When You're not a sound engineer, what should you call yourself?

[LouieAzcona]

I worked for a company in Makati. Basically, my job was to sit in front of a MAC desktop, record a dubber, edit, then submit. I was one of the people responsible for tagalizing foreign movies. O wag niyo muna ako batuhin ng kamatis (if you hate tagalized movies). I applied because I thought Id be working with music, but no. I was a little disappointed. Nevertheless, I found the studios, the MACs, the KRKs and the digidesign 003s as luxuries that does not come everyday, plus the five digit salary, it was something I somehow enjoyed. But still, no music. I grew bored and decided to abandon the company after 3 months. I was called a RECORDING TECHNICIAN.

So I came back focused on my own business, my home recording studio. Its got papers, clients and a pilot - me. But im not a sound engineer, so whats my job title now?

[abyssinianson]

same thing. what is your academic background? knowing this info and what your training is would be of better help. sound engineering is a specific area of study and in some cases you can work in post-production businesses after getting out of a program. however, there are music related majors that one can train in, music composition, synthesis, performance..blah..blah. as far as gear goes, you use what the place has to get the job done - if the place does work with audio that requires a daw or hardware audio rig, you'd get to use that stuff when it is appropriate, not because it is a luxury. if you'd wanted something more music oriented, you should have pursued work at a studio, a mastering business or even a post-production suite that focuses only on scoring or something.

[LouieAzcona]

same thing. what is your academic background? knowing this info and what your training is would be of better help.

IM a Business Administration graduate. Never had a formal training in Audio production.

If you'd wanted something more music oriented, you should have pursued work at a studio, a mastering business or even a post-production suite that focuses only on scoring or something.

I swear I wanted those kind of jobs. I once freelanced as an arranger for Infomercials, until the boss fired my contact, SURPRISE! I was also pulled out! haha! But they paid me good, and I liked it because I did not have to travel to the office everyday. I miss it. Now, its hard to find.

[carl20]

I worked for a company in Makati. Basically, my job was to sit in front of a MAC desktop, record a dubber, edit, then submit. I was one of the people responsible for tagalizing foreign movies. O wag niyo muna ako batuhin ng kamatis. I applied because I thought Id be working with music, but no. I was a little disappointed. Nevertheless, I found the studios, the MACs, the KRKs and the digidesign 003s as luxuries that does not come everyday, plus the five digit salary, it was something I somehow enjoyed. But still, no music. I grew bored and decided to abandon the company after 3 months. I was called a RECORDING TECHNICIAN.

So I came back focused on my own business, my home recording studio. Its got papers, clients and a pilot - me. But im not a sound engineer, so whats my job title?

sir pwede ba akong mag-apply sa inalisan nyo? hehehe!

[skunkyfunk]

I think it is most appropriate to be called a SOUND RECORDIST.

If you make musical decisions in the recording, you are a PRODUCER.

If you wanna be called a sound engineer, you should have at least a good grasp of the science of sound and recording.  And the application is most important.  Pero the weird thing is sound engineering is not an exact science.  It is 50% psychology.

[rolandROSS]

....... But im not a sound engineer, so whats my job title now?

an Audio Engineer?

"The expressions "audio engineer" and "sound engineer" are ambiguous. Such terms can refer to a person working in sound and music production, as well as to an engineer with a degree who designs professional equipment for these tasks. The latter professional often develops the tools needed for the former's work."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_engineering

[LouieAzcona]

Thing is, im daunted by the word "engineer". Very suggestive of an acedemic degree.

[abusound]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_engineering

from the same link...

"An audio engineer is someone with experience and training in the production and manipulation of sound through mechanical (analog) or digital means. As a professional title, this person is sometimes designated as a sound engineer or recording engineer instead. A person with one of these titles is commonly listed in the credits of many commercial music recordings (as well as in other productions that include sound, such as movies).

Audio engineers are generally familiar with the design, installation, and/or operation of sound recording, sound reinforcement, or sound broadcasting equipment, including large and small format consoles. In the recording studio environment, the audio engineer records, edits, manipulates, mixes, and/or masters sound by technical means in order to realize an artist's or record producer's creative vision. While usually associated with music production, an audio engineer deals with sound for a wide range of applications, including post-production for video and film, live sound reinforcement, advertising, multimedia, and broadcasting. When referring to video games, an audio engineer may also be a computer programmer.

