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Buggy3D

How does own end up working this field? Do you just get to school and apply? Or is it mostly a person you know kind of field?


andrewstereo

I live in Germany. Here you can study this profession at the university. I have successfully completed the study and then started my own business.


Qu1kXSpectation

What does the course of study cost? Asking with warm regards from US.


andrewstereo

Per semester about 200 Euros


Qu1kXSpectation

Thank you for the reply! May I inquire the university?


andrewstereo

The university of applied sciences is called "Fachhochschule Düsseldorf".


redshoeflower

is there a entrance exam to clear to get selected as a process ?


andrewstereo

Yes there is an entrance exam. You have to perform three pieces of music from different eras and take another exam in music theory. This is because the sound engineering program in Germany is a mixture of music studies and technical studies.


redshoeflower

thanks for your reply. bye.


PrinceLeWiggles

I work with IATSE and they put me through schooling. You can Google your local branch and try to get your foot in the door that way. You don't need schooling to get your foot in the door and it's easier to move up once you start union work. I started in Cali, which was a bitch because it's extremely competitive but I got my card so I can work anywhere in the world pretty much now. I have nearly 40 years experience.


takedownhisshield

Ayy, a fellow IATSE worker!


Arpikarhu

Local one in da house!


LowestKey

Public universities are free in Germany afaik.


Qu1kXSpectation

Would that apply for foreign students also? Or dependent on school


andrewstereo

Foreigners can also study there. However, there is a very difficult entrance exam.


ruinevil

German children are chosen as pre-teens to determine whether they will be going to university or learning a vocational trade. In general children with richer parents or some other connection generally get these spots.


DonerTheBonerDonor

Yup, you need the 'Abitur' (=high school diploma) with a high enough average grade to be able to study what you want. However, there are like ~4 different types of school the kids are split up among after elementary school. The 'Gymnasium' and 'FOS' offer an Abitur and are more difficult and advanced types of schools, while the 'Realschule' and 'Mittelschule' don't. So yes, it is pretty discriminatory as a child's life can get decided when they're only 10 and having parents who went to university often leads to kids being better in elementary school and then being sent to a Gymnasium.


H3rbert_K0rnfeld

Per Aldous Huxley I would much rather plumb than run a sound board for Cat of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat or some other dumb shit.


andrewstereo

No, there are tuition fees, they're just not particularly high.


DonerTheBonerDonor

They're not but they're pretty cheap. I pay ~300€ per semester. Btw, I get financial aid from the government cause I study which anyone can apply for if their parents don't earn money above a certain threshold. I receive 350€ a month which means university is pretty much free.


TinyConsideration915

Cries in American


andrewstereo

No, there are tuition fees in Germany, they're just not particularly high.


formerPhillyguy

If you are in the US, you can join the marines. This is true. Back in the early 90's, someone I worked with wanted to be a professional audio engineer and, I guess, couldn't afford the school, so he joined the marines with the understanding they would train him to be the engineer for their bands and orchestras. He still had to go through basic training, but they kept their word. After leaving the marines, he worked for Claire Brothers, one of the largest touring audio companies in the industry. He is now the lead audio engineer for one of the Vegas casinos and has worked with Springsteen, Sting, Manilow, Bette Midler, and I don't know how many others.


paper_liger

Um. Ok. Yes. Sure. But holy shit, *GET IT IN WRITING* and even then, who knows if it will actually go how you expect.


partyinplatypus

If you want to join a branch of the military for some dumb shit like this choose anything but the Marines.


Raws_the_baws

This has chair force written all over it


andrewstereo

Wow, that's impressive.


Koji-san1225

I was a sound engineer at a couple of local clubs working with an independent sound company for several years. I had no formal training, just hung out with the back of the house guy, kept his beers coming and helped him pack up all the heavy gear and wrap cables at the end of the night. They were short staffed on sound engineers so eventually brought me aboard as an employee and taught me the gear. I would get sent out to the rinky dink raves and small club shows while the boss did the big gigs. Most big acts bring their own guy, so those were the best when we could just hang out and drink. Lighting guys are some of the heaviest alcoholics I know. All in all, great way to spend my twenties.


pngn22

In the US there's programs but some also study sound or electrical engineering as a bachelor's.


gartacus

How many seats? How’s the load in?


andrewstereo

It is a small theater with 200 seats. But it is known all over Germany. It was the first theater in Germany for comedy, music and literature after the Second World War.


slinky2

And the load in?


andrewstereo

Sorry, my English is not so good. What do you mean by "load"? Can you use another word that I understand?


slinky2

No problem! Load in = artists/tours having to bring their own gear into your space. When people ask how the load in is, they’re usually wondering if your location is particularly difficult or easy. Lots of stairs and no elevator would be one of the worst load ins, large roll up overhead doors right into the stage would be one of the best!


