Recording Engineer

International Game Developers Association

An audio engineer is someone with experience and training in the production and manipulation of sound through mechanical means. As a professional title, this person is sometimes designated as a sound engineer instead. An informal name might be a "sound guy" or an "audio guy". A person with one of these titles is commonly listed in the credits of many commercial music recordings (also in other productions that include sound, such as movies).

Audio engineers are generally familiar with the design, installation, and/or operation of sound recording, sound reinforcement, or sound broadcasting equipment. In the recording studio environment, audio engineers are also responsible for the physical realization of creative input. An audio engineer is a person recording, editing, manipulating, mixing and mastering sound by technical means. While usually being associated with music production, an audio engineer may be involved in dealing with sound for a wide range of applications, including post-production for video and film, live sound reinforcement, advertising, multimedia, broadcasting.

Audio engineers operate mixing consoles, microphones, signal processors, tape machines, digital audio workstations, sequencing software and speaker systems. Traditionally an audio engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of a sound recording or other audio production and works together with a record producer or a director. However, the audio engineer's role is quite often integrated with that of the producer.

In typical game audio applications, audio engineers often are employed for recording voice over and part replacement for scores.