Careers in Acoustic and Audio Equipment Design :: Essays Papers

Careers in Acoustic and Audio Equipment Design Audio engineers have an interesting combination of character traits. On the one hand they tend to love music and want to have a hand in creating it. On the other hand they are also lovers of technology and ‘cool gear’. Along with an interest in technology usually comes an interest in understanding how it works – a desire to master the technology. With some people also comes a desire to go beyond the latest gear and ‘do it better’. They have a desire to create new technology which will provide the ultimate listening / processing / recording / etc experience. This paper will explore career opportunities that exist for those people. There are many different areas of audio related design in which to pursue a career. To illustrate, consider the typical live music concert. First of all, the performance venue needs to be acoustically designed to provide a good listening environment. Each of the performers’ instruments is designed and depending on the instrument the design could have involved acoustic as well as electronic knowledge. Sound reinforcement for the concert involves a myriad of equipment each with it’s own design criteria. Finally, if the concert is to be recorded and produced on a CD, all the recording equipment would need to be designed as well as the studio that it is used in. To design something is to conceive and invent. It is the art of creating the arrangement of parts or details of something. Furthermore, the point of designing something is to meet a need or to solve a defined problem. Each of the different design tasks involved in the concert scenario requires a different type of design expertise. There are basically four areas of design involved - acoustics, electronics, industrial design and mechanical design. Each of these areas overlaps with the other somewhat. Furthermore, each of these areas has an ‘art’ side and a ‘science’ side to them. Acoustic designers create the plan for performance spaces like concert halls as well as recording studios, and any other space that needs to provide a quality listening environment. They may also be involved in specifying equipment to provide sound reinforcement in the venue. Some acoustic design firms offer a full range of services, which may include site analysis, interior design, lighting, power and HVAC systems, wire management, budgeting, construction administration, and acoustic tuning (Droney).