Making great audio recordings requires striking the right balance between technical know-how and practical understanding of recording sessions. Even in the digital age, some of the most important aspects of creating and recording music are non-technical and, as a result, are often overlooked by traditional recording manuals. The Art of Digital Audio Recording teaches readers what they really need to know in order to make great sound recordings with computers - both the practical and the technical information, including: DT What to look and listen for in a recording environment DT Straightforward advice on recording almost any instrument DT Essentials of digital audio workstations DT Essentials of recording gear: microphones, mixers, and speakers DT Fundamentals of understanding and applying EQ, compression, delay, and reverb DT Secrets to running creative recording sessions DT Practical application of digital editing, mixing, and masteringA special section identifies solutions to the most common challenges in the recording studio, and the book also features an addendum with essential tips and reference information including: DT How to walk into a commercial studio and be the engineer DT Researching and buying gear: Internet vs. brick and mortar DT Digital formats: A handy referenceAs a whole, The Art of Digital Audio Recording is an essential resource that gives recordists the tools they need to let technical understanding serve greater musical goals.

Described as "the most comprehensive book on digital audio to date", it is widely acclaimed as an industry "bible". Covering the very latest developments in digital audio technology, it provides an thorough introduction to the theory as well as acting as an authoritative and comprehensive professional reference source. Everything you need is here from the fundamental principles to the latest applications, written in an award-winning style with clear explanations from first principles. New material covered includes internet audio, PC audio technology, DVD, MPEG audio compression, digital audio broadcasting and audio networks. Whether you are in the field of audio engineering, sound recording, music technology, broadcasting and communications media or audio design and installation, this book has it all. Written by a leading international audio specialist, who conducts professional seminars and workshops around the world, the book has been road tested for many years by professional seminar attendees and students to ensure their needs are taken into account, and all the right information is covered. This new edition now includes: Internet audio PC Audio technology DVD MPEG Audio compression Digital Audio Broadcasting Audio networks Digital audio professionals will find everything they need here, from the fundamental principles to the latest applications, written in an award-winning style with clear explanations from first principles. John Watkinson is an international consultant in audio, video and data recording. He is a Fellow of the AES, a member of the British Computer Society and a chartered information systems practitioner. He presents lectures, seminars, conference papers and training courses worldwide. He is the author of many other Focal Press books, including: the Kraszna-Krausz award winning MPEG-2; The Art of Digital Audio; An Introduction to Digital Video; The Art of Sound Reproduction; An Introduction to Digital Audio; TV Fundamentals and Audio for Television. He is also co-author, with Francis Rumsey, of The Digital Interface Handbook, and contributor to the Loudspeaker and Headphone Handbook, 3rd edition.

(Technical Reference). More than simply the book of the award-winning DVD set, Art & Science of Sound Recording, the Book takes legendary engineer, producer, and artist Alan Parsons' approaches to sound recording to the next level. In book form, Parsons has the space to include more technical background information, more detailed diagrams, plus a complete set of course notes on each of the 24 topics, from "The Brief History of Recording" to the now-classic "Dealing with Disasters." Written with the DVD's coproducer, musician, and author Julian Colbeck, ASSR, the Book offers readers a classic "big picture" view of modern recording technology in conjunction with an almost encyclopedic list of specific techniques, processes, and equipment. For all its heft and authority authored by a man trained at London's famed Abbey Road studios in the 1970s ASSR, the Book is also written in plain English and is packed with priceless anecdotes from Alan Parsons' own career working with the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and countless others. Not just informative, but also highly entertaining and inspirational, ASSR, the Book is the perfect platform on which to build expertise in the art and science of sound recording.

This book presents an extensive and timely survey of more than 30 surround and 20 stereo-microphone techniques. Further, it offers, for the first time, an explanation of why the RCA "Living Stereo" series of legacy recordings from the 1950s and 60s is still appreciated by music lovers worldwide, despite their use of an apparently incorrect recording technique from the perspective of psychoacoustics. Discussing this aspect in detail, the book draws on the author’s study of concert hall acoustics and psychoacoustics. The book also analyzes the "fingerprint" features of a selected number of surround and – more importantly – stereo microphone techniques in depth by measuring their signal cross-correlation over frequency and also using an artificial human head. In addition, the book presents a rating of microphone techniques based on the assessment of various acoustic attributes, and merges the results of several subjective listening tests, including those conducted by other researchers. Building on this knowledge, it provides fresh insights into important microphone system features, from stereo to 3D audio. Moreover, it describes new microphone techniques, such as AB-PC, ORTF-T and BPT, and the recently defined BQIrep (Binaural Quality Index of reproduced music). Lastly, the book concludes with a short history of microphone techniques and case studies of live and studio recordings.

