In eighteen years I’ve been booked as a production sound mixer, a location sound recordist, a sound tech, an audio guy, and — more than anything else — just “the sound guy.” Same person, same gear, same job. My website is literally called Florida Sound Man. So if you’re not sure what to search for or what to put on the call sheet, this page is the translation table.
The names that all mean the same job
These titles are interchangeable. Every one of them describes the person responsible for recording all the audio on your shoot — miking talent, running the boom, mixing and recording isolated tracks, syncing timecode:
- Production sound mixer — the standard US industry term. What most American call sheets say.
- Sound mixer / location sound mixer — the same thing, shortened.
- Sound recordist / location sound recordist — the same job in the UK, Australia and most of Europe. When a BBC or international documentary crew books me, this is the word they use.
- Audio recordist / location sound engineer / location audio engineer — less common, same role.
- Sound tech / sound technician / audio tech / audio technician — what corporate clients and crewing platforms often say.
- Sound man / soundman / sound guy / sound person — what everyone actually says on set. No offense taken. It’s in my domain name.
Whatever you typed to get here — that’s me. Here’s what the job includes and where I cover.
A1 and A2: broadcast titles that are a different lane
Live television has its own audio titles. The A1 is the lead audio engineer mixing a live show, usually in a truck or studio; A2s are the audio technicians rigging mics, RF and comms for that broadcast. That’s the live-truck world — and to be straight with you, it’s not the work I do.
My lane is the field production side of broadcast: the camera crew shooting news packages, features, interviews and documentary segments. On those crews the audio role is the production sound mixer — sometimes called the audio tech — and that’s the ENG and broadcast work I’ve done for ESPN, NFL Network, MLB Network and their neighbors since 2008. If you need an A1 or A2 for a truck show, that hire comes through broadcast staffing; if a crew is going somewhere and audio needs to be handled, that’s me.
Close, but actually a different job
A few titles get mixed in that aren’t quite the same thing:
- Boom operator — on a big union crew, the boom op holds the mic and works for the production sound mixer. On most documentary, ENG, corporate and small commercial shoots, one person does both. That’s how I work: hire me and boom operation is included, not a second day rate.
- Utility sound technician — the second assistant on larger sound crews: cables, second boom, wiring backup talent.
- Audio engineer — on its own, this usually means a recording studio, live PA or post-production person. If you’re crewing a shoot, search for a sound mixer or recordist instead.
- Sound designer / re-recording mixer / dialogue editor — post-production. They make what I record sound even better after the shoot. Different phase, different hire.
- A/V tech — conference-room and event PA systems. If your event is being filmed, you still want a production sound mixer capturing clean audio for the edit — here’s how I handle corporate events.
What should you put on the call sheet or job post?
Honestly? Any of the above works — I’ve been hired under every title on this page. “Production Sound Mixer” is the cleanest industry-standard label in the US if you need one. But what actually matters is the shoot: what you’re filming, the dates and city, how many people need to be on mic, and what the deliverable is. Send me that and the title sorts itself out.
More on the hiring side: hiring a sound mixer in Florida — what to know.
Common questions
Is a boom operator the same as a sound mixer?
Different roles on large crews — the boom op works for the mixer. On most real-world Florida shoots, one person does both, and that’s included when you book me.
What’s the difference between a sound mixer and an audio engineer?
“Audio engineer” alone usually means studio, live PA or post. On a film or video set, the recording role is the production sound mixer / sound recordist.
Do I need an A1 or an A2?
For a truck-based live broadcast, yes — and that’s not me; A1s and A2s come through broadcast staffing. For field production — news packages, features, interviews, documentary segments — the audio hire is a production sound mixer. That’s me.
What do the British call a sound mixer?
A sound recordist (or location sound recordist). Same job, different accent.
