Dear fellow songwriters…I thought I´d share some insights on how to become an audio engineer.
I myself have embarked on this enthralling journey in 2016 mainly due to difficulties in recording my own songs. I had worked with GarageBand at the time and was tired of them YouTube tutorials, that would leave me puzzled and often discouraged. I simply couldn´t get my songs to sound the way I wanted them to sound.
To cut a long story short: I signed up for a one term course at Deutsche Pop in Munich (Germany), which would cover a whole lot of theory (hello physics classes everyone!) and practical exercises (miking various instruments, building cabins, understanding information flow in the studio, working with a mixing desk and learning how to operate on various DAWs, mainly Logic X and Pro Tools). I was learning the ropes y´all!
The semester passed quickly despite the many exams, practical exercises and a 6-hour recording session, that was done in a team of three students…we basically had to record a song in the studio, including drums, bass, guitar, vocals and 3 midi tracks.
I learned how important it is to place the right microphone in the right place…. especially when recording drums. I learned to understand the way different microphones are built and how sensitive or insensitive they react to various input signals.
I learned to curse over Pro Tools a lot;) Am clearly an advocate for Logic X! Yet I am glad I got to work with Pro Tools as well! It´s still a leading DAW which is being used in studios across the globe!
This year, I have decided to book the second term, which focuses on mixing.
We currently learn how compressors, equalizers, reverbs, choruses and many more effects are being used, what they were invented for and how they evolved over the course of time (from the analog to digital era). There are plenty of tricks on how to get the best out of every recording and yet, it is all a matter of gaining experience within the field of arranging, mixing and editing material!
This second course if far more practical. It involves a lot of exercises in Pro Tools and Logic but also encourages students to work with analog equipment, too.
Last Sunday we recorded a song at Dorian Gray Studios outside Munich, using a SSL duality SE mixing desk and various analog reverbs and comps. Working on a powerful mixing desk allows for many options within the recording process…you may use very delicate EQs, compression, filters etc. that come with the desk. This unique sound can´t be duplicated by any digital audio workstation whatsoever!
If you are interested in learning how to record, mix and edit songs, I highly recommend enrolling in a program like the one at Deutsche Pop. In Germany the SAE institute and dbs Music in Berlin are also very renowned schools for that matter!
As a modern songwriter, knowing the basics in recording is a must! It is priceless to be able to record your own demos and actually make them sound big!…this will help you pitch better song material to A&Rs.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me! I am happy to share my experiences with you!
Best,
Katie