[[email protected]]

Hello there,

I have decided to pursue a career in audio engineering. There are two
things I aspire to do:

1. Be the guy who mixes and masters everything

and/or

2. Be the guy who deals with the tools (pre-amps, microphones,
compressors), mic placement, signal chains, etc.

What are the technical names of these professions? Do they overlap?

And second...

Are there any widely accredited schools that would be worth pursuing?

[[email protected]]

On Jan 10, 4:20 am, wrote:
Hello there,

I have decided to pursue a career in audio engineering. There are two
things I aspire to do:

1. Be the guy who mixes and masters everything

and/or

2. Be the guy who deals with the tools (pre-amps, microphones,
compressors), mic placement, signal chains, etc.

What are the technical names of these professions? Do they overlap?

And second...

Are there any widely accredited schools that would be worth pursuing?

I guess I should even ask... "Is it even possible to make a career in
audio engineering these days?"

[Bruce]

wrote in news:5fbbfe4d-622b-4b33-b2ed-961a3d3a2707
@e10g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

On Jan 10, 4:20 am, wrote:
Hello there,

I have decided to pursue a career in audio engineering. There are two
things I aspire to do:

1. Be the guy who mixes and masters everything

and/or

2. Be the guy who deals with the tools (pre-amps, microphones,
compressors), mic placement, signal chains, etc.

What are the technical names of these professions? Do they overlap?

And second...

Are there any widely accredited schools that would be worth pursuing?

I guess I should even ask... "Is it even possible to make a career in
audio engineering these days?"


It's a very tough field right now. The money is in game audio at the
moment.

[Scott Dorsey]

wrote:

I guess I should even ask... "Is it even possible to make a career in
audio engineering these days?"

I think there still is, but not in music recording and not through the
traditional routes.

If the industry were like this thirty years ago, I wouldn't be here today.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Mike Rivers]

On Jan 10, 6:20 am, wrote:

I have decided to pursue a career in audio engineering.

Bad decision, unless you have another source of income that will last
for many years until you get famous. There isn't much in the way of a
career path in the "fun" parts of audio engineering any more.

things I aspire to do:
1. Be the guy who mixes and masters everything
and/or
2. Be the guy who deals with the tools (pre-amps, microphones,
compressors), mic placement, signal chains, etc.

What are the technical names of these professions? Do they overlap?

#1 is usually what's called an engineer or mastering engineer. There
are few who do both, though many mastering engineers have started out
as general studio engineers and moved to specializing in mastering
when they decide that they can't stand to listen to one more guitar
overdub.

#2 is often called the second engineer or tape operator (even though
there isn't much tape operation any more). But it could also be a
maintenance technician. The job of ProTools operator has grown out of
this.

There is quite a bit of overlap since few studios are large enough to
have both an engineering and technician staff. The greatest number of
studios today are either a one-man operation where you need to be at
least somewhat competent at all the tasks, or there's no staff other
than management and individuals are brought in as their specialties
are needed.

A kind of in-between operation is one where someone with a lot of
enthusiasm, some management and communications skills, and way too
much money sets up a studio and hires a "support" person (like your
#2) to keep things running and then brings in (or has the clients
bring in their own) engineers for sessions.

Are there any widely accredited schools that would be worth pursuing?

Schools that have a full college level program will teach you a lot
and give you enough hands-on time so that you'll know what you're
doing when you get out. But there's no guarantee that you'll be able
to find a job when you graduate. The larger studios often look to
graduates of those schools for entry level positions. If you can score
one of those positions and stick it out for a while, a well managed
studio will find your niche and put you into a job that you can do
best. Or you may find that you never move up from making copies,
keeping the coffee fresh, and sweeping up after a session.

[kooz]

Why not be both and start out in Sound reinforcement/live concert
production? It's all related these days and overlaps more than you
might think.

Yeah, schooling is well regarded, but make sure they teach you more
carpentry than how to wield a hammer. that kind of schooling will get
your foot more firmly in any door that opens...as Scott Dorsey said,
not through the traditional routes does one make a career in audio of
late.

Make a name for yourself as someone who can mix and understands the
theory behind the tools, and other avenues of opportunity will open up
for you.

