Sowetan Job Market: Becoming a sound engineer

RYAN Zimbler had dreamt of becoming a sound engineer since he was a small boy. Now, working as a sound engineer at Oakfields College in Pretoria, he believes he's living his dream.

Zimbler explains the work of the sound engineer as someone who records sound for music, bands, voice-overs and jingles.

"You also synchronise, mix or reproduce music, vocals or sound effects in arenas, theatre productions, recording studios and video productions," he says.

You can work at a sound studio, a radio station or even do live sound for artists and bands at gigs.

"The last one is the toughest and most difficult because it's live and involves a lot of preparation beforehand. It's also after hours most of the time," Zimbler says.

He says that having a sound engineering qualification is becoming increasingly more important.

But although you need a qualification, your portfolio and your skills are even more important.

Studying sound engineering will definitely give you an advantage and a foot in the door.

Sound engineers need to be very precise and have good hearing.

"You have to be a perfectionist. It's a skill and an art and you need to have a talent for it. For example, a song needs to flow and an engineer should be able to hear the flow," he says.

Due to the fact that you are working with people, you can't be impatient or stubborn.

"You need to be open-minded and a team player," Zimbler says.

He adds that you need to be able to discuss the product with the artist and be willing to record over and over until it is perfect.

"Some people are set in their ways and you need to know how to handle the situation so that the end result is what you are both looking for," Zimbler says.

He says the funniest moments are when he has to record someone who thinks they can sing, but in reality they can't.

"Then I have to be very tactful and even an engineer can't fix everything," he says.

Zimbler admits that the work can sometimes get boring because most of the editing is done after hours in a studio.

"You sometimes spend hours alone in the studio. And there, time is money," he says.

Zimbler says the most rewarding part of his job is that you become a part of another person's art.

"Even though you can't hear it, there is a piece of you in their art. It's great to finish a job and listen to the final product. But the ultimate is when the artist freaks out over that finished product because it sounds so great," he says.

Zimbler points out that once qualified, you can work for yourself or freelance for several different places and artists.

"It's difficult to say how much money you will earn. It depends on how hard you work, but it's possible to make a good living," he says.

He still dreams of having his own studio and being his own boss one day.

His choice is studio work. "I love studio work because it's in a more controlled environment.

"When it comes to sound, I am a perfectionist and when you do live sound something can go wrong much more easily," he says.

Zimbler's advice to interested youths comes from a song he wrote.

"When you're studying, that is where your future will start to lie, where your thoughts come alive and take the step off the ledge and spread your wings and fly."

- sacareerfocus