We hope that you enjoyed our last Employee Spotlight, which featured our beloved Dan Erickson. This time, we’re going to shine some light on one of the most unique and expressive members of the 64 Audio lab team – Dave Chenk.
Dave Chenk has worked for 64 Audio for almost three years. According to him, that technically makes him “an old man at 64.”
Dave was one of 64’s first impression technicians, responsible for trimming raw impressions of customers’ ears into the signature shape of a finished 64 Audio IEM. Now, instead of working with the physical impressions, Dave uses a computer program to transform 3-D scanned impressions into digital 3-D IEM shells. The program that Dave uses is one that our technicians learned to operate from scratch, pioneering 64 Audio’s use of the 3-D digital technology to suit our unique purpose. Dave states,
“Just over time, we started thinking up ideas. Okay, how can we be more productive?”
One of those answers was Dave’s “3-bore system.” Thanks to Dave’s creative contribution, trimmers can now place all three bores in the IEM’s canal at once instead of individually. This, along with other developments, helped the 3-D team become as efficient as it is now. “It took a long time,” Dave tells us, “but we finally made it work and everything is just like smooth sailing now.”
When asked to talk about his job, Dave highlighted aspects like the creativity required in his work:
“You have to be really creative. Sometimes the bores won’t fit and you have to figure out how to make it work.”
Dave is so successful at this creative problem solving because, according to him, he “just know[s] how the ear works.” Dave’s creative personality and digital work station make him a perfect candidate for working from home. This gives him a lot of flexibility in his work hours and environment. Dave works everyday, but sometimes it’s early, and sometimes it’s late. Sometimes he blasts his music, and other times he works in peaceful quiet. He says, “When I’m going to feel more productive, I’m going to work then.”
When Dave chooses to work with music in the background, it’s safe to say that he listens with one of two pairs of 64 Audio IEMs. When we asked him about his A8s and A10s, he told us,
“I love them. I flippin’ love them.”
Dave got his A8s first and says that his first impression was that they were pretty thick. “If you’re a drummer, go for the A8,” he says, “Basses, go for the A8.” His A10s are really his favorite pair, though. According to Dave, “[The] A10 has more clarity. I feel like there is a great balance between low, mid, and high. The A10s are my ideal ones.” Yet Dave also told us that he has his eye on the A6s for his next pair.
Dave’s enthusiasm for his IEMs seems to be part of a great passion for music. His favorite band is Coldplay, but we can’t give you a favorite song or even album – he just couldn’t choose: “You can’t do that [pick a favorite song]. Every song is magical and it does stuff to me…Favorite album? All of them. I’m an enthusiast of Coldplay.”
Dave also plays and creates music of his own. He plays drums for a brand new start-up church twice a week and writes his own music besides that. When asked what he fills his free time with, he answered
“Music. I just play all the time. I just write. That’s my joy.”
64 Audio is proud to have such a creative, passionate technician working in the lab (even if he isn’t always in the lab). Dave always brings his creativity to the table, whether he’s working, dancing in the break room, drumming on his work station, or writing his own music in his free time. We can’t wait to see what Dave comes up with next!
