Blog ~ RHL Audio Recording

October 11, 2020October 11, 2020

Starting an Audio Engineer Career Part 3

Internship Part 1

You have decided to pursue a career in audio engineering and have completed a training program. It is time for you to become an intern.

An internship is in-person observation and training in a commercial audio facility. And no matter how excited and confident you are, a humble and respectful attitude is the key to becoming part of the business. The long game here is to establish yourself as a person whose presence is A BENEFIT TO THE COMPANY. Any intern who has an over-blown ego and pushy personality will not make a good impression.

Some audio engineer training programs have connections with working studios and can place graduates into internships. If not, you will have to find one your own. Expect to visit several studios and meet their managers. Be prompt, friendly, cleanly dressed, and ask “How long has this business been open?” Successful studios are usually better places to learn, but do not dismiss personal basement studios – some are good learning environments as well. Having a car is helpful for running errands.

Now That You’re An Intern…

Once you start your internship, you will be part of the business, and that means you will have responsibilities. There will be lots of menial tasks such as taking out the trash, answering phones, vacuuming and sweeping, moving the drum kit into the studio, cleaning up anything left behind after meals happen, making coffee, occasionally defrosting the refrigerator, move the drum kit out of the studio, shoveling snow (northern studios,) running errands, giving studio tours, move the drum kit back into the studio, and anything else that the studio manager or session engineers need done. None of this is meant to be demeaning or intended as an initiation process. These are tasks that need to happen. If the studio manager is taking out the trash, they cannot answer the phones to book sessions which is their primary job.

Make The Right Impression

Make these menial tasks work for you. Once you understand the tasks (where are the trash bags and where is the dumpster,) take initiative and do them without being asked. Arrive before your scheduled time, vacuum the place (it’s noisy so do it first,) take out the trash and clean up anything else that needs cleaning. Make coffee, then check the coffee pot every hour and make fresh if needed. After completing these, check in with the studio manager to let them know you are ready for anything else that needs to be done. Do everything quickly, efficiently, and cheerfully. Then look around to see what else can be done. Self-motivation always leaves a good impression.

Do not try to impress anyone with what you’ve learned in school, or in your band, or seen in YouTube videos. Show up early, do everything you can to help, and leave late. That is what impresses the staff, and the clients.

Help clients load gear in and out. Be friendly when you see them in the lounge or hallways. Ask them, “How’s the session going?” and maybe follow up with, “Who’s the project for?” But don’t push too hard at first. Humble and respectful.

Observing A Recording Session

After some time has passed, you will be asked/invited to sit-in on a session. Observe where the clients and engineer are sitting and then DON’T SIT THERE! THEY are the folks that are working, so find a place to sit and observe where you are not in the way. Don’t take away a seat from a session participant. I recommend sitting near the wall on the opposite side of the control room from the door. Bring in a folding chair if you must.

Don’t ask questions during the session (well, “Does anyone else smell smoke?” would be acceptable.) Take some paper and pen and write down your questions. Most engineers are happy to answer questions when activity allows. I always answer intern questions when sessions pause, because engineers answered my questions when I was starting out.

Assisting During The Session

One of the first things to learn is how the studio headphone system works. If 5 people are recording, each musician might require one mic, or multiple mics, and each of those mics will probably be different. But EVERYONE will need headphones, and usually each of those headphone sets will be the same. Once you have set one up, you can set them all up. This includes labeling the channels on the headphone mixer. And if you can take care of that while the engineer is setting up the mics, you will be very much appreciated, and have time for questions and shop talk. Now you are making a connection with the staff and starting to become a benefit to the company.

Then you can set up session headphones for the other engineers as well. Between sessions, the engineers will start to mention to each other “that new intern (what’s their name?) set up the headphones for me and did it right.” The word will get around (along with your name, eventually.)

Look around the studio and become familiar with the mic cable connection panels. Study the panel labeling, and learn where all the mic panels are. You might be helping an engineer set up drum mics. They position the mics while you plug cables for them. Observe the mic selection and placement on all instruments. You will notice that various engineers will have different mic selections and techniques. Make notes and ask questions when time allows.

Observe what the standard vocal mic set-up is. You might be asked to set up a vocal recording station while the engineer gets a session started in the control room.

