How can one become a developer for an audio effects company?

[champbassist]

A little background: I'm currently in the 3rd year of my undergrad degree in Computer Science & Engineering. I'm really interested in the field of audio effects, and I'd love to be a developer for an audio fx brand. I often find myself spending my free time reading up stuff about DSP and audio effects and developing little 'projects', generally in MATLAB.

To sum it up, you can say my dream job is to be an fx developer for TC Electronic So any ideas regarding how to pursue this?

(I put this in OT because I'm basically asking for career advice, rather than discussing something about music in general or about effects.)

[MakiSupaStar]

Did you try talking to one of them?

[champbassist]

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Did you try talking to one of them?

You mean the guys on TB (e.g. Taylor)? No. I don't want to bug them, TBQH. And there are no fx companies here (in India) for me to ask anyone.

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by champbassist

You mean the guys on TB (e.g. Taylor)? No. I don't want to bug them, TBQH. And there are no fx companies here (in India) for me to ask anyone.

Well, I would start a dialogue with companies in this market and inquire that way.

[tastybasslines]

Originally Posted by champbassist

A little background: I'm currently in the 3rd year of my undergrad degree in Computer Science & Engineering. I'm really interested in the field of audio effects, and I'd love to be a developer for an audio fx brand. I often find myself spending my free time reading up stuff about DSP and audio effects and developing little 'projects', generally in MATLAB.

To sum it up, you can say my dream job is to be an fx developer for TC Electronic So any ideas regarding how to pursue this?

(I put this in OT because I'm basically asking for career advice, rather than discussing something about music in general or about effects.)

Go for it all. Start your own company. I'm sure that if design an awesome sound circuit, you could get a manufacturer to make it.

[champbassist]

Originally Posted by tastybasslines

Go for it all. Start your own company. I'm sure that if design an awesome sound circuit, you could get a manufacturer to make it.

Making my own designs independently could work out if I worked on it part-time, but I don't know if I could bank on spending all my time designing a circuit and hoping that some company on the other side of the world would take it (even if I'm convinced it's good enough).

Edit: (Dumb me) I just reread your post and realized you said "start your own company". While that's an option if I had been living somewhere where there's a fair market for effects, it probably going to be a venture doomed from the onset over here.

But, yes: that's kinda where it's at, pragmatically speaking. It's, perhaps, only feasible to do this as my hobby/as an independent venture. What's interesting to me, though, is that despite searching the internet fairly thoroughly, I've found precious few mentions of someone having a job as an effects developer (or something to that effect) for an effects company. I saw an advertisement for an electrical engineer put up by EHX but I haven't seen too many mentions of any such jobs otherwise. Weird.

[Balog]

1. Be really good at math
2. Move to USA
3. ???
4. Profit!

[champbassist]

Originally Posted by Balog

1. Be really good at math
2. Move to USA
3. ???
4. Profit!

The last 3 points. Dayum, they sound familiar!

When it comes to DSP related Math, I can confidently say that I'm good. Also, that profit part isn't all that easy, is it? The job of an audio fx developer seems to be a super rare one.

[VincentSalizeri]

Considering the love that some of the one man boutique builders get in the FX forum, you might have a good shot at a business. A little while down the road, you could have a small shop even.

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

What companies make what you would like to help develop? Make a list.

Are you into only FX, or also signal processing in general?

[champbassist]

Originally Posted by Bob Lee (QSC)

What companies make what you would like to help develop? Make a list.

Nice idea.

Originally Posted by Bob Lee (QSC)

Are you into only FX, or also signal processing in general?

I ACTUALLY am interested in signal processing and the related theoretical concepts (and not just the fun part i.e., fx ). I'm currently reading books and material covering relatively basic DSP concepts to get my foundations strong. Not that I'm working towards anything, but my interest in DSP turning into something that I would like to develop if possible.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Don't know whether there's a software based audio DSP that can be easily programmable by the user in the chip level, but if there isn't, are You good enough to hack into the existing code of a production one?

That way You could have "something to show" to the potential employer. Write faster/simpler/smaller(/better ) code than the original, and at least a part time job is Yours.

A good thing about coding is that Your location is irrelevant to your success.
It's obviously a bad thing in a way as well for the coder, since they're competing against any and every coder on the globe, not just with the locals.

Just my 0.02€
Sam

[Balog]

I have a friend who double majored as an EE/Acoustic Engineer with an emphasis on signal processing. I'll have to ask him about what his job search has yielded.

[fdeck]

Oddly enough... I had a passion for audio electronics while in college. But I followed the good career advice of my parents: Master the fundamentals as well as possible. Setting your sights on any particular industry will reduce the number of job opportunities at your disposal, and your interests might even change over time. Also, technologies will come and go, but they will always have to be grounded in the laws of math and physics.