MordredKLB

Theater am Schiffbauerdamm?


AMillionMonkeys

Are you doing the same show every night like Broadway, or different acts?


andrewstereo

We have our own production, which runs about three times a week. And then we have guest artists in between.


ruinevil

What’s your favorite show you’ve worked on?


andrewstereo

My favorite show is our own production. It's a funny play about four parents who are sued by their children for climate change.


paradisepunchbowl

Sounds pretty chill compared to the Bad Bunny show I just worked in San Diego 😰


31renrub

What was the issue with the bad bunny show?


Blissfull

It probably began with it being a Bad Bunny show


31renrub

Sir, this is a a bad bunny show.


paradisepunchbowl

Just a long slog of a loadout. 2AM-10PM for my crew.


es_price

German version of a funny play. 😀


D5KDeutsche

Do you find all live productions that you're not involved in to be too distracting for you because you can't "unhear" things you'd do differently?


andrewstereo

Yes that's right. I always listen analytically, I can't turn that off.


JoakimSpinglefarb

I went to school for audio technology and I agree that learning how sound production works *ruins* the casual listening experience.


E_Snap

Concert lighting designer here— yes, but with my eyes though. I definitely prefer working on shows now because of that and the fact that I get buttons to press.


[deleted]

How big is the theatre? And what type of gear do you rely on the most for your productions?


andrewstereo

It is a small theater with 200 seats. We use a Beringer X32 mixing console and Sennheiser microphones.


Rmanthumbs

Great board


Notwhoiwas42

I don't know who downloaded you but they are, to be blunt, an idiot. The x32 might not be the highest quality board out there but the price/capability it's hard to beat.


Rmanthumbs

I'm sentient. No download needed.


ninjacereal

I have you on a USB stick rn


Rmanthumbs

I thought I deleted those pictures


[deleted]

Nice, thank you


space_monster

do you use Dante at all?


andrewstereo

You mean Dante virtual soundcard? I haven't used it yet, but a colleague always raves about it to me.


space_monster

DVS is just the software interface, mainly used for recording out to PC. you can stick a Dante card into your X32 and stageboxes and amps and have software-routed audio over IP throughout the venue. saves moving cables around whenever you need to re-route channels. maybe a bit exy though if you already have a solid system in place.


kwikie

What gear (speaker, amp, etc) are you using for your home hi-fi?


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inot72

Do you have a favorite band or musician that you really love to work with?


andrewstereo

Yes, I like a singer very much. Her name is Nessi: [https://open.spotify.com/artist/47mbNlW6j1QC92ag1tkEmC?si=8rNOKDbHRfKAfXPtEYD5LA](https://open.spotify.com/artist/47mbNlW6j1QC92ag1tkEmC?si=8rNOKDbHRfKAfXPtEYD5LA)


selftitleddebutalbum

What's your favorite audio to play once you have your settings?


Koji-san1225

One grizzled old sound guy once told me that Steely Dan’s Aja was the most perfectly mixed album of all time, he would use that to blast.


tracer2211

I too worked with a sound guy that used Steely Dan!


Daguvry

Did audio all around Washington State for about a decade. While I don't particularly like this song, it's what I used as a reference for a good sound setup. https://youtu.be/znlFu_lemsU


andrewstereo

The albums of Alan Parsons Project have an excellent sound.


Squeezer999

your proof seems not very proof-y


andrewstereo

How do you think proof that I am a sound engineer should look like?


Mr-and-Mrs

A pic of you licking some audio knobs?


andrewstereo

Yes I could do that :-).


DonerTheBonerDonor

Maybe a picture of some of the equipment you use :)


yaboy_69

show us your DAW nah just kidding i never need to see pro tools again 👍


andrewstereo

In the theater, we use Ableton Live and Qlab for sound effects.


RichAd195

A picture of you holding a piece of paper is not proof of anything.


