Dan Erickson has been a part of the 64 Audio family for almost two years now. Prior to coming to work for 64 Audio, he was repairing hearing aids for an audiologist. Not only did he arrive with a strong familiarity with repairs, but he boasts nearly 30 years of experience in the hearing industry.
A couple of years ago, when Dan first came on board, every shell was poured by hand instead of printed with 3D technology. Dan was the technician who surfaced and drilled each empty IEM shell. He still does that for IEMs from previous generations that have been returned due to damage. Dan also inspects each newly printed shell as an early-action quality control before the shells are filled with components. Finally, Dan is one of the most critical technicians in 64 Audio’s repairs department.
Even in the good old days before 64 Audio’s 3D technology, Dan had a sense for innovation that increased the efficiency of his work station. He shared:
“When I first started drilling, I did make some tools that helped along with that process. I designed my own tools for doing things faster. It just made it easier for me.”
“When they used to take and notch out the areas for the socket, they used to use just one spinning blade. And I thought, well, why don’t we just make you know like a shaving disk this exact size?…For me, that was easier. We still use that today. It’s fast – it takes a second. Before, I used to clock Andre doing it and it would take him a minute to do two.“
When asked about the biggest challenges that he faces at his station, Dan focused on the repairs department. Out of all of his responsibilities here in the lab, this station is the one that demands the most of him.
“The business has more than doubled since I have been here. So on the repair end, when I first started learning repairs… I think we were getting in about ten in a week. Now…last week was 30 and this week I think I have 23 or 24, and we have one more day to go.”
“Some of the repairs you can only do so fast – you can’t rush them. If you rush them, you might bust a shell, so you have to take your time and do it the best you can.”
Time management is definitely a challenge sometimes in a growing company, but Dan likes the busy atmosphere. He tells his wife,
“If a little bit of chaos breaks out at work, that’s a fun day. You get to go around and solve problems. It’s exciting and I like solving problems – it’s satisfying.”
Dan actually sees his busy work day as one of the enjoyable parts of his job. As for his favorite aspect of working for 64 Audio, he couldn’t pick just one. “There’s a lot of things,” Dan says, “it’s not just one thing.”
And for music, the answer is similar. “You know what, I couldn’t pick any [favorite type/genre]. I love all types of music,” Dan decided. He did, however, list Christian, rock, metal, older tunes, and pop as some of his stand-outs. For listening to his diverse choices of music, Dan enjoys a pair of 64 Audio U8s. He recognizes the limitations of his universals, since they don’t offer the same seal as a custom IEM, but he had good things to say about them regardless:
“Oh, they’re awesome…they’re just fabulous.”
Like many 64 Audio employees, Dan’s passion for music extends beyond listening. He started playing the drums early in his teenage years and continued throughout high school in a band. Since then, life has left Dan less time to drum, but he’s looking forward to getting another drum set one of these days.
Dan’s other hobbies outside of work include a lot of outdoor adventure. He loves to camp and fish in the great outdoors, especially at his favorite location – Kingsley Reservoir. Kingsley is also a good spot for him to enjoy his two motorcycles (a ‘78 XL Honda and a ‘79 KX 250) and his three ATVs. And when his classic bikes are in need of some TLC, Dan enjoys taking them apart and putting them back together again.
Dan’s last comments about working for 64 Audio were these:
“I enjoy working here. I was a little apprehensive at first because I came in and it was a very young crowd. But I was surprised – what a nice bunch of young men and ladies. I thought that was pretty cool.”
We think Dan is pretty cool too, and the 64 Audio family is lucky to have him.
We are glad that we got this opportunity to show him off.