In larger productions, an audio engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of a sound recording or other audio production, and works together with a record producer or director, although the engineer's role may also be integrated with that of the producer. In smaller productions and studios the sound engineer and producer is often one and the same person.

In typical sound reinforcement applications, audio engineers often assume the role of producer, making artistic decisions along with technical ones."

Does this definition fit?

[abyssinianson]

Thing is, im daunted by the word "engineer". Very suggestive of an acedemic degree.

it is an academic degree, a specialization, in fact.

[rolandROSS]

it is an academic degree, a specialization, in fact.

other profession, say; ...  (the pro                          -->    the experienced/talented/master)

                                          a civil enginner             -->    master carpenter

                                          an electrical engineer   -->    master electrician

                                          an audio engineer       -->    Tonmeister   (sound master)

"Tonmeister (sound master)   - is a person who creates recordings or broadcasts of music who is both deeply musically trained (in 'classical' and non-classical genres) and who also has a detailed theoretical and practical knowledge of virtually all aspects of sound." , wiki

[superwup]

Engineer is an protected tittle only apply able after finishing your technical degree, for sound engineer there are specialized studies,,,,,,,,,,,

From soundonsound:

Q. I want to be a Sound Engineer, where do I start?
Published in SOS December 2006
 Printer-friendly version
Sound Advice
 
I'm a 25 year old lawyer working in Bombay, India, but I'm not really satisfied with what I'm doing or where my career is headed. I'm interested in sound engineering and the whole thing really interests me. I 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! I would ideally want to work and become a sound engineer either in the UK or in the US, as I prefer Western music. So I was wondering if you guys could help me out in some way because I'm really really confused about my future.
Gaurav Gurnaney

News Editor Chris Mayes-Wright replies: I've got good news and bad news: the good news is that there are loads of courses on offer, some of which can be studied 'from home' — check out Point Blank's on-line courses at www.pointblanklondon.com. The bad news is that there are thousands of music technology students fighting for just a handful of jobs, and that's in the UK alone.

But I don't mean to sound negative. In fact, a colleague has two friends who both came to the UK from the Bollywood scene in India. They are now both working in the industry, and are getting paid!

If you're planning on coming over from India to study in the UK, you may be able to apply for a bursary scheme from your government, or enlist on an international student scholarship programme from a UK institution. It may be worth contacting the British Council in Bombay, and their education web site, www.educationuk.org, is certainly worth a visit. If you don't get any joy here, the standard method of application for UK degree or HND courses is through UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. It allows you to apply for up to six different courses at different institutions, and over 55,000 overseas students used it last year. You can apply on-line, too, from anywhere in the world, but bear in mind that using the UCAS system, applications for courses starting in September must be submitted by mid-January of the same year. Note also that course fees for international students are generally higher than they are for UK or EU students.

As you're wanting to study sound engineering, you should also consider studying at one of the handful of specialised audio colleges, many of which are listed in the classified advert section of Sound On Sound. London-based Alchemea (www.alchemea.co.uk) generally offer shorter courses than universities, but limit class sizes to 10 and give you intensive hands-on experience with industry-standard equipment. You'll find that, with most private colleges, fees are the same across the board.

Another option is SAE, a worldwide organisation who have three colleges in the UK. More to the point, and more convenient for you, they have six institutions in India, one of which is in Bombay! SAE Bombay (www.saeindia.net) offer audio, multimedia and film-making diploma courses and, by the looks of the web site, have fairly well-equipped facilities. Good luck!

[superwup]

Qualifications
Point Blank offers a range of courses to help you to realise your creative ambitions and career objectives. All of our music courses are taught by music industry professionals with a wealth of experience. A music course at Point Blank ensures that you receive professional, practical training and earn a recognised qualification. This combination of qualifications coupled with skills and experience is the reason that so many of our students find work in the music industry. Choose the option that’s right for you or ask a course advisor for help.