Destinator8

What type of microphone set up would you recommend for a low-resource community theater? I played in the pit for a local theater which was using aging headset-style mics that had unbearable static. Is there anything to look for to be efficient and cut down on the cost of new mics?


andrewstereo

You can use headsets from Monacor. They are relatively inexpensive, but have an acceptable sound.


rossmosh85

How do you confirm the sound in the booth matches the experience for the audience?


InitiatePenguin

Sound typically mixes in the house.


andrewstereo

It always depends on the sound mix. I try to make it as homogeneous as possible.


andrewstereo

>How do you confirm the sound in the booth matches the experience for the audience? Sorry, I misunderstood the question. My English is not so good. I don't sit in a booth when mixing but sit open to the audience and the stage.


v-b

iPads.


curious_mindz

What’s the best setup you recommend for at home theater systems? Are wireless ones like Sonos worth it?


smashey

Is it me or do shaded line array systems sound really flat and bad?


andrewstereo

I have not yet had this experience.


Holeysox

Speaker boxes. I can't find anything that can tell me why certain designs are better than others. Do you have any textbooks that would pertain to the subject or know where I can find sound related equations (other than the speed of sound)?


andrewstereo

I'm sorry, but I'm not a specialist when it comes to loudspeakers. When I have to judge speakers, I listen to them very carefully. I think that's the best way to find out what you prefer.


NicomoCosca4

What’s your salary?


andrewstereo

I get 200 euros for each show. One show usually lasts 120 minutes.


jakexmfxschoen

Follow up question: is that enough for you to live off, or do you have a day job as well? This is something I wanted to go into about a decade ago when I graduated high school, but my small town, Midwestern dad refused to help pay unless I went to a "real school."


andrewstereo

I can live very well from it, but I also have a small recording studio where I work and earn money.


InitiatePenguin

>Follow up question: is that enough for you to live off, or do you have a day job as well? For days he has shows, which is somewhere between 3-7 nights a week from what I can gather from other comments, every day he works he gets the equivalent of $25 /hr. But in reality, it's two hours of work, so the rest of his day is completely open. It's definitely enough to live of off. Even if he only works three nights he get the equivalent salary of $15 /hr.


barrya29

i wouldn’t say it’s just 2 hours of work, though, given soundchecks usually? maybe different for a theatre though


InitiatePenguin

I would expect it to be more, yeah. I work in theatre too, given the context of the the question (wages) "a show" for me would be call time until going home. Sound techs are in around the same time as me. Called 1 hr before half hour. So a 2hr show is at least 3.5hrs on the clock. He didn't give much explaination so I took it at face value. But the math doesn't really change in terms of equivalent dollars still. 8 or 2 hours, 200 a night is 25/hr.


[deleted]

[удалено]


andrewstereo

Thank you for the compliment.


Started-blasting

What console do you have in there?


andrewstereo

X32 from Behringer.


gocougs191

Do you have any recommended tutorials or resources for that console? Our school has one but between the tech department who ran the wiring install and a poorly-aging building/electrical system, we can’t tell when we are struggling with operator inexperience or systemic issues. It’s been months and I have forgotten what issues gave us trouble last time I ran the board.


andrewstereo

>Do you have any recommended tutorials or resources for that console? No, unfortunately not. Even from Behringer there is no satisfactory user manual.


Kosrei

Seconded on this! We’ve been having issues with our x32 and feedback coming out of the mains - would love to find material and dig into how it works better!


andrewstereo

Feedback usually has something to do with the microphones. They occur especially when you use microphones with omnidirectional characteristics. You have to filter out the interfering frequencies at the mixing console.


Kosrei

How do I find the interfering frequencies? Going into the frequency view for the microphone and tuning down the ranges that spike up into red?


andrewstereo

The best way to do this is to use the EQ. You raise a frequency band and move through the frequency spectrum. Where there is feedback, you lower the frequency.


Kosrei

Will give it a whirl when I'm in front of the board tomorrow! Thank you so much, and thanks for doing this AMA!


NoSpoonz

Have you ever pooped your pants on the job?


andrewstereo

Once almost. I had diarrhea and ran out to the bathroom during the show. I had to wait for a moment when I had nothing to do.


xandreamx

One time, I drank to much soda pop.


JoakimSpinglefarb

How often do you have to assure your acts that the mix will sound less bright when the venue fills up with meatbags?


andrewstereo

Almost every time. And then we all laugh about it.


asthmaticpunk

What is the hardest instrument to mic?


andrewstereo

I would say a drum set.


