Behind every broadcast and concert sits a sound engineer: the technical architect responsible for the behind-the-scenes art of audio. For Richard Peck, owner of Geneva-based R/J Recording and Sound, this craft has been a 50-year journey of balancing sound frequencies and the soul of a live or recorded performance.

At its core, sound engineering is the management of audio signals. Engineers use mixing consoles to manipulate “faders,” which control volume, and “EQ,” which adjusts the balance between bass, midrange and treble frequencies.

“I call myself an audio engineer because I do both live sound and recording,” Peck said. “I mix audio for either people to listen to later for recording, or live at concerts.”

The technical challenge lies in the medium. While modern digital boards are smaller and more efficient, Peck notes a distinct difference in the “analog” sound. Analog consoles offer a dynamic range and detail that digital sometimes lacks, requiring a skilled ear to translate and work with.

The career path for a sound engineer is varied, ranging from live to studio production. In the world of live sound, engineers manage the “front-of-house” for concerts or the “audio booth” for news broadcasts. In live TV, the lead mixer handles the countdown to air, managing “mix-minus” feeds so anchors can hear producers without hearing their own voices.

Recording engineers focus on “sound sculpting.” They work in studios to capture and refine an artist’s performance. They meticulously place microphones to capture an instrument’s sound and manage multi-track sessions where every layer must be distinct and editable. Their work often involves adjusting compression and reverb to build a cohesive soundscape, often balancing the technical demands of the equipment with the creative atmosphere to foster the artist’s specific vision.

For Peck, who has mixed for legends like Judy Collins and The Ides of March, the career is sustained by the rush of a successful show.

“When the bands are really, really good, you can just feel it,” Peck said. “That’s the main reason I’m still here 50 years later.”