[[email protected]]

On Thu, 10 Jan 2008 03:20:49 -0800 (PST), wrote:

Hello there,

I have decided to pursue a career in audio engineering. There are two
things I aspire to do:

1. Be the guy who mixes and masters everything

and/or

2. Be the guy who deals with the tools (pre-amps, microphones,
compressors), mic placement, signal chains, etc.


Hello there (and a special hello to Messers Dorsey and Rivers). I'm a
pretty fortunate engineer who gets to do it all and, as has been
pointed out, I agree with the others: you have chosen a tough
profession for now. But maybe not.

I'd like to tell you how I went about establishing my career. I joined
the Navy and made a deal with them to train me as an electronic
technician with a specialty in radar. I was trained to repair that
equipment working by myself out at sea. The entire time I was doing
this I also knew that my major interest was broadcasting. Once out of
the service I moved to NYC and landed a job at NBC based upon not what
I knew about audio but, rather, my ability to repair equipment. Once
in the door I offered myself up for every assignment. Because of tight
scheduling I found myself only doing maintenance for brief periods and
spent most of my time engineering in the studios and out in the field.
After a period I left NYC to return home to WV. I once again used my
Navy training to land a job building and interconnecting the stations
of WV Public Radio. And, I once again spent more and more time in the
studios mixing sound for broadcast. Along the way we began a radio
broadcast called Mountain Stage and I've worked every production (now
in its 25th year). I've got my name on approximately 30 CDs and I've
been mixing (and mastering) to two-track all these years. It's
approximately 1000 songs a year. And I spent the earlier part of this
day calling on my Navy training as I laid out the next round of
equipment for the show. I'm changing it all out for new.

If you get yourself into a heavy duty maintenance program you will
find yourself with skills and training and experience that will prove
invaluable to any employer and I have to wonder if you couldn't have a
fine career even today.

Francis Fisher

[coreybenson]

On Jan 10, 1:53*pm, wrote:
On Thu, 10 Jan 2008 03:20:49 -0800 (PST), wrote:
Hello there,

I have decided to pursue a career in audio engineering. *There are two
things I aspire to do:

1. Be the guy who mixes and masters everything

and/or

2. Be the guy who deals with the tools (pre-amps, microphones,
compressors), mic placement, signal chains, etc.

Hello there (and a special hello to Messers Dorsey and Rivers). I'm a
pretty fortunate engineer who gets to do it all and, as has been
pointed out, I agree with the others: you have chosen a tough
profession for now. But maybe not.

I'd like to tell you how I went about establishing my career. I joined
the Navy and made a deal with them to train me as an electronic
technician with a specialty in radar. I was trained to repair that
equipment working by myself out at sea. The entire time I was doing
this I also knew that my major interest was broadcasting. Once out of
the service I moved to NYC and landed a job at NBC based upon not what
I knew about audio but, rather, my ability to repair equipment. Once
in the door I offered myself up for every assignment. Because of tight
scheduling I found myself only doing maintenance for brief periods and
spent most of my time engineering in the studios and out in the field.
After a period I left NYC to return home to WV. I once again used my
Navy training to land a job building and interconnecting the stations
of WV Public Radio. And, I once again spent more and more time in the
studios mixing sound for broadcast. Along the way we began a radio
broadcast called Mountain Stage and I've worked every production (now
in its 25th year). I've got my name on approximately 30 CDs and I've
been mixing (and mastering) to two-track all these years. It's
approximately 1000 songs a year. And I spent the earlier part of this
day calling on my Navy training as I laid out the next round of
equipment for the show. I'm changing it all out for new.

If you get yourself into a heavy duty maintenance program you will
find yourself with skills and training and experience that will prove
invaluable to any employer and I have to wonder if you couldn't have a
fine career even today.

Francis Fisher

Hey, Francis... Love your work! I listen to Mountain Stage on a local
MPR station (Minnesota Public Radio).

One of the best-recorded/broadcasted shows on the air today.

Corey

[Jenn]

In article
,
coreybenson wrote:

On Jan 10, 1:53*pm, wrote:
On Thu, 10 Jan 2008 03:20:49 -0800 (PST), wrote:
Hello there,

I have decided to pursue a career in audio engineering. *There are two
things I aspire to do:

1. Be the guy who mixes and masters everything

and/or

2. Be the guy who deals with the tools (pre-amps, microphones,
compressors), mic placement, signal chains, etc.

Hello there (and a special hello to Messers Dorsey and Rivers). I'm a
pretty fortunate engineer who gets to do it all and, as has been
pointed out, I agree with the others: you have chosen a tough
profession for now. But maybe not.