 

Master Diploma  -  2 Year Courses (6 Modules)

The comprehensive insider's guide to the creative music business. A Diploma is a two year course of study consisting of six modules. Each module is individually accredited by the Open College Network.  Students are awarded a Point Blank Diploma upon completion of all six course modules. Two breaks of twelve weeks are scheduled during this course.

 

Professional Certificate - 1 Year Courses (4 modules)

The Professional Certificate is a one year course of study which allows students to specialise in either Music Production or Sound Engineering Skills. The course consists of four consecutive modules, individually accredited by the Open College Network.

 

HNC / Music Tech Degree – 1 Year (Year 1 of 3 year degree course)

If you would like to study for a BA Hons. degree in music, then this is the option for you. Students who complete the BTEC Level 4 course at Point Blank can progress to year two of the Creative Music Tech BA (hons) degree course at Canterbury Christ Church University.

 

Specialist Certificate -  3 Month Courses (1 module)

The specialist certificates are awarded to students who complete any twelve week course module. These self contained courses can be taken either on their own or in conjunction with other modules to create your own customised music training programme.

 

Short Intensive Courses - Weekend Courses

If you don’t have time to dedicate to a full programme of study, why not take an intensive crash course? Spend a weekend learning to DJ, learn radio production or music production packages including Ableton Live and Reason. Perfect for those with work or family commitments.

 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Awarding Bodies

 

BTEC HNC Level 4

The BTEC Higher National Certificate (HNC) course is an academic course which is accredited by EdExcel and delivered in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University. This course is a Level 4 qualification which means that students must have already completed a level 3 course (such as an “A” level or Higher National Diploma) in order to apply.

 

OCN (Open College Network) Accreditation

The Open College Network is a high quality validation and accreditation service for education and training. OCN 'credits' are recognised by universities, further education colleges, voluntary organisations and employers. All of the courses at Point Blank are externally moderated to ensure consistency. Three levels of credit are available for each course:

 

Level 1: Basic (GCSE grade E,D)

Level 2: Intermediate (GCSE grade C,B & A)

Level 3: Advanced (A Level equivalent)

 

Each 3 month course at Point Blank is valued at 3 credits. The Music Production & Sound Engineering Diploma is valued at 15 credits and the Merit Courses at 9 credits . A total of 48 OCN credits, 36 of which must be at level 3, are equivalent to an Access course which is sufficient to gain entry to a University degree course or equivalent. However OCN credits can be combined with other qualifications in order to meet University or FE entry requirements.

 
 

[alien_inside]

IM a Business Administration graduate. Never had a formal training in Audio production.

Same with me. BA din. Training in Music Technology and Audio? under the umbrella of "Y".

[LouieAzcona]

so what if you dont have a degree, but you have your own project studio and you profit from it. What are you called?

I just dont know what to tell my mama.

[LouieAzcona]

sir pwede ba akong mag-apply sa inalisan nyo? hehehe!

pm sent!

[alien_inside]

so what if you dont have a degree, but you have your own project studio and you profit from it. What are you called?

I just dont know what to tell my mama.

I just call myself: Audio Editor....

[d6ynast9y]

pm sent!

can you send me that pm too? 

[rolandROSS]

I just call myself: Audio Editor....

diba  ' Sound Engineist'?

[alien_inside]

pm sent!

ako din pa-PM!!!

[alien_inside]

diba  ' Sound Engineist'?

Recordist!

Heto mas grabe: MIXERIST or MIXERER??

[LouieAzcona]

ako din pa-PM!!!

sent!

[mikep]

For me, I believe the proper term should be Audio Specialist.  It is much the same as the Tonmeister given to audio engineers in Europe, especially Germany.  The term engineer is a litlle bit of a misnomer.  I remember an engineer friend putting the title Engr. before his name in an embarkation card for the US.  When we got the the immigration dept queue and it was his time to face the Immigration Officer, the guy said, upon reading his card, "...so, you are an Engineer?  You drive trains?" That really got us lots of giggles.

FWIW

[alvincflorentino]

Me, I'm stuck with a totally unrelated job that I can't get out of since I've been in it for half of my life.

I'd call you...lucky. Ha!

[abyssinianson]

so what if you dont have a degree, but you have your own project studio and you profit from it. What are you called?

