Sound engineering technicians use equipment to record, copy, and edit music and voice.

Sound engineering technicians use many types of recording equipment. They set up microphones to amplify sounds. They use mixing boards to control the amount of input from different performers. For example, while recording a band, they may increase or decrease the volume of the drums. They adjust the recording level, volume, and tone quality to achieve the desired sound. Technicians are responsible for maintaining all their sound equipment.

Sometimes technicians work at live performances. They mix and edit voices and music using control boards. Technicians also record actors to add the actors' voices to the sound tracks of movies or TV shows. They may also add sound effects and music.

Many technicians record music. Before the recording session, they usually talk to the musicians and producers to learn what type of sound and emotion the musicians want the final recording to convey. This helps them know what equipment they will need and how to arrange the microphones to achieve those effects. Technicians keep logs of their recording sessions to track who and what they record each day.

Occasionally technicians take existing music and re-master it. This means they take the original recording and try to remove imperfections, such as background hiss or damage.