When it comes to music equipment there is no doubt enhancing your technology can help. To be solely focused on the equipment that you believe will make or break your sound is not a good idea. Your money should be better suited toward hiring an engineer rather than buying thousands of dollars of equipment that will be out of date most likely within the next year.
Here are a list of steps you can take to make the most of your money when it comes to sound equipment.
Buy used equipment
Use someone else's
Get better at the equipment you already have
Only the essentials
Buy used equipment
If you are careful when it comes to buying used equipment it can make a big difference in your finances. As long as the used equipment isn't already broken or have defects, than you are all set. Make sure you receive a review and look over the product ahead of purchase. Like all technology, it is a depreciating asset that will be out of date in no time which is why you stand to benefit from others not realizing this.
Use someone else's
In often times you can pay someone to lease their equipment whether it be in a studio or a friend. This can add up per transaction, but if you set up a time frame with the other
person stating that you will be using this equipment for a longer period of time and not just for a day or two you can work out a deal that will be more cost affordable for you in the long run.
Get Better At The Equipment You Already Have
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
- Theodore Rosevelt
Think about the great musicians of the past. Their music has stood the test of time with half the technological advancements that we have. Not all circumstances are ideal but that is why you must make due with the setup and equipment that you have in front of you. Instead of complaining about the lack of equipment you have, learn everything there is to know about this equipment. Immerse yourself in becoming the best at knowing how to use certain digital audio workspaces and software. It will improve your music quality tremendously!
Only the essentials
We know how carried away we can get when it comes to equipment and instruments. How nice they sound compared to ones of lesser quality. Having only the essentials consists of a microphone, digital audio workspace (Pro tools, Fl studio, Logic, Abelton), and speakers. Everything else is a luxury. These programs will give you synthesized instruments for you to work on right away as you may very well know. Only the essentials to work with will make you that much more creative as well. Get great at the essentials and the rest will take care of itself.
Conclusion
The price can increase rapidly when purchasing sound equipment. Take these steps of buying used equipment, using someone else's, get better at what you have, and only buying the essentials. The point is to make the most of what you can afford today and become the best at this so that your skills improve your music quality. When your skills are fantastic on lower level equipment, what do you think will happen when you jump up to the top of the line?