Audio handbook?

[K.C.]

I have been studying A.Eng for 4 years to get the degree. Oops, A.Eng stands for Aeronautical engineering, not Audio .

 

I am looking for a sort of "bible" in audio engineering. Does anyone have any recommendation?

I am also interested in any book about mixing.

Thanks pals.

[Pim]

I don't know any good books, but I have some hints for you:

 

If it sounds good - it is good.

 

Buy as much equipment as you can and use it the less you can.

 

Do not underestimate a good cable.

 

Never try to make a sound like it is coming from an 18 inch speaker, while you are monitoring with 10 inch speakers.

 

Humans are more important than knobs. You have to know your knobs; but if you are a loner you can never get the best out of musicians.

 

Hit the mono knob several times a session.

 

Searching for "a sound" for more than 30 minutes? Forget the idea. It was crap. You're wasting time.

 

No good bass sound? Take a Minimoog. Still no good bass sound? Check your monitors.

 

Tune your instruments properly. A transparant sound can only achieved if you tune those damn synths. Tune them per program! Some sampleplayer synths are strange tuned on the loop points...

 

Who else has got some? Let's write the Ultimate Expert Forum Keyboard Corner Cookbook!

[Botch.]

K.C., Yamaha publishes an outstanding audio "bible", it gets a bit technical but if you're in your fourth year of Aero E you'll be able to gronk it (I only made it thru 2.5 years of Aero E, switched to Mechanical ). Can't remember the name of it, I'll dig it out tonight and edit this post.

13 June Update:

My mistake, the book is "Sound Reinforcement Handbook" and is geared more for live sound, not audio engineering. Still a great book for live musicians, though!

[Pim]

ERROR

[Postman]

Originally posted by K.C.:

I have been studying A.Eng for 4 years to get the degree. Oops, A.Eng stands for Aeronautical engineering, not Audio .

 

I am looking for a sort of "bible" in audio engineering. Does anyone have any recommendation?

I am also interested in any book about mixing.

Thanks pals.

Unfortunately, mixing and engineering are by nature an art not a science. There are some good rules of thumb to follow, sure, but mostly it's a matter of taste. That said, some techniques are more universally appreciated than others. Naturally, those are well guarded secrets.

 

When I was in the business (granted about a decade ago now), the art was passed along using a master/apprentice relationship. You do a lot of grunt work to start and then are given gradually more and more responsibilities. As you take on those abilities, the senior engineers pass on their tips and suggestions. My experience was that the guys I seconded for (who were all seasoned pros) had markedly different approaches to the same tasks. Slowly, over time, you build up your own skill set.

 

Expect to make no money ($7.50/hr after three years for me, often without overtime) working insane hours (24+ hour shifts weren't common, but they weren't rare, either) marked by short periods of incredible stress (especially if like me you're working in the movie industry -- line producers are the biggest SOBs in the world), and always remember, if you don't like your job, their are at least 50 wannabes who will take your place.

 

Still, for some reason I miss it sometimes.

[K.C.]

Looks like everyone have their own bible. I don't venture much in the line of audio since the gears are more expensive and I don't have the qualification too. I spent all my money buying gears that can produce sounds musically like keyboard and modules.

 

However, sometimes I just need to get the job done and an average audio skill would be very helpful.

 

to postman:

 

in my home country (malaysia), there is no job offered for audio eng. if someone want to work as one, he should better own his studio.

[Postman]

Originally posted by K.C.:

Looks like everyone have their own bible. I don't venture much in the line of audio since the gears are more expensive and I don't have the qualification too. I spent all my money buying gears that can produce sounds musically like keyboard and modules.

 

However, sometimes I just need to get the job done and an average audio skill would be very helpful.

 

to postman:

 

in my home country (malaysia), there is no job offered for audio eng. if someone want to work as one, he should better own his studio.

Hey, sounds like a golden opportunity to me! Build your studio and start a recording industry in your part of Malaysia. Best of luck!

[Byrdman]

Originally posted by K.C.:

I have been studying A.Eng for 4 years to get the degree. Oops, A.Eng stands for Aeronautical engineering, not Audio .

 

I am looking for a sort of "bible" in audio engineering. Does anyone have any recommendation?

I am also interested in any book about mixing.

Thanks pals.

The Bible was a book by Nesbitt about 30 years ago.

[SFOracle]

It is a little bit dated, and primarily oriented to sound install rather than live sound or recording, but "Sound System Engineering" by Don and Carolyn Davis is pretty much the "audio bible". Pretty much anyone who does pro sound installs has a copy somewhere.

 

see:

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0240803051/qid%3D1020355314/br%3D1-6/ref%3Dbr%5Flf%5Fb%5F6/103-4937272-1688623