Is a Degree Necessary to Become a Recording Engineer?

Recording is one part of the larger music industry that is which up of artists, musicians, engineers, producers, executives, promoters, agents, etc. Of all the various positions, a degree is only necessary if you want to be the executive. You won’t reach that level with some form of formal business credentials. But let’s focus on our niche in the business, engineering.

For the person who wants to get into engineering but has no real world experience, audio engineering courses are the most effective and efficient way to gain knowledge and experience in the field. But what are the most important components of an audio program? The program must be hands on, meaning each student not only learns about the equipment, but actively sets levels, patches in equipment and manages tape machines/computers of recording. The program must replicate real world situations, meaning the pressures associated with recording sessions or live shows must be present, or at least replicated. The program must also be affordable and accessible for the student. Some courses don’t give the students enough hands on time while others never even get close to the pressures of a live show. A four year or even two year degree can offer lots of time for students to experiment with gear, but are prohibitively expensive and take too long to complete. Remember, during the four years spent getting a bachelor’s in audio, someone else is out there “in the trenches” learning from their mistakes and building contacts.

In the field of music engineering, experience trumps credentials every time. The problem with a bachelor’s degree in music engineering is that often, technical understanding is given preference over operational experience. Some institutions have the most current, up to date equipment and technology and since it is brand new, it never breaks down. Unfortunately, this is not representative of daily life in a recording studio, or running sound for a live show. Of course, all of the technical knowledge is necessary, but without experience, a show or a recording session can become a train wreck in the blink of an eye.

The organizations who hire sound engineers know this, so a degree is only a starting point and never required. There is no way to tell from a piece of paper whether or not someone will be able to solve problems and find work-arounds on the fly. This can be the difference between a successful session and a failed one where the client demands their money back. An interviewer for an engineering position will always ask about the applicant’s experience. When the applicant can recount events where a piece of equipment malfunctioned, but he or she was able to think quickly and solve the problem immediately and the show continued without major problems, then the interviewer can be certain that his or her shows or sessions will be consistently trouble free.

When operating all the various pieces of equipment it is not only necessary to know what all the controls do, but more importantly, it is necessary to have a feel for them. How much louder is it really when turning the knob from 9 o’clock to 12 o’clock? For example, when mixing monitors, there is a sweet spot that many knobs will end up in. If the engineer knows this range then a basic mix can be created in a few minutes instead of starting from scratch. When a musician asks for more level, the engineer needs to know the right amount to turn the knob. Too little and the musicians still can’t hear themselves and performs poorly. Too much and feedback can occur or the sound is simply too loud and uncomfortable for the musician, which also causes a bad performance. The same holds true for setting up a headphone mix in the studio. Taking too long to create a monitor/headphone mix will make the performers and the audience (depending on the situation) bored. Who will the promoter or producer hold accountable when a session or show is delayed because of the monitors/ headphones took too long to adjust?

At THI we believe that audio engineering can be learned much faster and with a smaller financial outlay than is necessary for a two or four year degree. Our program is much more efficient and affordable than getting a bachelor’s in audio engineering and also more efficient than learning by trial and error. What can take years to figure out on your own could be learned in days at THI. To find out more about our programs click here: Programs