Goodbye, My First Companion

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen.

In a certain spring day of 2024,I made up my mind to take my music more seriously than ever before, and purchased— for the first time in my life—an audio interface.A device essential for smooth monitoring and recording, though, honestly, I didn’t really understand what it truly did at the time. I just thought, “Well, I guess you need one,” and bought it.

Back then, I had no confidence in how well I could do this, or how long I could keep doing it. I couldn’t even imagine buying a high-end, expensive model. This one, I heard, was considered a budget-friendly entry-level interface. Not even new—I got it second-hand for $120.

ATH-M50x

To complete the budget setup,I bought a used ATH-M50x for $90—a headphone also considered a cost-effective beginner’s pick. lol

So in total, I had spent under $230 for the entire gear I needed to start making music. It was just enough that I could walk away from this path at any time without feeling like I’d lost too much.That was the kind of minimal investment I made in myself.

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen. + ATH-M50x

And now, I’m about to say goodbye to these two sentimental pieces of equipment that were there at the very beginning of my musical journey.

I never really felt they lacked anything in performance, but recently, I found myself wanting just a bit more clarity, a bit more precision—so I decided to upgrade.

I’ve already replaced both the interface and the headphones with new models, installed and ready to go.

Afterward, as you see in the photo above, I put away my old gear on a shelf. And then,all of a sudden, I was hit with this warm wave of nostalgia and affection.

Inside this interface and these headphones are fragments of a young composer’s anxious heart—a heart that, while igniting the wick of passion for a new challenge, was also trembling with fear at the unknown trials that lay ahead.

They carry the weight of the past year—the countless, unresolved problems that shattered me, the despair and helplessness, the maddening urge to control the uncontrollable, the self-consuming obsession, the unbearable mental turmoil and hysteria that erupted in the process.

And yet, also embedded in them are those indescribably euphoric moments when, lost in unconscious flow at the piano, I would summon a beautiful motif from somewhere deep within, and perform it with exactly the nuance and touch I envisioned.

In those moments, I was overwhelmed—possessed—by a creative ecstasy and artistic pleasure more intense than anything else in life. That fiery artistic spirit of mine lives in this gear.

Given how densely packed this past year was,maybe it’s only natural that I feel so deeply reluctant and melancholic to suddenly part ways with the one companion who stayed by my side throughout the journey.

I think I’ll keep them on the upper shelf in my room for a while, where I can still see them whenever I want.

You’ve done well. Thank you for being with me from the beginning, my dear companions in music. Goodbye!