The Audio Dictionary: Third Edition, Revised and Expanded Review

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The Audio Dictionary: Third Edition, Revised and Expanded ReviewThis is the first book off my shelf whenever I have a question about any aspect of audio. Occasionaly, I find that an entry I expect to see is not there, but that is rare. By and large, the entries here serve, at least, as a solid foundation of almost any concept about which I need clarification.The Audio Dictionary: Third Edition, Revised and Expanded OverviewThe Audio Dictionary is a comprehensive resource, including historical, obsolete, and obscure as well as contemporary terms relating to diverse aspects of audio such as film and TV sound, recording, Hi-Fi, and acoustics.
The Third Edition includes four hundred new entries, such as AAC (advanced audio coding), lip synch, metadata, MP3, and satellite radio. Every term from previous editions has been reconsidered and often rewritten. Guest entries are by Dennis Bohn, cofounder and head of research and development at Rane Corporation, and film sound expert Larry Blake, whose credits include Erin Brockovich and Ocean's Eleven. The appendixes--tutorials that gather a lifetime's worth of experience in acoustics--include both new and greatly expanded articles.
"It is rare to find a reference book that you do not want to stop reading, but The Audio Dictionary fits that description. . . . Each definition, from absolute pitch to zero reference, is actually a mini-article with concise yet thorough explanations that are easy for nonspecialists to understand." -Music Educators Journal
Glenn D. White has been a freelance recording engineer for more than thirty years, specializing in instrumentation for acoustic and vibration measurements. His clients include the University of Washington, Vassar College, Rutgers University, and the Boeing Company. Gary J. Louie has been the music recording specialist at the University of Washington School of Music for over twenty-five years. His recordings have been released on labels including Harmonia Mundi, Musical Heritage Society, and Warner Brothers. He is secretary of the Pacific Northwest Section of the Audio Engineering Society.

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The Foley Grail: The Art of Performing Sound for Film, Games, and Animation Review

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The Foley Grail: The Art of Performing Sound for Film, Games, and Animation ReviewI'm giving this book three stars, but I really didn't like it. For the past two decades, I have made my living, exclusively, in the sound for motion picture business. Because I am so passionate about it, I feverishly snatch up every book on the subject. The business is so complex, there is so much information, after twenty years, I still thrive on learning something new. And I do, almost every single day.
For years, I have been looking for a book specifically about foley. I'm fascinated by the many sounds that come out of various objects. I understand that experimentation is the name of the game, but the most fun thing about foley is finding out what items are used to create what sounds. I probably shouldn't give a book a bad review just because it wasn't written the way I wanted. But the fact is, I wanted a recipe book. I was disappointed because that's not what this is.
To be fair, this book contains a lot of information. It covers everything you could ever want to know about the history of foley and pays homage to several great foley artist. That's all great. Foley artists are under appreciated, and the work they do is incredible. Foley artists should get all the credit they deserve, and they deserve a lot.
There is also a great deal of information about what, in my opinion, has gone wrong with the Hollywood system. I'm speaking, specifically, about heavy-handed departmentalization. Without getting into it, I'll just say I found it very discouraging, even depressing. Not a quality I look for in a book, especially a book so closely associated with what I do every day.
This book is relatively expensive. A college student or a struggling, young filmmaker would be better off spending the money on something else. Despite what the title implies, "The Foley Grail: The Art of Performing Sound for Film, Games, and Animation," is more like a history book. The technical information isn't there. If technical information is what you're after, you'll have to look somewhere else.
By the way, when I bought this book, I also purchased "The Sound Effects Bible," by Ric Viers. So far, I've read only about half of it, scanning, quite a bit, over a lot of information I already know. But I can tell you this; Ric's book is full of very good, very useful technical information. It's presented in a positive, entertaining way with lots of nice pictures and useful diagrams. It's actually inspiring. I plan on reviewing Ric's book (I'm calling him by his first name, as if I know him, but we've never met), and I will give it five stars.
The Foley Grail: The Art of Performing Sound for Film, Games, and Animation OverviewCreate custom sound effects that are the mainstay of soundtracks for films, broadcast, animation and games.Learn how Foley is designed, crafted and edited for any project- right down to the nuts and bolts of spotting, cueing, and performing sounds. An array of techniques is illustrated with artists presenting their own methods for selecting and handling props, "walking" various characters, and other tricks of the trade. Various renowned artists, editors and mixers contribute stories and perspectives on what is necessary for a film or media project, and how technology has changed the craft over the years.The Foley stage is discussed in detail, with illustrations to assist you in designing your own stage, whatever the size. The companion DVD includes video demonstrations of Foley Artists at work, along with illustrated techniques for the novice.Key Benefits: * A concise, creative guide to the art and technique for producing Foley sound for films, video, animation and games.* Alternative Foley stage designs are illustrated and interviews of renowned artists shed light on essentials.* Companion DVD video demonstrates a variety of techniques that Foley artists use to perform cues.

