That time of year is upon us once again. Retailers are slashing prices on all sorts of gear and at this stage, your Amazon delivery driver knows your middle name and blood type. I get it. Temptation is everywhere and it’s good to indulge every now and then.
But when it comes to making music, sound and enjoying audio visual experiences, how much of the gear we buy is necessary?
A couple of months ago, I got myself a pair of Bose 700’s for when I’m on the tube in London and when I generally want to be antisocial (not too often). In my opinion, they’re the best noise cancelling headphones money can buy and they’ve made a huge difference to the onslaught of noise that my ears had to previously put up with on my daily commute.
But I noticed that they wouldn’t really be all that suitable for the gym. So, the hunt began again for a pair of earbuds for the gym.
My brother and his girlfriend took the decision making process out of my hands and very generously bought me a pair of Apple Airpods for my birthday. Now, I’ve always had problems with earbuds fitting my ears but almost all of the iPhone earbuds I’ve had over the past few years have fit my excessively large ear holes.
So, I took my new Airpods to the gym and on their debut workout, almost crushed them under a barbell. They just wouldn’t stay in my comically large ear holes.
Rather than giving up on them, I briefly went back to the older pair of gym earbuds I used for the next few days and looked for a solution. I found a pair of silicone covers to place over the Airpods and increase the space they take up within the ear. Therefore, hopefully fixing the problem.
I have to say that for the most part, the solution works. They still fall out of my ears every now and then and I wouldn’t trust them to stay in when I’m out and about but they definitely do the trick in the gym. And that was the thoughtful intention behind their purchase in the first place.
But if I had bought them as an overall solution to my earphone/headphone needs, I’d be pretty disappointed with the £159 I had spent.
Since Apple launched the AirPods in 2016, the popularity of the product has grown exponentially. They’re projected to sell over 100 million AirPods in 2020 and if Airpods was a standalone company, it would be the 32nd largest in the US. That’s insane!
What’s more insane is that the product doesn’t really work for everyone and isn’t fully fit for purpose.
And the same can be said for a lot of the products that get sold during the Black Friday sales.
How much of the gear that we buy do we really need?
Sure it’s nice to pick up an extra microphone or a new plugin but are either of those purchases really necessary? If it’s something you’ve had your eye on for a long time and it is going to help you progress your audio journey, then have at it. But if you’re just buying on a whim, couldn’t your money be better spent?
My answer to that is a resounding yes. It takes a huge amount to convince me to buy any new gear these days. It has to be essential to improving my workflow, my efficiency or in some cases, just be so super cool that I’m begging them to take my money.
About 4 years ago, I did go through a phase where I bought a lot of gear… new monitors, computers, headphones, plugins etc. But every purchase was essential to the goals of my business and my own personal goals as a producer/engineer. I did make one “fun” purchase and that was a DJ mixer that I thought I would get the time to use. I think I’ve used it 3 times in the last 3 years.
So, doesn’t that just drive home the point even more? If you can’t quantify why you’re buying something, then why buy it at all? Because a retailer has told you to do it?
Most of my purchases these days are focused on education. If I can buy myself a new book, course or some coaching to help myself get the edge, then that’s where my money goes.
With that said, there will come a time when I need to upgrade my studio gear again, so it all happens in cycles.
If you’re in a cycle where you actually need to get yourself some new gear that will progress your goals, then take advantage of the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. If not, then my advice is to question why you’re making those purchases.
Now, I’d love to know…
What gear is on your Black Friday shopping list and why?
Leave a comment below!
professional sounding mix every time...
Hi Stephen
Totally agree about just buying stuff on a whim..I have a Focusrite Scarlette 2i2 which is fantastic..We were trying to record a decent acoustic guitar sound but were not having much success..we decided to change the guitar strings & try a lighter plectrum & the results were great
Great idea, Kevin! A change of strings and plectrum is always going to be much more cost effective and efficient in comparison to stripping out an entire interface.