To become an audio/studio engineer in terms of mixing and mastering music would majoring in physics be a good idea?
I want to be a studio engineer and I thought physics would help me grasp concepts of sound. I have heard of some audio engineers who have majored in physics but I want to know if I should make a specfic major in particular for that?
4 answers
Justina’s Answer
A degree only teaches you how to think about a category of problems; it provides opportunities. If you really want to pursue a physics degree and work as a studio engineer then go for it. Who cares whether or not anyone else has done it before - be the first! Maybe consider earning a dual major or a major and a minor with the second major or minor in music theory.
Bill’s Answer
Hi Jio, this is a great area to be interested in. I adore music and am constantly amazed at the new textures of sound that I hear. Are you currently using any software tools, mixing boards, etc? Some schools do have audio engineering courses that you could as well as majors in this area. You'll want to go to a school with good facilties and equipment. I have also found that an organic way to learn the feel of producing sound is using the available tools. You could find a school that had a major in the business of music that also had audio engineering coursework. Berklee in Boston is one of the very best, check it out. Hope you follow your dreams! I play guitar and record for fun, but today is one of the best times in history to get involved in music. Good luck!!
https://www.berklee.edu/
Nicholas’s Answer
If your goal is to be an audio engineer in a studio, I would not recommend majoring in physics. Getting a degree in physics wouldn't give you the skills necessary to operate studio equipment or mix sound. I would recommend majoring in audio production and taking some physics classes as extra curriculars for the background knowledge. Physics is a very broad field and there are many more fields within physics that are not related to sound or audio production at all. Since your focus is audio production you would likely not be interested in the other areas and would never use them. You will save yourself a lot of time and money if you go directly into a degree for music production.
Charlie’s Answer
These are all great answers. I will only add that having knowledge of physics would be specifically helpful if you're interested in designing recording gear, DSP, etc. For recording, a music background and music production courses are the way to go.