Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of sound through mechanical and electronic means. Sound' is Vibration transmitted through a Solid, Liquid, or Gas; particularly sound means those vibrations composed of Frequencies The field draws on many disciplines, including electrical engineering, acoustics, psychoacoustics, and music. Electrical engineering, sometimes referred to as electrical and electronic engineering, is a field of Engineering that deals with the study and application of Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of Sound, Ultrasound and Infrasound (all mechanical waves in gases liquids and solids Psychoacoustics is the study of subjective human Perception of Sounds Alternatively it can be described as the study of the Psychological correlates Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Unlike acoustical engineering, audio engineering generally does not deal with noise control or acoustical design. Acoustical engineering is the branch of Engineering dealing with Sound and vibration. Noise control is an active or passive means of reducing sound emissions often incentivised by personal comfort environmental considerations or legal compliance Design is used both as a Noun and a Verb. The term is often tied to the various Applied arts and Engineering (See design disciplines However, an audio engineer is often closer to the creative and technical aspects of audio rather than formal engineering. Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and An audio engineer must be proficient with different types of recording media, such as analog tape, digital multitrack recorders and workstations, and computer knowledge. With the advent of the digital age, it is becoming more and more important for the audio engineer to be versed in the understanding of software and hardware integration from synchronization to analog to digital transfers.

Lexical dispute

The expressions audio engineer and sound engineer are ambiguous. Such terms can refer to a person working in sound and music production, as well as to a degreed engineer who designs professional equipment for these tasks. The latter professional often develops the tools needed for the former's work. Other languages, such as German and Italian, have different words to refer to these two activities. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. For instance, in German, Tontechniker (audio technician) is the one who operates the audio equipment, and Toningenieur (audio engineer) is the one who designs, builds and repairs it.

Advanced fields of audio engineering assume a degreed person in the role. Individuals designing acoustical simulations of rooms, shaping algorithms for digital signal processing and computer music problems, or performing institutional research on sound in general are most often graduates of an accredited college or university, or have passed a difficult civil qualification test. A digital signal processor ( DSP or DSP micro) is a specialized Microprocessor designed specifically for Digital signal processing, generally Computer music is a term that was originally used within academia to describe a field of study relating to the applications of Computing technology in music composition

Practitioners

An engineer at one of the audio consoles of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (Danmarks Radio). DR (formerly Danmarks Radio) is Denmark 's national Broadcasting corporation The console is an NP-elektroakustik specially made for Danmarks Radio in the 1980s.

An audio engineer is someone with experience and training in the production and manipulation of sound through mechanical (analog) or digital means. An analog synthesizer is a Synthesizer that uses analog circuits and Analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically A digital system uses discrete (discontinuous values usually but not always Symbolized Numerically (hence called "digital" to represent information for As a professional title, this person is sometimes designated as a sound engineer or recording engineer instead. A person with one of these titles is commonly listed in the credits of many commercial music recordings (as well as 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, including large and small format consoles. A sound reinforcement system is an arrangement of Microphones electronic Signal processors Amplifiers and Loudspeakers that makes live or pre-recorded For the band see Broadcast (band Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or Video signals which transmit In the recording studio environment, the audio engineer records, edits, manipulates, mixes, and/or masters sound by technical means in order to realize an artist's or record producer's creative vision. A recording studio is a facility for sound recording. Ideally the space is specially designed by an acoustician to achieve the desired acoustic properties (sound Mastering, a form of audio Post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a Data storage device In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing While usually associated with music production, an audio engineer deals with sound for a wide range of applications, including post-production for video and film, live sound reinforcement, advertising, multimedia, and broadcasting. See also Filmmaking Post-production occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, Videos audio recordings Video is the technology of electronically capturing, Recording, processing storing transmitting and reconstructing a sequence of Still images Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand Multimedia is media and content that utilizes a combination of different content forms. When referring to video games, an audio engineer may also be a computer programmer.

In larger productions, 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 smaller productions and studios the sound engineer and producer is often one and the same person.

In typical sound reinforcement applications, audio engineers often assume the role of producer, making artistic decisions along with technical ones. In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing

Different professional branches

• Studio engineer could refer to either a sound engineer working in a studio together with a producer or to a producing sound engineer working in a studio.
• Recording engineer is a person recording a record differentiating from a . . .
• Mixing engineer who performs mixes of already recorded materials. It is not uncommon for a commercial record to be recorded at one studio and later mixed by different engineers in other studios.
• Game audio designer, engineer is a person who deals with sound aspects of game development.
• Live sound engineer is a person dealing with live sound reinforcement. Live sound mixing is the art of combining and processing a number of Audio signals together to create a "mix" that the audience or performers at a live show hear This usually includes planning and installation of speakers etc and soundmixing during the show. This may or may not include running the foldback sound. Foldback is the use of rear-facing Loudspeakers known as monitor speakers on stage during a Live music performance
• Foldback or 'Monitor' engineer this refers to the person running foldback sound during a live event.
• Systems Engineer is a person responsible for the design, setup and flying of modern PA systems which are often very complex.
• Audio Post Engineer is a person who edits and mixes audio for film and television.

Education

Audio Engineers come from all backgrounds such as electrical engineering or Fine Arts; many colleges and accredited institutions around the world offer degrees in Audio Engineering such as BS in Audio Production. A Bachelor of Science ( BS, BSc or BSc in the UK; less commonly S A great number of production mixers are autodidacts with no formal training. Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) is self-education or self-directed learning

Equipment

Audio engineers in their daily work operate and make use of:

• Mixing consoles
• Microphones
• Signal processors
• Tape machines (mainly Multitrack recording tape machines)
• Digital audio workstations
• Music sequencers
• Speakers
• Preamplifiers
• Amplifiers

Studio Engineers of note

See also

• Sound recording
• History of sound recording
• Audio Engineering Society
• Institute of Broadcast Sound
• Production engineer
• Sound designer
• Sound operator
• Recording studio
• Electrical engineering
• Acoustical engineering
• Broadcast engineering
• Record producer
• Professional audio
• Audio restoration
• PLASA Professional Lighting and Sound Association
• Category:Audio engineers
• Category:Acoustical engineers

External resources

• Audio Engineering Society
• Audio engineering formulas and calculators
• Recording engineer video interviews
• A free collection of online audio tools for audio engineers
• WikiRecording's Audio Engineer Directory
• WikiAudio - Pro Audio Wiki and Database