Careers in Electronic Production and Design

Sound Designer
The sound designer is employed to develop a sound library of synthesized original sounds and effects for artists/bands, production and multimedia companies, and music equipment manufacturers. The sound designer also uses various sophisticated electronic equipment to arrive at conclusions and find sonic solutions in their work.

Film/Video Sound Designer
The film/video sound designer designs creative sounds for images. As Berklee Electronic Production and Design faculty member Chris Noyes states, "When the earth shakes in a film or video, what does it sound like? This is the job of the film/video sound designer." The film video sound designer would determine if this sound can be recorded, or if it would have to be created?

Digital Audio Editor
Most of the audio, music, sound effects, and spoken word (dialogue) that we hear in TV and film productions is edited on digital audio systems. The digital audio editor works with sound designers, composers, and directors to put all these elements together in a highly controlled environment.

Performer
A Electronic Production and Design performer utilizes music technology and MIDI for live performance.

Studio Musician/Synthesist
This person plays and often programs synthesizers and other contemporary musical instruments within a studio context.

Synthesist/Producer
The synthesist/producer has the ability to creatively produce and incorporate (his/her own) sound design into the production process. The producer functions as the creative leader of any studio, film, television, or radio recording project. Producers work mainly with recording acts and record labels to produce records. They also work with composers and produce sound recordings for film, TV, and other forms of multimedia, as well. The producer supervises all aspects of the recording process, including contracting session players and overseeing the recording budget. A producer may also help the artist select songs to be recorded. A producer should be an excellent musician with a lot of experience and have a great depth of musical, acoustical, and studio technical understanding.

Composer
The composer in the Electronic Production and Design field has a particular specialty in using computer and MIDI technology throughout the entire composing and arranging process. Composers create instrumental pieces, either to stand alone or to be combined with lyrics. They may compose for a specific situation, such as film/TV composers who score/compose music to enhance videos or films, or they may compose for live performance and/or recording situations.

Arranger
An arranger in the Electronic Production and Design field provides musical arrangements of a musical composition or song for an artist, band, orchestra, or other ensemble, using computer and MIDI technology. The arranger determines the voice, instrument, harmonic structure, rhythm, tempo, and other aspects of a song or composition, based on the artist, producer, or conductor's specifications.

MIDI Pre-Producer
Whenever a film/TV composer is trying to be hired for a film scoring project, they will attempt to convey their ideas or musical themes to the film/TV director. In order to communicate their musical ideas effectively, they will often hire a MIDI pre-producer to prepare their compositions in a MIDI studio where the orchestration can be economically realized. This is much more cost effective than hiring an entire orchestra to record your musical ideas and themes.

Jingle Writer
Jingle writers are songwriters/composers/lyricists who specialize in writing music for radio and television commercials. Synthesists in this field have the ability to creatively produce and incorporate (his/her own) sound designs into the production process. They are responsible for representing their client musically as directed. They must be skilled in all styles, be strong arrangers, and be able to compose well for a very short form.

Educator
An educator in the Electronic Production and Design field would almost always teach in a higher education, college, or university program.

Consultant (Other: Manufacturer Representative, Technical Support, or Sales Representative)
A consultant in the field of Electronic Production and Design usually is employed by companies that manufacture and design technology-based musical instruments and software. These music technology companies desire to have consultants with musical and technological backgrounds and perspectives.

Multimedia Developer (Interactive Multimedia Specialist)
Multimedia developers specialize in formatting and producing audio content for CDs and websites. They primarily combine two or more of the following formats—text, still images, video, animation, or sound—and prepare them as part of an interactive software package.

Product Representative
The product representative tours and demonstrates the latest audio/MIDI software and musical instrument technology available to musicians and producers.

Computer Music Researcher
The computer music researcher works at a graduate-level institute of higher education and researches computer languages associated with algorhythmic composition and sound synthesis.