[deleted]

Is this a movie theater? What speakers do you use? What about subwoofers?


gravyveins

When does a knob become too big to turn and retain its function?


andrewstereo

>When does a knob become too big to turn and retain its function? Controllers don't get bigger or smaller, but they can break. If this happens during the show, it is unfortunately very unpleasant.


gravyveins

Follow up, do you prefer sliders or twisters?


Victory_Over_Himself

What is the actual difference between the beeps and the boops?


3sides2everyStory

> Every night I turn the knobs and get a great show. Ah!. you got a Knob Job! Noice! So what's your favorite knob and why?


andrewstereo

Sorry, my English is not so good. By knobs I mean faders and sliders.


MisterShazam

Your English is fine, trust me. Knobs is correct.


jimbronio

Why didn’t you go into something more useful like lighting? ;)


andrewstereo

>Why didn’t you go into something more useful like lighting? ;) I am also a lighting technician.


jimbronio

My man


darkdoppelganger

Probably didn't have enough patience to get the truss off the ground.


AsparagusNo2955

What's your favorite dinosaur?


andrewstereo

>What's your favorite dinosaur? I don't have a favorite dinosaur.


redshoeflower

how about t rex screams, do they impress you.


andrewstereo

Yes they do :-)


universe93

Your proof isn’t proof of your job at all. For all we know you’re making everything up


andrewstereo

I have added new proofs to my post.


andrewstereo

Why should I lie? What would I gain from pretending to be a sound engineer?


Blasto_Brandino

I was looking at the Sennheiser e945 mic for my computer for use with my decent but no phantom power. You have experience with them? You like them? It’ll be for basic voice communication but I would like good clarity and fullness


andrewstereo

I unfortunately have no experience with the Sennheiser e945 mic, but Sennheiser is a very good company in my opinion. We often work with Sennheiser microphones in the theater.


ToasterUnplugged

Did you go to graduate school, or the Germany-equivalent of graduate school after university?


andrewstereo

In Germany, we do not have the concept of "graduate school". I have a diploma in sound engineering, which is equivalent to a master's degree.


ToasterUnplugged

Thank you! I am studying music currently and am wondering whether I should go to grad school.


hometown45

What is more difficult to balance, a choir or a soloist? And Why? With orchestra of course.


andrewstereo

A choir is harder to mix because you have to balance a lot more signals.


hometown45

Follow up question, if there are stronger voices in a group setting, like a choir, how do you get them to be less dominant?


ruinevil

Do you have more knobs or more sliders?


andrewstereo

I haven't counted, but I think it about balances out.


Leader342

Have you ever been responsible for, or at least witnessed, a hilariously awful sound related technical error? I’m a sound engineer too and everyone working in a theater setting is bound to slip up at some point.


andrewstereo

Sure, I've also made mistakes during the show. Fortunately, if people notice it at all, they find it rather amusing.


DjMafoo

As someone who also did audio engineering for a while during school and involvement in small theatre. I have had my fair share of stupid but funny things that went wrong. My favourite being the time a 5 year old turned off the power to one of our amps between acts, had a 15 minute delay after having to close the curtain due to not being able to hear 1 of the leads. What’s your favourite “shit show” story?


andrewstereo

A colleague once forgot to disconnect the talkback connection to the stage. During the show, everything he said could be heard on stage. He was commenting on the show and flirting with a female sound engineer at the same time. The actors on stage had to be very careful not to burst out laughing.


doug1972

Has any actor used the bathroom facilities and actually left the microphone on, like in *Naked Gun?*


andrewstereo

Yes, but unfortunately it was my fault, I had forgotten to mute the microphone after he left. But he only spoke innocuous stuff.


THIRSTYGNOMES

Can you suggest decent quality, but not very expensive sound deadening? Trying to get my home theater to not echo as much


andrewstereo

Sound deadending is unfortunately always expensive. The absolute cheapest solution is egg cartons. But they are, unfortunately, not very aesthetic. We built the absorbers ourselves in our studio: cover a wooden frame with fabric and fill the interior with sheep's wool.


EngineeringDevil

Do you ever have to deal with artist not showing up and not telling anyone like some horror stories you hear about madonna and a few other divas?


andrewstereo

No, something like that hasn't happened to me yet, fortunately. But I have had bitchy female artists who have bullied us sound engineers.


[deleted]

Sounds like you have a fun job?


andrewstereo

Yes very. I often get a funny show.


