Being a full-time engineer shouldn't be far-fetched at all, I know a good selection of people that do it and make great money. Some went to college and some didn't...if you feel like you're stuck in the middle between learning by yourself or learning at a high-priced audio school then just go to a community college and take some courses there. The money you save can invest in some nice gear to get you started (most audio companies offer student discounts too). Once you're done with everything, use some of the money you saved and dive into a big rehearsal studio and rent the room out for 6 months or so. Record the first handful of bands for free or cheap and then start posting flyers around the place and attract attention towards your recording services. Soon enough, you'll have a ton of experience and will have built a trusted clientele.
I need some serious advice! Education.
- Thread starter Ganks
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grywolf627
Member
I'm definitely not saying it's a far fetched idea. It's very possible...depending on the current market of your area. I'm just saying, be prepared to work your ass off. It WILL be your life.
kev
Im guybrush threepwood
I've been doing the Berklee Online Pro Tools Masters Certification for the last 2 years. I have 6 months left and two classes. It cost me $11,500. So far I've taken Critical Listening, Pro Tools 101, Pro Tools 110, Mixing & Mastering With Pro Tools, Advanced Mixing & Mastering with Pro Tools, Producing Music with Reason, Remixing with Pro Tools & Reason, and I've got Introduction to Game Audio, and Music Publishing 101 left. For me, it has been totally worth it, but I'm the type of person that does really well in school environments and gets a lot out of it. I got to a point that I knew I needed help learning, so I sought it out. For me, it has been totally worth it, and in two years I have really gotten a great understanding of engineering and especially Pro Tools, which I feel is an incredibly deep program. My advice is to analyze what you need, and find out if you think a school will provide you with those necessary tools/knowledge/whatever. I can definitely recommend Berklee's online program. The classes are really well organized, you learn a shitload of in depth and really useful information. The professors will answer all your questions and not bullshit you. You get a lot of constructive criticism, and you and your classmates all work on the same projects so you get to see everybody's work and compare/learn from it. You can really get a lot out of it, but it's all about how much you apply yourself. If you are inspired by this stuff and you work hard, I think you'd get a lot out of it. It's an investment that has paid off for me. If you or anybody has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. - paul
grywolf627
Member
Mikaël-ange
Member
- Nov 7, 2008
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It would be interesting to know how many AE (think about people like Andy, Daniel Bergstrand... for exemple) haven't any degree.
My understanding is that it's somewhere around "almost all of the ones who do anything we're interested in", some statistics would be nice...
Jeff
Jeff
TheDriller
Member
If i remember correctly, Andy stated that he doesn't know anyone working on a serious level that had an Audio Engineering degree.
i believe Andy himself dropped out of school when he was about 15.
correct me if im wrong
slashvanyoung
Dopefish lives!
But does that get him clients? No, being the famous KSE-clown does. I'd highly doubt that many of his clients even know that he's got a degree. It's also news to me...
Edit: Found an interesting interview with him on that topic:
The whole thing is here.
I went and did a course that payed me 200 euro a week to learn about sound engineering in a recording studio that produced some german gold records, it lasted for 24 weeks or something like that and i learned a good bit about live sound and how to actually work with clients. The goal was to be an employable sound engineer by thend and although id feel confident with small gigs and demos for young bands I wouldnt feel comfortable charging "proper" rates.
What im trying to say is that if you have a situation where your getting educated for free or like in my case getting paid then go for it and it will be a great experience, but youl honestly learn a hell of a lot more from places like here and from experimentation.
What im trying to say is that if you have a situation where your getting educated for free or like in my case getting paid then go for it and it will be a great experience, but youl honestly learn a hell of a lot more from places like here and from experimentation.
I think that even with schooling, without any real life/hands-on experience in a studio, you're going to have a hard time. School can teach you sooo much, but without applying the knowledge to real life situations and real life projects, you won't really be able to see how what you've learned applies. Also, you gotta be a mover and shaker and go out there, make connections, and sell yourself to get the work. Put all that together with some good education, and you're well on your way. My 2 cents. - paul
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