As detailed in the "Encyclopedia of Communication and Information," Thomas Edison is thought to have created the industry of recorded music with his invention of wax cylinders in 1877. Full-fledged recording studios were not far behind, although early recording studios were basically housed in radio station facilities, where microphones were readily available and musicians came to play. Audio engineers during this era worked at the radio stations and would monitor microphone signals sent through an audio mixer. They would adjust volumes and mix a single recording onto a storage medium such as an acetate disc or magnetic tape.
Microphones are the most important pieces of equipment in audio engineering because they are necessary to capture sound. Microphones should have a minimum frequency comparable to the human hearing range of 20 to 20,000 hertz, although sonic frequencies are preferable. Speakers with a range of output volume are necessary to hear the recorded sound at all levels. An audio console is a complex unit containing separate channels for recording different sounds. An audio engineer manipulates the levels of each sound on each channel to create a single smooth mix of the recording.
With digital technology, audio engineering has evolved to include new digital recording technologies, as well as software programs for mixing experiments. Digital consoles enable massive complex recording capabilities of sometimes more than 200 separate channels to record sounds on. Today’s audio engineering professionals must have extensive knowledge of computer technology in recording.
Many people think that the career of an audio engineer is limited to working with musical acts in a recording studio; however, other industries also use audio engineering, such as the filmmaking and video games. Live shows also require an audio engineer to facilitate the sound during the show. Audio engineers also work with advertising agencies and marketing firms for mixing sound on radio and television commercials.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in broadcast and sound engineering, as well as radio operators, included 114,600 jobs in 2008. The report indicates a projected 8 percent growth from 2008 to 2018.