How can people afford such expensive stuff?

[MrCheeto]

Then you know what you need. Make the best with what you have but try to keep the end result as polished and shiny as you can. Save your money even if you don’t have a clear goal now and when you see what’s legitimately missing in your work you will know what you need to do. Also, dip your toes into everything. If you haven’t worked with hip-hop, classical, or a film score, find out what makes those each unique.

I can’t begin to tell you how much skills can crossover. I’ve worked on PC’s and sometimes the fixes or principals have helped fix a motor or vice-versa. I’m always surprised by how such different fields of study get used in others in my day to day work and life in general and you will be too.

 

[KaliYoni]

Risk.

The most successful people are the most risk-taking.

Absolutely!

First, I'd say that it's best to define success on your own terms, however you decide to measure it. Next, I think those who are successful have edge of some kind, rather than a relentless appetite for risk. By edge, I mean developing an advantage over others you are competing with. It can be skills, equipment, knowledge, access, experience, taste, or an innate talent or gift. But whatever somebody's edge is, it needs to be difficult to replicate by others and sustainable over time.

 

[Alameda]

Oh! One other thing I forgot to add in the original post: The professionals I've encountered who've lightly criticized me for not having the most high-end gear—that happened when I was about 14, and was taking a recording class through the university. Of course, he understood after I explained to him, but at this point, I've been producing for probably 6 years now (while at the time it was around 2 years). A producer who's been at it for 6 years, in my opinion, is far more experienced than a producer who's only been doing it for 2 years. People look at that stuff, trust me.

I know, I haven't been great at explaining myself in this thread, but I think this is what I really wanted to emphasize in the first place: What happens when someone requests a demo of my work, and it's not "up-to-par" with their standards? Of course, they're going to ditch me and get someone else. But how did that "someone else" become worthy of them? How did they "emerge" from being inexperienced? Obviously, they get opportunities, I know that, and I've gotten some of those opportunities myself. But then there's that "other part"... because there's no way it's just opportunities. It's the "other part" that I don't understand.

I don't know, maybe it has to do with the fact that I somehow haven't tried hard enough.

I hope I'm making sense—for some reason I'm having a lot of trouble explaining this...

I don’t know what kind of equipment you’re talking about and how it impacts the final product. I don’t see how having the latest model Mac makes your audio mixing vastly better.

OTOH, most recording artists rent studios, so they don’t own the fanciest gear, either. Even as a professional with a continual income, gear continually improves and you need to make business decisions about whether the latest and greatest will have a positive return on investment.

In my view, the work you’re pursuing is an art form in itself and the quality of YOUR work and YOUR reputation for hard work, integrity and excellence matter more than the number of processor cores inside your Mac.

 

[Mousse]

I don’t know what kind of equipment you’re talking about and how it impacts the final product. I don’t see how having the latest model Mac makes your audio mixing vastly better.

It doesn't. I makes things easier.

I can't speak for creating audio mix, but I can give you my view from a photography perspective. I have a lot of pro level lense and a few consumer level lenses. There are some things consumer level lense cannot do, no matter your skill level. For example, shooting in low light an f3.5 will never gather as much light as an f2 or f1.4 lense. A pro would never cheap out on lenses.

OTOH, getting a highend Manfrotto tripod makes life a lot easier (steadier, more stable) than a crappy Amazon Basic tripod. BUT, skill level and your inner McGyver can make cheap tripod as usable as the highend tripod. I've managed to get a cheap tripod as stable as Manfrotto with a lot of sandbags and ingenuity. It's not something I'd want to do everytime I use a tripod, so springing for a high end tripod saves time and effort.

I guess for audio, a high end microphone/recorder is a difference maker--like pro level lenses. Trying to fix a garbled recording is impossible, without faking a lot of stuff. A high end computer is a quality of life gear--like a high end tripod. You can get the same quaility finished product, but it takes more time and effort on a cheaper machine.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I'm just confused about how people (anyone) can afford super expensive gear, whatever it might be—computers, audio interfaces, sample libraries, etc. I understand that sometimes, the company they work for gives them the product, but I would imagine this doesn't happen all the time, or does it? How does one acquire something like a fairly specced-out 2019 Mac Pro, or something of the like? Or Pro Tools, too, which is a very expensive DAW if you go for the top-end version.

