2026 Gear Abstinence Thread

[Mrbigstuff]

1 hour ago, bass_dinger said:

 

Welcome to the thread, and well done for spotting that it is about encouraging us to improve musical skills. 

 

I was impressed at how quickly you went from buying "a keyboard stand this year so I can learn to use the keyboard I bought years ago" to "new digital piano, synth and guitar incoming!" - both posts are timestamped "8 hours ago" on my system!

 

It is always good to see that sort of reckless abandon from new players, because it distracts Chief Referee @neepheid from any infractions that I and others might be about to commit.... Keep it up, @brickers!

 

 

Who told you about my impending infractions 

7 minutes ago, bass_dinger said:

I have this morning ordered a Raspberry Pi kit, 

 https://kitronik.co.uk/products/5325-the-kitronik-discovery-kit-for-raspberry-pi-pico-included along with other bits (add-ons, jumper cables, break-out kits, expansion boxes). 

 

So far, not a fail.

 

However, my plan is to learn how to use the Raspberry Pi architecture and develop a device that can detect 13 different switches. 

 

I will then combine it with a 13-note organ-style pedal board (purchased in 2025) and a kit that uses a Raspberry Pi Pico to generate MIDI note signals. https://midimuso.co.uk/index.php/pico-midi/

 

I will then plug it into a EMU Classic Keys synth rack unit, via MIDI, and pretend that I have a Moog Taurus.

 

However, I will have made the instrument myself, out of bits that are not primarily musical gear (apart from 4 MIDI connectors, and the EMU)

 

So, is a DIY instrument a fail?  Is this the same as a luthier making a bass guitar out of some bits of timber? Or the equivalent of making a Bitsa bass, and pretending that none of the bits are fails...

 

In summary, I purchased a non-midi pedalboard, and some electronics, with the intention of creating and then having a midi pedalboard in 2026. 

 

Have I failed Tier 2, or will it only be a fail once it works?

 

 

I wouldn’t even class MIDI as an instrument and tbh it sounds like hard work 😂

[Richard R]

It's a T2 fail.  I went out last year on the bits for a Raspberry Pi MiniDexed:

 

https://magazine.raspberrypi.com/articles/mini-dexed

 

I built the synth on a breadboard and have made the case and started to solder it up, but that stalled completely.  My plan is also to make a cheap Taurus, but actually I need to practice playing my normal bass.