About the Role of a Sound Engineer

Whether a four-piece rock band or a 100-piece orchestra takes the stage, capturing the nuances of their performance falls to more people than just the performers involved. Their unseen, often uncredited partner is the sound engineer, who must represent the musical act's efforts as distinctively and accurately as possible. Responsible for everything from overseeing the setup of musical equipment to finding the right sound levels for each instrument heard onstage, the sound engineer has a demanding job--one often taken for granted by the audience, but crucial to a successful performance.

1. History

   • Performers have bridled against technical limits since Edison's time, when it became possible to record and reproduce live performances for mass production. The biggest change coincided with the post-World War II transition from big bands and orchestras to smaller, compact, four- and five-piece rock 'n' roll combos. The latter began tinkering with their sound virtually from the start--as the Beach Boys did in 1963, for example, by hiring Sunn to build the first large-scale sound system used for a national tour. Still, from the average rocker's perspective, getting a workable live sound remained a capricious business: Amplification and monitor systems were unpredictable, while placing multiple microphones around drum kits did not become commonplace until the late 1960s.

Time Frame

As the 1970s began, technology advanced sufficiently to permit a separate audio feed for basses, drums, guitars, keyboards and vocals--an innovation that allowed each performer to have his individual performance mixed to his specifications. The Grateful Dead unveiled the best-known of these efforts: the so-called "Wall of Sound," unveiled in 1974, which combined six independent channels through 11 channels to deliver a high-quality, distortion-free experience. Spearheaded by heavy rock groups like the Who, Led Zeppelin and their peers, sound systems grew rapidly in size and scope--making the live engineer, by implication, an increasingly important collaborator in ensuring an unparalleled listening experience for the audience.

Function

• At its core, the sound engineer's job boils down to that of sonic referee--between the individual musicians playing onstage, as well as between the amplifiers, monitors and public-address systems they happen to be using. As if tthat were not demanding enough, the venue's individual quirks must also be taken into consideration. Far from the popular image of a knob-twiddling techno-geek, the engineer must continually adjust overall volumes against individual mix levels, as well as deal with equipment breakdowns, power outages or other technical flaws that can sabotage a performance. Typically, the sound engineer is also responsible for setup, teardown and--if he travels exclusively with a particular band--the configuration of amplifiers and speaker cabinets.

Types

• Sometimes, the sound engineer's job is subdivided by function--depending on how many people are assigned to a band's technical crew. Thus, as his title implies, a monitor engineer looks after the individualized speakers that allow each musician to hear what she plays onstage. Even greater attention to detail is required to ensure a satisfactory sound mix when the musicians are using in-ear monitors, which reduce the risk of hearing loss, yet require even more sonic processing to ensure a proper sound mix. Conversely, the front-of-house (or FOH) engineer adjusts the levels from his own, unique perspective--close to the stage, yet working a mixing console directly from the audience. The FOH engineer also works closely with the musicians and the individual technicians who are assigned to them to make adjustments before and after the performance.

Considerations

• Sound engineering offers plenty of stimulation for the adventurous-minded. The route to becoming a top-flight engineer, though, typically starts in low-paying local venues; that experience can parlayed into work with a rising band from the area, or in larger halls that require a reliable hand at the controls. Practical knowledge is considered the most important route to proficiency (not surprisingly, many engineers are also former or working musicians), while good physical conditioning is needed to keep pace with the demands of pre- and post-show setup and teardown schedules, for which there typically is no overtime clause. Judgment skills and an ability to deal with people are also essential, especially in trying to balance the competing interests of the performers, their technicians and the venue's employees, who typically have differing interpretations of how to achieve a good sound mix.

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