Friday, November 12, 2010

Understanding Audio: Getting the Most Out of Your Project or Professional Recording Studio Right now


I am the guy at the mixer when music is recorded or performed live. I'm one of those who need to know WHY and HOW things are done so I can produce the best sound. This book answered those questions about both analog and digital audio with clear descriptions and simple yet effective graphics.

This is NOT a simple generic overview; it is a solid "get this concept into your head" kind of audio engineering reference (with only a touch of optional illustrative math) useful for non-engineers who want to do a better job of producing or recording music. It will definitely help you avoid mistakes and get better results when recording in a studio or mixing live.

It walks you from the origination of sound, through the mics and DI boxes, into the mixer components, through parametric or graphic equalizers, to effects, recorders, amplifiers and speakers. It even explains electricity, decibels, meter scales, sampling rates, A/D and D/A conversion, studio acoustics and playback concerns. Each detail is explained in language that lets you understand what is going on. I'm confident now when I walk up to a mixer board or recording deck.

This book transforms an audio signal from a nebulous sound to a visual and mental object that I can manipulate. Even after I read the entire thing, cover to cover, I find myself going back to it often, using it as a reference or a refresher whenever I had a question. It will never be far from my DAW and encourages me to read more Berklee Press books.
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