Are you like me?
Too often, when recording, we don't get the results we want. It prompts us for a gear purchase. Sometimes, we're happy for a while, because we notice a change. Most often, that gear purchase is just a shiny new penny.
What if we were to slow down, and apply some business logic to our problems? If we stop sprinting to the next shiny thing, would we be able to afford the solutions for the long run?
I was recording some guitar tracks, and I wasn't getting the sound I wanted. The sound in my head was huge, but articulate. The sound I was getting was lifeless and dull.
It's easy to go to the message boards, search YouTube, or try to copy someone else's setup. Then go on a gear-buying spree for the right microphone, preamp, or whatever piece of gear we've blamed for our lack-luster performance.
The harsh truth is, even with the most expensive equipment, you can still get bad results. We'd all get better recordings if we invested more time becoming better students of our craft, rather than spending money on gear that we can't use properly. More expensive gear doesn't neccesarily equal better songs.
That's not to say that gear isn't inspiring. As a guitarist, making a change anywhere along the signal path can drastically change my playing, possibly helping inspire a better performance.