I just dont know what to tell my mama.

entrepreneur. afterall, you did study BA. i guess we come from different industries. thing is, stateside, back in the day you might have been able to get a job at a post-prod place or a studio based on sheer will to learn, attitude and maybe having watched folks do studio stuff here and there but when it comes down to it, when you do apply for a studio job the management will ask for two things: industry references and formal training credentials because they want you to be self sufficient and knowledgeable when they sit you in during a session. in fact, i've been to a few of the vocational training sessions at places like sweetwater (the last one was with Eddie Kramer and he taught a production workflow module) and a ton of the guys there are active working studio rats who "refresh" or get certified in a new piece of software - kinda like how IT guys stay current with the industry.

so what if you don't have a degree? well there ain't nothing wrong with it except that it does serve a purpose, that is all i am saying - studying something in detail in a degree program or even getting formal training in it through some kind of short term training course gives you a broader perspective that other people might not. if you are in the studio business to make money, that is fine but there is also a different aspect of the business that emphasizes the finer, artistic and technical aspects of the process of recording and this is where a lot of the specialized training in the industry works. there are a lot of times when self study doesn't give you a better of a foundation than the guy who has specialized his training in audio, and audio alone. the bottom line is, training serves a purpose and training is allows you a better overall perspective that you can build experience on for many years.

can you get away without having formal training? sure. should you? it depends - that is your call. all i am saying is that having knowledge gives you more ammo to use at work and your opportunities are much varied if you don't have any experience to offer from the get go.

[wickedgroove]

"An audio engineer is someone with experience and training in the production and manipulation of sound through mechanical (analog) or digital means. As a professional title, this person is sometimes designated as a sound engineer or recording engineer instead.

A number(ALOT)  of audio engineers are autodidacts with no formal training.

branches of audio engineering

    * Studio engineer could be either a sound engineer working in a studio together with a producer, or a producing sound engineer working in a studio.
    * Recording engineer is a person who records sound.
    * Mixing engineer is a person who creates mixes of multi-track recordings. It is not uncommon for a commercial record to be recorded at one studio and later mixed by different engineers in other studios.
    * Mastering engineer Typically the person who mixes the final stereo tracks(or sometimes just a few tracks or stems) that the mix engineer produces. The mastering engineer makes any final adjustments to the overall sound of the record in the final step before commercial duplication. Mastering engineers use principles of equalization and compression to affect the coloration of the sound.
    * Game audio designer engineer is a person who deals with sound aspects of game development.
    * Live sound engineer is a person dealing with live sound reinforcement. This usually includes planning and installation of speakers, cabling and equipment and mixing sound during the show. This may or may not include running the foldback sound.
    * Foldback or Monitor engineer is a person running foldback sound during a live event. The term "foldback" is outdated and refers to the practice of folding back audio signals from the FOH (Front of House) mixing console to the stage in order for musicians to hear themselves while performing. Monitor engineers usually have a separate audio system from the FOH engineer and manipulate audio signals independently from what the audience hears, in order to satisfy the requirements of each performer on stage. In-ear systems, digital and analog mixing consoles, and a variety of speaker enclosures are typically used by monitor engineers. In addition most monitor engineers must be familiar with wireless or RF (radio-frequency) equipment and must interface personally with the artist(s) during each performance.
    * Systems engineer is a person responsible for the design setup of modern PA systems which are often very complex. A systems engineer is usually also referred to as a "crew chief" on tour and is responsible for the performance and day-to-day job requirements of the audio crew as a whole along with the FOH audio system.
    * Audio post engineer is a person who edits and mixes audio for film and television."

Some companies would prefer graduates from Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, Berklee, MI, Recording Workshop.

For me it doesnt matter what the designation is. what is important is the quality of your work. it doesnt matter where you graduated, or where you studied.

The real credential of an audio engineer is not the paper/certificate/diploma but the work he has done like CDs mixed/produced, and other works whether in studio or live applications.

And alot of bands and artists choose their producers/sound engrs because of their previous works not because of their diplomas and certificates.

but dont get me wrong. im not saying its not good to have a formal education. well your lucky if you can afford to have a formal education in audio engr/prod.