I’ve Seen Lots Of Interns…..

Over my 30-plus years of working in recording studios, I have seen over a hundred interns come and go. It usually takes me less than 10 minutes to assess the potential of a new intern. Attitude, attention span, interaction with staff and clients, what types of questions they ask (if they ask questions at all,) self-starting attributes – these are quick indicators of an intern’s probability of moving towards a successful audio engineer career – or not.

Here an example of a “not gonna make it” intern story. We had an intern who wanted to work during the evenings. On his scheduled nights, he would show up around 6:00 with his dinner in hand. He’d eat dinner in the lounge, sit on the couch and watch TV until 9:30 or 10:00, and then go home.

There was a time that the chief engineer and I were doing maintenance in the control room, and we had the mixing console spread out in pieces. This same intern looked in at us, watched us for about 10 seconds, said, “Wow, there’s some hard work going on in here,” then turned around and went to the lounge. A good intern would have walked in, asked, “What’s going on?” “What needs fixing?” “How do you know where to look?” “How will you know if you fixed it?” “Mind if I watch?” “Anything I can do to help?” Troubleshooting and maintenance are a regular part of an engineer’s job. When equipment is being repaired, installed, or removed, it’s a great learning opportunity for interns. Good interns get involved with activities like these and learn from them. Others head to the lounge.

Who’s going to get a job?

May 25, 2018May 25, 2018

Computer Maintenance

Often when working with a home studio consulting client, I realize that computer maintenance is being ignored. Usually the client is either unaware of how to perform updates, or just considers the task a nuisance.

Your DAW (digital audio workstation) requires regular computer maintenance to ensure that your system operates as smoothly as possible. When well organized, this regular task can be accomplished with minimal time and effort.

Compare a computer to a car. You need to change the oil, fill the gas tank (or plug it in,) and replace the wiper blades and tires. Performing regular maintenance helps keep it running smoothly. Like your car, your computer also requires regular maintenance and updates.

Software/Driver Updates

What needs updating? Lots of things. For example, your operating system, which often can automatically handle its own maintenance and updates. But make sure that it can’t do an automatic update while you’re doing audio work. Updating while working could result in a crash and loss of data. My solution for this is to disable the “Automatically connect to WIFI/Internet.” My music computer only connects to the internet when I choose to.

If you have a video card that isn’t part of your motherboard, your video driver needs updates. Your USB license keys (eLicenser, iLok, etc.,) have management software that needs to be kept current. Your audio software needs updates, as do the drivers for your audio interface. If you have a MIDI interface that is separate from your audio interface, its drivers need updating.

Update Organization

The key to making computer maintenance an easy task is to do it in an organized fashion. Here’s my process.

First of all, on the “C” (system) drive, I create a folder labeled “Drivers and Updates.” Within that folder, I create a folder for each software program name or company. All downloaded updates are placed in one of these folders – never on the desktop! If I use multiple software programs from a company, I’ll create separate folders for each product. These folders reside within the company folder. For example, I use Steinberg software for most of my audio recording, editing, and mixing. Within the Steinberg folder, I have a folder for Wavelab, and folder for each version of Cubase.

So, when Steinberg updates Cubase, I download the update data package into the folder for the current version (Cubase 9.5 at this moment.) Within that folder, I have the initial installation package of version 9.5. The folder also includes all additional updates. Should I need to repair and reinstall the program, all the software packages necessary reside in one folder.

For software that is frequently updated, I use a different process. For example, Steinberg updates the eLicenser software for their USB license key every 4 – 6 weeks. In my eLicenser folder, I keep the 3 latest updates. When updated, I download and install the latest version. I then rename the new installation data package by adding today’s date to the end. For example, “installupdate” becomes “installupdate 180431” when installed on April 31. Which I know doesn’t exist – just using a label that can’t reasonably be searched. Once the newest update package is renamed, I delete the oldest update version. I always retain the 3 latest versions.

Save Your Update Links

Create a link folder titled “Updates” on your web browser menu bar. This will help make updating quick and efficient. When you find the web page containing the link for downloading each software update, save the link in the folder. Label these links clearly. Your computer maintenance becomes an easily managed task when quickly locating all your update links.

