Become a Sound Pro: 6 Ways to Gear Up For Audio Engineering School

Ready to go from music lover to sound pro? You don’t have to wait for your first class to start building your skills. Already making beats in your bedroom or feeling something when the bass hits right? This is your chance to prepare for the ride of a lifetime.

Audio engineering is a creative, technical, fast-paced, and constantly evolving field that offers many opportunities. If you're heading to a school like OIART, you’ll have hands-on experience with  recording, mixing, producing, and problem-solving, all from day one. 

Parents, if you're wondering if this path has real career potential, the answer is yes. From music production to game sound design, OIART grads work in industries that are booming right now.

So crank the volume and get ready to explore your backstage pass to everything you can do now before school starts.

Tip #1: Train Your Ears Like a Pro Listener 

Your ears are your most important piece of gear. Anyone can buy a mic, but learning how to hear like an audio engineer takes practice. Before you touch a console, start fine-tuning your listening.

Pick your favourite songs and listen to them in a whole new way. What do you notice first? The kick drum? The reverb on the vocal? Try listening for:

• Balance (how loud each element is)
• Panning (where things are in the stereo field)
• EQ (is it bright? warm? muddy?)
• Dynamics (what hits hard and what’s soft)
• Effects like reverb, delay, or distortion

Break down different genres, even ones you don’t usually listen to. Great ears don’t come naturally; you have to train them; Pop, Metal, Jazz, Hip hop, & Film scores. Each one uses sound differently, and learning to hear those details is a big part of becoming a music producer or engineer.

Tip #2: Get Comfortable With Tech and Software 

In 2025, your audio workstation mixes hardware and software. If you’ve never touched a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), now’s the time to start.

Popular DAWs, such as Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and GarageBand, are where nearly every project begins. Pro Tools is the industry standard, and it’s what you’ll use at OIART. But any DAW is a great place to start exploring how audio works.

You Can Make Beats Using Virtual Instruments

Lay down your first groove or build a full arrangement with virtual instruments, like drum machines, synths, pianos, basses, and more. Whether you're dropping 808s or layering orchestral strings, you can tap into a massive sound library to craft your vibe from scratch.

You Can Edit Loops and Samples

Chop, stretch, slice, reverse — loops and samples are your playground. Drop in pre-recorded sounds and edit them to fit your tempo or mood. Flipping a vocal hook or fine-tuning a drum break gives you complete control over every beat and bar.

You Can Record Yourself Or Others

Capture vocals, guitars, keys, or whatever else you’ve got. Plug in a mic or interface and start recording audio straight into your project. 

You Can Play With EQ, Panning, and FX

Shape your sound like a pro with built-in EQ, panning, and effects. Brighten vocals, beef up the low end, or send that synth soaring into space with reverb, delay, or distortion.

You Can Export Mixes and Bounce Tracks

When you’re ready to share your masterpiece, just export the mix. You can bounce tracks individually or as a full stereo file. High-quality audio, ready to drop on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever your audience lives.

Bonus tip: OIART uses Mac-based systems. If you’re more familiar with Windows, it’s worth taking some time to get familiar with a Mac to make the transition easier. Even a used or borrowed one will help you feel more at home.

Want to go deeper? Grab a simple interface and a pair of headphones, and start exploring. Tools like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, PreSonus AudioBox, or budget bundles from music stores are perfect for beginners.

Tip #3: Record Something — Anything!

Think your first big audio project has to be a song? Nope. Start simple. 

Record your dog barking, your voice, or a fan blowing across a mic. The goal is to start experimenting and figuring out what sounds cool, what doesn’t, and how to fix it. That’s how real producers and sound engineers sharpen their edge.

Use your phone’s mic. Or plug a USB mic into your computer. Download a free DAW like GarageBand or Cakewalk. Start layering tracks. Try adjusting volume and pan. Add effects. Make something weird. Make something awful. Then try again.

Want to record vocals or instruments? Grab an audio interface, a budget condenser microphone, and headphones; many starter kits are available for under $200. The quality won’t be world-class, but the experience will be.

Each time you record and listen back, you’ll hear something new, and your brain will start learning how sound works.

Students who have already experimented with recording software usually feel way more confident when school starts. They ask better questions, try crazier ideas, and get more out of studio time.