Audeze speaks with songwriter and producer Scott Hansen of Tycho

Audeze speaks with songwriter and producer Scott Hansen of Tycho

"The LCD-X are the first headphones I've found with the accuracy, low frequency response and soundstage to truly replace a studio monitoring environment." - Scott Hansen

Here's our talk with Scott:

Can you pick out any favorites from your work that you're particularly proud of?

A Walk
Awake

How would you define your main role on most of the projects you work on?

Songwriter, composer, producer, recording engineer

How did you get started in music? What kind of music did you listen to while growing up and how has that progressed?

When I was 20 I started listening to Drum n' Bass and it got me really interested in how it was made. I bought my first drum machine and sampler soon after and slowly progressed into other instruments.

Can you name any factors you feel majorly influenced the course of your musical life? Heroes, role models, moments, interactions, etc?

Hearing Boards of Canada's "BOC Maxima" for the first time was definitely an awakening. Their sound along with the emotion of Ulrich Schnauss' compositions served as the foundation I built from as a musician starting out.

Can you briefly describe a moment of frustration from your past work, and what you may have done to overcome the obstacles? Would you approach it differently now?

I think it's always difficult to find ways to evolve and change and to stay inspired as an artist. For me changing up the process and tools helps keep me interested. Every phase of my evolution has been defined by one mode of operation or another and I'm always trying to iterate on that. I think overall I wish I had stayed more organized and focused at times, I tend to get overwhelmed by things when I get deeper into the process of creating an album and it's kind of that "stitch in time" thing where a little bit of attention and organization early on would have saved me a ton of headache later.

Is there any gear you find yourself turning to most when working on a project? What are some of your favorite tools/instruments recently?

The Minimoog Model D, Fender Precision Bass and Gibson Les Paul have always been my kind of desert island instruments. Lately I've really been getting into FX pedals. I was always into outboard FX but there's so much more interesting and innovative stuff going on in the pedal world these days than the old rackmount stuff I was used to.

Do you have any words of wisdom for people who might aspire toward a similar path for their own careers?

Time and pressure. Nothing comes easy and it takes focus and determination over many years to even approach a mastery of your craft. If you put in the time and energy it will always come back to you several fold.

How long have you been working with headphones, and how do you typically use them in your workflow?

Since the very beginning headphones have been a huge part of my process. Early on it was just out of necessity, having roommates, not being able to afford proper monitoring, etc. But over time I realized there's a level of detail and focus that can be applied to the music when using headphones as your primary monitors. I think now that has found its way into my sound and I'm always looking to create compositions that open up and reveal a deeper dimension when experienced on headphones.

The LCD-X are the first headphones I've found with the accuracy, low frequency response and soundstage to truly replace a studio monitoring environment. They have allowed me a great deal of freedom to work wherever I please and have led to better mixes in general. Even in my treated mixing room I find myself reaching for them as my primary monitoring source.