2 comments about Pro Tools 7 for Macintosh and Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide).

1. I'm still working my way through this book, but it's been very helpful for a novice user of ProTools. I would really give the book 4-and-a-half out of 5 stars. The only reason it doesn't get 5 is because there are some wickedly complex elements of ProTools that the book can't quite explain easily, since it's written at a beginning and intermediate level. Still, I like the simplicity and clarity, because it's what I need. The book even has a few sidebars that explain basic audio recording facts. Experienced audio types will probably find these sidebars laughable, but they're great for newbies.



2. I have had this book for a while and it is great because it has lots of illustration. I also had version 6 book of this men and it was wonderful.

5 comments about High-Power Audio Amplifier Construction Manual.

1. An excellent book if you are interested in building amplifiers, or if you are just interested in learning exactly how they work. My only complaint is that it doesn't have any info on building a power supply for a car amplifier. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.



2. This review is based on the first edition. I do not know whether there are any later editions.
   
   The introduction material is rather derivative of authors like Douglas Self.
   
   However some of the circuits are seriously flawed and simply will not work because the author simply does not understand some basic concepts. For example, the quiescent biasing is undefined and arbitrary in some instances. (This was pointed out to the author several years ago.) For example in figures 10.2, 10.3, 11.10, 11.12, 11.13, 11.14, 12.1 all have the same error; the current through the VAS stage may be anything, so the stage may be biased off, in which case the amplifier will oscillate, or biased on in which case the stage will suffer thermal run-away.
   
   In addition some of the quoted distortion figures are clearly wrong and seem to be based on a spice or similar program output rather than real measurements, which will give quite different values owing to real voltage drops across PCB tracks and non-linear magnetic field feedback etc.



3. I bought this book a few years ago and have built 3 of the designs with great success. the L-mosfets are available online at "the company store". As a matter of fact, they sell all of the transistors used in sloan designs. I bought 8 sets. I am listening to one of my amps I built using Sloans design as I type this. I shelved a top of the line Pioneer Elite receiver in favor of one of my DIY amps. It cannot compare.



4. This book, which rested on my bookshelf for 10 years because it consistently repelled me, turned out, after mustering courage to dig into it, to be a reasonable intro of the field to the budding armature but I can only rate the book as informative in the same way that a good quality audio magazine might be with a good selection of sample circuits and art work. With the qualification that the book is intended for the novice it is a good book although it does contain a number of useful nuggets of enlighenment even for the expert. However, my chronic aprehension to read the book was vindicated when the author engaged in belabouring hand-wavy explanations. I can only suppose the author honestly believes basic algebra is beyond most armatures. A book on audio really needs the underpinning of basic circuit theory maths, attempting to write a "manual" without it, like this one, can only disappoint a good majority of technically competent armatures.
   I must gripe about the authors use of RMS power when refering to rated power (a time average)as there is NO such thing as RMS power - only average, peak or instantaneous power - the term RMS only applies to volts and amps or other 'linear' quantities. Power is strictly a mean square metric. Usage of RMS power IS unfortunately incorrectly engrained in the jargon but I feel this is no excuse to propagate its usage.
   
   The Electronics Workbench hair-thin line screen dump drawings greatly `encheapen' the book. It seems as if the editors were involved in an ink saving scheme!
   
   Notwithstanding the book is redeemed by including a good selection of designs ( I have no comments on their functionality) but thus relegates itself into the cookbook category. It would have been enlightening had the author included a chapter dealing with first generation SS power amp techniques such the famous Lin OPS and application designs by RCA featured in their 1970s hobby and power applications handbooks. This would have paved the way nicely for a better appreciation of the reasons behind modern power amp topologies which draw heavily on the humble OPAMP paradigm.



5. Great book. Goes into fine detail on all aspects of audio power amplifier design and construction.

5 comments about Real World Digital Audio (Real World).

1. This is a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute study of the digital music world that is unparralelled in accessibility. Read this book cover to cover and then enjoy the freedom to go any direction you like in the field, knowing that you have the fundamentals.
   Peter Kirn has managed to explain the concepts in a way that is clear and concise without ever being misleading or confusing. Read this and you can know that the next audio text you pick up you won't get stuck on concepts that are taken for granted by so many authors. College level "Introduction to Music Technology" classes (that so often fall short of expectation) would do themselves a favor to make this required reading.