By the way, the WORST time to update is immediately BEFORE a session starts. Some OS updates can take an hour or longer. When finished, there can be incompatibilities between the OS and other software. Resolve this by either updating or reinstalling the other software. This could take 30+ minutes depending on the software. Either way, there’s potential for lost work time and client frustration. I do most of my updates at the end of a work day. I’ve got everything up and working. If a problem occurs, I can find it fast, fix it and test it before the next session.

Cell phone

chris@rhlaudio.com

May 13, 2018June 9, 2018

Recording Piano

Recording piano constantly challenges audio engineers. Consider the factors and options involved. The style of music performed can dictate microphone choice and position. The physical playing style of the pianist impacts the recording technique choice. The condition of the instrument itself plays a role in deciding the recording method.

Piano Physics 101

Let’s begin with the physical structure of a piano. With hundreds of pounds of moving, vibrating parts, expect extraneous and undesirable noises. A shot of WD-40 can eliminate pedal squeaks. A good piano technician can fix sticky dampers and eliminate or minimize other mechanical problems the piano might have.

But when 60+ pedal-controlled dampers all drop onto the strings at once, they make noise. This noise, in terms of volume, remains fairly consistent every time the damper pedal’s released. Therefore, the volume of the notes being played by the pianist is important. The louder or harder the piano is played, then the quieter the damper noise is in relation to the note sounds. Remember, damper noise was never a problem with Jerry Lee Lewis records.

The music dictates the piano’s volume and intensity. When a pianist plays softly and delicately, damper noise becomes more noticeable. When the mechanical noise becomes an audible distraction, switching microphone positions can lessen its volume.

Piano Recording Example

I recorded internationally acclaimed concert pianist Thomas Pandolfi in a church in McLean, Virginia. These two excerpts are from a collection of Gershwin pieces performed on a beautiful Falcone piano. Since the sound of the church was so lush and wonderful, no artificial ambience was used for these recordings.

Strike Up The Band

Swanee

Microphone Decisions

When recording piano, your only microphone limitations are the number of mics in your collection. I’ve pianos using a single omni pattern mic, a single cardioid mic, a pair of cardioid mics in an “XY” pattern, two pairs of cardioid mics (1 pair close – 1 pair for room ambience,) or two cardioids in “XY” with an additional dynamic mic pointed at the lower strings to beef up the low end.

When recording piano for most contemporary music styles, I prefer two small-diaphragm condensor mics. Usually placing them in an “XY” pattern, about a foot back from the hammers, 6-8 inches above the strings. This captures a nice stereo image, with good punch and presence. For a softly played piano, I move the mics toward the far end, away from the hammers and dampers. The stereo imaging diminishes when the mics are down there. But that microphone position lessens the distraction of the damper noise. To my ear, noises that are distractions defeat audio quality every time.

Classical Piano Recording

For solo classical piano recording, I prefer using 4 microphones. The two “close” mics are about a foot or so outside the piano body, near the inward curve. The size and shape of room itself determines the positioning of the two “ambient” mics. Generally, they are 20-30 feet away from the instrument, and spaced apart from each other.

If the piano is part of an orchestra, I might move the mics inside the piano, using the short stick to get more acoustic isolation. Whenever the piano is a featured instrument, two mics would be preferred. Using a single microphone would work fine when the piano is just part of the ensemble.

Recording Piano at Home

Every piano is a unique instrument. Compare them to guitars in the sense that every one of them is different. Take 5 brand new Fender Telecasters out of their boxes. An accomplished guitarist can play them all and describe the differences in each one.

Pianists are, of course, more comfortable with their personal instrument. Recording in a studio on an unfamiliar piano can have a negative impact on their performance. I have clients who prefer recording piano at home. My mobile recording system easily handles that type of project with excellent results. When using the same high-quality microphones and mic pre’s everywhere, I can produce studio quality recording in the comfort of your home.

Dave Anderson & Mike Wingo - "Conversations"

Recording piano in Dave’s living room, with Mike playing percussion about 15 feet away, was a fun couple of days. We recorded each song 3 – 5 times, chose the best take, then did a few edits to polish things up. For a couple of tunes, we tried a few takes the first day, and then gave it another try the next day. But everything was live – no overdubs. Everybody was more relaxed doing home recording.

