Let’s get physical

It’s easy to think of our computer and peripherals as the only gear we need to keep in good running order. But there’s a much more important piece of equipment that can easily be overlooked: you! Failure to take care of yourself can lead to poor productivity and disappointing results.

Sitting in a poor position for hours on end could be detrimental to both your music and your longterm health. You risk spinal issues, most obviously, but there are other issues too – for example, with the wrong desk height, you could stress your wrists when using the mouse and keyboard. So get an adjustable chair that supports and feels good to you. You want your back straight, elbows near your body, and your forearms and thighs to be at least a 90 degree angle to your upper arms and body. Up to around 120 degrees is fine. Get a desk that allows you to have the screen about an arm’s length away, with the top around eye height. Set your speakers so the tweeter is at ear level – move the speakers to suit you, not the other way around.

Good lighting helps avoid eye strain, headaches and general fatigue. Natural light is best, but try a natural light lightbulb for out-of-hours work. If you prefer the gently lit ‘studio cave’ vibe, try fairy lights, lava lamps, and a soft light behind your screen (called

bias lighting). Set your DAW’s colour palette and your monitor’s brightness/contrast appropriately. Also try f.lux, a handy app which adapts your display’s colour temperature to the time of day.

“Failure to take care of yourself can lead to poor productivity”