Sound Engineering is a perfect example of how modern technology can embrace art. With the capability to explore the depths of voice art, sound engineering offers the techie minds to build their career on people’s creative desires.
The recent years have been a blessing to audio engineering technology and is proven to be one of the most rewarding careers of all time. With the growing popularity of flexible lifestyles and creative environments, more people are willing to become sound engineers.
But sound engineering is not a cup of tea for all. The techie-creative career path demands a certain speciality in skills and continuous improvement in them.
Well, in this article, we are going to discuss those high-demand skills that can help you become a part of the creative industry.
Who is a Sound Engineer?
A sound engineer is responsible for transforming a pre-recorded or live-recording audio to its best form with no impurities. Audio engineering manages the technical components of audio such as music, voices, and sound effects.
They are experts in technical abilities like operating equipment and utilising audio software to record, mix, master, and add effects. But that doesn’t summarise all of their responsibilities.
Sound engineers or audio engineers must have a bundle of soft skills to stay relevant in the industry. Below we have discussed all the essential skills to become a Sound Engineer. Check them all out.
Must-Have Skills to Become a Sound Engineer:
1. Audio Equipment Knowledge:
The number 1 skill a sound engineer must have is his/her proficiency with the audio equipment. They should be able to create different combinations to get the most effective results for different configurations of recording & mixing.
A sound engineer must be able to frequently install, manage, troubleshoot, detach, and store equipment or audio devices.
2. Equalising Techniques:
An equaliser is a prominent feature of sound engineering which is used to strengthen or reduce specific sound frequencies in the record to give a specific direction to a mix. Notably, employing EQs is needed to polish various audio elements such as Guitar Pedals, Stereo Systems, and Instrument Amplifiers.
EQ can also alter a person’s voice tone to match the requirement in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) to create high-quality sound recordings.
3. Music Theory:
A sound engineer works with musicians and he/she needs to learn Music Theory. Not only will it help in excelling the technical aspect of a recording but also add artistic perspective to your approach. For example-
Metre refers to the rhythm and Tempo refers to the speed of the composition in mathematical terms. Understanding them with an artistic approach will help you make the director’s vision a reality. This extends your ideal take on adding effects, modifying sound frequencies, mixing etc.
( Also Read More – Behind the Sound- The Magic You Don’t Know About Recording Studios )
4. Acoustic:
The study of acoustic includes an understanding of a space and its effects on the music waves. When sound waves bounce off a surface, they reflect and impact the overall characteristic quality.
A room with high Reverberation can sustain a sound wave for a longer period. It’s a sound engineer’s job to understand which materials and types of surfaces offer unique acoustical possibilities.
You see, no studio is causally built, especially not just for giving a visual artistic feel.
5. Mixing Methods:
Mixing is the process of incorporating multiple sound elements into one composition, making a cohesive outcome. Mixing is a perfect example of the art of technology working together. There are three types of mixing techniques all sound engineers must know.
–Panning: When you set an audio effect to only one speaker area, making it more effective in one ear.
–Compression: The compression technique helps to equalise the loudness & quietness of sound elements.
–Distortion: The distortion effect helps soften a harsh sound element.
6. Expertise in Audio Software:
The modern-day music industry deals with multiple software such as DAW. This software helps to edit, mix, master, add effects, and multiple other activities into a single edit. Most of the DAW software connects with digital instruments. A sound engineer must be familiar with at least one of these DAW software if not more.
7. Communication:
Communication is one right key to success in the creative field. A sound engineer must have this soft skill of communicating his ideas, views, perspective, and art style with his colleagues. Notably, a sound engineer works in collaboration with audio techies, stage managers, performing artists, producers, directors, etc.
On the other hand, he/she must be able to accept feedback and must be able to understand the vision of an artist or a director. They can also connect with other organisations in collaboration to complete their projects. But that’s possible only when they are in a condition to listen, understand, and communicate their ideas well.
( Read More – Best Practices to Set Dolby Atmos Mixing Speaker )
8. Flexibility:
The creative field demands you to be flexible. Possibly because art cannot be limited to any kind of wall. Flexibility can easily make you the favourites of several artists as all of them have their own style of working.
Having an open mind and accepting new trends make you valuable. You become an asset to the artists, producers, and directors alike. Most importantly, your flexible nature will especially benefit you in live performances where sudden changes are often needed.
9. Teamwork:
A sound engineer never works alone. You must learn the skill of working with teams and act with the utmost professionalism. A team always has people with different mindset, backgrounds, and skills. As a Sound Engineer, your job is to lead each member of your team to achieve a common goal.
10. Continuous Learning:
The music industry is evolving with each passing day. Being a student of music and always having a desire to learn can lead you far ahead in the industry. Regularly learn about new technologies, research, new audio formats, and acoustic discoveries. Try to incorporate all these new pop-ups to serve better services to artists and directors.
More to it, keeping a keen eye on changing trends in people’s listening behaviour is an exceptional skill a sound engineer must have. Understanding what people want will let you help your artists on a personal level, making their records more intimate to the audience.
Conclusion:
A sound engineer’s job is not only playing with instruments. They are experts in understanding music, sound waves, software like DAW and their connection with digital instruments. Moreover, an exceptional sound engineer can tell what the current music trends are and how an artist can utilise them to create records more connected to the audience.