After wrapping up my fourth week as an Audio Engineering Intern at Pachyderm Studios, I can feel the difference in my workflow. The first two weeks were all about finding my bearings; getting used to the gears, the pace of sessions, and the studio culture. But weeks three and four? They’ve been a whole new level of technical, and I’ve been soaking it all in.
One of the biggest shifts has been working with Pro Tools, the industry-standard Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Pro Tools runs the show in countless professional studios worldwide. It’s built for precision, huge track counts, and seamless integration with high-end analog gear. At Pachyderm, it’s the hub where everything comes together: tracking, editing, mixing, and blending the analog and digital worlds.
Picture: Starting a New Pro Tools SessionUp until now, I’d only worked in DAWs like Logic Pro and Ableton Live for my personal sessions and mixes. Those tools are powerful, but getting to use and learn Pro Tools at this level is something I could only experience here at Pachyderm. It’s been eye-opening to see how it handles big, complex sessions, and how every engineer in the room speaks its language fluently.
Studio B at Pachyderm StudiosMost of my time has been in the legendary Studio A, but I’ve also been working in Studio B. It’s a little more stripped-down and less technical than Studio A, but it’s perfect for practice, overdubs, mixing, or smaller projects that don’t need the full setup. It’s been cool to see how the workflow adapts between rooms while still delivering top-tier results.
I’ve started getting more involved with outboard gear, not just patching it in, but actually understanding what it’s doing to the sound. From mic preamps that add warmth and detail, to compressors that shape the dynamic range, and EQs that sculpt tone, each piece brings its own character. I’ve also had time with classic reverb and delay units, learning how to use them in a way that feels musical rather than just sounding “effect-y.”
Outboard Gears like Distressor EL8-X, Teletronix LA-2A, Manley Manley CompressorThis is where you realize why great studios still swear by analog hardware: there’s a depth and texture to the sound that’s hard to recreate with plugins alone. Working hands-on with these tools has inspired me tremendously and sparked a lot of ideas for how I want to approach developing my own plugin for my Capstone Project.
One of the things that makes Pachyderm so unique is that it’s a residential studio. When sessions wrap, the artists and crew stay on the property, hang out, and recharge. My favorite spot is the creek that runs right through the grounds. It’s the perfect place to cool off and reset after a long day of tracking.
Beautiful Creek at Pachyderm StudiosThere’s something about working in a place where creativity doesn’t stop at the studio doors. Whether you’re running a late-night session or having a conversation by the water, it all feels part of the same creative flow.
As I move into the next phase of my internship, I’m looking forward to pushing deeper into the technical side. More Pro Tools work, more hands-on with the hardware, and more time learning from the engineers here. The combination of high-end tools, real sessions, and this one-of-a-kind environment is shaping the way I think about audio, and I can already tell it’s going to stick with me long after this internship ends.