I agree in a way, but my epiphany has been that I need to lighten up a bit. Sure all of these new toys are distracting and I don't get near as much done as I would like or that I should, but is it fun?  Yeah it's fun! I'm having a blast screwing around with my guitar tone for days on end and playing with my 32 drum sets or whatever it's up to now. Why do I feel this need to get all of these songs recorded?...I'll probably be the only one that ever cares anyway, so it needs to be fun. I have a job.

I can see both sides of this argument. On one hand, yeah sure, life and recording was simpler and more focused on the actual making process when we had simpler tools. I did a lot of reel-to-reel recording in the 80's and there was not much else to do but hit record and lay stuff down. What were we going to do, sit around reading the manual all day? The thing has, like, 5 buttons. So a lot of actual recording got done. (Until we ran out of tape)
On the other hand, I remember seeing the very beginnings of what would become DAWs when I was studying computer music (amongst other things) in Montreal in 1992 or so, and beginning to understand where it was headed and what would become possible - of course it would have been impossible to imagine everything that it has become, but the vague outline was coming into view around then - and, well, here we are today.
 
So even though I spend far more time installing, updating, and trying to understand and effectively use the tools than I ever did when the tools were simpler, and certainly a case could be made that I do less effective creative work as a result... what I am able to do when I actually get down to it is still completely mindblowing to the teenager with the reel-to-reel that I still carry around inside, and that keeps me going. 
 
Plus most of my real work, that actually puts food on the table, is playing real instruments on stage with great musicians... so that balances things out pretty well.

I've gotten to the point where (finally) I know my tools well enough that I can work really, really fast on a computer. I've presented my "Recording/Songwriting on the Fast Track" seminar several times, and will be doing so again at Summer NAMM. The impetus for coming up with the CA-X amps is I didn't want to build a rack or even call up presets. I wanted to drag in an amp that sounds good, with a few knobs I can adjust.
 
I've also designed a whole bunch of effects chains that have one knob. Cakewalk isn't quite sure what to do with them but it's so useful to get the sound I want by rotating one knob...
 
So the irony of the situation is I'm using all this super high-tech stuff to create limits, sort of like what Mettelus says. I'm the guy who never had a problem with the Line 6 Tone Port because I don't change the amp sound after I record it. But I'm also like Konrad because if I really, really need something that goes out of the box, it's there.
 
The key to what's making me happy with making music is I just record. I don't really care about the plug-ins, if I use Melodyne I bounce immediately afterward and don't keep the editor "open," etc. All I care about is the part. If I want to go back and put in different plugs or whatever, I can...but I seldom do.

This thread really got me thinking...what sticks with me from the OP is that his friend had finished so much material because he had reached the limits of what he could alter. I believe Mettelus has identified the problem: the tools aren't so much the problem, the problem is that you can keep going forever.
 
It's the same syndrome as when George Lucas kept "touching up" Star Wars. He didn't have to, it was fine as it was. Did his touch-ups make it "better"? Arguably so. But did they enhance the emotional impact? I would say no.

Anderton
...
I've also designed a whole bunch of effects chains that have one knob. Cakewalk isn't quite sure what to do with them but it's so useful to get the sound I want by rotating one knob...
 
...

That sounds similar to the EZ Mix concept.

BobF

Anderton
...
I've also designed a whole bunch of effects chains that have one knob. Cakewalk isn't quite sure what to do with them but it's so useful to get the sound I want by rotating one knob...
 
...

That sounds similar to the EZ Mix concept.

Sorta, but I really don't want to distract from the premise of the thread, which I think is important...the point was about having limited options so you wouldn't tweak forever.

Anderton
This thread really got me thinking...what sticks with me from the OP is that his friend had finished so much material because he had reached the limits of what he could alter. I believe Mettelus has identified the problem: the tools aren't so much the problem, the problem is that you can keep going forever.
 

I think that one sums it up in a nutshell, because the "editing do loop" can run ad infinitum without commitment to the track (fear of commitment = guy thing). Please bear in mind that my epiphany does not correlate to everyone (by any means). I think an underlying component for him is that he rarely has a "sandbox" for anything.
 
This week has been both educational and entertaining for me, since one of the first emails I got from him was a guitar and amp he was eyeing. My response was, "OMG, you already have GAS!!! Let me nip this one in the bud right now... [followed by a long "why"]." He did drop an interesting perspective on me which was basically, "compose everything BEFORE you track anything." This focus definitely shines through in what he has done... tracking has specific intent for him; for me, is easy to capture an idea ad hoc and stew on it forever. Even when we first spoke the mindset of Carolyne Kaye came up in discussion a few times (i.e. the focus on the end product and doing what needs to be done to make that happen).
 
One underlying issue (for me) is if you own something, you want to use it, experiment, try it out, yada yada (i.e. the "video game" mentality). The time investment of this can be daunting to say the least (the overhead of file management just adds insult to injury). Although I have been on the "less is more" binge for a while, this week has jacked it into overdrive. I dug up an old dynamic that is not bright enough for my voice and mic'd my Carvin amp with it (first time ever, I am ashamed to say), and oh the FREEEDOM of only 8 parameters to play with (and tracks like a charm to boot). Now the distinction between "what is necessary" and "what is fluff" is getting a lot of scrutiny.
 
This thread should also be taken with a grain of salt, since it applies to a very specific work flow (guitars, vocals, drums only). It is certainly not applicable to everyone by any stretch (especially orchestral composers), but has caused me to evaluate what contributes to the end product, and what is just wasting time.
 
What does apply to everyone is an old tidbit from Franklin-Covey which is to make a master goals list and evaluate it regularly (yearly at a minimum). It is nice to challenge what you are doing (with your time) and comparing it to your long-term goals. Sadly, from a professional level I am all over this, but from a hobby level it has run amuck (for years now). 

Maybe this is related and maybe not; but a lot of modern records sound huge and I think a lot of it is effects, layering parts several times, and other such tricks.  That said, early Beatles records with a 4-piece band and sometimes doubled voices sound "huger" than some of my 60-track songs. I think it was 1-musical arrangement, 2-superb vocal parts, 3-a great sounding studio space, and 4-engineers who knew how to select and place mics.  Some will say it is tape v digital and that may be a factor but I don't think it is the major reason.
 
Random thought: We used to tell people that a lot of things sound good but not everything sounds like a record.  I still test tracks that way.  I close my eyes and try to visualize a 45-rpm record turning while I listen.  I just finished a song last week and it was the first one in a long time that popped that image into my mind.  Sorry if I am getting too mysterious and Zen here.

Great story - great post - TRUTH!!!!!!!!

This is one of those classic threads that hit a note perfectly. Everyone can relate to it. Its instant recognition upon reading. The comments are superb.