Here's a TI DSP development kit for less than 100 bucks US:

TMDX5505EZDSP Texas Instruments Development Boards & Kits - TMS320

It's not the world's most advanced DSP, but it's got the audio codec built-in, and comes with the development software.

It's pretty rare for a company to buy a technology from someone who brings it to them. I think that if you want to get into this business, your options are to work for a company, or start your own and actually sell a product. On the other hand, if you create some cool designs and share them for free, you won't make any money but it will give you a "portfolio" that employers can look at to see that you're capable of doing interesting things and presenting your ideas to others.

[hover]

What I would do first and foremost is answer the question

"What does the industry lack, and what can I bring to the table to address that?"

Something that many J bass clone manufacturers would have done well to ask themselves.

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

Originally Posted by fdeck

Oddly enough... I had a passion for audio electronics while in college.

I did in junior high school, high school, and college. And I still do.

[fdeck]

Same here. Even simple circuits... I get a lot of satisfaction from knowing how something works, and then hearing how it sounds.

I got into audio because my friends and I could only afford cheap broken gear, and I enjoyed fixing things. I was also interested in computers, and remember the particular joy that I got from:

Byte Magazine, particularly "Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar"
Audio IC Op Amp Applications by Walt Jung (still have it)
Craig Anderton's book
A book from Howard Sams on the Z-80 microprocessor

I could build circuits from schematics, and even modify them somewhat. But I really didn't understand analog electronics until I got to college, and an absolutely wonderful professor taught the electronics course in the physics department from Horowitz and Hill's book. My eyes were opened by the simple rules for the transistor and op amp that covered a huge number of circuits, and I was so excited that I raced ahead and gobbled up the entire textbook in a matter of weeks.

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

I can relate to all that!

Ciarcia's "Circuit Cellar Ink" magazine is published in the town I used to live in. I first met Jeff Bachiochi when he used to design analog synthesizer circuitry at Electronic Music Labs, which was in the same town.

Walt Jung's book is a classic, as is "The Art of Electronics" (such a cool book!!) by Horowitz and Hill. In high school I corresponded briefly with Craig Anderton about some circuit ideas, mainly my proposal to adapt his compressor circuit into an envelope follower to control his "super-filter," a state-variable fiilter with simultaneous HP, LP, and BP outputs (and you can create a notch output also) that could be put to work as a super-duper wah-wah filter. I never did get around to trying it out, but now that I actually have a bunch of CLM6000s, maybe I will.

Because of my interest in analog synthesis, I'm always on the lookout for old copies of Electronotes.

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by Bob Lee (QSC)

I can relate to all that!

Ciarcia's "Circuit Cellar Ink" magazine is published in the town I used to live in. I first met Jeff Bachiochi when he used to design analog synthesizer circuitry at Electronic Music Labs, which was in the same town.

Walt Jung's book is a classic, as is "The Art of Electronics" (such a cool book!!) by Horowitz and Hill. In high school I corresponded briefly with Craig Anderton about some circuit ideas, mainly my proposal to adapt his compressor circuit into an envelope follower to control his "super-filter," a state-variable fiilter with simultaneous HP, LP, and BP outputs (and you can create a notch output also) that could be put to work as a super-duper wah-wah filter. I never did get around to trying it out, but now that I actually have a bunch of CLM6000s, maybe I will.

Because of my interest in analog synthesis, I'm always on the lookout for old copies of Electronotes.

Dang, we must have been separated at birth, except that you have a cooler day job. I've got some CLM6000's left over from the early 90's. I don't want to spill any trade secrets but one of my favorite amp designers has the "Vactrol" equivalent in his latest bass head.

I got away from musical electronics for a few years, coinciding with a period when I played classical music for a while and then dropped out of the gig scene. During that time my interest in electronics led to, among other things, an article in the very same "Circuit Cellar Ink." Wow, I see that they're still in print.

Part of the pleasure of musical electronics is that there's still room for a wide range of interests and skill levels from hobbyists to seasoned pro's, all sharing a common interest in learning new things and making music.

It's hard to convey the excitement of those old times to the younger crowd. Every copy of Byte Magazine brought new delights.

[champbassist]

Originally Posted by Balog

I have a friend who double majored as an EE/Acoustic Engineer with an emphasis on signal processing. I'll have to ask him about what his job search has yielded.

It'd be great if you could do that!

Originally Posted by fdeck

On the other hand, if you create some cool designs and share them for free, you won't make any money but it will give you a "portfolio" that employers can look at to see that you're capable of doing interesting things and presenting your ideas to others.

So what would constitute a valid 'design'? Would that be the actual circuit designs or would a software implementation (e.g. VST plugins) also be considered a 'design'? Though my query relates to how people end up becoming developers for effects companies- a job inevitably related to the hardware implementation of effects- I think working in the field of software based effects might be somewhat more viable for me, considering my CS background.