Staying Focused and Energized in the Studio

Studio engineers are a rare breed. There are not many professions which involve shifts that can start any time, end any time, and last up to 24 hours (or more), sometimes without any advance notice at all. Even at Wizkid Sound, where we generally schedule all of our sessions, we still have deadlines that often require us to stay up all night editing and mixing. And whether scheduled or not, producing/engineering/mixing requires intense focus and energy for many long, tedious hours.

The combination of this work flow and accompanying lack of sleep is not natural, and engineers have discovered a plethora of focus and energy aids to maintain productivity under such conditions. From coffee to cocaine, they have tried virtually everything that may give them the mental fortitude to keep going when the body says no.

This is a list of some methods and products I have tried, as well as my experiences and opinions of each as a viable aid in the studio. I have also rated each on a 1-10 scale in four different categories (1 being the worst and 10 the best): Focus, Energy, Mood, and Health. By “health” I am referring to each aid’s impact on your physical health. These are my personal experiences of course, so I don’t expect them to apply universally, but I hope they help others in search of that studio “edge.”

Disclaimer: some of the substances discussed below are illegal, dangerous, or both. This article is a description of the author’s own personal experiences, and should not be viewed as an endorsement for any kind of illegal or unsafe activities, in the studio, or elsewhere.

1. Eating Right and Exercising – Let’s get this out of the way first. It’s just not possible in the studio. If you have time to exercise and prepare healthy food you’re not an engineer. You’re a hobbyist. Eat a burger and sit your flabby ass back in front of that computer screen.

(Focus= N/A Energy= N/A Mood= N/A Health= N/A)

2. Coffee – It’s the industry standard and the bane of every studio intern’s existence. I know lots of engineers can swill the blackest coffee all night without ill effect, but I find it hard to believe they are focused. I tend to get anxiety from highly caffeinated drinks like coffee, which is no good for concentration. It has been well documented that drinking small doses of caffeine over a number of hours is the best way to maintain focus without the jitters and anxiety. I suggest pouring small cups and refilling during breaks.

(Focus= 5 Energy= 6 Mood= 5 Health= 3 )

3. Soda – It has less caffeine than coffee, but is generally full of sugar. This causes the familiar “sugar high” and the familiar “sugar crash” very soon after. Again, I do know people that chug one Mountain Dew after another with reportedly no ill effects, but I secretly wonder what all that yellow #5 dye is doing to their testicles. For me, soda does more harm than good.

(Focus= 3 Energy= 3 Mood= 4 Health= 1)

4. Yerba Mate - This is a plant from South America that is usually made into a tea and brewed. You can usually find it at your farmer’s market or natural foods store. It’s effects are similar caffeine but I’ve found the energy to be much cleaner and longer lasting. However, too much will still cause anxiety and jitters. Again…moderation is the key.

(Focus= 7 Energy= 6 Mood= 7 Health= 8 )

5. Five, Six, and Eight Hour Energy Shots – Regardless of the specific number, all these “multiple hour” energy shots do the same thing. They all work by delivering a massive dose vitamin B3, or niacinamide (up to 12,000% of your daily recommended value!) Other ingredients are similar to regular canned energy drinks, but in my experience the huge dose of B3 completely overpowers anything you’d normally get from an energy drink. In addition to anxiety and jitteryness, I found the claimed “alertness,” was more of a cloudy stupor than a wide-awake focus. These drinks also had some nasty intestinal effects I won’t go into.

(Focus= 1 Energy= 6 Mood= 1 Health= 1)

6. Redline RTD – DO NOT EVER DRINK THIS! – It was quite simply the worst feeling I have gotten from any drink, ever, including tequila. Upon further research, I found that it is meant for hardcore muscle-heads and it was developed to replace the market for the banned substance Ephedra, which was linked to some athlete’s deaths. I couldn’t recognize half the ingredients in this stuff, but the multiple paragraph warning label on the bottle is so scary that I didn’t even want to find out. Regardless, it is not a typical “energy” drink and should not even be sold anywhere near products like Red Bull and Full Throttle. A quick Google search will yield hundreds of similar awful experiences to mine. The message to normal energy drink consumers is clear: Stay away!

(Focus= 1 Energy= 10 Mood= 1 Health= death)

7. Red Bull Energy Shot – This is the only energy “shot” I have found that doesn’t include the massive dose of niacinamide that characterizes other energy shots. Its active ingredients are very similar to Red Bull, which I still believe to be the most clean and effective energy of all the canned energy drinks. The shots have the same long term, even-keeled energy. Plus, they only have 80mg of caffeine, so no jitters. Highly recommended.

(Focus= 8 Energy= 6 Mood= 8 Health= 5)

8. Adderall – For those of you not familiar, Adderall is a prescription ADHD medication. Besides its prescribed purpose of doping up perfectly normal school children, it is commonly used by college students to stay up all night and cram for tests or write papers at the last minute. I used it in college for this purpose, and recently I got a legitimate prescription. However, before I discuss this any further, I want to point out that Adderall is a powerful amphetamine drug which has wide reaching psychological effects and is also addictive (and illegal if not prescribed to you). If it hasn’t been prescribed to you by a licensed physician that has assessed your psychological health, DON’T DO IT!

