Audio Production

Inspiration Strikes on Lack of Sleep

September 25, 2008 One of the most useful skills that an audio engineer can learn, beyond recognizing subtle frequency imbalances, routing dozens of impeccably-recorded tracks through sexy outboard gear, or knowing about every microphone ever made, is the ability to work on little or no sleep. When I play one of my mixes for someone, one of the first things they might say is, "Oooooh! Sounds good...it sounds like you were awake for about 35 hours straight." And I'll say, "Absolutely. See how the snare almost sounds like a gunshot inside an igloo? You simply can't get that kind of sound if you're well-rested. Your judgment is too...normal."

I've found that in the would of audio geekery – at least in the crowds I run with – there is an unspoken competition between engineers: who can abuse and/or neglect their health the most in pursuit of undeniable sounds. I know engineers who purchase four-packs of Red Bull in preparation for 20+ hour mix sessions, down all four cans before the compressors are even patched, and maybe catch a quick one hour nap before doing it all again the next day. 

My personal abuse goes something like this: Get to CDIA at 8:30 am, teach until 4:30 pm, get a couple hours of tech work in before driving into Cambridge to mix live sound at the Lizard Lounge (I am a house engineer) and get back home at roughly 3:00 am. Set alarm clock for 6:30 am. Rinse and repeat.

If I'm not at CDIA, I might have an all-day tracking or mix session at my studio, Ample-Fi Recording, in Winchester, MA. Miraculously, I managed to build a studio in a converted church (I live in the lower level) with a live room bigger than I could ever need and a grand piano better than I could ever afford. On those days, my commute to the control room is about 8 feet, but the hours are just as long if not longer. The only difference is that at home I can work in my underwear if I want. 

I can honestly say that if a day goes by where I do nothing audio-related, for either work or personal use, there is a noticeable void accompanied by an overall feeling of worthlessness and self-loathing. I realize that this is not normal.

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