Is recording engineering career still worth!?

[LydonB]

My answer to the original post is, yeah a recording engineer career is still worth it. I think pursuing anything you are passionate about is always worth it in the end.

As far as studying something else...I don't think that ever hurt. I will be graduating from a conservatory next year with a degree in music production. How much value that holds in the real world...I'm not quite sure of yet. I think talent means more than a degree to be honest. But having something as a backup plan is never a bad idea.

 

[Dom Ostarig]

This career in BR is very 'unsafe'. I'm brazilian too, that's explain my english, and my mention of 'safeness'.... In brazil, don't matter if a engineer knows about audio.... but he must know how to making friends, to suking some balls.... i'm personally very very bad on that. But i like this idea of "next level of brazilian metal"

Just to let more clear..... in brazil, 300 USD is a good payment for a month... more than our minimun payment set by government. Food and drink is pretty cheap.... here's cool if you wanna eat and drink until you die.... instruments and eletronics stuffs are really expensive.

 

[Arjen W.]

Yeah, I'm also thinking about doing a 1-year study on music production that is given near where I live. I'm currently doing a Bachelor in Computer Science, which should be done in 1-2 years. I'm not sure yet if I'll get my Master's degree. Basically, Computer Science is my 'backup', to have the option to get a 'normal' job and make decent money without much risk. However, while I find computers fairly interesting, they are no passion of mine. Music is. Like other people said, I think you should follow your dreams, I'm sure I will, or at least try. I don't know what I would do when I'm finished with the producer study, but it just seems like a lot of fun and I can always use the knowledge in my home studio (plus it's only 1 year, so not much to lose).

 

[JBroll]

Go EE, you'll get the fun parts of CS (logic, control, the fun stuff - not jacking off to making card games in Java, like CS degrees are drifting towards these days) and have a much wider job base, even in music - build circuits, advertise them well, charge a few hundred a piece, ???, PROFIT!

Jeff

 

[Kazrog]

I'm not going to pretend I know what's right for everyone, least of all in Brazil, which is a country I barely pretend to understand the craziness of, so I'll tell my story (so far.)

I make my living building websites and software. I invest some of the profit into my recording rig. I'm not looking to be an Andy Sneap type of guy in the sense that I want to always predominantly be an artist, a Peter Tägtgren or Devin Townsend type. So far that's going well, although I can't really look at any of the money I've made from music as "profit" since I've invested far more. I think it's a tough thing, in most cases impossible, to monetize these days.

Going forward there will be fewer and fewer labels, smaller budgets, and everything in the music business, particuarly for rock/metal will be more niche, and the people who can write great music AND self-produce will rise to the top. It is my goal to be one of those people first and foremost.

 

[Arjen W.]

Go EE, you'll get the fun parts of CS (logic, control, the fun stuff - not jacking off to making card games in Java, like CS degrees are drifting towards these days) and have a much wider job base, even in music - build circuits, advertise them well, charge a few hundred a piece, ???, PROFIT!

Jeff

I've never really thought about EE although a few friends of mine do it. It only seems mildly interesting to me. Actually, I find lots of stuff interesting, but for the most part I don't want to study it for say, 5 years.

I've only made one game in Java so far and it wasn't even a card game, haha. I learn quite some more stuff thankfully. I have thought about combining CS with music, but sadly there are no audio related courses at my university, otherwise I would have probably taken that road. Maybe I'll get myself a book on the subject someday, or something.

 

[Volcane]

Great thread!

I've often thought about this, and I've been lucky enough to turn a 'hobby' in to my 'day job' once before, but the problem now is... I've gone right off it, and i don't get anything like the same satisfaction from it. Sort of 'the grass is always greener' scenario.

I think that to be a sound engineer, and make it pay, you would have to be able to switch off from it and record bands/styles that you don't like, just to keep the money coming in and the career going. I love recording my own stuff, but could I record some god-awful indie band and try not to impose 'metal values' on what they were doing..? I dunno. You would have to be totally obejective, and be disciplined enough to think of each job in strict business terms, yet produce a result that could potentially get you more work.

Could you 'specialise' in metal? I guess it depends on what lifestyle you're willing to accept. I have to vote 'get a flexible day job' as well. be a postie or a milkman and leave the afternoons/evenings free... LOL!

 

[Carax]

I'm not going to pretend I know what's right for everyone, least of all in Brazil, which is a country I barely pretend to understand the craziness of, so I'll tell my story (so far.)

I make my living building websites and software. I invest some of the profit into my recording rig. I'm not looking to be an Andy Sneap type of guy in the sense that I want to always predominantly be an artist, a Peter Tägtgren or Devin Townsend type. So far that's going well, although I can't really look at any of the money I've made from music as "profit" since I've invested far more. I think it's a tough thing, in most cases impossible, to monetize these days.

