Too much music gear can make it harder to choose where to begin, according to singer, songwriter and session musician Hazel Mills. In a MusicTech report on her Season 8 appearance on the My Forever Studio podcast, Mills calls option paralysis “very real.” Her comments make a case for preparing a few useful combinations and learning the tools you already have—not proof that owning more equipment universally reduces creativity.
Why can having more gear make it harder to create?
A studio full of choices can mean more possible sounds, but it can also leave a musician deciding which instrument, microphone, MIDI controller or plugin to use before a session gets underway. Mills says she does not usually set up all the gear she can access at once. Instead, she prefers selected combinations that are ready to use.
That is a practical response to choice, not a claim that every musician with a large setup will struggle. The MusicTech article reports Mills’ perspective and does not cite a study measuring how equipment quantity affects creativity.
What does Hazel Mills recommend?
Keep selected combinations ready
Rather than making every available tool a live option, Mills says she prefers having combinations “good to go.” A prepared setup can reduce the number of decisions between sitting down and making a sound. It also keeps other possibilities available for when a project genuinely calls for them.
The Tool Desk
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Spend time learning individual tools
Mills advocates limitations and sustained use. She says that using one piece of gear over time can teach you more than its basic operation: you may discover how you respond to it and what kinds of ideas you make with it. Her reference to using a tool for a year is an example of her approach, not a validated timeframe or a guarantee of better work.
Many options or a few ready-to-use combinations?
| Consideration | Many options set up | A few combinations ready |
|---|---|---|
| Starting a session | You can reach for a wide range of sounds immediately, but choosing among them may add a decision. | There are fewer immediate choices, which may make it simpler to begin. |
| Learning each tool | Attention may be spread across more equipment. | Repeated use can give you more time with each selected tool. |
| Sound range | More options are immediately accessible. | The available palette is narrower until you change the setup. |
| Personal fit | May feel energizing if variety helps you work. | May feel freeing if fewer choices help you focus—or restrictive if they do not. |
These are practical trade-offs, not outcomes established by a comparative test. The useful question is not whether one setup is best for everyone, but whether your available choices help you start and develop ideas or keep you occupied with selecting tools.
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How to try a more limited setup
If you are unsure whether your setup is helping, treat this as a personal experiment rather than a rule about how studios should work:
- Choose one instrument, plugin or other tool you already own.
- Prepare a small number of combinations around it so you can start without rebuilding your setup each time.
- Use that setup for a defined period that suits your projects; Mills’ year-long example is advice, not a required duration.
- Notice whether sessions are easier to start, whether you spend more time learning the tool, and whether you finish ideas more readily.
- Keep the approach only if it suits your work. Add or swap tools when a project has a specific need.
Should you buy more music gear?
Mills’ comments suggest pausing to ask what a purchase is meant to solve. If you are looking for a new sound, first consider whether equipment you already own could provide it once you spend more time exploring its capabilities. If a particular project needs a tool your setup cannot provide, adding one may still make sense.
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The MusicTech article discusses broad categories—MIDI controllers, keyboards, microphones and plugins—but does not recommend a specific product. It reports that the podcast episode was made in partnership with Audient; that production context does not, by itself, establish an endorsement of particular gear.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about Mills’ comments?
MusicTech attributes the remarks to Mills in its report on Season 8 of My Forever Studio. The podcast episode itself was not independently reviewed for this account, so the claims here are limited to what MusicTech reports. Her advice is best understood as one musician’s working preference, not a universal formula for creativity.
Quick Recap
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