Entertainment

UK digital mastering requires at least three hats that the engineer must wear. I dont mean literally (although if the individual wanted to, I wouldnt object.) Chef, surgeon and conductor: these are the three personas one must take on. I am not sure about the job in other countries but as far as UK digital mastering goes, this is the defining trio.

UK Digital Mastering in Thirds
Let us begin with chef. Understand that no actual cooking is involved. Like a culinary genius, however, a digital audio engineer must be familiar with every aspect and variation of his work. Where a chef must know about every food group, preparation technique and way to bake, boil, broil or saute, a sound recordist must be up on modern equipment and modus operandi of such, forms of music, entertainment genres and component variation before the job actually starts. The associating link is preparation.

Surgeon is perhaps the most demanding side of UK digital mastering. Once the sound is captured it must be opened and delicately gone through. The best qualities have to be plucked out, set and grafted to others. The bad stuff has to be removed. Nimble fingers for a doctor. Nimble ears for a digital engineer.

Finally, there is the conductor. Whether the task is music, voiceover or vocal broadcast, the best in UK digital mastering has to have an acute sense for volume, foreground, background and theme. There must always be a feel for rhythm and pace and the need to bring whatever points made into clear focus. We could probably find another three hats after these but lets leave it to internet exploring. Those digital techs who wish they could wear less could always move out of the UK. I hear Antarctica is hiring.