Engineer and journalist Russ Long presents an in-depth evaluation of the popular new studio chair-of-choice
Why This Matters: Every engineer needs to be concerned with the chair they sit it all day (and sometimes night). Getting yet another first hand review from a working engineer helps explain why so many industry pros love the PhantomFocus eChair™.
Published in the June 2017 Issue of Pro Sound News – ProAudio Review section
CARL TATZ PHANTOMFOCUS ECHAIR
Nashville, TN: World-renowned studio designer Carl Tatz could easily be described as the Frank Lloyd Wright of studio design. In the same way Wright went so far as to design eveningwear for the owner of the homes he designed to wear when entertaining guests, Tatz goes far beyond room acoustics speaking into every aesthetic and ergonomic factor from color selection and lighting design to work surface choice and seating. It’s no secret that an aesthetically and ergonomically comfortable space can yield more productive work and longer work hours without fatigue so it only makes sense for Tatz to speak strongly into these areas alongside the acoustical design.
I’ve had the opportunity to work and audition several of Tatz’s proprietary PhantomFocus monitoring system equipped spaces and they are sonically spectacular so I knew that for a chair to be worthy of the PhantomFocus name, it’s surely worth my attention. Two weeks ago the Silver Mesh Porcelain PhantomFocus eChair arrived at my doorstep in a 23-inch x 23.5-inch x 18-inch box. Assembly was quick and easy taking less than 10 minutes and not requiring any tools. Fine-tuning the abundance of controls on the chair to one’s physique took that much time again. Tatz recommends watching the video on his store site that details all of the chair’s controls and I couldn’t agree more. In the video, Steven Knight, the chair’s designer and former Le Mans racecar driver (and winner!) meticulously describes the chairs features and how to properly make adjustments. The chair is available in three finishes making it easily adaptable to any studio’s décor.
While the Herman Miller Aeron chair has long been a studio staple, it simply doesn’t provide any kind of lumbar support when leaning forward over a console or workspace. Although extremely comfortable, the eChair is truly a “work chair” as its unique design continues to provide lumbar support even while leaning forward over a console or work area. I’m never crazy about working a 15 or 16 hour day but they do happen from time to time and the eChair is the first chair I’ve ever used that allows me to work a day that long without any back fatigue whatsoever. Even though making the jump from the Aeron to the eChair feels like upgrading from a Toyota to a Lexus, the eChair actually has a smaller price tag.
When it’s all said and done, if you are going to spend more than eight hours in a chair each day, it’s critical that you are comfortable so your focus can be completely on the music rather than on your discomfort. I’ve been engineering for nearly three decades at this point and I’ve never sat on a chair more comfortable than the eChair. If you haven’t experienced the PhantomFocus eChair, you owe it to yourself (and your back) to check one out.
Carl Tatz Design: PhantomFocus eChair
$559
shop.carltatzdesign.com
For more information about Carl Tatz Design LLC and the PhantomFocus™ System, please contact Carl Tatz Design LLC, 6666 Brookmont Terrace, Suite #1109, Nashville, TN 37205 Office: 615.354.6242, Direct: 615.400.5479
Email: carl@carltatzdesign.com
Web: www.carltatzdesign.com
Store: shop.carltatzdesign.com
Porcelain Chorme eChair™ installed at Russ Long’s personal studio