 |  |  | | Are you a dab hand with twiddly bits? Do you know your knobs? Take some tips from those at the top,
then bone up with our guide to being the boss in the studio... |
| | | |  |  |  | Engineer for Madonna, Oasis and U2 on homework: "Some of the best records ever made were done in people's bedrooms. It takes a lot of the snobbishness away from the music business. Get loops and stuff off the internet and try to remix tracks. Work with your own mates in a home studio set-up and just record loads of songs - learn to balance a song."
Catch Madonna in action  |
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| | | |  |  | | On keeping it simple: "You just get carried away sometimes if you haven't got a producer there to tell you not to overdo it. I think we learned that the hard way by doing a few tracks where we piled all these instruments on it. There was one song called 'It's Not Me' and we must have put the kitchen sink on it..."
Catch Supergrass in action |
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| |  | |  | | Producer who's worked with Simple Minds, Supernaturals and songwriter John McGlaughlin (Westlife, 5ive, Liberty X) on music: "Listen to every type of music, you can be inspired by the strangest songs. If you produce your own music, let everyone hear it, even if they criticise it - then you'll learn. If you work in music, enjoy it, you're a lucky person to be working in something you love."
Catch Liberty X in action |
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What qualifications do I need? |  |
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How much can I earn? |  |
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What key skills do I need? |  |
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What's a good way to get started? |  |
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What useful resources are available? |  |
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Most studios don't ask for qualifications, it's really all down to past experience. College training saves studios time with equipment basics and computer knowledge but you need people skills. Computer technology cannot write the next Justin Timberlake hit.
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As a freelance sound engineer anything from £10-25k per year, but this means long
and tiring hours which can take their toll on your social life.
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Patience - studio engineers have to be prepared to listen to the
same track for hours on end, painstakingly tweaking every aspect to achieve the
perfect mix - communication, happy personality and good ears!
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You could try the traditional tea-boy route, work your way up learning skills on the job, or offer to help out at local venues.
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Check out Music Week - it's chock full of insider industry knowledge and details of professional music courses.
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