Chapter 1 of The Basics of Live Sound by Jerry Slone defines a sound engineer as “A person who brings together separate sounds to create one sound.” Simple enough, right? The reality is that a sound engineer can be responsible for a wide range of things, from setting up and running equipment, to mixing and mastering multi-track recordings. They’ve also been known to break out the occasional soldering iron to save the day when a renegade wire attempts to disrupt a performance. The talents of a sound engineer are not limited simply to recording a band in the studio or monitoring a live concert. There are many areas where we encounter their work on a daily basis, including TV and radio commercials, video game audio design, movie audio post-production, or even PA systems for public speaking.
Here is a short list of the various types of engineers with an overview of their duties:
Recording Engineer – Records sound either in a studio or live setting.
Mixing Engineer – Combines the audio from a multi-track recording into a single mix by adjusting volume and adding effects.
Mastering Engineer – Creates the final mix of a recording in preparation for mass production, using equalization and compression techniques.
Live Sound Engineer – Works with the various aspects of a “Sound Reinforcement” system, including planning and setting up equipment, mixing and monitoring sound, and adding effects.
Moving forward, my blog series will primarily focus on the aspects of live sound, as this is what most of you are, or will be, dealing with as musicians and music directors. Remember, your sound engineer is your friend and having a better understanding of their world will help you achieve the sound that you want through the art of communication.
