Skills, Training and Preparation
- Be willing to learn and curious about how things work. Read, watch, and learn about audio processes, sound operation, techniques, and equipment. Watch other audio engineers and ask questions (at appropriate times, not when they are in the middle of a challenging mix).
- Develop a basic knowledge, understanding and practice of:
- gain structure, signal flow and PA systems, acoustics, physics, electronics and IT,
- critical listening,
- music terminology and theory, to focus intuitively on the art, and be able to follow a score,
- microphones: choice, placement and care,
- the specific event tools and equipment and develop an ability to use those tools musically to achieve the goals required for the event, and
- people skills, and maybe even psychology.
- Practice the art of mixing to develop and improve skills. Some times you and your critical listening only get better after doing the job many times.
- Be prepared, punctual and organised for an event, with a familiarity of the program material and a run sheet to aim for seamless transitions, while still expecting changes on the day.
- Listen to recorded versions of the performance songs and associated genres. Attend rehearsals to familiarise yourself with the target soundscape and arrangement.
- Bring spare cables, mics, DIs, electrical tape, gaffer tape, a marker pen, headphones and a range of adaptors for any occasion.
- Make a patch list to know how each piece of equipment is connected and soft-patched.
- Line-test inputs and outputs and signal flow before musicians and audience arrive. It is much easier to problem-solve without the added pressure of people-watching.
- Play high-quality recorded tracks you know well as reference material to compare how a PA system responds to the track. Our hearing may have adapted to an inferior quality of sound (listening to poor-quality car speakers on the way to the venue). Before an event, remind our ears how something should sound to refocus them to a more appropriate target.
Hearing and listening:
- Manage and protect personal hearing as the primary audio engineer tool that affects critical listening, ability to 'mix', employment options, general health, social interactions and finances.
- Critically listen to a wide range of music.
- Allow rest times away from noise.
Character:
- Be calm (or at least appear calm), to keep a situation calm and to create a relaxed and positive environment,
- Be able to listen to advice from others, to take criticism, be thick-skinned and able to forgive,
- Be able to make decisions in stressful situations,
- Be able to put aside arrogance and pride,
- Be efficient in time management, especially in setting up and packing down,
- Being a little bit crazy may help,
- Be tenacious to keep problem-solving and working towards the best possible outcome,
- Develop a logical mind that can develop repeatable habits/steps to success,
- Have a good work ethic,
- Also, be:
- adaptable,
- a multi-tasker
- assertive,
- committed,
- creative,
- eager,
- enthusiastic,
- flexible,
- hardworking,
- kind,
- not afraid to try
- something new,
- open-minded,
- passionate about
- the work,
- patient,
- proactive,
- reliable,
- self-confident,
- sensible, and
- willing to learn.
Develop and demonstrate:
- a desire to get the
- best possible outcome,
- a desire to help others,
- a desire to learn,
- a good work ethic,
- a positive attitude,
- a sense of humour,
- attention to detail,
- endurance and stamina,
- humility,
- initiative,
- leadership,
- musical sensitivity, and
- organisation skills.
Communication
- Be approachable, personable, and a team player,
- Be able to deal with a wide range of people, understanding interpersonal relationships,
- Be kind and respectful to 'the voices' even when those 'voices' contain critics,
- Be willing to ask questions,
- Demonstrate diplomacy and tact,
- Develop respect and trust so as to be received well when suggesting changes to performer volume and tone,
- Foster good communication with the performers, to pick up their expressions and subtle cues in order to make adjustments when necessary,
- Resolve conflicts that may arise, and
- Show empathy
Technical:
- Through experience and study, have enough technical understanding and intuition to problem-solve efficiently.
- Develop analytic and logical thinking.
- Visualize signal flow.
- Learn to multitask. Have an "always scanning" mind that can be 'one with the music' but at the same time, able to notice when there is an audio issue and then fix as seamlessly as possible.
- Monitor SPL and sound exposure and respond accordingly.
In the Mix
- Determine that, in the 'mix' the most important ‘thing’ is the most important ‘thing’, whether it be the artist, a lyric, or a message. All other sound elements should support the main ‘thing’.
- Actively become conscious of every audio element as if heard for the first time.
- Be aware of every sound source's location, how each sound blends with another, and how each sound source's natural frequencies compete with others.
- Note and respond to each sound's dynamic range, giving each their own space, aware that music moves and not everything has to be locked down and compressed to the same volume. Be sensitive to the changing dynamics to 'ride' the emotion and musical focus to help convey the 'feeling' for the 'story' being told.
- Just because a 'mix' has a history of being constructed in a particular way, does not mean that those ways cannot be improved.
- When dialogue is too loud, the listener can feel 'shouted at' and pushed back in their seats. Quieter dialogue can encourage the listener to 'lean in' and focus more on what is said. There may be times when an authoritative-sounding higher volume may be appropriate.
- Develop the ability to keep alert, attentive and focused throughout.
- Develop an ability to pay attention to detail while maintaining a view of the 'bigger picture' to avoid being buried in a technical issue that is insignificant in comparison to what's going on with the bigger picture of the show or performance, potentially missing significant cues from the artists to the detriment of the event.
- Develop an awareness of surroundings and participants. Respond to the impact of the sound on listeners and balance the audio in such a way as to maximise engagement.
- Aim for seamless transitions to maintain the illusion of invisible reinforcement.
- Obtaining the best sound may be 90% psychology and 10% mic placement.
Musicality
- Have a 'good ear' for the performance to be mixed and the instruments involved. Know how each instrument should sound in relation to other sound sources within a given song for the genre, knowing where the melody is.
- Appreciate many musical styles, even if they're not your personal preference.
- Play an instrument.
- Understand the various musical connections that make up the final sound.
- Understand musical concepts like melody, harmony and dynamics.
After an Event:
- Be pleased that you have stepped up and performed a difficult task. Be thankful for being part of a fascinating creative industry.
- Coil cables correctly and store equipment safely.
- Review and learn something from every event, separating what was in your control and what was not.
Extra Bits
- Good equipment is not a guarantee of a good sound. In the hands of a good audio engineer, good equipment helps them get a great sound easier.
- When evaluating the quality of one piece of audio equipment like a microphone or speaker, make direct comparisons between that item and another that you know well. It is difficult to appropriately determine an audio element's different characteristics without something else to compare it with directly.
- Many digital consoles and processors have useful options for the experienced engineer but can confuse the novice. Sometimes a simple analogue set up is a better option for the beginner.
Questions To Ponder
- How do we, as audio engineers, develop our skills and craft? Are we consciously looking to improve the live-sound experience?
- Do we act responsibly for the safety of individuals affected by our choices, or do we rely on personal freedoms, that our patrons are informed and capable of being prepared and making wise choices?
- To what degree is musicality affected in our audio engineering choices of volume, compression, tone, space and movement? Is compression/limiting overused?
- When amplifying dialogue, do we consider that some cultures may have different preferences: a lower conversational approach, or a higher, more authoritative-sounding level?
- Could event SPL be lowered by 3 dB (1 dB per year), effectively doubling the allowable exposure time, and still maintain the concert experience?
- Could a lower SPL and an understanding of safe exposure levels provide the listener with greater freedom to enjoy a louder event, as is the case with sunscreen and the freedom sunscreen provides on a sunny day?
Some people see every other company in the world as competition, as in, ‘they’re my enemy.’ But I see them as trying to live their dreams like I’m living mine
Mike Bourne, owner, All-Star Audio Systems
If you think it’s expensive hiring a good sound engineer, try hiring a cheap one
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