Landed job in professional studio, need advise on do's and don'ts please

DanAudioAnimals

New member
Hi all, I've recently started working with Audio Animals in London. I've been given an amazing opportunity here and wanted to gathers others insight into the dos and don'ts for working with professionals in their studio.

My roles at the studio are to help out with small jobs, as you'd expect making tea for the engineers to reduce downtime and general assistance with their mixing and mastering. Assisting with this is great as I'm patching patch bays and setting up mixes ready for them to work. On my first day I got to assist with the mastering of 12 Hollywood film scores which was an amazing insight into what I can expect and I don't want to let them down.

Any help and advice you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated and taken on board.

I'll be writing a day to day post on their website of the goings on as life as an apprentice engineer in training. Hoping to land this job for years to come.

Thanks guys!
 
Hi,

Congratulations! It sounds like you're already getting some amazing experience.

This is supposedly the text on the subject (never used it, but it comes highly recommended by those in-the-know): Amazon.com: Assistant Engineers Handbook (9780969822301): Timothy Crich: Books

There is also this: Assistant Engineer Handbook Sheet Music By Sarah Jones (SKU: HL.336196) - Sheet Music Plus

A really good book to read would be this: The Daily Adventures of Mixerman: Mixerman: 0884088275600: Amazon.com: Books . While the author, "Mixerman," is not an uncontroversial figure by any means, and the book itself is more of a dramatized novel based on a series of very similar real-life incidents than it is a recounting of a specific "true story," it is a great read, and rather hilarious (although full of rather strong vulgar language, so be prepared). Many of the chapters tell of incidents that have analogous circumstances in my own career history, so for me it had a certain resonance. Anyway, while you learn a whole lot about the ins and outs of pro studio life (and laugh a fair amount as well), you will get a great picture of what a second engineer is not supposed to do, so pay special attention there.

Much (but not all) of the book can be read on-line here: The Daily Adventures of Mixerman | Welcome .

Also, get to reading as much Tape Op, Sound on Sound, and Pro Audio News as you can stand...

I hope everything works out, and do keep us posted...

GJ
 
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Thanks a lot man, yeah I'm still pinching myself to be honest!

Some great suggestions in there, I'll have a read through and see what I can find. I do like the sound of Mixerman though, sounds right up my street!
 
Always have a note book in your back pocket and takes notes!

Be the first in and the last to leave

Make great coffee

Do not speak out of turn

Learn all the gear and patch bay.
 
Thank you, I'm already on top of the tea/coffee duties! The patch bay is simple yet complex for me at the moment, should be able to get my head around that though, thanks for suggestions so far
 
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