Personally, I feel like I've been criticized by some professionals for not having the most high-end stuff that they have. And to that, I always tell them that I make it work with whatever I have, which is true. And then I see videos, read articles, etc., and see everyone have all the high-end stuff, and then I feel kinda bad for not having it. I know this is very stupid, but as I'm getting more experienced in various fields, especially music production and film composing, I'm slightly worried about this. I used to be able to use the “I’m too young and so I can’t afford it” excuse, but I think that’s sort of “drying out” at this point, now that I’m gonna turn 18 tomorrow and people will treat me as such, not as a 14-year-old inexperienced producer, you know what I mean?

Thoughts?

There have been some good replies to this thread.

However, some of it comes down to both choice, preference, and affordability.

For stuff that matters, (such as a car for a taxi driver, a computer for someone who is online a lot, iPods for music lovers, etc), people may make a choice that this particular expensive purchase matters, whereas they may also choose to forego such expense (not least because they cannot afford it) in other areas of their lives.

In other words, those who buy expensive or good things, may not spend as much in other areas of their lives.

Then, depending not just on income, but on varying sorts of income - for people may choose to spend different sources of income differently - different purchasing choices may be made.

Monies that come in the form of "lump sums" for specific tasks, (such as grading term papers, which came from a different budget than university salaries; departmental discretionary funds were a different budget again) were something that I tended to use for stuff that wasn't day-to-day spending, i.e. for purchasing a good camera, or towards a good computer.

 

[eyoungren]

Maybe I am old fashioned (I'm 52) or just showing my age, IDK. But, unless you're like some gig-economy worker or self-employed, I would think that your employer is responsible for providing your equipment.

Not once in the 25 years I've been doing graphic design have I had a job where I was expected to provide my own equipment. That's always been the responsibility of the company.

For myself, I own stuff. But for my job? If you (the employer) cannot provide me with the necessary equipment needed to do the job you hired me to do - then perhaps you (the company) do not belong in business.

In my last job I had to cover for about a week with my own Mac when the work Mac died. But that wasn't expected and my boss was grateful. I even used another Mac for a year while the boss got funding together to get a work Mac for a newhire. That was fine because I got the help I asked for. Most of the time I was just trying to make what equipment I was provided, do what I was being asked to do.

But expecting me to have my own stuff? Just no.

 

[Vref]

Maybe I am old fashioned (I'm 52) or just showing my age, IDK. But, unless you're like some gig-economy worker or self-employed, I would think that your employer is responsible for providing your equipment.

Not once in the 25 years I've been doing graphic design have I had a job where I was expected to provide my own equipment. That's always been the responsibility of the company.

For myself, I own stuff. But for my job? If you (the employer) cannot provide me with the necessary equipment needed to do the job you hired me to do - then perhaps you (the company) do not belong in business.

In my last job I had to cover for about a week with my own Mac when the work Mac died. But that wasn't expected and my boss was grateful. I even used another Mac for a year while the boss got funding together to get a work Mac for a newhire. That was fine because I got the help I asked for. Most of the time I was just trying to make what I was provided do what I was asked to do.

But expecting me to have my own stuff? Just no.

The OP is 14

Think even calling him self employed is a stretch

 

[eyoungren]

The OP is 14

Think even calling him self employed is a stretch

It was mentioned earlier that OP was 18. OP was remarking on a situation when he was 14. But I may have misread.

 

[rm5]

It was mentioned earlier that OP was 18. OP was remarking on a situation when he was 14. But I may have misread.

yes, I am 18… you are right.

 

[Apple fanboy]

In photography there is a saying that goes "all the gear, no idea."
Its the skill of the person that makes a bigger difference than the gear they use.

That said I have a lot of pro gear. Most of it I bought second hand. Generally I would say a few year old better gear, is a better investment than a brand new cheap gear.

But at 18 most of the money I had earned (I started full time work at 15) had been spent behind the bar!

 

[mollyc]

Mostly you can't compare yourself, at age 18, to what people in their 40s, 50s, and beyond have. Few people, outside of trust fund families, have much at age 18-20. It takes time to amass wealth, once you've paid of school loans and paid for clothing, shelter, and transportation.

 

[Vref]

Mostly you can't compare yourself, at age 18, to what people in their 40s, 50s, and beyond have. Few people, outside of trust fund families, have much at age 18-20. It takes time to amass wealth, once you've paid of school loans and paid for clothing, shelter, and transportation.

School loans are for suckers when it comes to most degrees

I had a few bartender friends who had masters degrees

 

[Danfango]

Some random bits of advice which will get you enough funding to pay for your gear fetish. This applies at any age so it doesn't matter if the OP is 14 or 41.