2. This is a book for musicians who need to understand the science of sound as well as the principles of digital music production including equipment, computers, and software. There is even an entire chapter dedicated to MIDI. If you are a musician who is interested in getting involved in computer music, this is a great place to start learning as well as getting your hands dirty with the actual business of creating digital music.
   
   Chapter 1. Understanding Digital Sound - Covers the basic physical concepts of analog sound - the sine wave, pitch, amplitude, and perception. Next the book discusses how these concepts translate into digital form.
   
   Chapter 2. Choosing Your Tools - Surveys the available hardware and software you'll need to produce digital audio. Included are photos of typical devices, their uses, their price ranges, and examples of some name-brand products. This section even tells you how to select a computer that is best for your needs.
   
   Chapter 3. Setting Up Your Equipment - Discusses all aspects of connecting the physical hardware you selected in chapter two. This includes a discussion of the desirable acoustic properties of the room you'll be using for your studio.
   
   Chapter 4. Preparing Your Computer for Audio - Discusses setting up your computer to optimize your audio productivity. This chapter gives detailed instructions on the installation and configuration of drivers and plug-ins, copy protection schemes, disk storage space, operating system optimization, and other tips on making a computer most efficient for the production of digital music.
   
   Chapter 5. Quick Songs with Patterns and Loops - Shows you how to quickly and easily turn your ideas into music using Kinetic and GarageBand's pre-built musical components.
   
   Chapter 6. Recording Instruments and Sound - This chapter is all about the different types of microphones and how they work. Discusses microphone characteristics and what types of sound they are best at capturing, how they affect sound coming from various directions, strategies for placing your microphones at various distances and in various arrangements. Also shown are microphone strategies for different instruments and the use of Audacity and Ableton Live, which is recording software included on the DVD.
   
   Chapter 7. Processing and Effects - Without getting over-technical(i.e. mathematical), this section discusses the various effects you'll need to know about to complete most digital audio projects. The chapter begins discussing what signal processors are and then goes on to explain equalization, dynamics processors, time-related effects such as delay and reverb, and specialized processors such as distortion and modulation.
   
   Chapter 8. MIDI: Notes, Rhythms, and Physical Control - Discusses how MIDI enables you to express digital music in a form that seems natural to musicians. The chapter discusses when to use MIDI, how to connect MIDI devices, MIDI's data structure and messaging system, and how to put everything together so that you can use MIDI to create a song.
   
   Chapter 9. Synthesis and Software Instruments - This chapter concerns turning your computer and its software into various musical instruments. You learn how to work with prefabricated sounds, analog waveshapes and their sounds, and how to use envelopes, modulation, and different effects to produce more interesting sounds.
   
   Chapter 10. Put It Together: Arrange, Mix, and Master - This chapter takes the material from the previous nine and shows you how to arrange and assemble a complete composition, including mixing, so that you have something professional sounding that is ready for distribution, which is also discussed.
   
   Chapter 11. Producing Printed Scores - Goes into detail about producing a score. Shows how to choose the right notation software, using quick-start features and templates, how to input your notes to your score either via keyboard, MIDI, scanning, or pure audio, assembling and replaying your score, and finally sharing your results with others. Sibelius and Finale are among the software packages featured.
   
   Chapter 12. Music and Sound for Video - Builds on what you have learned about digital audio and shows you how to synchronize that audio to video. You'll learn about adjusting cues to fit the video, measuring time in frames, recording sound for easy synchronization, and recording dialog.
   
   Chapter 13. Playing Live - This chapter includes discussions on the live arranging of music and DJing your live arrangements. The actual software used is discussed in some detail.
   
   The DVD contains over two gigabytes of sound content, instruments, and software tools. Included are Ableton Live, Audacity, a 30-day demo version of Cakewalk Kinetic, a full version of IK Multimedia AmpliTube UNO, MIDI management utilities, and a collection of free plug-in and standalone instruments and effects for Mac and Windows.



