This is part 2 of a series of 3 articles on getting started as in music recording. In this article we’ll look at what skill set a recording engineer needs, and the education and training options available in audio engineering and [tag]music production[/tag] to help you build them.

Recap:
As we discussed in part 1 , change has swept through Audio Recording Industry like a storm over the last decade. Much of this was fueled by

• plummeting computer costs
• recording software capabilities maturing, and
• the widespread availability of broadband internet

With corporate recording studios in decline, few Record Labels today own studio operations. On the positive side, there has been rapid growth in smaller commercial studios, even more in the number of home studios, and in artist-operated markets. New markets, like online games, and computer animated films have emerged, providing new opportunities for the aspiring audio engineer.

If you’re considering investing time in a sound engineering training course of some kind, you should give some thought to what exactly it is you need to learn. Then you’re in a better position to evaluate your various educational and training options.

Recording engineers need to draw on multiple areas of knowledge and experience such as:

1. Science of sound, acoustics, psychoacoustics
2. Electronics engineering
3. Operating complex equipment
4. Building design, with emphasis on acoustic spaces
5. Logic of signal paths and signal processing
6. Listening to complex sound and distinguishing its components
7. Art of musical creativity
8. Effective people communication
9. Stamina!

As you’ll see, some of the above (items 1-4) are "academic" in nature and can be gained in various ways according to the student’s preferred learning style. However items 5-8 depend on observing the experts at work, and building your own experience under the guidance of a master craftsman as your mentor.

The exact skills mix and emphasis will vary according to the role(s) you'll fulfil, so it’s worth while taking a moment to understand a bit about the typical and new sound engineering roles.

• Recording engineer - responsible for everything in a recording sessions from mic placement through sound set up, multi-track recording, editing, and mixing. Works with Producer and Artists to help realise their creative vision.
• Mastering Engineer - responsible for final stereo mix to be used for duplication
• Producer - Overall responsibility for the recording project
• Film score mixer - records and mixes audio for film

The following are more recent, and more specialised roles:

• Sound Designer - covers all non-compositional elements of a film, a play, a music performance or recording, computer game software or any other multimedia project
• Game audio engineer - works with composer to implement sound track for a video or on-line game
• Internet audio engineer - responsible for all aspects of audio delivered via the internet. Includes streaming technologies, as well as recording.

So, what options are there for me to get a good Audio Recording Education?

First, let’s be clear. I’m not talking about academic qualifications, primarily.

For anyone aiming to be involved in live recording, your development plan must include a mix of 3 elements:

• education in the science background to your subject
• training and practice to build the technical skills required in operating the wide range of equipment and software you’re likely to come across
• mentoring by an expert who can accelerate your artistic skills development enabling you to contribute effectively to the musical creative process as part of a team

Important notes:

1. You cannot expect to excel without competent technical and artistic skills.
2. You can get away with a less than perfect scientific education. You can always fill in any gaps elsewhere.
3. But you will not compete in this business with poor technical and artistic capabilities. You also need the contacts that a good mentor can help you foster.

So what are the different routes into the recording industry?

Direct
This means taking a particular Audio Engineering course - focusing on sound engineering in a specific or general form.

The main advantage of this route is the immersion you should get in the industry through the educational part of your development.

Indirect
Alternatively you can come via a more general discipline. The most likely are:

• Science,
• Electronic Engineering, or
• Music,

…since abilities in these areas contribute directly to the Recording Engineering skill base.

An advantage of this path is that it keeps your career options open. Given the employment challenges in the Audio Recording sector, this may well be a good thing.

In either case, you have open to you a huge range of classes, short or longer courses, certificate or degree level, with differing mixes of studio hands-on and classroom time.

You’ll find a good list of available courses world-wide at the AES website http://www.aes.org/education/ at all academic levels:

You can search by region to find what’s available with reach of your home, or by course type to find the best opportunities, wherever they are located.

Many require no prior qualifications, knowledge or experience. Others, such as Degree courses, carry the usual academic entry requirements.

So to summarise:
Becoming a competent Recording Engineer requires

• knowledge of recording principles and understanding of equipment operation
• experience of listening, and controlling the recorded sound from a variety of sources, using a range of equipment, in different types of acoustic spaces.
• Communications ability to work with the artists, producers, and others involved in the music recording process

This means that your education is only beginning with the classroom and equipment operation bits. You need to build up sufficient working time and practice with live recording artists, and learn to produce consistent results before you can consider yourself ready to take on the world.

It’s like learning to drive a car. You can read all the books on driving you like, but until you sit behind the wheel, with your instructor beside you, turn the key, engage 1st gear and press the accelerator pedal, you don’t start to learn to drive. (Hopefully you also learn to use the brake before you hit something!)

I think you’ll have got the message….

But how do you make this link from understanding to skills? The best answer is to regularly work with a mentor who is already a master at his craft.

In the final part of this series of articles, we’ll summarise practical guidelines to help you choose the most suitable education and training path to take you from your current skill level in the direction you want to head, as effectively as possible…

You can read this now: Audio Engineering Student Challenge

Tags: Becoming a Recording Engineer, Music Recording