Music Industry Career Profile: Audio Engineer / Sound Technician

All the necessary skills and possible opportunities in the field of Sound and Audio Engineering.

The job of an Audio Engineer can crop up in a variety of industries, from dubbing for foreign films, to music for TV shows, to working in recording studios with singers and musicians. The job titles may differ slightly (Audio Engineer, Sound Technician, Audio Technician, Recording Engineer), but often there are key elements at the core of each role. They will use their skill and knowledge to help create, record, and manipulate sound, using an array of analog and digital tools and equipment to get the cleanest sound possible.

Responsibilities

An Audio Engineer will often be responsible for the setup and maintenance of equipment, be this in a studio, live event setting, or for off-site recording purposes. This may include microphones, speakers, mixing desks, connecting wires, and computer hardware and software. Once the client and/or any instruments arrive, the engineer may set up microphones, assign channels and establish levels to monitor the recording. From there, the amount of creative input the engineer has will depend on the individual relationship with the client. They may give feedback and tips after each take, experiment with different microphones and effects, or simply sit back and press record. Once the audio has been recorded, it is the engineer’s job to edit and mix where necessary, so that the recording has a full and clean sound throughout.

Skills

Prospective employers will be looking for an engineer who is adept at moving between different setups and able to create the right surroundings for each session and client. They should be comfortable with a wide selection of sound equipment. Since the digital revolution, it has also become important to be skilled with several types of software, and know and exploit the strengths of each tool in your arsenal. Having to create a clean recording from any starting point means that an engineer also needs to have an exceptionally good ear for balance and attention to detail. An Audio Engineer needs to have a very strong work ethic; sessions rarely run to time, deadlines fly towards you at lightning pace, and you regularly continue as long as the client wants. They should also be able to work around problems fast to avoid any delays and frustrations from the rest of the team on the project.

Experience

Audio Engineers often start out as musicians themselves, and realize that their passion if being in the studio and pushing the buttons at the desk. At some point, formal training is the main route into a job, and most will have attended a vocational program at a music technology-based school, while some may have degrees in audio engineering, such as a BSc in Audio Production or a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Engineering Technology. Most engineers gain a lot of their knowledge and perfect their expertise ‘on-the-job’, and a well-traveled path is working up from an intern or assistant engineer, starting with more mundane admin work and preparation/maintenance of equipment.

Current Audio Engineer / Sound Technician Jobs

Audio Engineer Jobs
Sound Technician Jobs
Recording Engineer Jobs
Assistant Engineer Jobs
Engineer Jobs
Front of House Engineer Jobs

Associations

The Audio Engineering Society was established in the United States in 1948, and promotes advances in audio among engineers, creative artists, scientists, and students worldwide. aes.org

by Lee Jarvis.

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Tags: advice, audio, career, engineer, job, recording, sound, studio, Technician