3. Many of us out here have been working with and around audio for many years. As well, most of us have resisted the "I/O" demon, ha! After updating my equipment, a little at a time, I found myself in the digital domain; like it or not.
   
   Upon review of this book "Real World Digital Audio" in EQ Magazine, I immediately purchased it, and got what I asked for; more work. Good work however, in that the author placed me in the driver's seat, gave me an easy to understand road map (I brought the cheetos)and it's been just great! Something I can use to honestly understand where I'm at with newer and evolving technologies, and put them to work in a positive and productive manner.
   
   Bravo!



4. This book was disappointing. If you're looking for anything in depth look elsewhere. Plug ins and their use were given short shrift. A paragraph on the use of compressors, for instance. Not much more than you'd find in your user's manual. Suggestions for general use ok, but definitely not hands on. This book is meant for absolute beginners with emphasis on selling products that the author wants to promote or is being paid to promote.



5. A perfect book to get you started in your digital audio endeavors.Filled with practical information about almost anything involved ,honest and well grounded.Chapters on acoustics, toolkit,setup, installation-configuration,simple songmaking guide, recording, effects,midi control,mixing-mastering, audio for videos and a DVD full of tools and extras, make it clear that it is a book to be used.
   Having read a handful of similar books I can't be certain but for me this is almost perfect

3 comments about How To Make A Noise.

1. I reviewed this book for Wusik Sound Magazine issue 017.
   
   Having read a plethora of synth programming manuals, I am absolutely certain that this is the best of the class.
   
   Do not make the mistake of considering this to be another synthesizer programming manual; rather, it is THE synthesizer programming manual. It's complete and detailed coverage of synthesizer components and synthesis methods will make it the de-facto standard for every book in this category.
   
   Rather than waste time on tech speak or complex calculations about the intangible things going on under of the hood of various synths, the book focuses on using the controls provided on a synth to get the sound you want. For example, when explaining filters, the book explains how to use the controls to craft your sound instead of explaining the mathematics governing the controls.
   
   No matter what your expertise level, this book has something to offer. I highly recommend it.



2. So I just received my copy of this book and was very disappointed to find out that many of the examples in this book were created on 6 different software synths - Cameleon 5000, Rhino, Surge, Vanguard, Wusikstation and Z3TA+. While several of these are available as demo versions, the main synth that is used throughout the book for examples, the Z3TA+ is for PC only. That leaves me, a Mac user S.O.L.! The author seems to believe that it's not absolutely necessary to have his tools in order to try out some of the ideas. I completely disagree!! First, when I buy a book, I read the entire book, learn the entire book and come away with a new set of tools, I'm not really interested in learning SOME stuff. Second, some of the examples in this book use parameters from the various synths above that do not exist in any of my software synths. I have Absynth, FM8, Massive, Thor and Subtractor. For example, in the making a kick drum section, the book tells you to tweak the 'slope' setting of the envelope - this is an extra feature of the Z3TA+ envelopes. Instead of ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release), it has DASDSR (delay, attack, slope, decay, sustain, release). Many software synths do not have these additional envelope settings - so right away, I am not getting the same sound as the book when trying to follow the kick drum example. Another instance in this same kick drum tutorial is the use of the "Pitch EG" setting. Since again, this is a feature of the Z3TA+, I have no idea what this parameter is but if I'm trying to learn how to make sounds, I need to know ALL the parameters I am tweaking and why so that I can use what I learn in the real world on any synth. Over and over again, this book refers to the above software synths when giving examples, many times asking you to tweak parameters that are exclusive to those synths. So how am I going to learn? I have no intention of trying to follow the examples in the book on a demo version that times out after 15 minutes. Quick! Quick! Change those parameters before the program quits - and once you open it again, you won't be able to go back to what you've just done because you can't save anything in a demo version.
   
   Which brings me to another point, I have a decent computer that I use for music and I'm extremely careful about what I put on it. Downloading demos from a company I've never heard of, is something I would NEVER do.
   
   Another minus for me - the author offers sonic examples of the sounds he makes in the book for a purchase price of an additional $10! I'm sorry but if I'm buying your book, I think you might be decent enough to give me the sounds for free. As in the excellent Power Tools for Reason (Kurt Kuraysaki) book, where you not only get the patches/audio files needed for free on a CD, but you also get templates and a whole host of other very useful tools to assist in the examples in the book and for use on future projects. So between not being willing to use demos and not having the additional $10 soundfiles, I'll be fairly lucky to take away 25% of what this book is trying to convey.
   
