4 ms·

Putting my mostly-retired audio engineer hat back on for a minute... The Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Reinforcement-Handbo

Putting my mostly-retired audio engineer hat back on for a minute... The Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Reinforcement-Handbook-Gary-Davis/dp/0881889008 https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Reinforcement-Handbook-Gary-Dav... This is basically the soundman's bible. Sold for an aspiring live sound engineer, has much more than just advice for live sound guys - covering everything from microphones to acoustics to basic electronics to handy rules of thumb to MIDI, all written to be relentlessly pragmatic. It even has a handy appendix covering logarithms. This isn't the book to give you the final "20%" of knowledge on anything it covers - but it will help you on your way to the first 80% a lot more quickly than most other writing on anything related to semi/pro audio, and pretty much every expert in the field is at least familiar with it, if they don't own a copy. There seem to be plenty of people interested in music and audio around here, so hopefully someone finds the unusual reference useful.

dvlsg 8y ago
Does it touch on mixing / mastering at all? I have a suspicion that some of my friends will be looking to me to put together some demos in the near future, so I'd be very interested in some beginner/intermediate knowledge around that.
- patricklouys 8y ago
  Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior is what you are looking for.
- sideshowb 8y ago
  I read an enormous amount on mixing/mastering and was still rubbish. It's hard to write about perception of sound. I would recommend instead finding a well reputed mixing/mastering engineer who offers lessons and pay for some. Bring them your best mix (in the DAW on your laptop) ask them where it is wrong and how to improve it. Shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. In my case this cost around £100 (http://oood.net/mastering/about-stooodio-mastering http://oood.net/mastering/about-stooodio-mastering) and helped enormously. My friends now think I'm great at "mastering" by which they mean mixing, I have nothing even approaching mastering engineer ears & I suspect Colin still wouldn't think much of my mixes either but that's why I'll happily pay him to master them if I ever have time for music again :) I know there are online practical courses these days, in theory these could be better than a book as they would have audio/interactive examples. No idea if they actually are any good though.
  - sideshowb 8y ago
    Basically forget learning to master though. For your friend's demo, learn to do a reasonable mix then slap a limiter on the main output and boost the loudness as much as you can without losing quality.
- PascLeRasc 8y ago
  Alex Tumay has several great video lectures on Youtube on mixing/mastering.
- kossae 8y ago
  Check out the Mixing Engineer's Handbook by Bobby Owsinski. This has been my de-facto go to for everything from acoustics, studio construction, mixing, mastering and more. Great read, and a wonderful reference to have at your desk.
dx7tnt 8y ago
"How to have a number one the easy way" by the KLF is the best book imo. Tells you how, and then why you probably shouldn't bother
- jimijazz 8y ago
  That was such a fun read!
amelius 8y ago
Does this book tell me how to compute e.g. when a physical object hits another physical object, what the resulting sound will be like? Or if object X (e.g. speaker cone) moves through air with velocity v(t), what will the sound be like at position P?
- Barjak 8y ago
  Sounds like you're interested in computational aeroacouatics.
- FelipeCortez 8y ago
  I've never read OP's book, but Andy Farnell's Designing Sound has a pretty comprehensive look into physics and sound if that's what you're looking for.

dvlsg 8y ago

Does it touch on mixing / mastering at all? I have a suspicion that some of my friends will be looking to me to put together some demos in the near future, so I'd be very interested in some beginner/intermediate knowledge around that.

patricklouys 8y ago
Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior is what you are looking for.
sideshowb 8y ago
I read an enormous amount on mixing/mastering and was still rubbish. It's hard to write about perception of sound. I would recommend instead finding a well reputed mixing/mastering engineer who offers lessons and pay for some. Bring them your best mix (in the DAW on your laptop) ask them where it is wrong and how to improve it. Shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. In my case this cost around £100 (http://oood.net/mastering/about-stooodio-mastering http://oood.net/mastering/about-stooodio-mastering) and helped enormously. My friends now think I'm great at "mastering" by which they mean mixing, I have nothing even approaching mastering engineer ears & I suspect Colin still wouldn't think much of my mixes either but that's why I'll happily pay him to master them if I ever have time for music again :) I know there are online practical courses these days, in theory these could be better than a book as they would have audio/interactive examples. No idea if they actually are any good though.
- sideshowb 8y ago
  Basically forget learning to master though. For your friend's demo, learn to do a reasonable mix then slap a limiter on the main output and boost the loudness as much as you can without losing quality.
PascLeRasc 8y ago
Alex Tumay has several great video lectures on Youtube on mixing/mastering.
kossae 8y ago
Check out the Mixing Engineer's Handbook by Bobby Owsinski. This has been my de-facto go to for everything from acoustics, studio construction, mixing, mastering and more. Great read, and a wonderful reference to have at your desk.

dx7tnt 8y ago

"How to have a number one the easy way" by the KLF is the best book imo. Tells you how, and then why you probably shouldn't bother

jimijazz 8y ago
That was such a fun read!

amelius 8y ago

Does this book tell me how to compute e.g. when a physical object hits another physical object, what the resulting sound will be like? Or if object X (e.g. speaker cone) moves through air with velocity v(t), what will the sound be like at position P?

Barjak 8y ago
Sounds like you're interested in computational aeroacouatics.
FelipeCortez 8y ago
I've never read OP's book, but Andy Farnell's Designing Sound has a pretty comprehensive look into physics and sound if that's what you're looking for.