Hi Everyone! Pro Advice Needed!

[chris74]

Hi from Orlando Florida!

I was interested in starting a career in audio engineering. I have checked out a local institute and the tuition is very high! Just under 19 grand! I am a little nervous about putting out that kind of money for so specific a thing (in case you are wondering its the Audio Recording Technology Institute in Orlando). Is there anyone here whos is an Audio Engineer? Does getting this kind of education really pay off? According to the school the average engineer makes around 38 grand a year, does that sound about right? They are nationally acredited but after shelling out that kind of money I don't know if I would want to go to an actual university! lol Anyways any advice you can give is appreciated. Thanks!

[Baron]

Originally Posted by chris74

Does getting this kind of education really pay off?

I am not going to say that it does or does not but, I dare say it would be a good grounding. If you absorb the info, and can relate it, then you are infront of the guys/girls without the education.

19G might sound like a lot but have a look at the price of other courses in specialised areas.

Remember that there are many different fields for audio engineering so you need to think about what it is that you want to do.
Generally, if you want to get into the film, television or radio industry, you will need paper.

If you see yourself in a studio, recording bands or doing 'live' and the like, you don't really need paper but you do need skill. Most of the top people in the field do not have any formal audio qualifications but they do have years of experience and a proven record of performance.

Being a rock engineer is a bit like being a rock player. You don't need a ticket, but you have to get known.

When I worked in a large studio, I would see guys coming in with Degrees and Diplomas, in audio, trying to land a job. If they were real lucky they might land a job making coffee and doing paperwork and housekeeping.
The same can be said for live. You usually start by pushing cases and cable jerking, cleaning the workshop and making coffee and your piece of paper is definitely not a ticket to drive their XL4 or their line arrays.

I worked in a studio for 6 months before I got paid a dime That was the only way to do it back then, and it can work today but beware, there are some studios that are known for letting people work for nothing, but never seem to employ from this pool. When a position comes up, they go headhunting for a proven performer with a 'name'.

Baron

[chris74]

Yeah that makes perfect sense. My first choice would be to record bands but it seems like it would be alot harder to make consistant decent money until you have established yourself and even done some kind of internship. The school, I don't know if I mentoned this before, but they said they will place you in a job and get you something while you are getting certified. From what you are saying I can imagine it would probably be in the film/TV/radio field. But heres another question. Lets say I do that. Could it work the other way around and start in lets say radio and through networking maybe make my way into rock band recording?

[Baron]

Originally Posted by chris74

Lets say I do that. Could it work the other way around and start in lets say radio and through networking maybe make my way into rock band recording?

I suppose that would be possible, and it has happened in the past. The radio industry has changed a lot and many 'audio engineers' working in the industry are really just meter readers.
A smaller regional station, that produced a good percentage of local content, would be a good start-up.

I have met a lot of guys/girls, working in the studios, that started work in film, or television, and still do the odd film or TV production.

If you want to do band work (and devote yourself to a life of poverty, late nights and that albino studio tan) then it would probably be a good idea to ask the studios what they think. Pick the kind of studios that you would like to work in and cold call them. You should just approach them for advice but, you never know what might happen.

Baron

[chris74]

Thanks for the advice. I will take all that into consideration.

[brandondrury]

to the school the average engineer makes around 38 grand a year, does that sound about right?

Absolutely Not!!!!!!

Who is the school? It sounds like they are flat out lying to you! or at least twisting the #s....heavily! I'd bet that they are probably counting the average income of engineers who have done at least one major label recording this year. Of course, some engineers make a grand per day easily (and still work everyday). most high level engineers charge between $500-1000 per day and don't work everyday. Of course, we are talking about pro athlete caliber engineers. We are talking about engineers that are best buddies with Tom Petty or whoever.

I know about 10 different people who went to recording school for about the same price. 9 of them worked at gas stations before getting a regular local job. (Not anything to do with music.). One works for a live sound company which is at least music related.

I posted a huge forum post on this subject 6 months ago. I should have made it an article.

...Okay

It's now an article.

Forgive the lack of site design. I'm switching over the site to a different system. Either way, the words are there.
Recording School VS Starting Your Own Home Studio

[newkid]

Originally Posted by chris74

Hi from Orlando Florida!

I was interested in starting a career in audio engineering. I have checked out a local institute and the tuition is very high! Just under 19 grand! I am a little nervous about putting out that kind of money for so specific a thing (in case you are wondering its the Audio Recording Technology Institute in Orlando). Is there anyone here whos is an Audio Engineer? Does getting this kind of education really pay off? According to the school the average engineer makes around 38 grand a year, does that sound about right? They are nationally acredited but after shelling out that kind of money I don't know if I would want to go to an actual university! lol Anyways any advice you can give is appreciated. Thanks!

Buy your own gear and some books and play with it. NOW!

You will get so much more out of any classes if you have some idea of wht they are talking about first.

Try a community college first.

Then when you have some knowledge and experience look at all the competing schools and check out reviews by former students.

Careers in audio engineering are rare. You may find a job , often part time, and low paid. But a real career is not likely.

Averages are misleading. Look at job pay and recruitment sites and see what people are making with what experience for what work exactly.

Accredited??? By who? Check the govt site on accreditation. There are a lot of phony scam accreditors. Even if this is real, a lot of low end tuition profit oriented schools exist and what you get out of them may not be worth the money.

Consider this factoid the average REAL engineer (EE, ME, ChE, CE) is going to start at about 60k. You want money or just love recording audio?

You should only do audio "engineering" if you love it so much you will never want to do anything else. And then live with whatever you make.

[paul999]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

...Okay

It's now an article.

Great article Brandon.

I financed my studio through my private music school. I have been doing small spurts of spending and recouping for the last couple of years to get the "big boy" Gear. I am not the norm in the industry. I have been financially successful at it and pretty sonically successful at times as well. I am in a small market as well.

My bread and butter clients are age 30-55 that have been writing songs for years and always wanted to record. They have good paying jobs and are willing to pay for the gear and know how. Sometimes the recordings suck because of the performance but they sound better then they ever have before. Some times they turn out well. I am in a different position than most because I can play and record all of the backing instruments they need or hire it out if they need something I don't excel at.

Because I have good income I can choose some bands that I want to work with and put the time into getting a great result with them.

It hasn't been my experience that the crappy recordings I've done have hurt my business at all.

Cheers
Paul