   NOTE: There should be a sub heading somewhere with the description of this book on Amazon that makes it clear that most of the practical examples in this book are directely related to 6 specific software synths.
   
   So - if you own a PC, don't mind going to 6 different websites, downloading 6 synth demos (that last anywhere from between 15-30 minutes before timing out), that don't allow you to save what you've just created and are willing to spend an additional $10 so you can make sense of the examples in this book - then this is the one for you!!!
   
   If you're looking for an indepth guide that explains sound design on a synth with the usual parameters, 3 or more oscillators, 2 or more modulation envelopes (that are standard ADSR), a couple of filters and traditional raw waveforms, not custom waveforms that are exclusive to the abovementioned synths used for some of the demos - then this book is not for you.



3. This book is straight down to business. By page 6 I knew that I had my hands on something informative and intuitive - in fact on page 6 you are already making sounds (albeit simple). The complexity of the science behind making sounds that are usable is spelt out in plain english - without the fluff that I've found in some other books of similar shapes and sizes.
   
   Every one of the 277 pages are filled with usable knowledge that you could apply to just about any genre. In my opinion, Simon Cann has written a book on sound generation acrobatics! pure gold!
   
   The only thing that shocked me as soon as I opened the book was that it recommended spending $10 US to download the patches that accompany the material in the book. Because I'm stingy, I decided not to buy them, but I've found programming them myself more educational and fun. I also have the flexibility of learning all of the techniques in my favourite synths so that I can start to recognise the different colours that each delivers when programmed in similar fashions.
   
   I would recommend perhaps for the beginner to download the patches as it will save a lot of time in deciphering the interface on the synths, but the book is most definately complete without the patches.
   
   If you are a dance music producer, either in a project studio, home studio, or a composer(DnB, House, Pop, anything that needs original synth sounds), then this book is compulsory reading - and money well spent, because you can read it over and over, because I believe (like any great piece of art) you'll get something new out of it every time.
   
   There are no diversions in the book - meaning every word is 100% relevant to sound design.
   
   I've paid $60-$100 for far less useful books on sound engineering and design.
   
   Learn how to make the sound you hear in your head by understanding how sounds interact through structured listening and exercises.
   
   Thank you Simon Cann.
   
   
   

5 comments about Fields and Waves in Communication Electronics.

1. This book may have some perplexing early chapters on basic electricity and magnetism, but no more so than any other intermediate-level physics or engineering text on E&M. That's the nature of the beast - it's a highly mathematical subject. If you want a "cookbook" for the practicing radar/antenna/comm. technician who never wanted/had to learn the theory, look elsewhere. Where this text really shines is not in the "Fields and Waves", but in the "in Communication Electronics." I have not seen a clearer presentation of transmission lines, period, and I own a number of other popular (and widely-taught and cited) E&M books at this level, as well as a rather muddy book on the specific subject of transmission lines. You will not find another similar book with this thorough coverage of real-life applications, simultaneously general enough that it's useful in a broad range of specialty fields. The figures are in general both very clear and very useful.



2. I refer to and review this book often. It has been updated and has the essential topics such as transmission lines, which is well covered. It also has interesting things like holography and optical image processing in the back, and is rather self contained. Like all great textbooks, you have to read it carefully and work out problems to build understanding. Ramo was the R in TRW as my former emag professor would say...For people who criticize this book, have you read the competition (Cheng)? For a slightly easier approach try Magid's "Electromagnetic Fields, Energy, and Waves". I think Jordan's "Emag Waves and Radiating Systems" is excellent w/regards to HF antennas and maxwell's equations, but it is very old.



3. I'm no genius in RF Engineering but I have come across a lot of good Microwave Engineering books and this is NOT one of them. More to the point, I work entirely with other RF engineers and every person I showed this book to shuddered and began spouting off profanities at it.
   
   Although the book does start out simply enough, the chapters tend to give only a brief overview of the material. The real trouble starts when you try to work the problems at the end of each chapter. With no solid examples or clear explanations of how to proceed, I found myself referring to my other RF textbooks for support.
   
