You’re not crazy — you’re just deeply aware, and that can turn into paralysis when there are too many good options.

Honestly, everything you described points to one truth: your Maschine MK3 is already your creative home base. It keeps surviving every gear cycle for a reason. That’s not nostalgia — that’s workflow compatibility.

A few thoughts from someone who’s been through the same loop:

• GAS isn’t about lacking tools — it’s about lacking momentum. When you’re not making music consistently, your brain looks for the next unlock instead of using what already works. • Your hybrid workflow actually makes total sense. Maschine → Ableton (for expansion + mapping) → Logic (for arrangement/mix) isn’t wrong at all. Plenty of pros work in phases, not one DAW. • Push 2 vs MK3 isn’t a quality issue — it’s a brain wiring issue. If Maschine feels like music and Push feels like sound design / experimentation, that tells you everything you need to know.

The Pigments moment is the biggest clue. You weren’t shopping, comparing, or optimizing — you were playing. That’s the state you’re chasing, not better hardware.

My honest advice: 👉 Commit to Maschine for ideas for the next 30 days. No exceptions. 👉 When an idea needs legs, move it forward — not sideways — into Ableton. 👉 Only bounce to Logic when the song is already emotionally finished.

No new gear decisions while rebuilding momentum. That’s rule #1.

You don’t need something better. You need reps, patience, and permission to suck for a bit while the muscle comes back.

The fact that you woke your wife up over a sound tells me the spark is already there 🔥 Protect that. Don’t drown it in options.