I have been going to audioschool for the past two months now. The technology of audio, and music have always been my favorite hobbies. I enjoyed reading articles on what makes a speaker sound good, on what makes a mic good, on what makes one recording technique better than another, so I decided I'd try to get a career as an audio engineer. I have always been good with computers, setting up servers, building them, troubleshooting hardware/software issues on linux and windows, but I think I'd kill myself if I went into computers working to set stuff up and fix stuff that I am good at but hate doing, when I could be an audio engineer and not feel like I'm fighting my job everyday.

At school I've been doing well on tests, getting along on the labs. It took me a while to catch on to editing for a radio remix, but this is easy now. Same for editing out a panel discussion so all the uhhs, umms, oh um, etc are not there, along with other weird noises. They went in depth to show you how to get it to sound real, and I caught on there.

Now we have to do a final remix project for the first quarter where we take either their songs, or songs we have, and add something onto a simple song so it sounds more complex. It's now that I'm beginning to realize whatever technical knowledge, or knowledge of what would make something sound good, is pretty useless because I have no creativity at all.

I brought in a few tracks to add one thing here, one thing there, and everyone else seems to be zipping through this because they have prior musical experience and I'm getting nowhere with it. With every project, people seem to go through it much faster than me. I catch onto things by making mistakes then understanding why you do this one way, instead of another, whereas others seem to just "get it" after one or two tries after being told what to do, which is not the way I've been able to learn how to do something.

I've been trying that remix project for three days.. some people are done, some almost done and they sound natural. I'm right where I started after trying lots of tracks that sounded good in my head, that sound like they don't fit in at all now. It seems you have to be musically inclined on, at the very least, some basic level to do that, and I don't seem to have it. I can't see myself ever finishing this project.

Also, in labs where we build stuff(cable tester boxes, mic preamps), I'm usually the last one to finish and it's never 100% right because I mess something small up which takes a while to fix. I think I've been the last one to finish every project excluding the people who don't bother coming.

I will try my best to do this well, but I have to ask. Is this a field where, if you don't catch on as quick as people around you, you're not going to go anywhere? I'm willing to continue trying, as I have with every lab I didn't get until I could do it right(for example, trying to get people to sound right when editing without crossfades/extra plugins was a good feeling). I've been told by several people that at this stage, we're already ahead of other classes and if you're not getting it quickly now it's nothing to worry about, but I do worry since it's something I am very interested in.

Graduating from here gives you one year of college credit at a local college, so I considered starting there next term while I am still here. I was originally going to put all my effort into this and not go to college afterwards, but now I am not so sure I can be good enough at this to get paid for it.

Any advice at all would help tremendously. Maybe I should stop whining and deal, or maybe I'm just not cut out for it. I do intend to try at this as much as I can before I give up and go into some business computer related field, but some advice now that could help me prepare for the worst(not going into audio), or help me at what I'm trying to do now. Thanks in advance for any posts.

i dont know anything much about it either. but i'm only in high school. i guess my best advice for u would be to keep at it. practice makes perfect, i believe in that. and i think if you stay in it long enough. you'll catch on just like that. dont give up that easily.
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i happen to think avril lavigne is a rather talented individual. so be nice today! dont judge someone you dont know. true artists should be able to express themselves in any way possible! lol <3

Not too many people are good at every single aspect in any industry. Try to find the things you are best at, and really focus on how to use those talents toward a career in recording. I'm not saying to neglect your weak spots, but try to be the best at the things that do come natural. For example, if you're good with computers, you may get into the biz as a computer systems tech. Keep the network up, install new systems, do maintenance on the computers, etc.. That doesn't mean you'll never get your turn in the studio to do the other stuff you love, but it's a way to get in.

Something to think about, anyway.

uncle_jerr wrote:

Not too many people are good at every single aspect in any industry. Try to find the things you are best at, and really focus on how to use those talents toward a career in recording. I'm not saying to neglect your weak spots, but try to be the best at the things that do come natural. For example, if you're good with computers, you may get into the biz as a computer systems tech. Keep the network up, install new systems, do maintenance on the computers, etc.. That doesn't mean you'll never get your turn in the studio to do the other stuff you love, but it's a way to get in. Something to think about, anyway.

those are actually some very wise words. may you be able to tell me what i can do to break into the industry? like for instance before i graduate high school, so that when i go to college i have some idea what i'm doing?
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i happen to think avril lavigne is a rather talented individual. so be nice today! dont judge someone you dont know. true artists should be able to express themselves in any way possible! lol <3

That was what I was thinking about. I doubt I'll be good in every area, or that others will be, but the portion I am having trouble with, and have a feeling I won't be good at is a large part of the overall picture, which is what worries me.

HI, I hope I'm not late with my ideas...

If I were you, I would listen to music 'wherever I may roam', like when I go to bed or when I'm on my way to school I always listen to music, but you probably had tried this, but this time try to collect some complex song (if you're into rock, than some old song, like Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon is just perfect) to your iPod, and try to take notes to your little 'Black Book', like this:

Artist/Song mood you feel listening to this the instruments
that makes you feel this
Nine Inch Nails eery slow beat,electrical noises (?)

and if you do this, you will start to hear ALL instruments and the staff with the feeling helps you to create what you really want from a song you compose.
But I wish you luck. I'm still only in high school but I don't feel confident enough to create music sometimes too as I haven't studied music enoguh in the past, but I've listened to millions of songs and it gives me strenght. Because you can actually learn from others' creation.

Sorry the example is a bit messed up, It looks like this

artist/song: Nine Inch Nails
mood: eery
instruments: electric beats+noises

sorry.

I wound up finishing the project, it actually came out very well. Along with a few others.

It doesn't seem like I need to know how to play music to do this, or even play an instrument. I'm behind in that, but in getting things to sound "right" I think I'm a bit ahead because I am good with sound.

I'd post the project but it contans copyrighted material so it's probably best I don't.