   I have no doubt that if you are borderline Genius, this book will make perfect sense to you. ...But for us less than genius personality types, keep looking, your book is still out there.



4. Being a doctoral student in electrical engineering and having a B.S. in physics, I would say this is definitly a graduate level text. The reader must have a strong background in math, being able use formulas such as Legendre polynomials and vector cal with full understanding. It helps to have been exposed to this material. If you are looking for a book with more broken down explainations and examples, I would suggest Intro to Electrodynamics by David Griffiths.



5. I bought this book 13 years ago to read something about smith transmission-line chart. I think authors described very clear, especially, some figures that use to illustrate example very clear compared to other books with the same topic which is difficult to see something.

5 comments about Emergence: From Chaos To Order (Helix Books).

1. The review says "Think of the food replicators in the imaginary future of Star Trek--with some basic chemical building blocks and simple rules, those machines can produce everything from Klingon delicacies to Earl Grey tea. If scientists can understand and apply the knowledge they gather from studying emergent systems, we may soon witness the development of artificial intelligence, nanotech, biological machines, and other creations heretofore confined to science fiction." -- What?? Like we are about to make food replicators because of the "deep understanding" that we now have of emergent systems??

   I agree with the other reviewer who says the book is characteristically weak. The cover is prettier than Hidden Order. But so what.

   There have to be better books on complexity than this for the average popular science reader.




2. Parts of this book were interesting, but overall it was much ado about not much, and what was done was often overdone (I agree with another reviewer on this point). I see that Amazon has coupled this book with Hidden Order. I can't see why. It would be like buying the same book twice. Anyway, so much of this has been warmed over so many times now that it's frankly a bit dry. I'd like to see a book that really breaks new ground in complexity without overusing buzz words or talking down to me, holding my hand through simple things. Here, the topic is more attractive than the content I'm afraid. Anyone really interested in complexity and emergence will need to go into technical details well beyond this book. Others, like me, will likely find the details that are here to be a bit tedious.



3. After 7 years from its publication it still gives a valid and fundamental approach to the concepts of emergence and its meaning



4. I just read Emergence in preperation for my oral qualifying exams for a Ph.D. in computer science and cognitive science. I disagree with many of the negative reviewers -- this book is well-worth the read. I share some frustration over this book due to the way it seems to scratch the surface. The book's strength seems to be in asking the right questions and pointing the way towards some future science of emergent behavior.
   
   The book is too short for my taste -- in many of the later chapters Holland makes thought-provoking, deep remarks, without the follow-up and commentary that they leave me hoping for. But again, his main purpose seems to be in making people think about the issues. And he provides some formalisms that might be part of some future theory -- his constrained generating procedures (CGPs) and the variable "CGP-v" recall constructs such as the Turing machine for studying computability.
   
   The strengths of the book lie in:
   
   1) Discussion of the nature of modeling in science, and computer modeling in particular. This is discussed with clarity and pragmatism.
   
   2) The beginnings of a framework in which to study emergence in multi-agent systems.
   
   3) Discussion of the importance of metaphor/analogy in the creative scientific process. I didn't expect this to appear in the book but it was very welcome, and especially appropriate due to the role played by Mitchell's and Hofstadter's "Copycat" model (of analog-making itself) as it motivates the expansion of CGPs to CGP-v's as the book progresses.
   
   Overall, I recommend this book highly to readers interested in the beginnings of this exciting new science, that really is in its infancy. I gave it 4 stars just because I felt like Holland had a lot more to say in the later chapters and left too much "as an exercise for the reader." I hope he does follow-on work that clarifies his vision for a future science of emergence!



5. Expands on Holland's previous book Hidden Order. It presents an interesting method for understanding complexity and emergence. Highly recommended for those attempting to understand complex adaptive systems.

5 comments about Building Valve Amplifiers.

1. I'm dissapointed with the book as it does not give us enough information on holistic aspects of Tube Amp building as it contain too much of unnecessary basic information and pictures. I think it's good for an overview for valve amp building theory but not practical.



