What is an Audio Technician?
Making great videos requires a lot of hands, and the ideal video team consists of a range of people and talents. An audio technician can be an important member of this team.
An Audio Technician is responsible for selecting the right audio equipment for the shoot, testing the equipment, setting up, and monitoring and adjusting audio levels during the recording session.
Sound technicians communicate directly with the director and videographer. Having a dedicated sound technician on the crew will save setup time and allow you to create a portable, fluid team that can quickly move around and react to every scene. And with the extra brainpower freed up by letting someone else worry about sound, the quality of the videography and directing should also go up considerably.
In theory, you might not always need a sound technician, but conditions on a shoot can change rapidly. Beyond being just a valuable creative collaborator, a sound technician is a kind of insurance: they add a certain flexibility and resilience to the production crew.
Who should play the Role of Audio Technician?
For smaller video productions, the videographer can play the role of the audio technician. However, this does put a lot of pressure on the videographer to get both audio and video capture absolutely right, especially during run-and-gun shooting or very tight shooting schedules.
For medium-sized productions, video production companies often combine the responsibilities of the Audio Technician with the Lighting Technician, or vice-versa. For bigger productions, it is not uncommon to hire experienced freelancers for the sound technician position.
Additional Insights on Audio Technicians
- Sound on Sound – One of the best recording technology magazines online. A great resource for sound equipment.
- Audio Technician Education Requirements and Career Information on Study.com
- The Pro Audio Files – An open forum where audio professionals can share information and tips about the industry. It’s a great resource to learn about Audio Technician’s duties and responsibilities.