Engineering

[kepnerb]

I am going to be a senior in high school and have been recording solo stuff and a few bands and Im really enjoying recording and I was wondering how it the market for actually becoming an engineer. I was thinking about going into it in college and was just curious . Sorry if this is the wrong part of the forum.

[signorMars]

the market is what you make of it. there is work out there but how much depends on what you want to do and how good you are at getting the work. do you want to record music, and if so, what genre? rock, country, hip-hop, classical? do you want to do commercial work like radio spots, tv and voice over? sound for film?

one thing to bear in mind is that engineering is not a job where you get the training, put in a job application and get a job. you have to build your own client base, find your own work. the longer you're around, the more work will come to you, assuming your any good and not a total jerk.

[CurtZHP]

I'm going to give you the same advice I give everybody in your shoes.

If you're going to go to recording school, fine. But while you're doing that, find a trade school nearby and learn electronics. Better yet, find a trade school that has a recording program (they exist). That way you just have to go to one school. A technical school recording program can be every bit as comprehensive and hands-on as those at the more well known recording schools, and cost much less. No one's going to care where you learned it, as long as you know what the heck you're doing.

The logic behind learning electronics as well as audio engineering is simple.

1) It broadens the scope of your knowledge

2) You're more marketable if you can fix the gear as well as operate it.

3) If the recording engineer job market dries up (and it will from time to time), you have another marketable skill to fall back on.

4) It increases your options. Instead of just recording, you could be building or designing mic preamps or other gear, or working in related fields like radio, TV, or film.

[@?,*???&?]

I am going to be a senior in high school and have been recording solo stuff and a few bands and Im really enjoying recording and I was wondering how it the market for actually becoming an engineer. I was thinking about going into it in college and was just curious . Sorry if this is the wrong part of the forum.

The market is crap and wages are dropping. You'll always be up against some kid in his basement who will work for free. It's something you'll be able to do on the side, but not a career unless you move to New York or Los Angeles where there are thousands of recording engineers and even more bands. Even then, you'll struggle for 5 to 7 years in an area where the cost of living is ridiculous.

Sounds like you've basically been working alone doing this. Any successes working in group project situations?

[Jay Reynolds]

It's something you'll be able to do on the side, but not a career unless you move to New York or Los Angeles where there are thousands of recording engineers and even more bands.

Also:
Make sure you turn on phantom power when using a ribbon mic.
When recording digitally, try to get your levels as close to clipping as possible so you can use all the 0's and 1's.
Never, ever require a deposit.
Turn on your speakers before anything else.
Check to see if you've plugged your hairdrier into an un-grounded wall-socket before taking it into the shower.

[CurtZHP]

Turn on your speakers before anything else.

'Cause how else are you supposed to tell if the stuff is on, unless you hear the big *thump* when you hit the switch.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

It's something you'll be able to do on the side, but not a career unless you move to New York or Los Angeles where there are thousands of recording engineers and even more bands.

Also:
Make sure you turn on phantom power when using a ribbon mic.
When recording digitally, try to get your levels as close to clipping as possible so you can use all the 0's and 1's.
Never, ever require a deposit.
Turn on your speakers before anything else.
Check to see if you've plugged your hairdrier into an un-grounded wall-socket before taking it into the shower.

this post should be a sticky.

[Jay Reynolds]

Turn on your speakers before anything else.

'Cause how else are you supposed to tell if the stuff is on, unless you hear the big *thump* when you hit the switch.

Well, obviously I was being a little facetious there. You could try the following method to tell if a unit is on:
1. Make sure the piece in question is plugged in and lift all the grounds in the room.
2. Connect the appropriate cabling to one of the balanced inputs.
3. Take your shoes and socks off.
4. Touch your toe to the nearset piece of exposed metal plumbing (important: it has to be metal).
5. Touch the open end of the cable to your tongue.
6. Flip God the bird.

If you feel a sharp, tingling sensation, then your gear is on. If not, unrack the gear in question, open up the casing and repeat steps 3-6, but this time touch your tongue to the power supply instead. If that doesn't work, have one of your intrens dowse your head with a bucket of water during step 6. Still nothing? Then the gear is not on.

[RefD]

It's something you'll be able to do on the side, but not a career unless you move to New York or Los Angeles where there are thousands of recording engineers and even more bands.

Also:
Make sure you turn on phantom power when using a ribbon mic.
When recording digitally, try to get your levels as close to clipping as possible so you can use all the 0's and 1's.
Never, ever require a deposit.
Turn on your speakers before anything else.
Check to see if you've plugged your hairdrier into an un-grounded wall-socket before taking it into the shower.

this post should be a sticky.

*makes it sticky*

[MoreSpaceEcho]

*relocates entire studio to bathtub*

[CurtZHP]

6. Flip God the bird.

[dsw]

*makes it sticky*

*relocates entire studio to bathtub*

Get a room you two.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

at this point kebnerb is REALLY glad he came to us for advice.

[T-rex]

I know I am invoking the name that must not be spoken, but when Steve Albini did his little Q&A thing on the poker forum someone asked how he became an engineer (I think that was the question). I really liked his answer and saved it so here it is:

"I can only advise you in the manner that I eventually became a full-time engineer. You should start by hanging out with people whose music you understand, and who think like you do. Make yourself available to them, and those people will let you help them make recordings.

First you work for free, then they cover your expenses, and eventually you will become valuable to a peer group who also compose your client base. Through word of mouth, your work will eventually become worth something (in real money terms) to them, and they will pay you what they can afford.

The time lapsed between the first free demos I recorded for bands and the moment I could afford to quit my straight job and work in recording full-time was about 8 years. I don't see how I could have done it faster."

[rhythm ranch]

1. Make sure the piece in question is plugged in and lift all the grounds in the room.
2. Connect the appropriate cabling to one of the balanced inputs.
3. Take your shoes and socks off.
4. Touch your toe to the nearset piece of exposed metal plumbing (important: it has to be metal).
5. Touch the open end of the cable to your tongue.
6. Flip God the bird.

I hate to be picky, but I believe you need to reverse the order of #5 and #6.