Studio Sound Engineer
- Thread starter Kontents
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Beat This!The next Beat This! Competition is from November 27-28th!
T
The Arkitekt
Guest
i know that dude dj swivel is, i checked his shit out, he did work for some big names...
i will be a mixing engineer soon, starting school in october for it, ill be out by like 20-21, cant fuckin wait
i will be a mixing engineer soon, starting school in october for it, ill be out by like 20-21, cant fuckin wait
T
TheMost
Guest
i wanna do that but fuck i would have to pay like 16 000.
Low G
ILLIEN
ill o.g.
I'm earning some stripes at it right now... still learning tho but i can mic up drum kits n amps and stuff like that. I run the hip hop sessions and most of the simpler set ups on my own no problem. I don't know if I got the answers to any qestions tho cuz i've only been doing it for a about 5 months.
Kontents
I like Gearslutz
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 5
Yea. I am looking into questions for someone in the industry doing it as a profession. No offense I know I could learn from you guys no doubt, but I am making a career decision and I have questions about employment and work ethics for someone in the industry.
Thanks for looking though
Thanks for looking though
Formant024
Digital Smokerings
ill o.g.
^^ such as what questions ?
T
The Arkitekt
Guest
i did some real hard research on it and it all comes down to basicly experience, and reputation. if your in a hotspot with lots of people doing music and stuff, then get your name out, meet people and do your best. you have to build yourself a reputation that anyone feels comfortable just giving you there tracks to mix... just look it up youll find alot of information about it. im trying to get into it early so i can build a reputation early, then im planning on moving back to ny to get into the game because its an obvious hotspot there + plus my aunt lives on roosevelt island and knows a shitload of people there doing music so ill probly end up living with her for a while till i get on my feet
TheMost: it cost more than that, what im doing though is getting my associates at a community college and hopefully financial aid will cover the whole thing cuz its cheap at a community college. then im gonna apply for financial aid for the audio engineering classes... pretty much the most grants pay for (by the year)i.e. the pell grand is like close to 5 g's..... in the end youll probably be stuck with a loan to pay off, but if you work very hard at what you do and dedicate yourself to the max, then youll have more than enough money to pay that back
ps: themost... idk how the financial aid is in canada, youd probly get better financial aid there anyway
TheMost: it cost more than that, what im doing though is getting my associates at a community college and hopefully financial aid will cover the whole thing cuz its cheap at a community college. then im gonna apply for financial aid for the audio engineering classes... pretty much the most grants pay for (by the year)i.e. the pell grand is like close to 5 g's..... in the end youll probably be stuck with a loan to pay off, but if you work very hard at what you do and dedicate yourself to the max, then youll have more than enough money to pay that back
ps: themost... idk how the financial aid is in canada, youd probly get better financial aid there anyway
God
Creator of the Universe
ill o.g.
Being a studio engineer is a dying profession. No disrespect to illmuzik, but this is a link to something you're talking about:
1) http://www.gearslutz.com/board/high...gh-end-people-where-do-i-start-my-career.html
2) http://www.gearslutz.com/board/search.php?searchid=16654903
The second link are tons of other posts there on the same question, this was the quickest one I could find to get you started.
It's on a board of real studio engineers that consistently work with platinum artists across all genre ranges.
From my personal standpoint, and I am not an engineer though I know HOW to engineer and HAVE engineered in the past - for-profit "colleges" are creating programs that lure hopeful students wanting to make it into the "glamorous" world of production or post-production, only to find that they are competing with hundreds if not thousands of graduates for the same studio-assistant positions. These "colleges" are taking advantage of your hopes and dreams for an engineering job.
These are colleges like Full Sail, for example, which are a joke. You don't need to go to such a school and shell out thousands of dollars for a "ProTools certified" certificate. It's a joke, most studio engineers worth their salt think these colleges are a joke - because you have to prove yourself IN the studio and WITH the clients.
