Credentials for home theater / studio design, setup, cal

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:23 pm

Hi everyone, I was turned onto this forum by a friend and have been reading through the posts. There are alot of very knowledgeable people in here and hopefully someone can point me in the right direction. I am a drummer and have always been interested in music and sound. I would really like to get into home theater / studio design , setup and calibration as well as accoustical treatments etc.. What type of credentials does one need to become a professional in this field. Does one need to study to become a full fledged sound engineer or are their other options of study for this type of career? I would appreciate any information, and look forward to hearing opinions.

Thanks

Bob

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:34 pm

Do you need to be a pro? Sometimes the best way is just to grab some cheap or free stuff and start poking around until you get a handle on the basics. Work your way up from a beginner setup until you become fully experienced in what to do and how to do it.

Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 6:35 am

Well no I guess I don't need to be a pro but I usually tackle things by trying to get as educated as possible. Plus if I don't have credentials behind my name I have no way of showing a prospective client that I have the knowledge that it takes to do the job properly and efficiently. I am a musician and have been messing around with these ideas for a long time and finally want to take the next step to possibly a carreer in pro sound. Although I have been exposed to many techniques and products by being a musician I lack the science knowledge to really understand why things are done in a certain way. Thanks for your response.

Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 7:27 am

Bobby; where do you live? what's your market? You may not be able to crack the studio biz right away, (trust me, it's VERY crowded and the good slots are mostly taken, at least in the big cities), but there's a world of opportunity out there in home studio and home theater design.

Take a look at this month's ELectronic House, if you want to get an idea of what people are spending (and installing) in their homes. It might surprise you, and give you afew ideas of your own.

Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 9:34 am

I live in Halifax, NS, Canada and it does seem like the Home Theater market is getting bigger around here. I do plan on having my own home recording studio built into my next home but mostly for my own musical projects and posibly some local bands. As for something to bring in some money I am looking at what you said, the home theater market. There aren't alot of companies locally that offer that kind of service which is what makes me think that the next few years might be a good time to try and get established in the industry. To be honest I am very interested in learning about how to address the acoustics of a room. I don't think alot of people can afford a fully isolated home theater or studio but I would expect there would be more interested in setting up thier system properly in the room as well as treating it.

Thanks for the info, I will look for that magazine.

Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 10:24 am

bobbybovine wrote:

I would really like to get into home theater / studio design , setup and calibration as well as accoustical treatments etc.. What type of credentials does one need to become a professional in this field. Does one need to study to become a full fledged sound engineer or are their other options of study for this type of career?

I'm thinking what you need most is the ability to answer a prospective clients questions before they are asked and accurately.

This requires a lot of energy on your part to accumulate this information.

Walk into a home, the owner points out a room they desire to convert, what do you do next? Is it a rectangular room, an airy open room? Maybe it turns out to be a cube...how do you handle these diverse room dimensions in respect to theater placement, speakers, listening position?

If you have a difficult room then you need to know what it is making it difficult. Is it an apartment room, large windows or openings to contend with, tile floors, beaded wood ceilings and wood type paneling, are these helping or hindering the situation?

Basically, how is sound going to interact with the proposed environment and will external factors be an influence?

One very important thing to always be aware of is this is someones home. That is going to be a controlling factor in what types of materials are used, how do they fit in the home, is mama going to be keen on the color and size and is it going to feng shui or not.

Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 1:11 pm

This is a new industry, so there is not yet an organization designed to keep newcomers out. You don't need credentials, you need knowledge. In addition to the obvious things like electronics and acoustics that were mentioned above you need to know building codes and fire safety. Some knowledge of interior design would be a big plus as well.

Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 5:26 pm

BobRogers wrote:

... you need to know building codes and fire safety. Some knowledge of interior design would be a big plus as well.

Bob has a very good point here.
As with many small businesses, it can often be about ALL those OTHER things not directly concerned with the core activities.
Ability to present to the client, material supply, accounting, rules and codes ...
Project Management and meeting deadlines could be the big ones.

I know it is hard to see how big your business could or will grow but it might be an idea to find a staff member that can get you across an initial hurdle and keep the client confident.

they might be a qualified Engineer in electronics or acoustics
OR a qualified Carpenter/Builder that brings that Rules and Codes knowledge.

From the very first project, start to build a portfolio of completed jobs ... employ a photographer if you can't do it yourself.
Write some text that can form the basis of the company brochures and web site.

YES ... this is all obvious stuff but the point I am making is to NOT soley focuss on the FUN electronics and acoustic side of the business but to control the whole business.

Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 11:28 pm

You sound like a product of mike and terry.

I am on that career path now. I don't have the job but here are some necessary requirements.

1. BUY the yamaha sound reinforcement book.

2. Learn Autocad and Revit drafting software. Part of your job is draftsman. I took the 2yr course at nscc.

3. Brush up on math, theres lots of it. Fractions, measuring, statics (not to be confused with statistics), triginometry.

D. Join IASTE Local 680 here in halifax, (get steel toes), get some shifts with tourtech or an AV company.

4. Theres a company in Edmonton called genesis Integration, they design and install communications equipment. They also do audio installs and calibration. Expect to be an installer for the first little bit.

5. Get info-comm certified, known as a CTS. This is new to the construction world. It is an industry-wide certification that future employers will require of their employees. Or so i'm told.

6. Know live sound in and out.

7. Learn about electricity.

8. buy this book:
http://www.amazon.ca/Ultimate-Live-Sound-Operators-Handbook/dp/1423419715/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209879477&sr=8-1

I unfortunately can't find any full-time schools that teach design but this site: http://www.synaudcon.com/website08/index.php offers the most intense week long course in the industry. So I've been told.

Remember "What you think about, you bring about", Stay focused.

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