Adderall has been described as a miracle drug for productivity. I can vouch for that. Here are some of the positive effects I’ve experienced in the studio: unbreakable focus, compelling interest in your projects, completion of process oriented tasks, retention of knowledge, uninterrupted editing for four or five hours, desire to learn new techniques, and the ability to stay up all night without feeling tired. Unfortunately, I’ve experienced some of Adderall’s negative side effects as well: harsh comedown, irritability, obsessive thinking, mindlessness, social anxiety, inability to sleep, rapid tolerance development, and appetite suppression among others.

Adderall XR and Vyvanse are longer lasting versions of the pills, which release measured amounts of the drug over a number of hours. My experience has been that they generally offer the same effects, but you are really stuck with those effects, both positive and negative, for much longer. I don’t suggest taking these at night or for typical daily sessions because they tend to keep going much longer than you want and can keep you from sleeping.

(Focus= 10 Energy= 9 Mood= 7 Health= 2)

9. Provigil (Modanfil) – Provigil is a new type of prescription drug used to treat narcolepsy. It is starting to be prescribed off-label to professional types who want to stay up and alert for extended periods of time to work (often multiple days). I’m not entirely clear on how Provigil works but it somehow affects the chemical mechanisms deep inside your central nervous system to maintain your awake and alert state, and prevent the reactions that induce sleep. I tried a Provigil sample from my doctor and it did keep me alert and awake as prescribed, but with a slight tinge of anxiety. Staying up for over 24 hours also exhibited itself in some adverse physical effects, such as body aches and sore stomach (which are normally repaired while sleeping). I probably won’t get a prescription for Provigil anytime soon but I will say that this new class of drugs seems very promising because they do not have many of the undesirable side effects of amphetamines.

(Focus=5 Energy=5 Mood=3 Health=2)

10. Nicotine – Despite the common claim that cigarettes relieve stress and calm you down, nicotine is a stimulant. I had heard from a couple of sources that nicotine as a drug can increase alertness and focus, so I purchased some nicotine gum (the stop smoking aid) to try it out. (I actually don’t smoke, and never have. Inhaling burning fumes into your lungs is fucking retarded.)

As a non-smoker, the first thing I felt was a wooziness and a bit of nausea. But I discovered that you are not supposed to chew nicotine gum like real gum, as it releases the drug too quickly. It’s negative effects became much more subdued as I learned to chew slowly for a few seconds and then keep the gum in my cheek. If I’m careful, I can get a noticeable boost of focus (but not much energy), without too much of a negative affect.

Keep in mind that nicotine is the most addictive substance on earth. You generally have to use it consistently for a number of months before getting hooked, but once you do, you’re really hooked. If you don’t experience any positive benefit from nicotine initially there’s no reason to keep trying (especially if you’re smoking).

(Focus=6 Energy=2 Mood=5 Health=1)

11. Alcohol – A nice scotch or cold beer can take the edge off a stressful session, especially when the artists are also drinking. Rob and I have had some great bonding with bands in the studio after having a few beers. But drinking impairs your judgment, which is a key component in production and mixing. You shouldn’t do anything important that requires judgment or decision-making while drinking in the studio. You will probably regret it. I’ve also found that my frequency and pitch recognition are seriously distorted when I drink. As you can guess, this might be detrimental in the studio. Basically, I think it’s cool to drink near the end of a long stressful day as you are winding down (or switching to party-mode). Otherwise, don’t do it.

(Focus=2 Energy=6 Mood=10 Health=2)

12. Marijuana – I know some engineers that claim marijuana allows them to concentrate and calms them down. I’ve never experienced a high like this, so I just have to take their word for it. If you want to try smoking marijuana, it’s pretty easy to find. I’m not saying you should do it, I’m just saying it’s pretty funny how much weed there is out there, and how easy it is to get. Even for children. That’s all I’m saying. Remember that smoking anything around your equipment is a great way to ruin it and cut its resale value in half. I know that some hip-hop “Producas” and rappers feel the need to smoke in the studio to get that “swagger,” and I won’t argue as long as they own their equipment. You can judge the music quality yourself.

(Focus=1 Energy= 1 Mood=2 Health=1)

13. Staying Hydrated – It sounds lame and clichéd, but staying hydrated is important at all times, not just when exercising. I’ve never gotten any specific boost from drinking water, but I do know how I feel when I avoid drinking it. For early morning hangover sessions, chugging two bottles of water or Gatorade will do much more for you than a cup of coffee. We have a huge Brita filter tank in our fridge at Wizkid Sound, so deliciously refreshing ice-cold agua is always on tap. Considering that pretty much everything else we’ve talked about thus far is bad for you, you might as well give your body something to pee it out with.

(Focus=5 Energy=5 Mood=5 Health=10)

That’s my list. If any of you other engineers out there have had any notable experiences with studio “aids” in the past, please comment. I’m always open to new ideas and new methods in the never ending search for the Holy Grail of studio energy. I’m also dedicated to the physical health and safety of all my studio brethren, so any additional information on the risks associated with some of the drugs and products people may be tempted to use is always greatly appreciated.