1. When someone tells you to make your own mistakes, laugh at them and tell them they're idiots because only stupid people say that. Learn from other people's mistakes. Making your own mistakes is expensive and will push your life goals further down the line. Look, watch, learn, take notes. If someone does something stupid, don't do it. Think carefully before you do everything and make sure it's rational and not emotionally driven.

2. Don't ever work for a dangling carrot. That promotion is a lie. The only way you get anywhere is to do something that is in demand, get damn good at it, be completely irreplaceable and get paid not to leave. Then make sure other people know about you and want you. To do this you only have to be above average which is not difficult because average is pretty terrible in most industries.

3. Tick enough education boxes (degree, certification) to get through HR people but don't bother to put too much academic effort into it past that. It gets expensive and accumulates debts. The real world is somewhat different to academia and in most fields other than medicine and some sciences, 90% of what you learn goes out of the window almost immediately and you find the degree is just a really expensive certification process to get you a job where they will teach you the useful stuff.

4. Always make sure you have security before everything else. Security is enough cash to sink any major problems in life like unemployment, untenable jobs, accommodation, minor disasters etc. Anything you are borrowing is offset against security so don't rely on credit or loans at all.

Maybe if you keep doing that until you are 30, you will have enough disposable income to buy some nice kit. I suspect anyone in their 20s with a stack of gear is an unusual outlier, heavily in debt or being backed by the bank of mom and dad.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Some random bits of advice which will get you enough funding to pay for your gear fetish. This applies at any age so it doesn't matter if the OP is 14 or 41.

1. When someone tells you to make your own mistakes, laugh at them and tell them they're idiots because only stupid people say that. Learn from other people's mistakes. Making your own mistakes is expensive and will push your life goals further down the line. Look, watch, learn, take notes. If someone does something stupid, don't do it. Think carefully before you do everything and make sure it's rational and not emotionally driven.

2. Don't ever work for a dangling carrot. That promotion is a lie. The only way you get anywhere is to do something that is in demand, get damn good at it, be completely irreplaceable and get paid not to leave. Then make sure other people know about you and want you. To do this you only have to be above average which is not difficult because average is pretty terrible in most industries.

3. Tick enough education boxes (degree, certification) to get through HR people but don't bother to put too much academic effort into it past that. It gets expensive and accumulates debts. The real world is somewhat different to academia and in most fields other than medicine and some sciences, 90% of what you learn goes out of the window almost immediately and you find the degree is just a really expensive certification process to get you a job where they will teach you the useful stuff.

4. Always make sure you have security before everything else. Security is enough cash to sink any major problems in life like unemployment, untenable jobs, accommodation, minor disasters etc. Anything you are borrowing is offset against security so don't rely on credit or loans at all.

Maybe if you keep doing that until you are 30, you will have enough disposable income to buy some nice kit. I suspect anyone in their 20s with a stack of gear is an unusual outlier, heavily in debt or being backed by the bank of mom and dad.

Some good advice. I’d also add buying your own home. Paying rent is just paying someone else’s mortgage.

 

[Danfango]

Some good advice. I’d also add buying your own home. Paying rent is just paying someone else’s mortgage.

With the caveat of only if you can afford it if the mortgage interest rates rise, have appropriate life, household and unemployment insurance and buy something modest which has managed risks (no flood plain, no tornado alley, no crackhead neighbours, no power lines over it, not right next to a nuclear power station etc etc).

Oh and from personal experience, don't get married to a cheating psycho who will take it off you at some point down the line 🤣

 

[watakoola]

1. When someone tells you to make your own mistakes, laugh at them and tell them they're idiots because only stupid people say that. Learn from other people's mistakes. Making your own mistakes is expensive and will push your life goals further down the line. Look, watch, learn, take notes. If someone does something stupid, don't do it. Think carefully before you do everything and make sure it's rational and not emotionally driven.

Maybe in an ideal world that could happen. Everyone makes mistakes as it's part of being a person.

 

[Clix Pix]

OP, you're 18 years old....and from what I've gathered from your posts, not even yet out of high school. I think that when you go to college that you will be exploring all kinds of new ideas and new ways that people approach life that simply have not yet occurred to you. Not sure whether or not the college acceptance thing has happened yet for you, but regardless of where you finally choose to go, what you think you want to choose as your major, you will begin a whole different phase of your life, one which is, yes, going to be filled with still exploring and asking questions and wondering, but which gives you a whole lot more to think about, too, plus so many new people with whom to associate.