Gentle Rain

Lucky Southern

Cell phone

chris@rhlaudio.com

May 7, 2018June 3, 2018

Starting An Audio Engineer Career Part 2

The previous part is Audio Engineer Career Part 1.

Audio Engineer Career Decisions

Now that you’ve started your audio engineer career and gained some experience working in live situations, it’s time to make some life path decisions.

First of all, do you want to continue trying to do this? It’s an important question. You’re about to spend several years establishing yourself in this business, working a lot of hours for not much money, climbing your way up the ladder. I’m telling you this because it’s what I experienced. It’s what just about everyone I know in this business experienced. And it’s what everyone trying to become an audio engineer should expect to go through.

How did I persevere through this for over 3 decades? It’s simple. An audio engineer career is the ONLY career I’ve ever wanted to have. I’d rather do it for cheap, or even free, (and I’ve done both,) and be happy. If you have that kind of attitude, then you have a good chance of being successful.

Doing Live Audio

Maybe you’ve discovered that doing live sound is what you want your career path to be. Some folks like the adrenaline rush that mixing a live show gives them. I still do live shows, and I’m very tense for the initial 30 seconds or so until the first vocal comes cleanly out of the PA. Then I settle in and get to work. At the end of the gig, I feel the effects of the slow adrenaline drip that kept me on edge for the length of the show.

If live audio engineering is what you really enjoy, congrats! You found a calling. Just remember to think about where you’ll be in 10 years. It’s not easy to continue to work in clubs into your late 30’s. Some do it, but not many.

Audio Engineering School

If you want to pursue a studio career, you should consider enrolling in an audio engineering school. These schools will teach you lots of techniques and tricks, and expose you to current technology, audio gear, and software. Prices and time commitments vary, so lots of research is required to decide about which school to choose.

Which engineering school did I go to? When I started out, there were no audio engineering training programs. I studied Radio and Television Production at the University of Maryland because it was the only program that allowed me to mess around with microphones and tape decks. Sponsored by the university, I spent a summer interning at a recording studio as part of my curriculum. There I started to meet people in the music business and started to build my network. I still work with some folks I met there in 1976, and I can trace lots of my clients back through those initial connections.

What Type of School?

Do an online search for “recording engineering school” and you’ll get a long list.

There are many colleges and universities that have 4-year programs for audio engineering. Going through a program like this allows a student to get a degree in their chosen field. But they also take part in the usual varied classes that a 4-year college program includes, exposing them to more than just audio. Maybe a minor in business would help them in the future if them build their own studio. Or another field of study so they have something to fall back on should the engineering track prove unsuccessful.

There are also several trade schools whose entire curriculum is just audio engineering. Full Sail University, located in Florida is very popular. Their entire curriculum is entertainment, media, arts, and technology, so it’s not a general studies 4-year program. I’ve met lots of engineers and interns who graduated from Full Sail, and their comments have mostly been positive.

After You've Finished School.....

But here is the reality. When you graduate and contact a studio looking for a job, you will be offered an internship, and most of these positions are unpaid. The big advantage an audio engineering school certificate gives you is it demonstrates that you have a serious conviction to become an engineer. You’ve put in the time and money to advance yourself in this field. Which puts you ahead of the folks who just walked in off the street.

Here’s what to expect while you are an intern at a recording studio.

May 6, 2018May 8, 2018

Bio – Chris Murphy, Recording Engineer

Bio - Over 30 Years of Recording

The Beatles were the start of music for me. I remember that famous Sunday night in February 1964, watching them on The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1967, when Sgt. Pepper came out, I read a magazine article describing their recording process. When I finished it, I knew what my career path was. Several years later, my high school guidance counselor told me I didn’t have the aptitude to do this. I think all she heard was engineer and thought mechanical or electrical.