Going forward there will be fewer and fewer labels, smaller budgets, and everything in the music business, particuarly for rock/metal will be more niche, and the people who can write great music AND self-produce will rise to the top. It is my goal to be one of those people first and foremost.

Yeah, i wanna be like an artist that produces like you've said, i think that's the way too...not a studio owner....not for now...

but i've heard about some OLD BIG studios that closed the doors...or is not going that good... and i ask... will be enough bands for all the studios? (the small ones) .... looking at this forum I see a looot of people that are on bands nowadays produce theirself...coz i think its easier than before...i remember when to record a 6 songs demo...i spent like..U$200 with my bandmates in a studio, and was REALLY not good... and the guy spent just like 2 hours of work....

THIS guys is losing their jobs coz now I record the same 6 songs at home and REALLY BETTER than that of the studio... and you dont need to spend alot to record yourself..just an interface...and softwares (that are freele "distributed" over the net)....

game sound is a good option! but not that easy to get...like film , that i would love to do but is worse...
i really think that tv and radio jobs are good too! but limited...coz theres not so many tvs and radio stations than studios (at least here) so if the studios go down...there will be only the (few) tvs and radios... how long will this happen? will come a day when the studios will lose their jobs? (like 90% of what they do now?)

Dom Ostarig: yeah... the brazilian metal is needing an "upgrade" hehe the best bands here are being recorded in another countries thats my goal!

Cheers

 

[Carax]

Great thread!

I've often thought about this, and I've been lucky enough to turn a 'hobby' in to my 'day job' once before, but the problem now is... I've gone right off it, and i don't get anything like the same satisfaction from it. Sort of 'the grass is always greener' scenario.

I think that to be a sound engineer, and make it pay, you would have to be able to switch off from it and record bands/styles that you don't like, just to keep the money coming in and the career going. I love recording my own stuff, but could I record some god-awful indie band and try not to impose 'metal values' on what they were doing..? I dunno. You would have to be totally obejective, and be disciplined enough to think of each job in strict business terms, yet produce a result that could potentially get you more work.

Could you 'specialise' in metal? I guess it depends on what lifestyle you're willing to accept. I have to vote 'get a flexible day job' as well. be a postie or a milkman and leave the afternoons/evenings free... LOL!

I think that THIS makes a GOOD PRODUCER!

and I REALLY understand you, the most bands here are this "god-awful indie bands" .... i'd love to be like sneap and his recordings...but he came from a great band and took years to be where he is... maybe you just need a little more time to get the top metal bands

Cheers

 

[Metaltastic]

I think that to be a sound engineer, and make it pay, you would have to be able to switch off from it and record bands/styles that you don't like, just to keep the money coming in and the career going. I love recording my own stuff, but could I record some god-awful indie band and try not to impose 'metal values' on what they were doing..? I dunno. You would have to be totally obejective, and be disciplined enough to think of each job in strict business terms, yet produce a result that could potentially get you more work.

Could you 'specialise' in metal? I guess it depends on what lifestyle you're willing to accept. I have to vote 'get a flexible day job' as well. be a postie or a milkman and leave the afternoons/evenings free... LOL!

Beautifully said, sums up my feelings exactly

 

[Slate]

I recently gave a lecture to a recording school that I enthusiastically entitled "WHY YOU ARE GOING TO FAIL IN THE RECORDING INDUSTRY".

This tongue in cheek lecture discusses how hard the music industry and especially the recording industry is. I talk about the time and dedication needed... the extreme amount of practice that is necessary on a daily basis. Basically the idea is if you are SERIOUS about being a success in Recording... you do not have a second to spare.. you cannot lack even an ounce of motivation. This career is a commitment and takes a lot of work to get to the next step on the ladder.

If you take it seriously, you'll keep on stepping. If not, see the title of the lecture...

The good news is you guys are all taking the proper steps... Just by being here, asking questions, sharing information, getting informed, keeping up to date, making contacts and connections... So cheers to you all!

 

[MetalWorks]

I think no matter what you do its up to you to make things happen.

I continually think of this kid who is probably 19 and rents out a rehearsal room in a warehouse with about 60 bands in it.

He mostly records metal bands.

He doesnt have a regular job and records most days of the week at $20 per hour. Im sure he is making between $2000-$4000 a month depending on how much he wants to work.

As he improves he will make more money.

And he is running a typical low end setup of Delta cards and cheap mic pres into a Bootleg copy of Nuendo 3 with hacked plugins etc.

I cant imagine he has spent more than $3000 on his recording equipment to date.

He obviously isnt building a huge nest egg or pension.

But shit loads of people dont have anything but a 401k anyway.


It also depends where you are in life.

Anyone that took a different path early on and went to college and got a career, house and other responsibilities has already made it harder on themselves to focus on recording and make a career out of it.


Its a whole lot easier when you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.


Others like me are probably just fine making extra money on the side.