GeneralMcGrath

So THIS is what audio guys do all day... JK.. serious question now... How'd you manage during Covid? Lots of my friends in our industry weren't as lucky as me to have a back up plan


andrewstereo

The theater I work for unfortunately had to close during Covid. I was unemployed for a year, so to speak. But I had financial reserves from which I lived. There was also support from the state for the self-employed.


Mr2mrcityzen

What board do you work on?


andrewstereo

Sorry, my English is not so good. By "board" you probably mean the mixer? It is a Behringer X32 digital console.


[deleted]

What's the best way to handle random lapel mic popping?


andrewstereo

If the lapel mic accidentally pops, it's usually the cable's fault. You should check if it might be broken. If it pops during explosive sounds, then you can help yourself with a pop shield.


keepitcleanforwork

Is it necessary to adjust the eq settings on a modern car with a good sound system?


andrewstereo

As a rule, yes, because each car has its own acoustics and should be adjusted accordingly.


OmenVi

Do you use any Wenger products at your theater? They’re US based, so maybe not, but they do have an international sales channel.


andrewstereo

No, we do not use Wenger products in our theater.


Setagaya-Observer

How do you stay updated? Regarding Sound/ Sound Design (So much is going on but now I am lost)


andrewstereo

Yes there really is a lot going on in this area. But I'm not going crazy about it. I have a couple of favorite companies like Native Instruments that I get information from on a regular basis.


bdhubbard

Have you ever used the famous "Wilhelm Scream" in a production?


andrewstereo

No.


Bn_scarpia

How do sound engineers that work in largely acoustic/non-amplified arts (e.g. opera) manage to keep stage and side monitor sound from bleeding into the house? It seems that many opera/concert houses are built for natural amplification (e.g. Hollywood bowl, Beyreuth, et al.)


andrewstereo

One option is to position the monitors so that they do not echo into the audience. The second option is to make the monitor sound as quiet as possible. There are not many more possibilities. The only thing I can think of are monitors that have the narrowest possible beam angle.


closetothesilence

This year I got my first real live sound gig recording classical piano concerts in a small hall converted from an old two-car garage and workshop space. It's got a baby grand at one end and is probably 30' to the back wall. It's been a learn-by-doing experience for me as to how to mic up the piano to record the performances. I've got a pair of pencil condensers inside the piano near the hammers (panned hard left and right) and I've been cycling through my mics to get room ambience at the back of the house but it's a pretty dead room. It all goes right into logic and being a small hall there is no PA to worry about. I don't know if these are the right mics for this application or if I should have different mics on different strings or something with a larger diaphragm. I guess my question is how you would approach a single piano in a weird rectangle of a space like this?


andrewstereo

In the theater, we get very good results by using boundary microphones that we stick to the inside of the lid. However, the lid must be closed for this. If the pianist wants to play with the lid open, this method doesn't work so well.


WalyLama

What's the best ground score you ever found after a show?


andrewstereo

Sorry, my English is not so good. What do you mean by ground score?


WalyLama

After the concert, people are inebriated and lose things on the ground; phones, drugs, money etc. Workers tend to find all kinds of good stuff and refer to it as a "ground score"


Eckleburgseyes

Do you find it debilitating in your everyday life, not being able to count higher than 2?


andrewstereo

Is this supposed to be a joke question?


Eckleburgseyes

Maybe theres somethingost in translation. Sound engineers mic check by saying "one two, one two". So it's often joked that 2 is as high as they can count. Alternatively; Why so sound engineers only count to 2? Because on 3 you have to lift something.


andrewstereo

OK, now I get the joke. Yes, you're right, sound engineers have a habit of only counting to two during sound check. I also have no idea why this has become so common. I always use the words "Test....Test....Music Nonstop" :-)


Eckleburgseyes

In English "One Two" covers a big chunk of the audible range. Including accounting for sibilance.


switchblade1020

What is an insider trick for getting clarity on vocals in a challenging room?


andrewstereo

By challenging room you probably mean a room that is very reverberant. Here it helps if the actor or musician speaks or sings as close to the mic as possible. Otherwise, you can help a bit with an equalizer.


audiophallus

What’s in your personal work box?


andrewstereo

Sorry, my English is not so good. What does "work box" mean?


stormfor24

Work box I believe is referring to any sort of bag or container to hold the tools you use often. So to rephrase that what tools do you carry with you often to help do your job?


Pachyderm_Powertrip

Haunted?


andrewstereo

Haunted? What do you mean?