You will all learn from each other....over the next four years during your time in college. Even at that, though, the growing process is still not really completed, there is still more to learn about even after you've worn the the cap and gown and proudly held the diploma as you've graduated from the college or university which you will be attending (or from another to which you might have transferred later). Graduate school, if that is in the cards, too, adds another whole new dimension to one's life....

Actually beginning to work in the real world with a real job (hopefully professional-level depending upon the kind of education you've explored and participated in) adds a whole lot more to your individual store of life experience and understanding about how things actually transpire out here, both for one personally and for one as part of a group....

It's not about how much gear (audio, video, photographic, whatever) one can afford to purchase.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

@Clix Pix offers some excellent advice, while @Danfango also makes some good points in post 38.

However, @rm5, gear doesn't define the person - which is an error many adolescents are prone to making - mistaking the gear - or stuff - for the person, and defining a person by the type of gear (clothes, tech, perhaps a car) you have; you aren't what you own, and - when you are older, another error that some are prone to - you aren't your job, either.

Your capital is yourself - and your values and character - and the people who are around you, or, whom you have around you, those ties of kith, kin, friends and family.

My maternal grandmother - who had worked as a primary schoolteacher all her life and was persuaded (by the authorities) to work for a few years subsequent to the normal retirement age - used to say - (a saying frequently quoted with approval by my mother): "show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are."

 

[compwiz1202]

In other words, those who buy expensive or good things, may not spend as mcuh in other areas of their lives.

Yes this or these:

Make obscene amounts of $$$.
Parents are mega rich and buy them the stuff
Buried in debt

If you pick and choose, you can use credit responsibility and get the nice. Just wait until it's paid, and then get something else. My dad was good at doing that. He would use the interest free deals and pay it on time or early without using the whole limit.

 

[max2]

Yeah my dad was good at that too. He passed away when I was 14.

 

[rm5]

Yeah my dad was good at that too. He passed away when I was 14.

Oh, I’m so sorry… My parents are very good with saving money, which has allowed our family to do some pretty amazing things—but all of this I’m sure takes a lot of practice.

 

[MPclk2006]

I'm just confused about how people (anyone) can afford super expensive gear, whatever it might be—computers, audio interfaces, sample libraries, etc. I understand that sometimes, the company they work for gives them the product, but I would imagine this doesn't happen all the time, or does it? How does one acquire something like a fairly specced-out 2019 Mac Pro, or something of the like? Or Pro Tools, too, which is a very expensive DAW if you go for the top-end version.

Personally, I feel like I've been criticized by some professionals for not having the most high-end stuff that they have. And to that, I always tell them that I make it work with whatever I have, which is true. And then I see videos, read articles, etc., and see everyone have all the high-end stuff, and then I feel kinda bad for not having it. I know this is very stupid, but as I'm getting more experienced in various fields, especially music production and film composing, I'm slightly worried about this. I used to be able to use the “I’m too young and so I can’t afford it” excuse, but I think that’s sort of “drying out” at this point, now that I’m gonna turn 18 tomorrow and people will treat me as such, not as a 14-year-old inexperienced producer, you know what I mean?

Thoughts?

Man you are still way young, don't go by what others have. if you compare yourself to others you'll never be happy. DO what you can with what you have, save your money, upgrade what you need for your business (I'm assuming you have some kind of tech side hustle/business and want to upgrade your devices). Sometimes people show off their high end equipment or "stuff" but their debt is insane. Be happy, enjoy life, you have a lot of it ahead of you, wish you the best!

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Live within your means and don't worry about what other people buy. Life is too short for being worried about what others think of you. Self worth is not tied to material objects.

Good points!

The fact is that if one cannot afford it, then one should not buy it. Have a budget where one does not spend more than what one earns, save as much as possible, invest wisely, and work extra hours each day if possible. While doing all of these things, take care of your body and mind's health.

 

[max2]

Oh, I’m so sorry… My parents are very good with saving money, which has allowed our family to do some pretty amazing things—but all of this I’m sure takes a lot of practice.

Thank you. It was a while ago. My dad had lung cancer from second hand smoking. His Mom and Dad smoked a lot around him when he was a kid inside the house and inside a car.

He was only 44 when he died. Sucks.

I dislike cancer a lot.

 

[JamesMay82]

I work with an eccentric millionaire.. he lIves in an old average house and has a 15 year old vow transporter filled with rust and over 300k miles..

he Lives like he’s on minimum wage and just invests everything back into his company to get where he is..

if I had my time again, I’d follow his motto. And like others have said… you’re only 18 it will come in time