I'd like to tell you how I went about establishing my career. I joined
the Navy and made a deal with them to train me as an electronic
technician with a specialty in radar. I was trained to repair that
equipment working by myself out at sea. The entire time I was doing
this I also knew that my major interest was broadcasting. Once out of
the service I moved to NYC and landed a job at NBC based upon not what
I knew about audio but, rather, my ability to repair equipment. Once
in the door I offered myself up for every assignment. Because of tight
scheduling I found myself only doing maintenance for brief periods and
spent most of my time engineering in the studios and out in the field.
After a period I left NYC to return home to WV. I once again used my
Navy training to land a job building and interconnecting the stations
of WV Public Radio. And, I once again spent more and more time in the
studios mixing sound for broadcast. Along the way we began a radio
broadcast called Mountain Stage and I've worked every production (now
in its 25th year). I've got my name on approximately 30 CDs and I've
been mixing (and mastering) to two-track all these years. It's
approximately 1000 songs a year. And I spent the earlier part of this
day calling on my Navy training as I laid out the next round of
equipment for the show. I'm changing it all out for new.

If you get yourself into a heavy duty maintenance program you will
find yourself with skills and training and experience that will prove
invaluable to any employer and I have to wonder if you couldn't have a
fine career even today.

Francis Fisher

Hey, Francis... Love your work! I listen to Mountain Stage on a local
MPR station (Minnesota Public Radio).

One of the best-recorded/broadcasted shows on the air today.

Corey

Ditto... I love that show.
Jenn

[[email protected]]

On Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:32:15 -0800 (PST), coreybenson
wrote:

Hey, Francis... Love your work! I listen to Mountain Stage on a local
MPR station (Minnesota Public Radio).

One of the best-recorded/broadcasted shows on the air today.

Corey


Well now, words like that will make you smile! Thanks!

Francis

[Mike Rivers]

On Jan 10, 2:53 pm, wrote:

If you get yourself into a heavy duty maintenance program you will
find yourself with skills and training and experience that will prove
invaluable to any employer and I have to wonder if you couldn't have a
fine career even today.

Well, Francis, you've been in the business about as long as anyone I
know, and this is what it takes to build a career. Stan Jacox and I
spent some time and too much beer one night talking about establishing
a studio maintenance course back when he ran Studio Maintenance
Center. We drew up a curriculum, worked up a budget, and managed to
find about three people interested in that aspect of studio work.

Today there isn't much call for a traditional maintenance engineer
because there's so much throw-away gear being used in what passes for
studios now. Not to say that there isn't a NEED, there just aren't
very many jobs available.

[Max Arwood]

A friend of mine just graduated from Middle Tennesee State with top honors
etc. He's now waiting tables at O'Charley's! Good luck.
Max Arwood

wrote in message
...
Hello there,

I have decided to pursue a career in audio engineering. There are two
things I aspire to do:

1. Be the guy who mixes and masters everything

and/or

2. Be the guy who deals with the tools (pre-amps, microphones,
compressors), mic placement, signal chains, etc.

What are the technical names of these professions? Do they overlap?

And second...

Are there any widely accredited schools that would be worth pursuing?

[Sean Conolly]

"Mike Rivers" wrote in message
...
Today there isn't much call for a traditional maintenance engineer
because there's so much throw-away gear being used in what passes for
studios now. Not to say that there isn't a NEED, there just aren't
very many jobs available.

I have to say though, that if you're clever at solving problems and
dedicated enough to keep at them till they're done, it seems there's always
an opportunity somewhere. Not just in audio, but in any field.

Sean

[Scott Dorsey]

wrote:

If you get yourself into a heavy duty maintenance program you will
find yourself with skills and training and experience that will prove
invaluable to any employer and I have to wonder if you couldn't have a
fine career even today.

Amen, brother! I get phone calls and faxes constantly from kids looking
for interships. None of them know how to solder and none of them know how
to read a score.

Learn to solder and read a score and you've got a huge step up. Learn to
actually do maintenance work and the world is your oyster; there is a huge
shortage of competent repair techs even if there is a huge surplus of
production engineer types.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Mike Rivers]

On Jan 11, 8:49 am, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
wrote:

If you get yourself into a heavy duty maintenance program you will
find yourself with skills and training and experience that will prove
invaluable to any employer

Amen, brother!

The trick is to find any employer. The gist of this conversation is
that there really aren't a lot of studios where you can get hired. I
certainly don't have any full time or career ladder positions
available, and probably neither do you.