The Audio Engineering Skills Nobody Talks About Enough

Hey y’all!

I have recently stepped into more of an executive producer role across a few projects, and with that has come a slew of different nuances, roles, and unspoken, underrated responsibilities, as well as a level of soft skills that I found to be overlooked in a lot of audio dialogue.

While geeking about our engineering and production chops on a technical level is important (and veryyy funsies), I’ve found that producers and engineers are really Audio Vibe Wizards. Making people feel comfy, knowing how to communicate and work with each artist, and understanding their needs and anxieties are all underrated parts of the job. Thus, this blog post!!

Every job in audio has its own little nuances, angles, and underrated things that come with it, and I’m curious what other producers/engineers have found to be important that maybe doesn’t get talked about enough.

I had a blast getting to chat with Grammy Nominated producer, engineer, and mixer Damien Lewis to get his take. 

I asked him: “In your opinion, what's one aspect of the art of engineering that doesn't get enough attention? Why do you think it's so important?”

Audio Engineering Soft Skills: Be the Vibe Master

He said: “Thanks for the great question; I love to talk about these kinds of topics.

We're going to skip the technical side of engineering and talk about some of the things they don't teach you in school or on the internet: 

You're The Vibe Master

When you are the Engineer you can consider yourself the 'host of the party'. And to be a good host, everyone must be comfortable. Start with the temperature of the room, and consider when, where and who your client is. If it's a female pop star you might not want it iced out like you would if it's a crew of producers in hoodies making beats and smoking. Remember the couch in the back is the coldest place in the room and your seat up front under the console is the hottest. Check the vocal booth also; nothing makes someone more uncomfortable than going in the booth to sing and it's freezing or hot and stuffy. 

Then move on to the lights, what time of day is it? Is it time to be bright and surgical or low and vibey, most singers are going to want a vibey booth. Make sure they are positioned where you can communicate easily but you are avoiding strange reflections off the glass and making them feel too exposed, like everyone in the control room is staring at them; give them as much privacy as you can find. 

The smell...studios can smell weird. Lots of people in confined spaces for hours hanging out, eating smoking and all that. Hopefully the staff has been running the air purifier before your session. Light a nice candle, just don't let it be too overpowering. And avoid ordering a stinky dinner and eating it in the control room before everyone gets there, I've seen this happen so many times.

The Engineer Is Also Part-Time Therapist

Full-Time Engineer / Part-Time Therapist- we are all here to make music right? But music is emotional, it's personal, and it can not be forced. I CANNOT begin tell you the number of sessions where virtually zero music was made and we talked the entire time. Artists have so much going on in their world where the studio might be the only safe place to relax and vent about all the craziness in their life. And its important that you create a safe place for them to feel comfortable and share whatever is on their mind. And for that to happen, you as the Engineer need a couple things...(1) They need to trust you. These can be deeply personal conversations that could cause major problems if they were made public. (2). You need to be a good listener and engaged. You might not need to do any talking or offer any opinions, and chances are they are not looking for your advice, but give them a space to speak about what's on their mind and the music will flow. 

Read the Room

Finally, pay attention to your surroundings. Remember what your clients likes and dislikes are. Is it a good time to ask if anyone is hungry or to put the fresh cookie order in? Is there plenty of room temp water in the booth? Is the assistant remembering exactly how the artist likes their coffee or tea? She's always cold and brings her dog, so is there a blanket on the couch and a water bowl for the dog? Mastering some of these philosophies in addition to the obvious technical ones elevates the client's experience from average to elite.”

Final Thoughts

I was so stoked when I first read Damien’s answer. I loved the nuance and attention to detail, like the temp at the back of the room, the vocal booth, and where the mic for the singer is set up in relation to the glass window. These things might seem small or even insignificant on their own, but they can really affect how comfortable someone feels and ultimately the energy and flow of a session.

There’s sort of a domino effect to all of this. The energy of the session influences the performance, the performance influences what is captured, and that eventually trickles all the way down to the final mix and master. It’s allllll interconnected, and I love how Damien highlighted those little details that can have a much bigger impact on the end song than you might initially think.

I also loved his point about being the “vibe master” and part time therapist heheh. It really speaks to how much of this is about reading the room, understanding the people you’re working with, and creating an environment where they can actually feel comfortable enough to make something great. ;)

Thanks so much for your awesome insights Damien!

Catch you next blog!