People in Sound and Audio Production

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People in Sound and Audio Production
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People in sound and audio production work in.

• Live sound concert, theatre, music venues
• Recording studios
• Television studios
• Radio studios
• Film studios and locations
• Multimedia studios
• Home studios

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Live sound engineer.

• Sets up the equipment to suit the acoustics
• Selects mics and places them on stage
• Mixes the sound coming from the mics to the
  mixing desk
• Keeps equipment in working order
• Hours of work are irregular might include early
  starts, late finishes, night and weekend work
• Usually self-employed

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Recording studio engineer

• Studio engineer records sound for all types of
  music and sound for commercial music, radio and
  TV productions, corporate presentations, computer
  games, etc
• Sets up the studio for the recording session
  includes choosing and placing mics
• Records the events in the studio
• Mixes the tracks together, often with the
  producer
• Jobs are highly sought after initiative,
  persistence, ability to make personal contacts
  are necessary long hours for little pay in
  beginning years

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Recording studio producer

• Has creative control over the entire recording
  process and is responsible for the final sound of
  a song The Boss!
• Roles include-
• Listening to demos and deciding on final mood,
  tempo and style of a song
• Selecting and/or writing arrangements
• Directing the engineer and giving constructive
  criticism and feedback to musicians
• Supervising the final mix
• The studio equivalent of the orchestra conductor
  or film director

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Mastering engineer

• Takes the mixed sound from the recording studio
  and balances and smoothes out the sound
• Operates high quality digital and analogue
  equipment
• Mastering is a fine art learned over years of
  practice, study and listening

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Sound recordist

• Sound recordist's job is to provide the sound
  that best matches the picture
• Uses mics and portable recorders, both digital
  and analogue
• Works in a Sound Department with Sound Mixer,
  Music Producer and Sound Designer

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Sound designer

• The sound designer works with the director to
  shape an overall, consistent soundtrack that
  exploits the expressive possibilities of the
  sound medium.
• In Jurassic Park, Gary Rydstrom  first designed
  the sounds of the dinosaurs and then models were
  built to match those roars. 
• Sound designers are also used in theatre and
  dance performances, computer games
• Excellent audio design skills including
  composing, recording, editing, processing,
  laying track to film

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Adele Conlin - career profile..

• Adele Conlin, aged 26, combined her love of music
  with her science background to become a sound
  engineer.
• Job title Sound Engineer Trainee (ABC Radio)
• Job description Learns all aspects of sound
  production.
• Since finishing her Media Arts degree at RMIT in
  1999, Adele has been working at the ABC on a
  two-year traineeship as a sound engineer. She
  works across the ABC, from JJJ to Classic FM, and
  learns everything there is to know about radio
  sound production-from recording and mixing bands
  in the studio through creating sound-bites for
  the ABC website, to working on outdoor broadcasts
  like the Big Day Out

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• Since finishing her VCE in 1990, Adele's career
  path has been anything but smooth. After a one
  semester 'taste' of a Bachelor of Science degree
  at the University of WA she took time out from
  academia for 5 1/2 years, working at various jobs
  in the daytime and playing in various bands at
  night.
• In 1997 Adele moved to Melbourne to join the
  Bachelor of Music course at La Trobe University.
  Two-thirds of her way through the course she
  learnt it would close. So she completed her
  degree at RMIT where she was able to hone her
  skills on the university's digital sound editing
  equipment and in their multitrack recording
  studio.

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• A chance meeting changed Adele's career path. She
  was invited to co-host a community radio program
  and found working as a sound engineer more
  interesting than presenting. The next three years
  of (unpaid) sound mixing for a live music show
  were excellent experience, she says.
• Soon after graduation she was offered the sound
  engineer traineeship at the ABC. She believes the
  work experience at the radio station gave her the
  edge over other graduates applying for the job.
• "My career highlight so far was recording P J
  Harvey at the 2001 Melbourne Big Day Out."
• "When I finish the traineeship, I'd like to
  broaden my experience by working overseas for a
  few years. Eventually, I can see myself setting
  up my own business for film sound production and
  music engineering".

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Skills of a sound technician

• sharp hearing
• a methodical mind and attention to detail
• stamina and ability to concentrate for long
  periods of time
• creative flair
• to understand fast-changing technologies
• to work well in a team and on their own
• reliability, commitment and drive
• a natural ear for good quality sound - musical
  ability can help
• communication skills
• team spirit
• fitness, agility and a head for heights
• quick reactions
• steady hands
• to keep calm under pressure.

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HOMEWORK

• Research the local scene. Use the Yellow pages,
  Forte, friends, etc to make a list of places or
  businesses where you could work in audio/sound
  production in Geelong. Your list should include
  Live Sound, Recording Studios, Television/Film
  studios, radio stations.
• Due next week.