how to become a sound engineer
Required fields are marked *. Check in with your campus theater and see what they require for their sound people. I don’t see any point in getting stressed about it. Audio engineers may work in recording studios, venues, on film sets or in post-productions. The way sound is processed is based on principles found in electronics (ex. Being a sound engineer is hard; lots of people want to mix the biggest festivals, but only a small number make it to that high level. https://www.sounddesignlive.com/how-to-become-a-sound-engineer Smaart® and the Smaart logo are registered trademarks of Rational Acoustics LLC and are not affiliated with Nathan Lively or Sound Design Live. How to Be a Remarkable Sound Engineer by Being Honest, The Best Search Engines For Sound Engineer Jobs, Balls Of Steel: 10 Surprising Tips For Live Audio Engineer Training, Two Questions to Ask Yourself Before Becoming a Live Sound Engineer | Henry Peirano, https://www.sounddesignlive.com/how-to-become-a-sound-engineer/, https://sounddesignlive.com/how-to-become-a-sound-engineer/. Yes. Sound Design Live: Build Your Career As A Sound Engineer. Imagine how cool it was that everyone on stage, including McLaughlin, had to learn my name! That was 6 months ago and I love doing this. Keep us updated. Why? Earning a degree may help you get a job as a sound engineer. Sound engineers can be assisting musicians and producers. This course of study may be helpful, but you will need more music training as well. By using our site, you agree to our. What’s a literature festival? These advanced programs help individuals develop the skills needed to become recording studio engineers, sound designers for films, or music business professionals. Swallow’s career story isn’t complicated. Getting your foot in the door is the easy part. They had to start somewhere. Sound engineers work in studios and make recordings of music, speech and sound effects. !I would want to learn more about sound engineering…. Sound Technicians use the soundboard and other audio equipment to ensure sound levels are correct and the sound is mixed well. How can I get a list of sound engine schools? Get used to as much of the technical music lingo as possible. But those moments of musical euphoria can be few and far between. The hard part is sticking with it and moving up. If your dream job is to become a sound engineer, start watching sound engineers work at places like clubs or churches, and asking if you can help so that you can learn the ropes. An audio engineer can sometimes be called a sound engineer. Even though it can be hard, donât think you are too good for anything. Undergraduate majors for live sound engineers include audio technology, broadcast technology, or music production. While an audio producer tends to manage and guide audio projects through ideas and discussion, the engineer is a far more hands-on, technically oriented position. Graham Martin, The Recruitment Guy interviews Lee Francis of Maddison Media and discovers more about the exciting life of a professional sound engineer. Sound engineers often work nights and weekends, because these tend to be the times that live performance events happen. Maybe they donât want you in the way. One of my regular clients is a promoter and until recently we were doing a lot of gigs at a club with unknown high quality bands as well as some familiar names. I am new to this and still have a lot to learn to wit your articles are helping and entertaining. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. I totally agree. Some sound equipment is the same as it was years ago, but many other technologies are continuing to evolve. The sound engineer needs to be at all practices and show up for the program early. My wife and sister in-law are on the board and perform in community theater and have done since high school. So how do you harness your own emotional intelligence and work ethic to set professional goals and find success? Some people may tell you no. wikiHow's. For more on career paths, read the Education chapter of Sound Design Live: Build Your Career As A Sound Engineer. Not all sound engineers mix new music tracks, but being able to do it will make you more versatile. Taking classes in physics, for example, is a good place to start. Find out if you could start working with someone who already does it and learn from them. References Just remember that if you want to make a career out of it, you must be professional, responsible, and courteous at all times. This article gave me a laugh. Moan about it or get on with the job. I’v always known that I enjoy music and I dreamed of pursuing a career in music but I didn’t know what I could do other than write music, sing music, and play music. Although, in some cases you may find work in radio or TV, which might afford the chance for daytime work. -Dave Swallow. 