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Naked Filmmaking: How To Make A Feature-Length Film - Without A Crew - For $10,000 Or Less Review

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Naked Filmmaking: How To Make A Feature-Length Film - Without A Crew - For $10,000 Or Less ReviewMike Carroll opens his book with a confession when he tells us he wants people to buy the book. He wants people to read the book. He has titled it "Naked Filmmaking" with full awareness that the onlooker will be drawn to it since sex controlled America is lured to perversions like a movement in the peripheral. He's an artist with a grasp on the reality of this ever expanding world of technology (the digital age)and holds no illusions in the possibility of being left behind (perhaps his largest fear?). Carroll chapters his book with layers of straight talk, not of the failed outsider but the active explorer who is eager to share his knowledge. One is inspired to take on the task because Carroll makes it seem possible (and it is!), all the while jabbing the low tech thinkers and non-creative hacks with unsettling reality. This book is what got me through the making of my film and I can say, without shame, it stands as the best book on one-man filmmaking (true independence) since "Rebel Without a Crew" by Robert Rodriguez.
- Anthony D'Juan SheltonNaked Filmmaking: How To Make A Feature-Length Film - Without A Crew - For $10,000 Or Less OverviewAward-winning filmmaker Mike Carroll guides you through his proven step-by-step process of how to single-handedly make a full-length hour and a half to two hour movie and not go bankrupt or lose your house in the process.Mike has single-handedly produced three feature-length films as a writer-producer-director-cinematographer-sound recordist-editor and had all of his films play on the big screen in film festivals.In this book he walks you through the process involved in how to write a script for a film that will essentially require no money to make it, then into his unique style of casting, choosing the right camera, locations, filming and lighting, working with actors, microphones and how to record perfect audio, and how to start editing it all. Then how to get it out to film festivals & sell it to the world.You've read all the screenwriting books. Attended the writer's workshops. You've got that great, perfectly-formatted script for your Sundance debut film. Only one problem: nobody will read it. Thousands of scripts arrive in Hollywood every week - never to be heard from again. Stop banging your head against the wall. Make Your Movie Yourself.Illustrated with 150 photos - behind-the-scenes and frame blowups from the films themselves. Also including script extracts.Mike's films "Dog Soldiers," "Year" and "Nightbeats" are all available on DVD from Amazon and make perfect filmmaking companions to this book. Each DVD includes in-depth audio commentariesand "Year" and "Nightbeats" also include making-of documentaries and detailed alternative examples of how sequences were edited. For more information visit mikecarrollfilms

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How to Do a Demo-Quality Recording in Your Bedroom (Teach Master) Review

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How to Do a Demo-Quality Recording in Your Bedroom (Teach Master) ReviewThe book (or should I say Manual) takes you through the process step by step, in reasonably simple language. It provides the reader with quite a lot of suggestiions regarding the topic, and should be a welcome addition to any library.How to Do a Demo-Quality Recording in Your Bedroom (Teach Master) OverviewWhether you've got a four-track cassette deck, digital recorder, or a computer you've turned into a recording studio, How to Do a Demo-Quality Recording in Your Bedroom jump starts your skills quickly. It's written in a simple do-this, do-that approach. Topics covered include: expectations for home recording * connectors and cables * signal flow * overview of Cubase, Emagic Logic and Samplitude 6.0 * connecting the computer's audio card to the mixing board * recording procedures * how to set levels * how to apply effects in the mix * and much more. Includes a 38-page gallery of microphone positions for grand piano, amp miking, acoustic guitars, drums, vocalists and choir based on Shuremicrophone techniques.

