A Career in Audio Engineering

For many people, a career as an audio engineer, the idea of creating sheer magic from state-of-the-art audio equipment and working with a variety of talented musicians and producers, is a very appealing way to earn a living. In addition to working in the traditional recording studio, there are many other exciting avenues that a trained audio technician can pursue:

Studio Sound Recordist/Mixing Engineer

The recording engineer operates the mixing console and other “outboard” equipment during the recording of music. Recording engineers run the recording session with oversight from the producer. They may also be responsible for setting up equipment in the studio prior to the session, and discussing with the producer or musical act what they want for the end product to sound like. It is the engineer’s subsequent responsibility to craft a recording that meets the producer, artist, or band’s desires. The engineer may also be responsible for mixing down the recorded tracks into the finished product.

Live Sound Engineer

This engineer’s primary responsibility is to operate the soundboard during a live performance. The live sound engineer is also involved in sound check and the placement of equipment in preparation for a live performance.

Sound Technician

Sound technicians are responsible for high quality sound during the live performance. They usually arrive at the concert site before the performers and are involved in unloading and setting up the equipment and instruments along with the road crew. The sound technician supervises the placement of equipment, and works with the talent during the sound check to achieve the best sound.

Acoustic Consultant

Acoustic consultants provide complete audio, video, and acoustic design services for performance spaces such as concert halls, arenas, stadiums, studios, convention facilities, clubs, churches, and synagogues. Acoustical consultants can provide an acoustical analysis of a particular venue, identify acoustical problems, and make suggestions for equipment or interior design changes for fixing any problems.

Broadcast Engineer

Broadcast engineers make sure that television and radio programes are broadcast at the right times and to the highest quality level. They can work on a wide range of equipment and systems, in studios and outside broadcasts (‘OBs’), post-production operations, and new media such as interactive TV and webcasts.

Post Production Engineer

This category of audio engineer covers a wide variety of jobs, including the sound recordist for a television or film location shoot, sound designer, music and effects editor, and a dubbing mixer—who takes all the various audio elements and marries them with the final picture edit.

Studio Manager/Owner

The studio manager/owner is the person responsible for running the business of the recording studio and may be a sole or partial owner of the business. Studio managers are responsible for booking acts to record at the studio, scheduling engineers, marketing the studio, and budgeting. He is also the in-house diplomat, acting as the liaison between engineers and clients and ensuring client satisfaction, and handling all financial transactions with clients.

It used to be that you had to go to a very liberal university or an art school to find a decent audio technology program. Now it seems that they are popping up everywhere. And this is not surprising due to the fact that the average American spends more time and money on entertainment than they do on food and shelter combined.

So, the question for the prospective audio student is not where to find an audio technology school, but rather which school is going to provide an education that the industry will recognize and take seriously. The entertainment industry has always been extremely fickle and that hasn’t changed. The old school saying “it’s not what you know, but who you know” is more true in the entertainment industry than almost any other. So, if you take that as a rule, the reputation of the audio technology school you attend will play an enormous factor in your marketability.

Article written by Michael Morrell, Administrative Course Coordinator, SAE Institute of Technology, New York.