Research your studio’s chair more than your monitors

This is my chair. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

A few years ago, after my 7^th car accident in L.A. (none of them my fault, by the way), I decided to go to a Chiropractor because once in a while, my back would just go out on me for no good reason. He recommended that I see a massage therapist regularly and that’s exactly what I did.

One of the cool things about seeing a massage therapist regularly is that eventually, they start dropping good knowledge on you. My therapist says she is often asked by clients what they can do to make their backs feel better, and her answer is always the same: you should spend as much money as you can on a good bed and a good chair, especially the one you spend long hours sitting on.

A comment that stuck out to me was that another client of hers, a freelance graphic designer once commented how easier ideas came and that he was able to work longer hours without feeling fatigued, and that his upper back and neck problems had been reduced. You can imagine how this applies to working on audio.

Here are some tips on purchasing a new chair:

• Like with a new bed, you should try out a chair before buying it.
• Chairs that allow you to adjust everything from lumbar support to armrest height and reclining tension are expensive, but worth it because of the many customizing options.
• A good chair will last a good 5 years. Look for chairs that have 3-5 year warranties and are made using comfortable yet durable materials.
• Avoid chairs that only let you adjust height. You’ll quickly begin to adjust your back to fit on that chair, instead of adjusting the chair to your natural way of sitting.

Choosing the right chair that will let you work for long hours can take a good amount of research. Oh, with regards to your studio monitors: Like your back, your ears are unique in shape, so monitor recommendations from others won’t mean you’ll like them as well.

These days, thanks to computer-aided designs (CAD), many companies offer near flat reproducing speakers that no longer cost an arm and a leg. The thing is that every room is different, then every set of ears are different and so all speakers will sound slightly different depending on these and other factors. What you then need to do, is just spend a lot of time listening. Eventually, you’ll become very familiar with your setup and your mixes will translate better everywhere (meaning, they won’t be too difficult to master for translation).