Technician

What do Technicians do?

Sound Technicians set up, operate and maintain technical equipment to amplify, enhance, record, mix or reproduce sound. They work from studios or on location and at live events in a variety of venues.

In the music industry, experienced and well qualified Sound Technicians are an essential part of any live performance. As well as their technical knowledge and knowledge of the equipment it is important they have a good understanding of the specific requirements of the music being performed. For example, the requirements of an opera performance will be different from those of house music in a club.

It requires years of study and practice, a great deal of musical knowledge, and great communication skills to be a good Sound Technician in the music industry. When bands find a technician they like, it is very common for them to hire them on a permanent or exclusive basis.

Sound Technician's tasks may include: setting up, testing and operating sound equipment, placing and adjusting microphones, and maintaining and repairing sound equipment. During recording, Sound Technicians will monitor the sound and balance and mix it as necessary.

Sound Technicians seldom work regular hours. Work can start very early and finish late. Night and weekend work is common. Technicians working in recording studios have to work hours that suit the artists they are recording.

Sound Technicians may be employed in specialized music departments in colleges or schools. They will work closely with music students and IT staff, providing technical assistance and maintenance for music recording studios, sound design studios, electronic music studios, computer/MIDI based music composition workstations and any miscellaneous sound needs of the department. They may also be responsible for supervising live recordings and supporting music and drama presentations. In addition, the Sound Technician will be responsible for troubleshooting students' technical problems, and providing support and instruction in the use of equipment.

In television, film or radio Sound Technicians work alongside numerous other technicians and production staff in a studio or on outside broadcast events. Outside broadcast could involve working anywhere from a racecourse to a rock festival. Their main task is to make sure that any sound coming from a live or taped source is processed as clearly as possible. They may work with live and recorded sound, and their work can include recording and balancing speech for radio plays or discussions, and playing music or sound effects in a live program.

There are 683 music industry professionals with the job title Technician on Music Jobs

Technician jobs which have appeared on the Music Jobs jobs board:

Sound Board Operator Chicago, IL	yesterday
Sound Assistant/Mic Runner Wilmette, IL	05/21/12
Audio Mic Technician Beverly, MA	05/17/12

Job description sources include (but are not limited to) imdb.com, skillset.org and wikipedia.