So, what's going to have you reaching for your wallet in 2014?

I really am close to having most things covered. Adding the Arturia V collection in their end of year sale added a couple of long lusted after synths. developers are going to have to come up with something special now. A lottery win would have me chasing hardware, mainly a Synthesizers.com modular.
 
Drums.
I will add Drumcore 4 lite to better utalise my Kitcore content but I think, for the moment at least, I have enough drums. So far I have even passed on The Nick Mason kit for BFD.
 
Synths.
I might be tempted by GForce's Oddity if it went 64 bit and was on sale, but I need to dig deeper into Reactor and the recently acquired Arturia synths before buying more. I would not mind upgrading my XLS3 LE to the full version but IMHO the upgrade is overpriced even before you add in the cost of the dongle.
 
Samplers and Libraries.
Sampletank 3. well lets see what it offers and what the upgrade price is. It will need to be a) Cheap or b) really bring something to the party.
 
Kontakt - I expect we will see Kontakt 6 and Komplete 10, again it will depend what's new.
 
As for libraries I would be tempted by an "Irish" bazouki or Mandocello from some one like Bolder sounds with similar features to their Mandolin. A Rikenbacker 12 string electric from Orange tree would be a dead cert as would a Strummaker 4 version of Indignus Torch.
 
Maybe Kirk Hunter Spotlight Strings if the Group buy hits 50% off, but I will need thinking about.
 
Of course Hollow Sun and Hideaway are bound to come up with something unique and cheap enough to buy on impulse.
 
Effects.
I got it covered, I have more compressors, EQs, delays, saturation, channel strips etc. than I know what to do with. that said new Pro Channel modules may be my downfall.
 
And finally
Sonar X4?

Bajan Blue
 Drumcore lite will have to be very very cheap or exceptionally different (in a good way) to make me upgrade.

It's $49, a dollar inside my cutoff point, with a $30 coupon for extra content if you are a previous Kitcore owner. Looks like there are some newer Kitpacks I do not have in Deluxe. I saw some interface screen shots somewhere but I cant find them now. There is an added mixer section with sends, effect inserts etc.

One of the Valhalla Reverbs.  I hear nothing but praise on these plugs.

Glyn Barnes
Samplers and Libraries.
Maybe Kirk Hunter Spotlight Strings if the Group buy hits 50% off, but I will need thinking about.
And finally
Sonar X4?

Probably these two if anything. And the Kirk Hunter is iffy for me.

The ARC 2 upgrade will be my first purchase @ $75 I feel it's a sound investment. ARC 1 has been veddy, veddy good to me so far. I like that ARC 2 has speaker simulations much like the Focusrite VRM. I think the combination should yield the best possible results that I'm capable of. After that it's an RME Babyface then a Warm Audio Tone Beast.  I came up with this crazy litmus test awhile back: Before I make a purchase I ask myself if I already have something that can effectively achieve the expected outcome of the purchase. Crazy....but it's been helping with the g.a.s. I really need to start clearing out stuff that I no longer need or use. Yup another litmus test: Have I used this in the last year, if the answer is no then unless I have an exceptional for keeping it, it's gotta go. Happy New Year!!!
 
Rocky

Definitely an audio interface, possibly one or two condensers, and a nice Bach 4G trombone mouthpiece.

To answer the OP's question....breathing....that alone makes me open my wallet 

Some decent orchestral scoring libraries geared toward getting massive quick results.
 
Currently looking at Symphobia or Sonokinetics.
 
Hmm, may have to ask some questions around here if anyone's using either or both of these.
I need some serious muscle in this area and pretty quickly too.
 
Cheers - Cliff

bluzdog
The ARC 2 upgrade will be my first purchase @ $75 I feel it's a sound investment.

Well yeah ... duh!  Oh wait ... I guess you meant "prudent" investment. 

I'll just dig into Bapu's wallet for whatever I need.

I might be looking at some 500 series modules and an API series lunch box or rack case. Maag EQ4s, a good bus compressor and maybe some Neve clone preamps to go in that.
 
Working on OTB mixing as well as ITB mixing capabilities.

I've got the Steven Slate plugins and I'm waiting on AAX versions from them and Universal Audio before I make my next move in software.

Definitely Sample Tank 3, maybe... Anything from Spectrasonics, INTUITION from OTS, and the upgrade to FabFilter Pro-Q Ver2. Those are the only things I'm currently aware of.
 
Glad I purchased the AKG K701 cans at the end of this year. Still made in Austria and don't have the hyped lo-mid range that my AKG 240 Studio models have.

funny... I have been asking myself that very question the last few days!

It all depends on what I bring in, project and cash wise, but my priorities for this year are:
1) return to studying composition and arranging, probably through an on-line course, but I have a few books I need to revisit. I did that in 2013 with my guitar studies, and it has worked out well, not quite as well as I had hoped, but doing it strictly on my own does had a downside... disciplie.
 
2) accept that I am not going to be able to build the purpose built studio that I'd like, and therefore finally clean up the temporary project studio so that it works better for me. It isn't a huge undertaking, but it is involved enough that I always put it off in favor of the real deal. Again discipline is required, every time I start to tackle this I end up writing or mixing or playing. Guess I have to accept some downtime.
 
3) repair all the dead gear - this past year I had four converters go up in smoke. Three are very simple repairs, I just need to sit down and get it done.
 
OK, so cash outlay for any of these is minimal... which brings us to not-so-minimal priorities...
 
4) better monitors. I've got my eyes on the Presonus Sceptre, and I should have a pair in house to audition sometime in January.
 
5) better microphone preamplifiers! There are a couple old Telefunken modules that need to be racked, and a pile of Melcor cards that need to be made into preamplifiers. Beyond that I'd love to add an MM HV-something, and maybe a Hardy. That would cover my bases.
 
6) three more ribbon microphones, a pair of Royer 121s and one of the Shure badged Tripp and Crowleys. I need to audition the Shures to pick.
 
7) probably add a couple more UA plug-ins, maybe upgrade the pair of Solo cards to a Quad? But I'm in really good shape for plug-ins now. If something earth shattering comes along I guess I'll have to rethink this<G>.
 
8) And I'm quite satisfied with most of my major tools. I may upgrade Finale from 2010 to 2014, and I'm on the fence about upgrading Melodyne. Sonar and Studio One keep me happy or sequencers, Wavelab and Sound Forge have me covered for audio editing. MIDIQuest has released an update I will probably get as well.
 
9) and then there are the libraries. I'd like to stop buying the little libraries, since that prevents me from making a major upgrade to my orchestral template. But it seems that I end up using all the little specialty libraries as soon as I get them. They add a lot of spice to most productions. I plan to pick up Realitone "The Ladies" and Kirk Hunter's new "Spoltlight Strings", just waiting for that GB to level off. The big ticket will be either the entire Cinesamples orchestra or the entire Spitfire modular series, not sure how I'll choose, and in reality I'd like to have both, but I need to start with one or the other.

So that's my plan... ask me in about 364 days how well I did with it!
 

Sonar updates and updates to Pro Channel plugs. I'm really hoping they update the PC plugs to have the fly out feature they put on the EQ. Other than that, my cup is full. (famous last words)

Hey Dave,
I'm pretty happy with my API "Lunchbox" (mounted in my rack).
I have a Great River pre (basically a Neve clone, right?).
And I picked up the AEA RPQ 500 after I bought the R84 and Royer 121.
I bought a second "Lunchbox" so I can pull the pres if I need them outside the studio.
The only down side there is now I have more "room".
Oh well, "self control", right?
I guess the point here is I'm pretty happy with the "500" stuff.
 
Tom