First Published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Suitable for those who want to increase their mastery of digital and analog audio: musicians, producers, A&R, mastering, recording, and mixing engineers, this title offers an introduction to the procedures and technical issues involved in mastering.

Audio recordings are the calling card with which musicians share and promote their work so a knowledge of recording techniques and technologies is essential to the 21st century musician. Recording On a Budget provides a comprehensive introduction to the recording arts from a budget-conscious perspective. Written by a professional musician and educator, this book is ideal for musicians, educators, music students, songwriters and hobbyists. A central theme of the book is that it is possible to make quality recordings with a modest selection of recording tools. Chapters cover the selection and use of all of the components of a project studio including microphones, mixer, computer, digital audio workstation software, and signal processors. Additional chapters provide a solid foundation in acoustics, audio recording, podcasting, mixing and mastering. The final chapter of the book features do-it-yourself projects that can be completed with a modest selection of tools. Most musicians have developed their ears to a high level so a special focus is placed on the development of recording technique through experimentation and the application of critical listening skills. The book is supported by an online resource of nearly 250 audio excerpts detailing all of the primary topics of the book. Recording on a Budget is ideal for: · Musicians who are interested in recording a quality CD or demo · Choir, orchestra, and band directors who want to record vocal or instrumental ensemble · Student performers and composers who wish to record a performance or produce their own music · Bands interested in recording live concerts or recording an album in a home studio · Videographers interested in recording location sound, voice-overs or music · Songwriters who wish to produce a quality demo · Podcasters and ALL who want to make quality recordings without spending fortunes on equipment. Readers will learn · to cut budget corners without sacrificing audio quality · to choose the right microphone for the job (and where to place it) · to assemble an equipment rack, mixing desk, and speakers stand · to avoid common mistakes · And to be creative and have fun with recording technology Visit the companion website at www.oup.com/us/recordingonabudget for free selection of sample recordings!

Whether you’re comping a vocal track, restoring an old recording, working with dialogue or sound effects for film, or imposing your own vision with mash-ups or remixes, audio editing is a key skill to successful sound production. Digital Audio Editing gives you the techniques, from the simplest corrective editing like cutting, copying, and pasting to more complex creative editing, such as beat mapping and time-stretching. You’ll be able to avoid unnatural-sounding pitch correction and understand the potential pitfalls you face when restoring classic tracks. Author Simon Langford invites you to see editing with his wide-angle view, putting this skill into a broad context that will inform your choices even as you more skillfully manipulate sound. Focusing on techniques applicable to any digital audio workstation, it includes break-outs giving specific keystrokes and instruction in Avid’s Pro Tools, Apple’s Logic Pro, Steinberg’s Cubase, and PreSonus’s Studio One. The companion websites includes tutorials in all four software packages to help you immediately apply the broad skills from the book.

The Art of Digital Orchestration explores how to replicate traditional orchestration techniques using computer technology, with a focus on respecting the music and understanding when using real performers is still the best choice. Using real-world examples including industry-leading software and actual sounds and scores from films, VR/AR, and games, this book takes readers through the entire orchestration process, from composition to instruments, performance tools, MIDI, mixing, and arranging. It sheds light on the technology and musical instrument foundation required to create realistic orchestrations, drawing on decades of experience working with virtual instruments and MIDI. Bringing together the old and new, The Art of Digital Orchestration is an excellent resource for anyone using software to write or compose music. The book includes access to online videos featuring orchestration techniques, MIDI features, and instrument demonstrations.

Mixing and mastering are the final challenges in creating great recordings. Great mixes require both creativity and a practical understanding of process, while final masters require both a clear sense for purpose and specialized ears for achieving artistic goals. Mixing and Mastering in the Box gives readers the practical tools for accomplishing both of these tasks while highlighting the artistry of the creative process. While much of the information presented in Mixing and Mastering in the Box is applicable to those using analog mixing gear, or a hybrid of digital and analog tools, the book focuses directly on working completely within the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Author Steve Savage lets readers in on such topics as the secrets of collaboration and using EQ, compression, delay, reverb, and brickwall limiting to improve the sound of records, each topic illustrated with a myriad of concrete examples. Mixing and Mastering in the Box is the ultimate reference manual for the home recordist and the perfect basic to intermediate text for any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) training class in mixing or mastering. The book is also ideal for readers who handle their own mixing and mastering or who wish - or are professionally required - to be better informed when collaborating on mixes and masters.