), but I reached a point where I realized new gear beyond what I had wouldn't give me much better photos. Same with music: I'm finally reaching a point where the biggest barrier now to writing and recording a piece of music I like is ME, not a lack of having the right tool/instrument/sounds. I know I have a TON to learn: composition, getting what I want out of the libraries I own, layering libraries, mixing... it's quite humbling. I continue to be inspired and encouraged (and spurred to try new things) by other kind folks here on VI-Control.
I am growing, slowly. Now my scarce disposable income to help fund this hobby is going towards education and hardware upgrades (next up: breath controller).
(This week I came across some really terrible cassette recordings I made of myself playing a $40 Casio keyboard I made 35 years ago when a $40 mini-key, battery-powered tiny keyboard was all I could afford. Cheesy sounds for sure, but my passion for music was there, and hasn't changed. That I can still recognize in those tapes.)
I went down a similar road years ago with my interest in photography. Getting good gear helped (it really did!), but I reached a point where I realized new gear beyond what I had wouldn't give me much better photos. Same with music: I'm finally reaching a point where the biggest barrier now to writing and recording a piece of music I like is ME, not a lack of having the right tool/instrument/sounds. I know I have a TON to learn: composition, getting what I want out of the libraries I own, layering libraries, mixing... it's quite humbling. I continue to be inspired and encouraged (and spurred to try new things) by other kind folks here on VI-Control.
I am growing, slowly. Now my scarce disposable income to help fund this hobby is going towards education and hardware upgrades (next up: breath controller).
(This week I came across some really terrible cassette recordings I made of myself playing a $40 Casio keyboard I made 35 years ago when a $40 mini-key, battery-powered tiny keyboard was all I could afford. Cheesy sounds for sure, but my passion for music was there, and hasn't changed. That I can still recognize in those tapes.)
jaketanner
Senior Member
truthfully, I regret a few purchases...as do most of us I'm sure, but overall, I enjoy what I got. It's not so much that I can't do music without them, it's more about the inspiration that playing with the libraries gives me...helps with coming up with ideas. I also bought a few libraries for their sound, not so much for their playability...if it sounds like it belongs, then it works.Do you guys love what you have bought? Do these things bring you joy and help you write music that you could never have done so without them? Then I'd say they are tears of happiness. Money can't buy you happiness. But it can help.
jononotbono
Luke Johnson
I don't regret anything I've bought. There are things I've bought that I have thought, "What the fuck is this?" and then through anger I have purposely tried to write music just with that. Just to see if I can. It's amazing how a piece of shit suddenly turns into a golden glorious sonic weapon. No regrets man.
ridgero
Senior Member
TomislavEP
Senior Member
Although my library is relatively small, a while ago I've started a spreadsheet containing all my purchases of Kontakt instruments. According to it, in the past 18 months, I've spent abt. 200 GBP on those. I should point out that I'm an absolute bargain hunter - I always try to buy something when it's on a maximum discount. Anyway, it seems I'm in a lightweight category here (which is still quite a feat for me, making the ends meet only with music). 
OP
OP
easyrider
Embracing the Absurd
Although my library is relatively small, a while ago I've started a spreadsheet containing all my purchases of Kontakt instruments. According to it, in the past 18 months, I've spent abt. 200 GBP on those. I should point out that I'm an absolute bargain hunter - I always try to buy something when it's on a maximum discount. Anyway, it seems I'm in a lightweight category here (which is still quite a feat for me, making the ends meet only with music).
lid be interested to see what’s on that list...
I was thinking of buying Noire the even with a voucher that would be half your spend gone!
AndyP
still@work
It was a lot, but there was also a lot of great new stuff. Everything is listed in a clean and neat Excel spreadsheet, including budget and so I keep control over my spending. Everything nicely separated into hardware and software. It always amazes me how high the percentage of small expenses is in the range of 50 - 100$.
I think I control Excel better than my DAW.
I think I control Excel better than my DAW.
Too much and i guess i regret the half of it but i try to see it as the glass is half full and i am really happy with the other half. But i try these days to avoid libraries, synths, FX which i never could resell if i want.
I also spend a ton on iOS music apps. They are damn cheap (and really outstanding good and unique sometimes) but can go into 4 figures if you collect them as well. Mmmhhh, i vote for "I need help" then.
I also spend a ton on iOS music apps. They are damn cheap (and really outstanding good and unique sometimes) but can go into 4 figures if you collect them as well. Mmmhhh, i vote for "I need help" then.
Rodney Money
On V.I. avoiding work.
There ya go! Lol. But luckily I have friends who build instruments and have established relationships with companies that give me great instruments at great prices. This year I got: my custom rotary cornet that’s worth alone $5000 but didn’t pay that, a different flugelhorn, 3 piston cornets, a rotary valved German Tenor Horn, a Euphonium, and my German Rotary-Valved Bass Trumpet is being built for me right now. Around 2 or 3 years ago I got my personal flugelhorn. Bought it on eBay for $1000 then put another $500 for repairs and personal custom modifications like a third valve trigger for tuning and a new tuning pipe.So that’s 1 Flugelhorn then?
AdamKmusic
Senior Member
Comes to about £1689 but I put £1750, this coming (tax) year I'm going to "plan" on not getting as much unless it's really unique or better than what I have.
Oxytoxine
Active Member
Man, reading this thread and seeing the poll results after adding my entry I feel like an alcoholic that tries to comfort himself with the notion that others are even worse and hence maybe my addiction is not really that serious of a problem as I sometimes think it is…
A very interesting question would also be how much of the spent dollars / bought libraries one actually uses on a regular basis.
I have made the strange experience that my initial library choices when starting out were, in retrospect, not that bad and actually well researched, but that I only really started to realize this after being able to actually compare the various libs under my fingertips with the “big boys”. I always thought “OK, there must be a reason for the hype about this horrendously expensive library XY”, only to be disappointed after finally giving in and trying it for myself.
But it goes in both directions. There is sometimes also truth in the saying “pricepoint reflects quality”.
A very interesting question would also be how much of the spent dollars / bought libraries one actually uses on a regular basis.
I have made the strange experience that my initial library choices when starting out were, in retrospect, not that bad and actually well researched, but that I only really started to realize this after being able to actually compare the various libs under my fingertips with the “big boys”. I always thought “OK, there must be a reason for the hype about this horrendously expensive library XY”, only to be disappointed after finally giving in and trying it for myself.
But it goes in both directions. There is sometimes also truth in the saying “pricepoint reflects quality”.
I'd be curious about a poll on "how many hours did you invest into researching, demoing, learning, talking about, struggling with bugs, integrating into your template etc., for libraries that you didn't end up using frequently and that didn't become integral part of your template?". I think for many that's where the real "cost" to your creative output is, that very few here talk about imho.
