What You'll Do

  • Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film.
  • Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
  • Prepare for recording sessions by performing such activities as selecting and setting up microphones.
  • Report equipment problems and ensure that required repairs are made.
  • Mix and edit voices, music, and taped sound effects for live performances and for prerecorded events, using sound mixing boards.
  • Synchronize and equalize prerecorded dialogue, music, and sound effects with visual action of motion pictures or television productions, using control consoles.
  • Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment.
  • Reproduce and duplicate sound recordings from original recording media, using sound editing and duplication equipment.
  • Separate instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combine sounds during the mixing or postproduction stage.
  • Keep logs of recordings.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 3.75/5
Speaking 3.62/5
Critical Thinking 3.5/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.38/5
Reading Comprehension 3.25/5
Operations Monitoring 3.25/5
Operation and Control 3.25/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.25/5
Writing 3.12/5
Active Learning 3.12/5
Monitoring 3.12/5
Coordination 3.12/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Artist: Creating original work and expressing ideas feels natural.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.

Common styles

Dependability, Attention to Detail, Cooperation, Stress Tolerance, Initiative

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Hearing Sensitivity 4.12/5
Oral Comprehension 4.0/5
Oral Expression 4.0/5
Near Vision 4.0/5
Auditory Attention 4.0/5
Fluency of Ideas 3.5/5
Selective Attention 3.5/5
Written Comprehension 3.38/5

Technologies & Tools

Adobe Acrobat Adobe Audition Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe InDesign Adobe Photoshop Adobe Premiere Pro Apple Final Cut Pro Apple macOS Audio editing software Autodesk AutoCAD Avid Pro Tools Avid Technology audio visual editing software Avid Technology Pro Tools Cisco IOS Computer aided design CAD software Facebook Git IBM Middleware Linux Microsoft Excel

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Dependability (High importance: 4.96/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.88/5)
  • Cooperation (High importance: 4.76/5)
  • Stress Tolerance (High importance: 4.68/5)
  • Initiative (High importance: 4.52/5)

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How to Become One

This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Acoustical Consultant Acoustical Engineer Audio DSP Engineer (Audio Digital Signal Processor Engineer) Audio Engineer Audio Operator Audio Recording Engineer Audio Video Engineer Disc Recordist Dub Room Engineer Film Recordist Film Sound Coordinator Film Sound Engineer Mastering Engineer Mechanic Sound Technician (Mechanic Sound Tech) Mechanical Sound Technician (Mechanical Sound Tech) Mixer Mixing Engineer Mixing Operator Mixing Technician (Mixing Tech) Music Engineer Music Producer Musical Engineer Play Back Operator Producer Public Address System Installer (PA System Installer) Public Address System Mechanic (PA System Mechanic) Public Address Technician (PA Tech) Recording Engineer Recordist Rerecording Mixer Sound Cutter Sound Designer Sound Editor Sound Effects Technician (Sound Effects Tech) Sound Engineer Sound Engineering Technician (Sound Engineering Tech) Sound Equipment Mechanic Sound Mixer Sound Printer Sound Recording Technician (Sound Recording Tech) Sound Recordist Sound Technician (Sound Tech) Theater Technician (Theater Tech)