Henry Goodman Calrec Product manager
Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe Nugen Audio Product specialist
Tell us about how you ended up working in the audio space.
I’ve worked for two audio console manufacturers in various roles. Like many in the industry, getting into the sector was driven more by the need for a job than a specific desire to work in sound. My job was in logistics, arranging for customers to receive their new audio consoles in good order. Audio has a way of getting under your skin, and I soon became interested in audio consoles, spending time learning how they worked and what they’re used for. This investment in learning allowed me to take on roles which were more audio-specific and increasingly technical in nature. What is one piece of advice you would give to anyone hoping to start out in audio? Just as there are many varied roles, there are many routes into the industry. Remember that any business needs people with a core set of administration and business skills as well as those who might actually be mixing on an audio console. It is an advantage to have a technical understanding of audio and networking technologies, but just as important is being ready to learn as you go, demonstrate an eagerness to get involved and take every opportunity to come your way. Toughest professional challenge you’ve overcome? The toughest challenge I have faced has also been the most rewarding. The professional audio industry is always pushing new technological boundaries and the need to learn and understand how these technologies can be applied is the one factor which provides continual fascination. What is your most essential piece of kit? Working as a product manager at Calrec, it’s critical that I have access to the whole range of Calrec audio consoles; not just the ones we manufacture, but ones under development. Operational paradigms and user experience can only be understood when you examine the interaction between hardware and software elements. It is important that we maintain operational continuity between our products. For example, with our latest Argo surface development, it was key for my colleagues and I to have initial prototypes to work with. As the Argo project has developed, multiple iterations of the prototypes have been built and used to refine and shape the final console look and user experience. The Argo console has only been made possible with many exciting new technologies and forms the technical bedrock for Calrec consoles for many years to come. From innovative approaches to displays and rendering images on the console surface to the networking technologies employed that allow consoles to be geographically remote to DSP cores, these advances will all benefit future console design. What audio technologies are you excited about for the future? Incorporation of IP technology is paving the way for more flexible and distributed processing, perhaps more commonly referred to as cloud technologies.
Tell us about how you ended up working in the audio space. Although I had always wanted to work in audio, I stumbled upon my first sound job almost by chance. I was studying for my master’s degree and struggling to fit work around my lectures. After quitting my then job without a plan, the first thing I applied for was a part-time tech support role at Nugen, via an advert in the students’ union music library. By some stroke of luck, I got the job, and now six years later, here I am! What is one piece of advice you would give to anyone hoping to start out in audio? Soft skills are equally as important as technical knowledge, if not more so. You can be a total expert on all things audio, but if you aren’t personable, no one will want to work with you. Every exciting opportunity I’ve had would never have happened if I wasn’t friendly and enthusiastic. Toughest professional challenge you have overcome? A couple of years ago, I developed tinnitus – a constant ringing in my ears. One silver lining is that tests have shown my hearing isn’t significantly damaged, so the tinnitus is probably caused by another factor,
such as stress. So at least my years of diligent earplug usage haven’t been in vain! Thankfully, I have learnt to manage the ringing. But there was a period of time when I thought this could seriously impact my career. What is your most essential piece of kit? Earplugs! While my tinnitus wasn’t caused by hearing damage, I want to do everything I can to prevent it getting worse. Ear plugs can have a reputation for muffling sound, but if you get a decent pair, you can still enjoy live music and other loud events without it being muffled. In fact, it often sounds better for particularly loud gigs! Custom-moulded earplugs are ideal, but if you’re on a budget, my favourite consumer-grade pair is the Vic Firth VFEARPLR plugs. What audio technologies are you excited about for the future? At Nugen, I’m excited about the new plug-ins we have in the works, including a couple of complete revamps of existing products that people already know and love. Ben Jones, our product designer, has been putting together some incredible new features. Outside my job, I’m excited about Press On Vinyl Ltd, a new pressing plant in Middlesbrough that’s making vinyl more accessible and affordable for smaller artists.
SOFT SKILLS ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE
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