I'd rather hire a cat that went to Mississippi St. University rather than Harvard if that cat had more common sense and knew how to manage people better than the Harvard cat. You feel me?
You'll be fighting against these "graduates" and out of work engineers who have a ton of experience (they're out of work since the industry is contracting.) It's a dime a dozen - just like picking up women in LA who think they're "actresses" or "models." Connections, my friend, lift you above the fray. That, and a lot of common sense.
Anyway, hope that helps.
thedreampolice
A backwards poet writes inverse.
"Whats pay like, how easy is it to get employment. What makes a person different with engineering vs. the next guy.
Real Gen. Questions"
I am with God on this. I work with engineers all day everyday, only the top %2 make crazy money. Most make 30-40k engineering (working 60+ hour weeks) Thats about minimum wage. Its a tough gig.
Real Gen. Questions"
I am with God on this. I work with engineers all day everyday, only the top %2 make crazy money. Most make 30-40k engineering (working 60+ hour weeks) Thats about minimum wage. Its a tough gig.
Kontents
I like Gearslutz
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 5
Thanks for the replies. In the idea of the industry adjusting and the engineers already out there, if employment doesnt work for them in music what are the chances they would find other work to keep them paid. (i.e., commercials, websites with audio etc.)
T
The Arkitekt
Guest
damn that first article changes my perspective a lot... thanks for the read
yo god what would you say the best profession would be to get into in the music industry?
yo god what would you say the best profession would be to get into in the music industry?
thedreampolice
A backwards poet writes inverse.
entrepreneurship, take some night business classes. Find your niche and make some money
Quality
Godson of the Clapper
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 19
Yo, I feel ya'll and what your saying. Engineering IS a dying trade...but that doesn't mean don't pursue it. There is money to be made even though it ain't a glorious trade that many people think it is.
I understand and respect your thoughts on this, but I am personally am about to purse this and just say fuck it. This is what I want to do with my life, and I'll do basically whatever it takes to make it work. I want to become a recording engineer, and I am about to go to what ya'll call a joke of a school *cough*Full Sail*cough*. I know that going to a regular Uni is probably the best way to go, but I feel that I will gain connections through FS and will basically learn the entrepreneurship skills and studio equipment on the job. FS is a top school for learning this shit, and you wouldn't have mentioned it if it wasn't. So why not go there and learn basic skills you need instead of diving in blindly. Sure the degree doesn't mean a lot, but the experience will give you the confidence to do it when you are workin with clients in the studio. I've talked to ppl that know what it takes to make this a career, and I feel I've already learned a lot. I have even talked to a person who went into a similar trade by being a crew member workin on movies. He told me about how he got on, the years he worked for free just to get a payin job, and how much it was worth pursuing even though he worked the 70+ hrs a week. He gave me the best advice which was basically to go for it without any regrets, cause if doesn't work out, do something else. Cause you're young enough to afford the risk/loss and you won't have to live with regret the rest of your life.
All want to do is make enough money to get by, doin what I love everyday. It really is all about the connections, and I honestly think it will all work out. Ya'll know what your talkin about obviously, but I say go for it and give it your all. I'm not afraid of failure. I may not be making the best choice when I have so many different options for my life at this point, ahh well, I've given it a lot of thought and its what I decided.
Anyways Kontents, sorry for going a little off topic about lookin for the engineers on the board.
I understand and respect your thoughts on this, but I am personally am about to purse this and just say fuck it. This is what I want to do with my life, and I'll do basically whatever it takes to make it work. I want to become a recording engineer, and I am about to go to what ya'll call a joke of a school *cough*Full Sail*cough*. I know that going to a regular Uni is probably the best way to go, but I feel that I will gain connections through FS and will basically learn the entrepreneurship skills and studio equipment on the job. FS is a top school for learning this shit, and you wouldn't have mentioned it if it wasn't. So why not go there and learn basic skills you need instead of diving in blindly. Sure the degree doesn't mean a lot, but the experience will give you the confidence to do it when you are workin with clients in the studio. I've talked to ppl that know what it takes to make this a career, and I feel I've already learned a lot. I have even talked to a person who went into a similar trade by being a crew member workin on movies. He told me about how he got on, the years he worked for free just to get a payin job, and how much it was worth pursuing even though he worked the 70+ hrs a week. He gave me the best advice which was basically to go for it without any regrets, cause if doesn't work out, do something else. Cause you're young enough to afford the risk/loss and you won't have to live with regret the rest of your life.