Touring and Club Years

I spent the summer of 1976 as an intern at Track Recorders in Silver Spring, Maryland. For the next seven years I did live engineering for bands and clubs – one year with Danny Gatton, then three years touring with The Allstars from Charlottesville, Virginia. While on the road, I got to work with a lot of the blues legends like Muddy Waters, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, George Thorogood, J.B. Hutto, Robert Lockwood Jr., John Mayall, Sunnyland Slim, Johnnie Shines, John Hammond, and many others. In 1981, I moved back to Washington DC, and worked with several bands as regular clients (Switchblade, The Slickee Boys, others) and also as house sound engineer at several local music venues (Desperado’s, The Psyche Delly, The Bayou, Adam’s, The Wax Museum, 9:30 Club, Kilamanjaro, Friendship Station, others,) mixing national and local acts.

Recording Studio Years

In 1983, I joined the staff at Startec Recording in Washington DC, working my way up to Chief Engineer. Three years later, the building was sold, and the studio dissolved. I soon joined the staff of Balance Studios (now called Avalon Studio) in Bethesda, Maryland, and worked there for about 6 months. In late 1987, I accepted a job offer from Omega Recording in Rockville, Maryland. During my 5 years there, I engineered sessions sessions and taught classes at their Recording Engineering School. I also helped develop some of their instructional courses. In March of 1993, I joined the engineering staff at Cue Recording in Falls Church, Virginia. working there for 8 years. In the summer of 2001, I started my career as an independent audio engineer.

Film and Soundtrack Projects

I have recorded and mixed soundtracks for film and television projects that have aired on Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, History Channel, Nickelodeon, PBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, SHOWTIME, HBO, and many others. I have also recorded and mixed many CD projects. Among these are two albums by SAFFIRE – The Uppity Blues Women! Both were released on Alligator Records. “Ain’t Gonna Hush” is a studio album project while “Live & Uppity!” was recorded live at The Barns at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia.

Recent Recording Projects

I’ve been doing some classical recording in churches in the Washington DC area, and some jazz recording at the Levine School of Music as well. I have recorded live performances at Old Town Hall in Fairfax, Virginia, The State Theater in Falls Church, Virginia, and Blues Alley in Washington DC. Check out my credits to see who I have been working with lately, along with a listing of other projects.

Cell phone

chris@rhlaudio.com

April 30, 2018May 18, 2018

Blog

For over 30 years I’ve been a professional audio engineer, working in the mid-Atlantic region. I’ve worked in recording studios, clubs and other venues with local bands and national touring acts. Over the years, there’s been lots of situations, gear, and personalities that I’ve come into contact with. I plan to share some of my personal and technical experiences on these pages. Some will be techniques I’ve learned along the way, some will be advice, and some will be memories. Hope you find something that helps or entertains you. Please feel free to leave comments of any kind you wish.

Studio, Home, and Live Recording

Just a brief review of topics on the web page, and mentions of additional info posted in the blogs if applicable.

After leaving my position of staff engineer at Cue Recording in Falls Church, I discovered the comforts of home recording. Many musicians feel more relaxed working at home or in their rehearsal space. So I designed a studio quality mobile recording system. I already had the recording gear needed – I just packed it into moveable racks designed for quick set-up. Now I record music in the studio, in homes, in churches, anywhere you might want to record.

In addition, by packing all the gear into racks designed for mobility, this allowed me to begin doing live recording projects. When I started out, a live recording entailed a large truck or bus outfitted as a studio. Parking the vehicle so that it has access to the recording site was it’s own challenge. But now, with my gear, I actually set up in the venue. This enables me to charge less than the “vehicle based” mobile studios. On my live recording page, you can hear some examples of projects I’ve done.

Where to record?

With mobility comes the luxury of choices. Now, any part of a recording project can be recorded where it’s either appropriate, necessary, or comfortable. Recording vocals doesn’t have to happen in a studio – especially one that has a grand piano. Use it or not, the maintenance of the piano is factored into your studio rate.

With my projects, we record in a studio when it’s necessary. But we can record vocals, acoustic guitars, keyboards, and lots of other stuff at other locations.

I’ve done rhythm tracks in one studio, piano overdubs at another studio, vocals at the singers home, and mixed at their house overlooking a lake. Boat rides before dinner – very relaxing!

April 28, 2018June 3, 2018

Starting An Audio Engineer Career Part 1

Getting Started

Fairly often I get emails or phone calls from people asking, “How do I get started in my audio engineer career?” These are some thoughts, experiences, and suggestions that I pass along to them.

