More than just a Audio Tech
So far, I have talked about life as an audio technician and the science of how really sounds works, but there are so many pieces left that can define what an audio tech really is and what they do. Now, I want to explore the different career paths that a technician can take because every job and person are not the same. There are many things to learn when coming into the entertainment industry on the technical side of A/V. For me, I knew I wanted to pursue the audio route more than anything, but I didn’t know a lot about what that could look like after hitting certain points of experience. I believe that these paths and titles are defined by two things, the type of event and the task being handled. Audio has many specialized positions that a technician can decide to pursue, but I am going to over the most common ones I have seen so far in the industry. The foundational positions that are reached after being a stagehand are an A1 and an A2. There are also times when you will see an A3, A4 and so on, for very large productions. The lower the number the more responsibility and authority you have over the decision making for the audio setup. We will start at the very top with an A1. The A1 is the head of an audio operation that plans the setup, delegates tasks, troubleshoots, and communicates directly with the Technical Director of a show. Anything that goes right or wrong will typically fall solely upon their shoulders. Their main physical task is to program and operate the mixer while coordinating a majority of the physical setup of systems and cable runs to the next in charge, the A2. The A2 follows the wants of the A1 by correctly running all signal and power lines, patching inputs and outputs, setting out the speakers, dressing cable, etc. The A2 gets much of the physical labor, but they can make or break the efficiency of an audio setup, so in many cases they need to be even more organized and flexible than the A1. As we move outside of an A1 and A2 we find our more specialized positions. There are multiple areas within an audio setup that when they become intricate enough, it is better to dedicate a single tech to the sole task of maintaining that system. The most common specialized positions are known as a RF Coordinator and Communications Engineer. I added them both because they are closely related and always need to be on the same page to avoid disastrous error. An RF coordinator is someone who plans out all the frequencies that will be used for, specifically for wireless communications, during the time of a show. This may sound like an easy task but when you have a widespread communication system that involves networking it is essential to avoid interference and poor signal strength. It is more than hearing a random radio station overtake your conversation with a stage manager, but it could be something more serious like a microphone failure while trying to communicate a serious emergency. The communications engineer oversees the set-up up all comm systems for a show. Every critical crew member gets something called a belt pack with a headset microphone that is customized to their preferences on who they want to hear and speak to. Each belt pack takes over a frequency once it is turned on and that is where the RF coordinator comes in to keep track of the frequencies and assign them to specific areas. Moving outside of communications we can go into systems engineers. A system engineer does the physical setup of an A2, but takes it many steps further by continuing to optimize and maintain the audio systems by specifically looking at how speakers are rigged in the air, power is distributed across them, and fixing acoustic issues in the venue space. They are there to make sure the physical system is put in its place, at the proper level of power and signal distribution to achieve peak sonic coverage. The last position we will look at is a Monitor Tech. These kinds of techs are typically hired for events with live bands when the performers will be hearing themselves on monitors. The tech is responsible for adjusting the levels on the mixer that each member of the band wants to hear themselves at. They also must control the level of In-ear-monitors which are typically worn by a singer. This is a critical job because many bands are specific about their sound so they can perform to the best of their abilities. As you can see there are many paths to be taken when starting as an audio technician and each with their own importance. There are many more out there and if you are ever interested in the industry there are plenty of resources to help get you involved.