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The JBL Story - Sixty Years of Audio Innovation Review

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The JBL Story - Sixty Years of Audio Innovation ReviewThis book is absolutely amazing and is something I highly recommend!!! The pictures are wonderful and they go hand-in-hand with the easy to read text. Although I had to wait for the book to ship, it was well worth the wait! From the past to the present, this book covers everything that you want to know!!!The JBL Story - Sixty Years of Audio Innovation OverviewOf all American audio companies, JBL holds the record for overall longevity and product renown. To celebrate sixty years of success, this book offers details on the people and products that have made this company famous. From car stereos to concert hall installations, JBL is the most recognized audio brand in the world. Written by audio expert John Eargle, this book features full-color photos, historical advertisements, and hundreds of diagrams and images, many taken right from JBL's archives. Topics include stories behind the development of innovative applications for consumer products, as well as systems installations for stadiums, tour sound, movie theaters, recording studios, and places of worship. In addition to the technical info that will help explain the innovation, this book will cover the brilliant engineers, and colorful record producers, musicians and technicians who had the vision to pursue a "better way". This book is for anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes of a business success story, and who is fascinated on how amplified sound is applied in almost every aspect of our lives - from the home to the concert hall.

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The Sound Effects Bible: How to Create and Record Hollywood Style Sound Effects Review

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The Sound Effects Bible: How to Create and Record Hollywood Style Sound Effects Review[...]
Review by: Sable Jak
This is not a book to simply glance through and then put on your shelf and pull out now and then. If you're involved in sound at all, I doubt you could do that. This is a book to carry with you in the field, have next to your computer, in your editing suite and taped to your cereal box so you can read it while you have breakfast.
There is so much information in this thing I don't even know where to begin, so I'll tell you a little set-up information first:
I recorded my own audio drama serial last year (2008) and I wish I'd had this before I started. It sure would have helped stop a lot of stumbling and fumbling around. At the same time, it's more than a little nice now and then to find a piece of information in it that lets me know I did something right... on occasion.
Viers knows his business. He's worked in film, radio, television and video games for years. According to his bio he's one of the world's largest independent providers of sound effects, with over 150,000 sounds and 150 sound libraries. He's also created sound libraries for large companies.
He's taken all that experience and crammed it into 326 fully-loaded pages. He starts out by explaining what sound effects are, from natural to manufactured to designed. Why start with such a basic? Because he's all about understanding what you're doing. So, if the chapter on the science of sound may seem like it's reiterating an old science class, remember; who among us can't benefit from a refresher course?
Not being mechanically/technically inclined I appreciated his information on microphones and their accessories, and even how to put together a portable recording package. In addition to helping you build your own Foley stage (complete with pictures, yippee) he covers studio equipment, recording in the field, recording Foley and working with a database. There's so much information it's hard to absorb it all. I'd like to say it's best taken in small increments, and for someone who works best by doing, it is, but at the same time, there's so much here you want to keep reading in case the next page contains something vital to your current project. However, keep in mind the book is laid out so you can quick reference specific needs without having to wade through unrelated information.
I have to say, some of the hard core technical information is a little hard for me to understand, even though it's written very clearly. But the more I read, the more I work on projects and the more I use this book, the more I will, and do, understand. I say this because to me it seems that Viers knows that having a good reference guide at hand is always a help, no matter how much you do or don't know.
In short, I highly recommend this book.
Sable Jak
Author: Writing the Fantasy Film
The Sound Effects Bible: How to Create and Record Hollywood Style Sound Effects OverviewThe Sound Effects Bible is a complete guide to recording and editing sound effects. The book covers topics such as microphone selection, field recorders, the ABCs of digital audio, understanding Digital Audio Workstations, building your own Foley stage, designing your own editing studio, and more.

