Being proficient at soldering allows you to repair commonly used gear, and minimize the amount of downtime experienced from broken gear. This is perhaps one of the most important skills for an audio engineer to have. In the picture above, CRAS instructor Jim Bender is demonstrating soldering. In many cases, audio engineers take matters into their own hands – literally – by fixing and soldering broken equipment. It is the audio engineer’s responsibility to be able to figure out any problem that arises in a recording situation. That’s where the “engineering” part comes into play.Įngineering is all about taking what you know, applying it to what you don’t know, and figuring out a solution. With that many mics, there are a ton of things that could possibly go wrong as well. It’s quite commonplace to have 20 microphones set up for a single session. ![]() 7 weeks into the CRAS program, students get to work on their first recording session – a drum clinic.ĭuring this clinic, students get to see how much work audio engineering can actually be. Students at the Conservatory get to take part in numerous real recording sessions with actual studio musicians. This is where the CRAS hands-on education really shines. What about drum mics? Should we spot mic every drum? Or should we just use a set of stereo overheads? What about close miking just the snare and the kick, and then using a spaced pair of condenser mics at knee high level? Maybe we can use a really cheap mic as a room mic to get a great lo-fi sound… The creativity goes on and on. This means we want to get as creative as possible with our mic setups as well. Each recording session is unique, and you want to allow the band to express their sound as creatively as possible. There are some general rules to follow, but it does take a creative ear to figure out which position is the best. ![]() The tricky part is that you can’t just memorize optimal mic positions. These placement techniques are the key to getting unique recordings. Moving a mic just an inch towards or away from a guitar cab can dramatically change the sound. But there is so much more than that! Using a dynamic mic can give some depth to a guitar amp, but using a ribbon mic can really bring the shine out in the upper frequency ranges. Often times people see the job of the recording engineer as being pretty simple – just put a mic by the instrument, plug it in and call it a day. Microphone selection can make or break a recording. Knowing how to sync and trigger delays and reverbs, when to perform mutes and cuts, when to bring up the lead vocalist’s mic level and when to bring the guitar solo up are all little tips and tricks that audio engineers use to make the concert much more dynamic. This can be invaluable in making the best performance possible. A touring sound guy will know the band’s set, know when to cue special effects or set changes. ![]() Many bands will have a sound guy who tours with them. Finally, they will come up with a game plan for how to route the signal during the concert, which could possibly include running lighting as well. They will bring enough mics to mic up all the instruments, as well as some extras in case something happens. They will make sure all their cables are functional. They also have to make sure all the cables are run from the stage to the stage boxes and mixing consoles. In a live sound scenario, the engineers need to show up well before the bands arrive to make sure that the PA system is flown correctly. So what does an audio engineer actually do? Usually audio engineers will be the first to show up to a gig. The audio disciplines we focus on at CRAS are: However, many of the skills taught at the Conservatory of Recording Arts are applicable to every discipline across the board. Each niche will have its own set of skills and duties. The title of audio engineer encompasses a wide range of jobs. This is all possible thanks to the recording arts and sciences that allow us to capture and playback sound!
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