Audio engineering

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Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of sound through mechanical and electronic means. The field of audio engineering draws on many disciplines, including acoustics, psychoacoustics, and music. Unlike acoustical engineering, audio engineering generally does not deal with noise control or acoustical design. However it should be noted than an audio engineer is often more affiliated with technician work rather than as engineering, due to the lack of mathematics and science involved in mastering this field. Audio engineering is different from Acoustical Engineering, which heavily relies on the underlying physics and mathematics of sound waves and their propagation.

[edit] Practitioners

An engineer by one of the audio consoles at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (Danmarks Radio). The console is a NP-elektroakustik specially made for Danmarks Radio in the eighties.

An audio engineer is someone with experience and training in the production and manipulation of sound through mechanical or digital means (Analog and Digital). As a professional title, this person is sometimes designated as a sound engineer instead. An informal name might be a "sound guy" and/or an "audio guy". A person with one of these titles is commonly listed in the credits of many commercial music recordings (also in other productions that include sound, such as movies).

Audio engineers are generally familiar with the design, installation, and/or operation of sound recording, sound reinforcement, or sound broadcasting equipment. In the recording studio environment, the audio engineer or recordist is a person recording, editing, manipulating, mixing and mastering sound by technical means in order to realize an artist's or record producer's creative vision. While usually being associated with music production, an audio engineer may be involved in dealing with sound for a wide range of applications, including post-production for video and film, live sound reinforcement, advertising, multimedia, broadcasting.

Audio engineers operate mixing consoles, microphones, signal processors, tape machines, digital audio workstations, sequencing software and speaker systems. Commonly an audio engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of a sound recording or other audio production and works together with a record producer or director, although the engineer's role may also be integrated with that of the producer.

In typical sound reinforcement applications, audio engineers often assume the role of producer, making artistic decisions along with technical ones.

It's worth noting that a formal engineering degree is usually worth nothing if it's not accredited by a national or international accreditation organization, such as EurIng, NORDING.