I'm primarily a guitar/bass player. But I've also had several different synthesizers and sequencers over the years, and eventually got seduced by eurorack modular within the past year. So, I do consider myself a newbie around here. Anyway... Really enjoyed this discussion and it got me thinking...
Philosophically, I have always felt that the SONG was king. And, I know lots of folks feel the same. IOW, it could be a crap recording played on a $100 pawn shop guitar. As long as it's a good song, it will still be a good song. Likewise, playing a weak, uninspired song on a $5K Hummingbird is never going to make it a good song. So, good music, a good song isn't ultimately about the gear.
But, I start to wrestle a little bit with that idea when it comes to modular synths. Especially as someone who is still learning some of the basics, it often feels like the gear itself actually has a huge influence on the music that comes out. Add a new module to the rack and it can inspire new sounds you never imagined. Realize a new way to patch things up and the gear is now a major part of the inspiration for the next awesome new song that you create. It actually is about the gear.
I'm not saying it's good or bad. I just think it's interesting. Maybe a little bit of a paradox.