Why is learning sound recording theory important?

We know how it can be. Books, web articles and videos full of explanations and diagrams that make our brains hurt! And all we want to do is make some music. What has technical theory go to do with the creative process?

It's true, we can open Logic or Reason and start to make "professional" sounding music without any underlying understanding of what terminology  and control labels such as 7kHz, LFO, Phase Reverse or Modulation Width actually mean.

No, you don't need any kind of theory knowledge to make some kind of music. What you need it for is in order to achieve PREDICTABLE results.

Professional sound recording engineers earn their money by knowing how to get predictable results. Most of their activities involve being able to realise someone else ideas. A client wants a synth patch edited so that it has a duller sound during the transient. Do we know which control to reach for? Perhaps they want automatic zero crossing point detection disabled as a feature of some sound in their glitch track? Do we know what a zero crossing point is? What about increasing the pitch modulation range of a flange effect? Is that Modulation Frequency, or Intensity, or maybe Width?

Some times we want to experiment and add some randomness when designing sounds. We all love a happy accident and are quick to claim authorship of a lucky break! It's important to try new things, break the rules and go against the grain.

But without theory knowledge, a lot more tasks become frustrating. At worst we can't achieve what we want, and at best our creative flow is interrupted.

If we are serious about creating the best recordings we can, and want to realise the sonic effects we imagine, why wouldn't we take the time to learn the theory? Musicians spend years practicing their instruments, arrangers spend years learning to read and write music.

Learning sound recording theory can only ever be empowering, liberating and yes dammit eye-opening and awe inspiring! (There, we've said it!).

Thanks for reading and watching
FairFax