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Guerrilla Home Recording: How to Get Great Sound from Any Studio (No Matter How Weird or Cheap Your Gear Is) Review

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Guerrilla Home Recording: How to Get Great Sound from Any Studio (No Matter How Weird or Cheap Your Gear Is) ReviewThe title of this book is somewhat inaccurate, since it doesn't really cover a wide variety of types of studio gear or types of recording. Rather, reading this book is more like spending several hours in the particular studio of one patient, experienced home recordist who is generous with his time in explaining, engagingly, his own set-up and how he uses it.
A problem anyone new to home recording will confront is the feeling of coming in late on the conversation: frustratingly, the manuals for even entry-level gear seem to have been written by engineers (often, Japanese engineers) who assume everyone else has been working with audio recording gear since at least 1950, just like them. And, it is always engineers, not musicians, who write the manuals. Thus, we get instruction on "attenuation" instead of being told how to produce a diminuendo, and we get pots instead of knobs.
A key benefit of this book is that it is written by a musician, and explains what the engineers are talking about in words musicians use.
This is, overall, an outstanding book for any musician assembling a home studio. The author understands, from experience, that no home studio is going to match a pro one, and that understanding how to use ordinary gear is more valuable than spending many thousands of dollars on equipment that won't achieve much benefit outside the environment of one of those pro studios. The author's specific target is a recording that will sound good to a musical listener, while realizing that a home studio will never impress (or fool) a pro sound engineer. Particularly valuable here is his advice on when to stop trying -- e.g., he is right that recording drum sets in a home studio is bound to lead to disappointment, so why spend a few more hundred or thousand dollars on a set of matching drum mikes?
The author plainly came of age in recording well before the digital era. As a result, his recommended set-up is perhaps heavier on hardware, and makes less full use of software, than a brand new set-up would. As an example, he considers a hardware mixer a core piece of equipment, and devotes considerable space to describing work-arounds to deal with the limited connections available on most (affordable) hardware mixers. Whether a hardware mixer is needed anymore if you are using mixing software is an open question (and a good way to start heated arguments on the appropriate forums). Still, understanding how to use a hardware mixer will make using mixing software much easier, since most software products aim to emulate the functions of hardware models.
The book is a nice mix of specific tips, general theory, background explanation, problem-solving, and arcanely entertaining trivia. The more detailed tips tend to be specific to rock recording, so musicians in other genres may get less out of this book. However, at the price there is plenty here to benefit any musician wanting to make home recordings.
I docked one star from my rating out of irritation with small factual inaccuracies (e.g., the author doesn't understand that the panning of a drum set can be affected by whether the drummer is left-handed) and larger limitations (e.g., the author has never learned to record with multiple mikes and therefore never explains how to do this -- his approach is strictly one track at a time.) Again, though, for the money this is a great book to have.Guerrilla Home Recording: How to Get Great Sound from Any Studio (No Matter How Weird or Cheap Your Gear Is) OverviewMake your small home studio sound huge! Guerrilla Home Recording is a revolutionary approach to getting great sound in a home or project studio. Author Karl Coryat breaks down the process by showing how to think in terms of three simple "dimensions of sound," and then explains step by step how this can help you achieve amazingly clean recordings with maximum impact. Best of all, you don't need the latest pro gear to do it. You'll learn: how to make even the noisiest gear dead quiet * getting instruments to sound crisp and distinct in a mix * making drum programs and sequences sound like they were played live * getting the most out of a limited number of tracks or mixer channels * blending tracks together into a professional-sounding mix * fun projects and exercises to sharpen your ear for sound * and how to avoid the most common mistakes amateur recordists make.

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