Do you really need that DAW update?

This post was first published in May 2014 at projectstudiohandbook.com/PSHforum

This week a tempting message appeared on our screen to let us know a shiny new update was available for our DAW software. On closer inspection it promised a long list of bug fixes and several tempting new features.

But as our mouse hovered over the "Install" button, we hesitated. Something in our subconscious was telling us updating may not be such a good idea.

But why? Our computer is plenty powerful enough. Eight CPU cores which rarely register more than 20% use. We never experience CPU engine overloads, latency is respectable, drivers firing on all cylinders. Hadn't experienced any bugs. What's not to like?

We still think of our computer as recent. Well, isn't it? we asked ourselves. A quick look through our Sainsbury's bag of assorted capital expenditure receipts revealed that we actually bought it in 2011. That's 3 long computer years ago. And we all know what this means.

The new update will be geared towards current or recent machines, potentially with twice the power of ours, and capable of taking advantage of all those new GPU routines which will slowly but surely start to slow our computer to a crawl. Before long, our perfectly good system will be reduced to a quivering wreak, begging us to return to the good old days of hyper-threading, PCI express, and standard resolution displays.

And those shiny new features, will we actually use any of them? We haven't used many from the last update.

The truth is that upgrading gear gives us the illusion of forward progression towards our musical goals. But usually it really isn't. It's just a delaying tactic we employ to put off the challenge of "coming up with something good". Composing, arranging and recording are dangerous activities! Failure, humiliation and indifference await us at every turn. 

So we made a new resolution. We would rise to the challenge! Delay no longer. We would call the singer. Book the sax player. Lick that rough groove into shape with a few filtered samples. Rehearse the bass player. Warm up the amps. Set-up the mic's. Finish those lyrics off .. yeah!

We installed the update. 

Thanks for reading.
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