Super Last Minute Gifts I'd Want As A Music Producer & Modular Synth Lover - Pt. 1
So you pushed off buying a gift for that music producer in your life. Or maybe, you totally forgot about getting something for that relative who is into the modular synth stuff because what even are modular synths?
Don’t worry. I’ve got you. Ok, you got me. You saw the title of this article. Here are some things I’d want you to buy ME if you forgot about me this holiday season, or you just don’t have a clue about what I need or want in my music studio. I want to make this year’s shopping as painless as possible for you.
This list was supposed to be written and published long before now, but like your yearly holiday shopping, life just got in the way, mkay?
Here we go. Here is part one of this year’s super last-minute gifts I’d want as a music producer and modular synth lover. These ideas will go a bit outside of the gear-focused type blog. If you are shopping for someone who works with sound these ideas should prove useful to just about anyone.
Let’s go.
Gifts Every Music Producing Human Can Use
1. External hard drive / MicroSD Cards
When someone is constantly creating sound they are simultaneously filling up space on their computer. External drives come in handy when you need to offload projects or in the instance where you need to ship a client their files after wrapping up a project.
I threw SD cards on this list because if you are making music these days, you are likely also recording video of it to post on social media. I’ve been using SD cards in my Nikon, in my GoPro cameras, and even some of my eurorack modules use them. Every now and then another SD card would come in super handy.
2. Field Notes
Keeping a small notebook with me has been useful so often that I make sure there is one in my bag on the go and one close at hand when I’m home. Sometimes you want to write out that song idea by hand or just draw out that eurorack patch in your head. A Field Notes notebook is perfect for getting your thoughts down the analog way while avoiding your phone. I love getting Field Notes books in black or orange.
3. Subscription to Dropbox
Backing up to hard drives is a must, we already covered that. Backing up to cloud services like Dropbox is another way to bulletproof the file conservation strategy of the music maker you’re shopping for. It’s also a great way to work with clients, other musicians, and share your work because Dropbox is becoming increasingly collaborative in nature.
4. Yeti Drink Containers
Studio gear does NOT mix with liquids! I can’t stress this enough!
Most of us noise makers are guilty of keeping a coffee or tea nearby while we work, so if you’re going to disobey the golden no-drinks in the studio rule why not minimize the damage of a spill by keeping your beverages in a Yeti with a lid?
It’s saved me a few times so far. My Yeti Ramblers have kept my drinks cold and icy, even when I am deep in writing and forget about them for hours.
5. Computer
You didn’t want to read this did you. Yeah, I know. Music production dips into wallets, slides into purses, and helps you part ways with mountains of your hard earned money. Sigh.
Gear gets old, times change, and it can be difficult for some of us to maintain our gear over time, especially when first starting out.
I don’t have a PC built at the moment, so I won’t try to recommend anything. I have my 2018 MacBook Pro and it’s starting to struggle, and that’s what made me decide to include this in this list.
And before you start steaming about $$, look, I know it’s not an option for everyone. Some people just don’t like Apple products. That’s cool.
I like anything that helps creatives create, so PC’s and Macs are on the table for me when it comes to producing noise. What I do know is that if I recommended anything PC I’d be out of my wheelhouse so I wouldn’t feel great about doing that here.
Here are some ideas from Apple. Keep in mind that the new Logic Pro update has features that utilize Apple’s new M series of chips. Apple has quickly gone from the M1 to announcing the M3 in October.
I’d recommend upgrading to 512GB, but that’s up to you. It’s already making your bank account tremble.
This is a big one. If you’re like Scrooge (the happy version of Scrooge that has the spirit of giving flowing through them with money in piles like Scrooge McDuck) then this is a gift that you might consider. Just sayin’.
6. Field Recorders
Know someone that wants to use something more professional than their phone to record on things like nature sounds or that would like to create clear and pro-quality samples all around the city? (Yeah that’s me by the way. Still using my iPhone for this and that’s just fine for now.) Here’s a couple of ideas for that.
Zoom F3 Professional Field Recorder
(*This is a dedicated field recorder, they’ll need other gear such as microphones and cables to use it.)
The Zoom F3 is really cool. Really tiny. Really awesome. Really pro. Really.
Zoom H4n Pro 4-Track Portable Recorder
This is more of an all in one handheld solution. It’s got what it takes to keep the sound chasing person in your life happy.
7. Subscription to music distribution service
Putting your art into the world can be scary, and stressful. Just doomscroll the YouTube comments section on any synth review video and you’ll see how awful people can be. You won’t be heard if you don’t put your music out there though, and having a company distribute it for you is the way to go. DistroKid is an easy way to get your music on Spotify, Amazon, TikTok, YouTube, and many more services.
8. Subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud
Giving someone a subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud is something you should do your homework on before giving as a gift.
Some questions I’d want answered:
Are they able to use it?
Do they need it to make album artwork, videos, content for social media?
Are they willing and able to learn how to use Adobe CC?
Do they need the whole suite or just a couple of apps?
I included it here because these days, due to social media sites and their blood-thirsty algorithms, most of us have to be full-time graphic designers, videographers, editors, content creators, and every other hat you can think of, just to make tiny splashes in a sea of content.
I mean, look at my “about” page here. It looks confusing because I have to juggle a broad set of skills. I couldn’t do this without Adobe CC.
This page compares the different Adobe Creative Cloud plans you can subscribe to.
That said, there are now a lot of affordable and professional other options to using Adobe out there. Many of them are awesome and deserve a shot.
9. Music Books & Inspirational Reading
Reading is one of the best ways to ignite the creative flame. Here are a couple of ideas for you that I’ve either read or have in my to-read list on my Kindle.
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (#ad)
Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon (#ad)
Make Your Own Rules: Stories and Hard-Earned Advice from a Creator in the Digital Age by Andrew Huang (#ad)
*Make Your Own Rules isn’t out until 2024. I definitely want to read it so I shared it here.
10. Gift cards
You’ve made it through all of those suggestions and you’re still unsure what you want to get them.
Let them pick out what they need. This is the way. Here are a couple of my favorite shops.
That’s a wrap on this section. Part 2, Gifts For The Modular Synthesist In Your Life, is going to be finished up soon. I’ll post it nice and late, but right on time, like a wizard always is. (Good grief I need to stop it with the LotR references don’t I?)
Hey do me a favor. Share this post. I love you for it already.
*That’s an ad. If you click through and buy something it helps me out at no extra cost to you. I love sharing the gear that helps me out and when you purchase through one of my Amazon links I may make a commission. It helps out a ton, so thank you!