All want to do is make enough money to get by, doin what I love everyday. It really is all about the connections, and I honestly think it will all work out. Ya'll know what your talkin about obviously, but I say go for it and give it your all. I'm not afraid of failure. I may not be making the best choice when I have so many different options for my life at this point, ahh well, I've given it a lot of thought and its what I decided.
Anyways Kontents, sorry for going a little off topic about lookin for the engineers on the board.
T
The Arkitekt
Guest
yea i got that same mentality about it too and i have a few connections which helps, but i read the whole thread that god posted up, i'm still going to do what i want to do with this but im going to try to have a back up like graphics design cause im good with that
shadeed
Go Digital or Go Home
ill o.g.
Guitar Center, gigs, working out of home studios, making beats, working a "real job" etc.
God
Creator of the Universe
ill o.g.
Kontents: Go to the gearslutz forum and ask that question. It's the same situation in those fields as in "traditional" music. Why? Because the market for studio engineers is oversaturated. People are competing for mixing music on video games, cartoons, everything. And the pay sucks.
Also, being an engineer is more technical than creative. You probably want to be a producer - good luck with that, though.
This is basic:
1. Did you go to college?
a) yes
b) no
2. What are you good at? Are you good at
a) writing music
b) rapping
c) hustling (talking, businessman)
d) playing instruments
If you didn't or are not planning on going to college - this takes out a lot of things right off the bat - specifically the "hustling" part. Traditionally, you go to college, get a business or some degree, move to NYC or LA and start working in a talent agency, management company or record company's mailroom. Then you get promoted. If you don't have a college education - they won't take you. This is where your record execs, agents, most A&R reps come in.
If you write music, you can be a songwriter and sell your songs or beats (the market is saturated with beatmakers - but if you really know how to write and craft actual songs - you're in business.) By "actual songs" I mean, lyrics, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, composition. Do you know how to do that? Or do you just sit in front of an MPC and see what "hot beat" comes out? Then you're a beatmaker, that's different.
If you play an instrument very well, you can go to college and try to be a session artist (hard to break in.)
Otherwise, you have to get in some other way, and there are millions of different ways, but for the power positions in companies - either college or some big track record in the industry is key (if you don't have an education - like a Dr. Dre.)
Then think about how many Dr. Dres are out there? Also think that each record company has "cliques" of people that they promote and support. It's internal company politics.
But, it's based on what you do best - then use that to your advantage - rather than trying to go down a different path where a lot of people are doing the same thing but have more talent and ambition than you.
God
Creator of the Universe
ill o.g.
Bro - I want you to post this exact question about Full Sail on the Gearslutz.com forum and see how many PROFESSIONAL and TRIED and TESTED engineers will:
a) tell you how wrong you are
b) you're wasting your money
c) will laugh in your face because they know Full Sail is bullshit.
Why did I mention Full Sail? Because it's good? Man, you're logic is in the crapper - if I mention Hitler and berate him like I berated Half-Sale, does that mean I said his name because I "respect" the guy. Come on. Hitler is shit and Full Sail is shit.
You're defending Full Sail because you committed to them, so you don't want to feel stupid you dropped 16k on a worthless education you could've got interning and working your way through the ranks like the top engineers.
Hold on - did Dr. Dre go to Full Sail? Did... uh, Andy Wallace go to Full Sail... uh, did Chris Lord-Alge go to Full Sail? I mean, you're in engineering - you should know at least who the last two names are right?
Get real, man. INTERNING and HUSTLING is what counts.