Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the production of sound through mechanical means. The field of audio engineering integrates many disciplines, including electrical engineering, acoustics, psychoacoustics, and music. However, audio engineering is focused on the process of generating sounds, and concerns itself less with the effects of sound in a given space. Unlike acoustical engineering, audio engineering generally does not deal with noise control or acoustical design. Much of audio engineering is also used in broadcast engineering.

An audio engineer is someone with experience and training in the production and manipulation of sound through mechanical means. As a professional title, this person is sometimes designated as a sound engineer instead. A person with one of these titles is commonly listed in the credits of many commercial music recordings (also in other productions that include sound, such as movies).

Audio engineers are generally familiar with the design, installation, and/or operation of sound recording, sound reinforcement, or sound broadcasting equipment. In the recording studio environment, audio engineers are also responsible for the physical realization of a record producer's creative input. An audio engineer is a person recording, editing, manipulating, mixing and mastering sound by technical means. Whilst being usually associated with music production, an Audio Engineer may be involved in dealing with sound for a wide range of applications, including post-production for video and film, live sound reinforcement, advertising, multimedia, broadcasting.

Audio engineers operate mixing consoles, microphones, signal processors, tape machines, digital audio workstations, sequencing software and speaker systems. Traditionally an Audio Engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of a sound recording or other audio production and works together with a record producer or a director. However, the Audio Engineer's is quite often integrated with the producer's role.

In typical sound reinforcement applications, audio engineers often assume the role of producer, making artistic decisions along with technical ones.

The University of Miami is one of the only schools to offer Audio Engineering as a degree. Their flavor of Audio Engineering deals with circuit design and integration.

See also: acoustical engineering

External links

• Audio Engineering Society