- The One Man Band is a Dylan’s Sketchbook puzzle in the Central Zone — one of 11 needed for the Work-Life Balance trophy.
- It is located inside the Collector’s Apartment on the southwestern side of Central Manhattan.
- You need the Shift ability before you can reach this area of Central — unlock it via The Incursion Fault first.
- The puzzle requires placing five instruments on their matching stands around the stage rug in the living room.
- Instruments are scattered across the living room and bedroom — nothing is hidden far away.
- Once all five stands are filled, press R3 to Draw and unlock the Live on Stage Sketchbook entry.
What Is the One Man Band Puzzle in Control Resonant?
The One Man Band puzzle is part of Dylan’s Sketchbook, a collectible side activity in Control Resonant. There are 11 Sketchbook scenes scattered across Manhattan. At each one, Dylan finds a staged tableau that has been disturbed — props scattered out of place. Your job is to put everything back together and then draw the finished scene.
The One Man Band is the Central Zone entry, and its scene is a band rehearsal setup in an abandoned apartment. Five instruments have been knocked off their stands and left around the room. Place them all back and sketch the completed band to unlock the Live on Stage Sketchbook drawing in your Archives.
Finishing all 11 Sketchbook scenes earns the Work-Life Balance Silver trophy on PlayStation (40 Gamerscore on Xbox).
Requirements Before Starting
You need the Shift traversal ability before you can reach this part of Central. The Collector’s Apartment sits in a section of the zone that requires Shift to access. Without it, you will hit a dead end on the way there.
Shift is unlocked by completing The Incursion Fault in the West Incursion Zone Parking Garage. If you have not done that yet, our West Incursion Zone Resonant guide walks through the full route including unlocking Shift.
Where to Find the One Man Band Puzzle — Collector’s Apartment Location
The puzzle is inside the Collector’s Apartment building on the southwestern side of Central Manhattan, near the Central Supply Route Station and the Museum of Curiosities. You will likely pass this building naturally while progressing The Complete Set side story, which also takes you here for a different reason.
From the Field Office fast travel door in Central, head southwest. Look for a residential apartment building with a green light above the entrance. Enter through the front door, run down the hallway, and climb the stairs to the upper floor. Turn into the first open apartment door on the left and you will step into the puzzle room.
In the living room you will see a patterned rug on the floor with empty instrument stands around it. Walk up to the setup and you will see the [Alt] / One man band interaction prompt appear. Dylan comments that the setup is not quite there yet — that is your confirmation the puzzle is active.
One Man Band Puzzle Solution — All Five Instruments
All five instruments are inside the apartment. Nothing is outside the unit. Here is exactly where each one is and where it goes:
1. Microphone
Where to find it: On top of the black speaker on the right side of the living room.
Where to place it: The microphone stand in the middle of the rug.
2. Cymbal
Where to find it: On the living room coffee table (some sources also note it on the floor nearby).
Where to place it: The cymbal stand beside the drum kit.
3. Bass Guitar
Where to find it: Tucked behind the sofa on the left side of the living room, or on the floor near the couch.
Where to place it: The right-side guitar stand near the wall.
4. Green (Blue) Guitar
Where to find it: Near the doorway of the room to the right, or beside the couch in the living room.
Where to place it: The guitar stand on the left side, in front of the wooden cabinet.
5. Keyboard
Where to find it: On the bed in the bedroom (the room to the right of the main living area).
Where to place it: The keyboard stand by the window at the back middle of the stage area.
How to Complete and Draw the Scene
Pick up each instrument by interacting with it, carry it to the matching stand, and drop it in place. The stands are clearly visible around the rug — each one has a distinct shape that matches its instrument, so the pairing is intuitive even without a guide.
The order does not matter. Once all five instruments are on their stands, Dylan says the scene is “Finished” and the objective updates. Step back from the assembled band, then press R3 (PlayStation) / right stick click (Xbox) / Alt (PC) to Draw. The Live on Stage Sketchbook entry appears in Archives → Dylan’s Sketchbook.
What Does the One Man Band Puzzle Unlock?
Completing this puzzle adds the Live on Stage drawing to Dylan’s Sketchbook in Archives and counts as one of the 11 required scenes for the Work-Life Balance trophy. It does not unlock any Artifacts, Source, or combat rewards on its own — the payoff is the trophy progress.
The Collector’s Apartment is also connected to The Complete Set side story, which involves the SINKKI D50 speaker hunt. If you are in the building for that quest, knock out the One Man Band puzzle at the same time to save a trip. Our The Complete Set Walkthrough covers all the speaker locations.
Dylan’s Sketchbook — Other Puzzles to Know
If you are going for the Work-Life Balance trophy, here are a few other Sketchbook puzzles worth knowing about:
- The Cat Picnic — Also in Central, requires 3 props. Look in the area near the Park Checkpoint.
- The Halloween Party — In the West Incursion Zone. Also requires Shift to access.
- The Dream House — In the Evacuation Zone, the most props of any scene at six items. Watch for Mold-infected enemies near the staircase.
Each completed scene is logged in Archives under Dylan’s Sketchbook. You can track which scenes you are still missing there at any time.
For a full breakdown of all 11 Sketchbook locations, see our Control Resonant Collectibles and Artifacts Guide. And if you are still working through the Central Zone more broadly, our Central Resonant Walkthrough covers the main story beat for this area.
Control Resonant is available on PlayStation Store, Steam, Xbox, and Epic Games Store.
