Music engineering consists of the recording and reproduction of sound. Music engineers are keen on elements like equalization and reverberation of sound and manipulate these elements to achieve a sound of professional quality that is good enough to be recorded or presented to an audience. Music engineers work with both analog and digital audio equipment and computers to sculpt sound into something desirable by an artist, record company or other client.
Music engineering is a professional career that calls for experience to be performed correctly. While some music engineers never earn a college degree and learn by trial-and-error, most professional music engineers attend some kind of college or trade school to learn more about the craft of music engineering. Many colleges offer bachelor's degrees in music engineering or an equivalent degree.
Music engineering plays a big role in the final product of a piece of music. For example, a music engineer's control of the output levels of the different instruments of a band can have a large impact on the quality of a song. If the guitar has too much high end or overpowers the vocals, this can have a negative impact on the song overall.
Music engineering takes place in a variety of settings. The two most common are recording engineers and live sound engineers. Recording engineers work in professional recording studios and record bands, soundtracks and other musical projects to be used for albums, television and other multimedia projects. Live sound engineers are responsible for setting up and overseeing live performances to project sound to an audience. Live sound engineers set microphones, speakers and other equipment on stage and monitor and change sound levels to make sure the performance sounds as best as it can be.
Music engineering also consists of the design and development of all kinds of audio equipment. Music engineers design sound systems for everything from small clubs to stadiums. Music engineers design the equipment that recording and live sound engineers end up using, including microphones, sound boards and compressors. Music engineering also consists of the design and development of audio listening and playback devices, from stereo systems to personal listening devices like MP3 players.