Choosing accessible, available gear over complex modular rigs lowers performance barriers without sacrificing quality

A recurring performance philosophy, demonstrated by Barker in this Against the Clock episode, is the deliberate choice to avoid modular synthesizers in favour of more accessible, readily available hardware. The reasoning is practical: accessible gear is more familiar to other musicians and easier to set up, troubleshoot, and explain. More importantly, the quality of the output is not constrained by gear complexity — as Barker states directly, ‘you don’t need all of this stuff to make good music.’ This principle counteracts gear acquisition disorder: the belief that more complex or expensive equipment produces better music. For live set design, it also means the rig is more robust and reproducible for touring.

Examples

Barker’s Against the Clock rig: Elektron Digitone + Octatrack + Faderfox + Nordrums + Keystep. Deliberately no modular — a performance made with instruments anyone can readily buy.

Assessment

Explain why a performer might deliberately exclude modular synthesis from a live rig in favour of fixed-function hardware, and describe what ‘accessible gear’ means in that context.