By Ranjan K Baruah
It is difficult to find a person who does not love to watch movies or listen to music. Music has been an integral part of our life since ages. Music or songs are important part of movies too and hence there is always demand for good music.
With the advancement of science and technology there are new sophisticated equipment in the music industry. One of the career options related to this is audio or sound engineering.
Audio Engineering is all about capturing sound, recording, copying, editing, mixing and reproducing sound using electronic and mechanical devices. It involves both production and post production tasks. Audio engineering is one of the most admired and promising career amongst young generation that offers immense opportunity in the field of film, video production, sound broadcasting and advertising both in India and abroad. To be good in this field, a lot of dedication and interest is essential.
There are formal courses related to this option. A course in audio engineering involves the study of the technical and creative aspects of sound recording, editing and mixing. Most of the courses often start with the basic theory and frequencies of sound and covers a broad area in recording, post production, live-sound reinforcement as well as broadcasting.
There are both degree and diploma courses in many parts of the country. Trained people can be placed as studio engineer, sound recordist, broadcast engineer, sound editor, mix engineer and recording engineer. Courses available in this field are Certificate Course in Audio Engineering and Diploma in Sound Engineering, among others.
Many young people from the North East have been able to earn fame and name by being in this profession. Most of the aspirants prefer places like Mumbai for these courses as the exposure is more.
There are immense potential in this field as the region is rich in music and with involvement of new techniques and equipment, innovations can be done. These innovations will promote the music of the region and at the same time many may get involved in the profession for which aspirants need dedication and also proper training and exposure.
All those who are interested in this field must have information related to different types of music. Concentration, patience, good understanding, good sense of pitch, timing and rhythm are the other flair needed for an audio engineer. They must be proficient with different types of recording media, such as analog tape, digital multi-track recorders and workstations and computer knowledge.
Update
JAM: IITs conduct a Joint Admission Test for M.Sc (JAM) to provide admissions in to M.Sc (2 years), Joint MSc-PhD, MSc-PhD Dual Degree and other Post-Bachelor Degree Programmes at the IITs and the Integrated PhD degree programmes at IISc and to consolidate Science as a career option for bright students from across the country. JAM 2018 examination will be held on February 11, 2018. Last date for sending application is October 10.
(Ranjan K Baruah is a career mentor and can be reached at [email protected] or 9864055558 for any career related queries)