When someone decides to become a doctor, they know exactly what to study and even what path they’ll follow before becoming the surgeon they aspire to be. But what happens when someone wants to be a live sound engineer? Even though it’s a very vocational profession, there is a major gap when it comes to training and, above all, credentials. In fact, it’s one of the few jobs without a single official degree, and as far as I know there is no reasonably complete curriculum for it either.
There are, however, college degrees that help quite a bit with the knowledge needed for these professionals’ tasks, from telecommunications engineering to the sound specialization at ESCAC (Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya), among others. There are even several private schools that offer a curriculum for broadcast or studio engineers. If a degree program did exist, I’d assume that 75% of the time would have to be devoted to “doing gigs.” But what does it mean to be a live sound engineer?
A Vocational Profession
Being a “sound engineer” (and here I’m focusing on the person behind the console during the show who travels with the band) is as easy as saying it. Since there is no degree, everything rests mainly on experience and trust. A band chooses an engineer not only for their ability at the console but for a whole entourage of other qualities, ranging from how quickly they react to technical problems and their ability to listen musically (which sometimes makes the sound engineer a live music producer as well) to their skill at using any rig that has been set up with the utmost reliability. In fact, the engineer is responsible not only for processing and mixing all of the band’s sounds into a quality stereo mix, but also for adapting those sounds to the style the band demands. But how do you get there?
Most of the time, the band decides who will be behind the console. They usually do it either because they know exactly what sound they want and look for a professional who meets their requirements or simply because they want someone they trust. How do they find that person? Most of the time, at a gig.
When knowledge is combined with experience, the results usually improve noticeably
To be behind a console you must master every previous stage perfectly. You need to know how a system is set up, have a grasp of the basics of acoustics and, no less important, have the experience needed to get the most out of all the tools at your disposal.
Theory, which is absolutely necessary, is easy to learn. Many of us, out of curiosity and professionalism, have literally devoured dozens of books to help us understand why things work the way they do. A doubt arises, it becomes a question and you look for the answer. We knew that a compressor lets us control the dynamics of a sound source quite well, but only by studying (reading) do you come to understand the meaning of every single button and knob on a compressor. When knowledge is combined with experience, the results usually improve noticeably.
There are times (many) when, standing behind a console, someone comes up and asks whether you really know what all those buttons are for. Those of us used to them know that by learning the “vertical” (the channel strip) you master the “horizontal” (the whole console). So we realize that theory is actually very easy to understand and memorize. The same goes for the rest of the gear, as with the console: dynamics processors, effects, splitters and so on. But what is impossible to study (although it helps) and depends only on experience is knowing how to handle all those variables to get what you want (which is not the same as being lucky enough for it to “sound like something”). Books and time, lots of time. Lots of gigs.
Step by Step
There are as many cases as there are people. Some sound engineers have jumped from the stage to the console (from musician to engineer), and others were at a studio console and suddenly found themselves at a live one. But the most common thing is to start from zero, or almost zero. You usually start as a freelancer or on staff at a sound reinforcement company, almost always loading and unloading trucks or vans. Little by little, driven by that hunger to learn, you literally learn the trade. You might start with a small speech, then a neighborhood rock band, an orchestra and so on. With time the challenges become routine, going from panic to know-how. Days go by and you realize you’re the one who touches the console the most, even though you’re still working for a company and not for a band. It’s common for many bands not to have their own engineer yet, basically because they have no budget (sometimes none at all), and the crew members who set up the gear have to mix as well. This is surely the best school.
Suddenly you get calls on your cell phone from bands you knew or have met, asking whether you could please go on tour with them or do a few gigs. The leap in quality is obvious, and so is the responsibility.
Technical and Musical Production
When you accompany a band day to day as its sound engineer, more is expected of you than when you’re only temporarily behind the console. The engineer becomes one more member of the band, on the same level, so to speak, as any of the musicians on stage. The level of responsibility is higher (which is why you now get paid more) and you can’t make mistakes. But the engineer also performs several functions that are rarely spelled out. To begin with, you become the band’s final word: everyone plays, but the engineer “interprets” the signals, and that’s where the “music” comes from. Your job now isn’t just to make what the musicians play intelligible, but to give meaning and personality to the overall sound. You have to know the repertoire inside out like any other musician, and have discussed with the band leader (or whoever the music producer is) the sound they want for each song or section. You have to know how to find the best sound effects (sometimes even knowing when to do without them), the ideal compression or expansion for that moment, and the delay time that fits the musical tempo...
In return, you also get the satisfaction of working continuously on a project where you can bring all your experience and know-how to bear. Usually, a few gigs into the tour, the engineer already knows how to anticipate the musicians and “gift” the audience real sonic gems. And usually nobody notices, because the best review an engineer can get is precisely silence, especially when negative criticism is the norm.
Among your duties is verifying that the equipment at your disposal is installed properly: speaker placement, FOH position, requested gear and so on. All of this is usually specified beforehand in what we call a “technical rider,” a work sheet sent to the production office so they know our technical needs. There is a bad habit of demanding (how nice it would be to just ask) every requirement for mics, musician placement on stage, equipment brands and so on. Drawing up this rider is also the engineer’s job, since he’ll be the one who has to use it during the gig. Reading some of the hundreds that have come across my desk, you can see that exaggeration is sometimes the dominant note. Others, by contrast, show the clear professionalism of the engineer, asking for quality gear that is within the means of any conventional sound company.
It’s essential for the engineer to start by checking the system’s performance, then verify the mic placement on the instruments (not out of distrust, but to get the best sound from the sources), and focus not only on making the PA sound good but, if no monitor engineer travels with the band, on making sure the musicians are comfortable on stage with their monitor mix. During the show, you set aside the engineer’s work and step into production.
Can an Engineer Make a Living at This?
Obviously yes. And not just engineers who travel with a band, but any kind. Even someone who only sets up systems can find companies offering work almost every day of the week. Of course, everyone has to be aware of some basic facts, like accepting that for many days, while everybody else is partying, you’re working; or that “business” hours are hardly designed for us: we sleep during the day and work at night.
Even so, it’s not hard to balance a “normal” life with that of a sound engineer. With a little effort it’s possible to maintain personal relationships and friendships with “normal” people, in exchange for getting better organized.
As for pay, the better you are, the more you earn. Obviously, whoever is paying will always look for the lowest price, but if you’re good (and that’s only proven day by day), you’ll easily earn very good income.
Conclusion
With these lines I encourage everyone who wants to be a sound engineer to “fight.” Yes, that word sounds a bit harsh, but all of us sound engineers have had to deal (and still do) with many invisible barriers, though all of them can be overcome. Sooner or later, the effort is rewarded with new challenges, more money and better jobs. Even those who, without being real engineers, work as such and earn incredible salaries are sooner or later (more likely sooner) put in their natural place by someone: they lose the job.
Those who make an effort and give their all day after day get results at the slightest opportunity. Being a live sound engineer is an incredible experience for many; certainly a very hard one, but rewarding. There is nothing better than seeing 100, 1,000 or 10,000 people enjoying a concert and knowing that behind it all there is a band, a sound system, a team of professionals each more important than the last and, at the end of the chain, you.