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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. In many studios, the Recording Engineer is also the Producer, overseeing both artistic and technical elements of the rec… Think about professions with well-defined career paths and guidelines. Including Harvey we also did Nuncrackers the musical and a cabaret of songs performed by a dozen singers. Last Updated: February 9, 2020 This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Do you want a job as a touring FOH sound engineer? Although this piece is specifically about how to become a sound engineer in the UK, it’s a career that will give you the opportunity to travel all over the world. I’m 14 years old and my career path is set on sound engineering. Current opportunities. I'm interested in sound engineering and feel like I want to make a career out of music but there aren't many opportunities here, and I don't want to be a sound engineer working on Bollywood films! Don't worry about how good your favorite engineers are. You could say that those people are naturally better engineers than the rest of us, and maybe they are, but I think a bigger truth is that they have superior emotional intelligence and work ethic. In most cases, really need a specific education for this job. "I had always been confused whether I'd be successful and famous if I pursued a career in sound engineering. It is what it is. I even said so in How To Become A Sound Engineer: ”anyone can become a sound engineer. Swallow got that first tour after working at a music venue for six years because a local band liked him. The group was founded 5 years ago with the current board in place for the last 3. In some cases they also assist with lighting and special effects.They work with the Club General Manager, Talent Booker, Production Te… You’ll also be better prepared to get the best sound possible for your clients. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. I really like this thought: “I’d do anything, just as long as I met people.” Swallow’s first tour was six months of unpaid work. ", "To understand more of sound mixing and joining different sound levels. These degrees will tend to be a mix of music, business, and technical classes which serve to give you a well-rounded education in the field. Wow, you’ve been around. I wasn’t always able to get a job as a sound engineer at either end of the multicore. Because the industry is ever changing, it is important to keep up with the new trends and equipment in the industry. You can be persistent and tell them youâll do anything and wonât bother them. What is the importance of being a sound engineer? An audio engineer (also referred to as a sound engineer) is responsible for setting up and operating equipment used to capture sound. Is a certificate enough for sound engineering job? Long hours, lots of equipment to be moved around many temmporary venues but a good working atmosphere and there are a lot of humble people talking about their passion, the passion that drove them to write their latest book. Getting your foot in the door feels like the easy part because if you show up at the right time you could get a job immediately with no prior experience. Their work is the finishing touch on the artist’s performance, guaranteeing that the music sounds good for both the performer onstage and for the people in the crowd. Learn to understand what people mean even when they donât make much sense. There are many websites where one can find work as a freelance sound engineer. They are well-versed in all kinds of recording technology, from analog tape to digital multitrack recording programs like Ableton or ProTools. This industry is still very young and, as such, is constantly changing. If you know your gear, you won’t be taken aback by unexpected errors or malfunctions. Audio engineers are responsible for the sound design and construction that enhances voices, sound effects, and music to create a rich experience that compliments the visuals on screen. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Some sound & image schools provide certificates for your introduction to this industry. ", "From this I will learn how to be a mechanical engineer.". Thank you Nathan Lively. If youâre in school, try getting involved in the theater program, where sound engineering is usually run by students, to get hands-on experience. They will most likely welcome another set of hands. After completing an audio production and engineering program, the next step to becoming a successful sound engineering technician is continuous learning and on the job training. Once the sound has been captured, the engineer tweaks the sound with various techniques in a process known as mixing. Let’s take look at Dave Swallow’s article How To Become A Sound Engineer, which asks these two questions: 1) Why do you want this job? I left a very lucrative career as a programmer because I got a great deal more satisfaction from being part of a show. If you want to hang around and be friends with famous people, you are in the wrong job. That didn’t really sink in until the second time I listened to his interview, but it’s so important. Any production company that has internships available is worth checking out, even if what they do is not exactly what you are interested in. Same team same fight. Sound engineering, also known as audio engineering, is the practice of recording and mixing audio tracks in order to finalize the sound design for various forms of media. The impressive part is that he stuck with it through all of the shitty parts of the job. That is a long way off if it happens at all. ), however, sound engineering mainly involves applying the knowledge you have about sound equipment and music and the skills you have in manipulating audio. Take note of when they adjust levels and what the result is. Brilliant. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. For more tips, like how to develop the qualities of a good sound engineer, read on! Many sound engineers have never gone to school for it, but have learned "on the fly" and through hands-on experience. I said yes for no other reason than I thought I could do it and I wanted to get a foot in the door as an active participant in community theater. In fact, spending time as an audio engineer may be a stepping stone to becoming a sound engineer. Every time I go to see my favorite band, Sigur Rós, I go up to the FOH engineer after the show and ask him how he got his job. Go to a local bar or club that has live music, or the booth at a theater during a play, and watch what the sound person does. Once you know what you'd like to do, apply to a college or university with a highly ranked engineering program. Sound Engineers usually work with artists, record labels or individually, collaborating with whoever puts the money up. I often get upset about the conditions of the job and the state of the industry, but getting upset doesn’t help anyone, and it’s a killer if you want to keep doing show. Yes. Depending on the level of work they want to perform, individuals who want to become a Sound Engineer will need a minimum of a certificate or a post-secondary non-degree in order to work at an entry level position. In this case, 93% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. And what you will find in there is only that I had a dream, and I believed I could do it. Answer: Through an interest in technical proficiency and the pride of a job well done. Right now most of my work is with churches. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. But I did well! I’m the same way. ", "I learned how to make sound. But this is completely wrong. Comment below. Sure, there is high energy Christian music around but no sign of it in the churches that I count in my regular clients. How to become a sound engineer Now that you have a better idea of what a sound engineer does, it’s a good time for us to take a look at how to get there in the first place. What do I study after high school when I want to become a sound engineer? Hey you, yeah, you there reading this. Are they just doing readings from their books? Getting your foot in the door is easy, but it can be […], […] reading the blog from Nathan Lively (https://www.sounddesignlive.com/how-to-become-a-sound-engineer/) called ‘How to Become a Sound Engineer’ the first thing he states is “The truth […], […] abound, everyone’s a dick, and you just let it ring all night, cause fuck it (please reread How To Become A Sound Engineer or your life will […], […] https://sounddesignlive.com/how-to-become-a-sound-engineer/ […], Your email address will not be published. Pay attention to the set up of cords and sound boards. Thanks for sharing Graham! We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a live sound engineer right now. Continuing education also … However, those thinking of becoming audio engineers will be at more of an advantage if they enroll in higher education. That being said, I’ve never worked on a top-tier concert tour, so I believe him if he says that the competition is bloodthirsty. The venue didn’t see the link and reversed their booking policy, much to the dismay of local music fans, and so that avenue is now closed. Final thoughts on how to become an audio engineer (without an audio degree) Just Start... Don't worry about what you don't know. You should find fulfillment through the work itself and not through any accolades you might receive. To make you more marketable for jobs, learn how to use music mixing and editing software, and consider getting an associateâs or bachelorâs degree in audio engineering. Is it possible for me to produce my own music? Ever wonder what a Sound Engineering Technician Really is and How to Become One? Sticking around is the hard part. How do you maintain that drive? Live sound engineer salary: Variable ranging from £25,000 to £40,000 per year Live sound engineer working hours : 39 to 41 hours per week. ", http://www.music-production-guide.com/audio-engineer.html, https://www.careersinmusic.com/sound-technician/, http://sounddesignlive.com/how-to-become-a-sound-engineer/, https://www.careersinmusic.com/recording-engineer/, http://learn.org/articles/Audio_Engineering_Become_an_Audio_Engineer_in_5_Steps.html, Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. The stage monitor engineer, the microphone tech, the stage hands, the system tech, the audio production manager, and the live recording engineer are all equal contributors to high production quality, and each position has its own set of challenges and benefits. In concert sound there are a lot more sound engineers at work than just the FOH engineer. The specific responsibilities of these different titles may vary. I also like the “secretive” or “magical” aspect: invisibly manipulating the set, lighting, sound, whatever component of the illusion that lets people tune out of real life and be entertained. There are both Associate and Bachelor's Degrees in Sound Engineering. I was asked to be their permanent sound guy. If you're interested in becoming a sound engineer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 6.5% of sound engineers have master's degrees. They gave me a pile of electronics to play with that where less than desirable (it gave me nightmares to work with) but the end result was. As a sound engineer the trend of freelance is but a natural progression if you don’t play with a band, or an orchestra. Part of the reason I currently take lots of corporate work that I would have declined in the past is that my craving shifted; where I used to want emotionally satisfying music, I now crave the personal satisfaction of a job well done. However, if you love music and understand how it works to its core, then maybe you’ll just make it. Studio sound engineer Alternative titles for this job include Audio engineer, recording engineer.