You can litterally make enough to pay a house payment every month just doing weekend work.

Either way, you have to have a demand for what you are doing and you have to have developed skills at it.

Its up to you to make the oppotunities available to you. Thats a whole other story in itself.

 

[stringy_]

I've never really thought about EE although a few friends of mine do it. It only seems mildly interesting to me. Actually, I find lots of stuff interesting, but for the most part I don't want to study it for say, 5 years.

I've only made one game in Java so far and it wasn't even a card game, haha. I learn quite some more stuff thankfully. I have thought about combining CS with music, but sadly there are no audio related courses at my university, otherwise I would have probably taken that road. Maybe I'll get myself a book on the subject someday, or something.

As for combining CS and music...you're going to need a background in DSP which most schools sort of skimp on for their CS majors. I do think that the EEs at my school have to take quite a bit of DSP. Might be the same for your school.

There are plenty of books on Amazon that cover software DSP for audio which have examples and algorithms written out in C++. The only school that I'm aware of that has a dedicated audio/computer program is the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics at Stanford in California. That's Stanford though, it's pretty much the holy grail for comp sci grad students...

I often wonder how the software engineers atDigidesign, Waves, etc. ended up there.

I myself am a CS/math double major. I'm thinking of switching over to physics/math double major though, as computers are fun and all, but programming isn't really my thing and I love physics. I like the more pure sciences rather than the applied ones, like number theory! ( Although number theory has many applications in cryptography and security these days )

 

[Metaltastic]

...programming isn't really my thing and I love physics. I like the more pure sciences rather than the applied ones, like number theory!

This, juxtaposed with your signature, is a pretty funny oxymoron

 

[Arjen W.]

As for combining CS and music...you're going to need a background in DSP which most schools sort of skimp on for their CS majors. I do think that the EEs at my school have to take quite a bit of DSP. Might be the same for your school.

There are plenty of books on Amazon that cover software DSP for audio which have examples and algorithms written out in C++. The only school that I'm aware of that has a dedicated audio/computer program is the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics at Stanford in California. That's Stanford though, it's pretty much the holy grail for comp sci grad students...

I often wonder how the software engineers atDigidesign, Waves, etc. ended up there.

All I know is that we don't learn a whole lot about DSP, I only got some basic stuff in an image processing course. I might get one of those books one day if I can be arsed, although I'm wondering if I could ever put it to use. And yeah, I would also like to know how the programmers at big audio companies got there.

 

[stringy_]

This, juxtaposed with your signature, is a pretty funny oxymoron

I make being a nerd look damn good.

All I know is that we don't learn a whole lot about DSP, I only got some basic stuff in an image processing course. I might get one of those books one day if I can be arsed, although I'm wondering if I could ever put it to use. And yeah, I would also like to know how the programmers at big audio companies got there.

Also go to the CCRMA's website: http://ccrma.stanford.edu/

They have a lot of their books online and gets pretty in depth. Even the CCRMA seems to cater to the more EE side of things from the looks of it. Apparently the chair of the CCRMA also sits on the EE Ph.D thesis advisory board at Stanford.

I don't really know if "I read a book once on DSP" will look all that good on a resume sent to Digidesign though. Ha!

 

[MetalMan_99]

I work as a music technician in a secondary school... recording class projects/bands, fixing equipment etc. Although it may not be the best paid job in the world it's enough to pay the rent, have a half decent studio, and pay for my band expenses etc. I also work part time at a live music/community venue. I still record bands from time to time but I ruled out doing that for a living a long time ago.
Whether I continue these jobs or get another I always hope to be working in a sound-related job as I can't really ever see myself doing anything else. I'm hoping it isn't too much of a gamble!

 

[Arjen W.]

I make being a nerd look damn good.

Ha, cool and hot nerds, my uni doesn't have many (except me of course). Actually, it's one of the things I dislike about studying CS, the people there... oh well, luckily I went to CS with one of my best friends.

Also go to the CCRMA's website: http://ccrma.stanford.edu/

They have a lot of their books online and gets pretty in depth. Even the CCRMA seems to cater to the more EE side of things from the looks of it. Apparently the chair of the CCRMA also sits on the EE Ph.D thesis advisory board at Stanford.

Thanks a bunch for the link! I'll definitely look into it. Yeah, Stanford... at least I do have a big ass mathematics book partly written by Knuth.

I don't really know if "I read a book once on DSP" will look all that good on a resume sent to Digidesign though. Ha!

Haha yes, like it said, it'll probably be pretty useless to do a self-study of it. Especially when it involves lots of maths.

 

[Glenn Fricker]

FWIW, I've been at this for 10 years & things are finally starting to take off. I'm booked solid till July 09.

But it took 10 years to get to this point. A lot of hard work went into it along the way. That & a huge investment in time & money. Slate is 100% right on the money.

-0z-