Great future in boom industries

The essence of a sound recordist’s job is to detect minutiae which are unnoticed by the untutored ear and to utilise hi-tech equipment to give crystalline clarity to recorded sound With the pervasive growth and development of the electronic media there is a continuously rising demand for sound engineers and sound recording professionals. Consequently, this 21st century profession is attracting youngsters with keen ears and technical expertise, by the droves. Sound engineering, also known as audio engineering, is the technical knowledge of sound and recording so that sound besides being intelligible instantaneously is also preserved for future generations. Sound is an integral component of the entertainment industry and Mumbai, and other metros are full of recording studios fitted out with the latest hi-tech equipment capable of reproducing high-quality sound. The essence of a sound recordist’s job is to detect minutiae which are unnoticed by the untutored ear and to utilise hi-tech equipment to give crystalline clarity and timbre to recorded sound. A sound engineer’s expertise is required in all professions connected with voice and music recording. Sound engineers can make or break live music performances, radio jingles, advertising, record albums, television, theatre, and movies. Even though the basic skill sets required in this vocation are common across all mediums, specialisation is required in each medium. Recorded sound can be broadly classified into film and playback recordings, music recorded for videos, cassettes etc and speech reproduction. The recordist has to continuously adapt hi-tech equipment to the needs of a particular stream of sound. For instance, to record sound on film location, a recordist has to possess a higher degree of engineering knowledge than while working in the controlled environment of a studio. STUDY PROGRAMMES. Sound recording/engineering education is usually offered as a three-year diploma course to graduates in physics/electronics at: Film and Television Institution of India, Pune Institute of Film Technology, Adyar, Chennai Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata Mumbai University School of Audio Engineering Institute at Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, New Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram Audiophile Institute of Sound Engineering, Kochi The Film and Television Institute of Tamil Nadu, Chennai Admission is on the basis of performance in admission tests. Shorter duration certificate courses are also offered by several less-known institutes. Since the basic principles of sound are based on the laws of physics and maths equations, most institutes demand the study of physics up to class XII. However, many people without a science background have also entered this field and created a niche for themselves. But over and above formal qualifications, the most important qualities a sound engineer/recordist must have are a good ear for music, the spoken word, and familiarity with contemporary hi-tech sound recording equipment and processes. A professional sound recordist/engineer could work as a production mixer, boom operator, production sound assistant, sound transfer operator, sound editor, music editor etc. Moreover, these days it’s common practice for famous music artistes to bring their own recordists to studios, which is very rewarding both financially and in terms of exposure.…