Practical Recording Techniques: The step-by-step approach to professional audio recording, 4/e

Description:

Practical Recording Techniques is a hands-on practical guide for all aspects of recording, ideal for beginning and intermediate recording engineers, producers, musicians and audio enthusiasts. Filled with tips and shortcuts, this book offers advice on equipping a home studio (both low-budget and advanced), with suggestions for set-up, acoustics, choosing monitor speakers, and preventing hum. This best-selling guide also tells how to judge recordings and improve them to produce maximum results. Two extensive glossaries clearly explain audio jargon and sound-quality descriptions.

NEW material includes:

Extensive coverage of digital recording technology and techniques, including computer DAWs and optimizing them for best performance

Extra coverage of the basics, such as speed of sound, inverse square law, sound-wave interference, reflection and diffusion

Comprehensive look at all types of microphones, including live-vocal, digital and headworn mics

A detailed instrument frequency range chart

Also new to this edition is an accompanying audio CD (Mac and PC compatible), which will enable you to actually hear the effects and techniques described in the book.

Table of Contents:

Preface
Acknowledgements
1 Music:Why You Record
Different Ways of Listening

2 The Recording Chain
Multitrack MDM Recording
Random-Access Multitrack
Pros and Cons of Each Method
Quality Levels of Recording Formats

3 Sound, Signals, and Studio Acoustics
Speed of Sound
Inverse Square Law
Sound-wave Interference
Reflection
Diffuison
Signal Characteristics of Audio Devices

4 Setting Up Your Studio
Low Cost Recording Equipment
4-Track Recorder
Effects Units
Compresor
Equipment Costs
4-Track Studio
Higher Cost Recording Equipment
Hard-Drive Recorder,Mixer
Equipment Details
Multitracker
4-Track Recorder
Synthesizer
Sequencer
MIDI Sync Vox
Setting Up Your Studio
Rack/Patch Panel
Hum Prevention
RFI Prevention

5 Monitoring
Using the Monitors

6 Microphones
Transducer Types
Microphone Types
Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
Small-Diaphragm Condenser Microhphone
Dynamic Instrument Microphone
Live-Vocal Microphone
Digital Micrphone
Headworn Microphone
Some Popular Microphone Models

7 Microphone-Technique Basics
Which Mic Should I Use?

8 Microphone Techniques
Spoken Word
Summary

9 Digital Recording and Editing
Digital Recording
Digital Audio Signal Formats
Dither
Change
Jitter
Digital Transfers or Copies
2-Track Hard-Drive Recorder
Portable CD Recorder
IC Recorder
Cd REcordable
MDM: Modular Digital Multitrack
Hard Drive (HD) Recorder
HD Recorder-Mixer
MiniDisc Recorrder-Mixer
Computer Digital Audio Workstation
Optimizing Your Computer for Digital Audio
Digital Recording Options

10 Signal Processors and Effects
Using a Compressor
Harmonizer
Vocal Processor
Preverb
Microphone Modeing
Guitar Amp Modeling

11 Recorder-Mixers and Mixing Consoles

12 Operating the Multitrack Recorder and Mixer
Set Recording Levels
Judghing the Mix

13 Computer Recording Procedures
Adobe Audition
Recording
Overdubbing
Editing
Mixing and Plug-Ins
Mastering
Cakewalk Sonar
Recording
Overdubbing
Editing
Mixing and Plug-Ins
Mastering
ProTools
Recording
Overdubbing
Editing
Mixing and Plug-Ins
Mastering

14 Judging Sound Quality
Bad Sound in a Pop Music Recording Session

15 Session Procedures
Digitally Editing and Mastering Your Mixes

16 The MIDI Studio:Equipment and Procedures
MIDI-Studio Components
Recording with a MIDI system
MIDI Stido Connections
MIDI/Digital Audio Recording System
Soft Synths

17 On-Location Recording of Popular Music
Recording With a 4-Tracker
Feeding the PA Mixer

18 On-Location Recording of Classical Music

19 Surround Sound:Techniques and Media
Mike Sokol's FLRB ARRay
Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)

20 Putting Your Music on the Web
Putting MP3 Files on Your Site
Puting Realaudio Files on Your site
Streaming Audio
Liquid Audio

A dB or Not dB
B Impedance
C Introduction to SMPTE Time Code
D Further Education
Glossary