Becoming a successful (earning a living) audio engineer is very much the same as a successful (earning a living) musician. A large majority of successful recording engineers are those who do it because it’s the only thing they’ve ever really wanted to do.

An extremely small percentage of engineers become wildly successful, earning big bucks and working with famous artists. A small percentage, like myself, have a successful career path. It moves from job to job, with a regular client base. There are additional clients that drift into my sphere of work, and then drift out again. Some audio engineers end up doing it as a hobby or side-job. They enjoy the creativity and technical aspects of it, but don’t depend on it to pay the bills. Many who start out on this path become frustrated by the lack of advancement or financial reward, so they find other jobs or careers.

I have earned my living in this business for over 30 years, with much support from my family. I worked as a staff engineer at 4 different studios in the Washington DC area. I’ve done live shows in countless clubs and venues all over the east coast. And now I’m a free-lance music recording engineer. Here’s my advice to those who want to get into this business.

Start By Doing Live Sound

Yeah, that’s me, in the white baseball cap, mixing a show in front of the Washington Monument, in October 1983. By this time, I was working full time as a live audio engineer. I began my career by mixing bands for live shows, and I recommend this to anybody trying to become an audio engineer. You’ll get exposed to a variety of acoustic environments, gain experience on different types of mixers and outboard gear, and start to develop a network of music business people.

Join The Band

Start off by finding a regular working band that doesn’t have a sound engineer and join them. By regular, I mean at least 4 gigs per month on average. If they don’t work that often, then see if you can find several bands that have spotty schedules.

Here’s how you can gain their trust and confidence and become a valuable part of their team. Show up before everyone else, help move in the gear, set-up, tear-down, move out the gear, and leave last. Out-work them. Out-working everyone else develops your image as a leader, and the band’s confidence in you will increase. As a studio engineer, I need to establish that confidence connection within 10 – 20 minutes after starting a session with a band I have never met before. Developing this attitude will greatly increase your chances of success in this business. Your clients must trust you.

The clubs and venues you’ll work in will have acoustics ranging from good to awful, and you’ll start to learn how to work within these varied spaces. When working in a bad sounding venue, you’ll learn to adjust and adapt. There might be some EQ adjustments that can improve the situation, proper speaker placement might minimize feedback problems, and a good-sized crowd almost always helps tighten up an overly ambient space.

The important fact is YOU ARE WORKING with a band, being exposed to different acoustic environments, working with lots of different gear, and meeting people. Hopefully, you are learning at every performance.

Learning The Gear

The band most likely has a PA system, and you’ll become comfortable working with it. But many clubs have sound systems permanently installed, and often require acts to use them instead of the own. You’ll start to learn how to work on different mixers and outboard gear. These clubs have a staff engineer who hopefully assist you.

Someday I’ll do a post consisting of stories about house sound engineers, ranging from excellent to worthless. Once I was greeted at a club by the house engineer who said…”You do sound for the band? Great! That means I can get drunk tonight!”

An excellent example of how to NOT have a successfule audio engineer career.

Expanding Your Network

Working different venues will provide you with the opportunity develop your network of music business people. In addition to meeting the tech staff, you’ll be able to develop relationships with musicians and engineers from other bands. Perhaps someday the engineer from another band might not be able to make it to a gig. If that band remembers and liked you, you might get a call to come work for them for that show. If you do a good job (arrive first, leave last,) you might get more work from them.

Another option is to start to work at a club that has a house PA system. You’ll probably start off as a stagehand, but again, by out-working everyone else (first to arrive, last to leave) you’ll have the opportunity to work your way up through the tech staff. You’ll start mixing some acts that don’t have a band audio engineer. Working at a club gives you opportunities to expand your network because you’ll meet and work with all the bands that appear there. Some acts may make regular appearances there, so you’ll get to know them quite well. The larger your network is, the better the chances are of you finding more work and advancing your career.

Churches have PA systems, and often there are small bands performing at the “contemporary” services, and that’s an opportunity for a regular job as an engineer. I have worked at many churches to provide training for their audio staff, and also do trouble shooting for their PA systems.

The result of this hands-on experience and networking will help prepare you for doing sessions in a recording studio. Now it’s time to think about school.

Cell phone

chris@rhlaudio.com