Recording engineer

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A recording engineer (or simply "engineer" for short) is a person who operates, chooses, and sets up electronic recording equipment. The term applies mainly to a person who works in a recording studio, but can also apply to people who do the same kind of work in a film studio or concert hall. A recording engineer may work with multitrack recordings, stereophonic or Surround sound remixes, or both.

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[edit] Training

Although the name of the profession is "recording engineer", recording engineers do not have a degree in engineering. Several colleges and universities in the United States and other countries offer classes in recording, which may cover its history, its uses, and of course technique and technical knowledge. Some schools offer degree or diploma programs in Sound Recording or recording engineering. Graduating such a program does not guarantee a person a studio job, but increases one's chances, and can provide better preparation for such a career.

Some recording engineers have college diplomas or university degrees in music or sound recording. In some rare cases, recording engineers have graduate degrees in recording engineering or sound recording. Some amateur (and a few professional) recording engineers are self-taught, and learn mostly by doing, or with the help of a manual or how-to book. Many engineers started in other studio jobs (such as gofer or messenger), and learned about recording as they became familiar with the studio where they worked.

[edit] Job tasks

A recording engineer learns about the use and placement of microphones, how to operate and maintain a mixing board, recording deck, electronic effects (such as reverb and echo) and other machines, and how to manipulate live and recorded sounds, to make the best, and often the most unique, recording possible. A good recording engineer will strive to make recordings that are both of high technical quality, and also pleasing to hear.

Besides studio work, some engineers have one or more specialties, such as digital remastering of old recordings, as consultants to places that give concerts and live performances. Recording engineers also sometimes appear as expert witnesses in court trials, when recordings of sounds are important to the outcome of a case.

[edit] Wages

Starting wages may be small in recording studios, and many novices work as unpaid volunteers. When a recording engineer is starting their career, they may earn low wages. Experienced recording engineers, especially those who have worked on a hit record, may command a large wage. Some engineers are paid a salary, while others may earn hourly pay (sometimes based on the studio's rates), or be paid per session. Many go on to start their own recording studios, or maintain a private studio or mobile recording service. A few work only for a single recording artist, band, or producer.

[edit] Noted recording engineers