Behind The Desk #1

I feel like before starting this column proper I should probably explain the role of a sound engineer.

It sounds daft, but it’s remarkable what little knowledge the majority of the general public has of my profession. A prime example of this comes after mentioning my job to one person, to which they replied with “it won’t be long till you’re on that X Factor then, eh?” I then replied with a very stern (if confused) look.

In theory, sound production is the practice of recording sound waves onto a tangible format (such as a WAV file, cassette tape, CD, etc.), or simply reproducing sound waves on a larger scale (these would be live-sound engineers) Sounds pretty simple: set up a microphone, press ‘record’, press ‘stop’, go to the pub with the band to celebrate a job well done.

Unsurprisingly, it’s actually a lot more in depth than that. Sound production is an art form. It involves a lot of listening, and by that I mean critical listening, to the various elements that go into making a record. It involves working with a lot of odd equipment; microphones, compressors, equalizers, mixing desks, DI boxes, and oddest of all, musicians.

I’m a student sound engineer, and like most industries (I imagine), being a student comes with the knowledge that there are very limited prospects for me to pursue my goals come the end of my academic career. But still I march on, for unlike most people I actually love my job. I love music and I love being a cog in the big machine that helps produce it. I hope this adoration transpires through my columns, but we’ll see about that.

Just don’t mention Simon Cowell to me.