2. 
   It is a good book directed to beginners. You will find there many advices on how to plan an amp lay out and hints on metal working.
   Don't expect to find there math based circuit analysis for the advanced experimenter.



3. This guy builds beautiful one-off tube amps. Amazing. The section on suspending the first stages of a tube amp to reduce microphonics using the elastics from you knickers pays for the book, right down to the calculation of the required mass for the circuit. I think everyone who want to build tube circuits will find some wacky techniques of interest.
   
   The book has nothing to do with tube amp theory. It's all about how to make a chassis with the required holes, wiring, grounding, etc.
   
   Lovely.



4. This book does give hints about proper consruction techniques but it is NOT about building a complete amplifier of any sort. It would be a good book to have on the shelf; it is not the first one to buy.



5. For your own good, don't take the advice of people saying that this book is "great for beginners" etc. A background in electronics will help you, but an understanding of general amplifier design, practices and layout is assumed by the author and this book may be over your head at parts otherwise. Also, the author is british, so he'll write something like HT and you may not know that that means high tension which is britspeak for high voltage.
   
   Also, I was hoping to get a solid guide on circuit design as well as amplifier construction and layout, but the circuit design is almost completely absent. Perhaps this is too much to ask for... after all it's "Building Valve Amplifiers" not "Designing Valve Amplifiers." If you want to design and build an amp, this book is only the second half of the solution.
   
   With that said, it is probably one of the best resources once you reach the build phase of your project. The author gives numerous valuable tips to avoid humming, distortion, shocks, and all other negativities that can occur with tube amps.

5 comments about Audio Postproduction for Digital Video.

1. I decided to buy this book because I had used the forum on the DV.com website for information before, and Jay Rose's comments there had proven to be spot-on and well-informed.
   This book contains a thorough examination of all the factors which contribute to the quality of post-production audio. The level of information includes the spectrum from basic to advanced, but through Mr. Rose's clear explanations the advanced information should not go over the heads of the reader.



2. This book in fantastic. The author's voice and style make this not only easy to read but a joy to read as well. There are little tips and tidbits in each chapter that will make a good audio guy great and a great audio guy better. I recommend this book to anyone in the audio post world.



3. Audio Postproduction for Digital Video
   By Jay Rose
   Review by Pi Ware
   
   Don't listen to the title. It's bigger than the title. The "Digital Video" part of Audio Postproduction for Digital Video restricts the scope of this classic Jay Rose text. Rose's book goes far beyond DV, in fact, it starts with an explanation of what sound is on the molecular level and then takes you not just through audio postproduction for TV, but to techniques specific to movie production, techniques that are entirely independent of the format you originate on. Audio Postproduction for Digital Video is top-notch. It's an excellent, text-book quality manual, a soup-to-nuts guide on how to deal with sound in postproduction.
   
   Jay Rose never gives you solutions that are applicable only to specific Digital Audio Workstations, he arms you with knowledge you can use in any platform or program. The book is an education in sound and, together with the numerous photos and diagrams (and Rose's good sense of humor), it's a liberation from the dry prose of most manuals on postproduction.
   
   Rose teaches you from the ground up what sound is, what good sound is, and how to make bad sound better. He doesn't just stop at good writing, however, he illustrates important points with an audio CD included in the back of the book. Together with the CD, the text guides you through importing audio into the computer, editing dialogue, Do It Yourself Foley and ADR, working with filters, noise reduction techniques, pitch and time changes, the sound mix, and even, if you're so inclined, designing, constructing and wiring your own postproduction audio facility.
   
   Though postproduction changes with every new advance in technology, Audio Postproduction for Digital Video stays current by focusing on strategy, not software. Rose avoids giving specific keystroke instructions in specific programs, but instead explains common solutions to common problems using common tools. As he says in his introduction, "You should be able to use these pages for a long time."
   
   Anyone considering directing a short or feature, anyone who wants to be even nominally involved in the sound design of their film, and, of course, anyone interested in working in audio postproduction, would do extremely well to pick up a copy of this classic Jay Rose text.



4. This book is simply the best book on post-production audio out there. I have over a decade of experience mixing live sound and some formal training in post production, but Rose gets to the real nuts and bolts of the day-to-day sweetening of sound that I was able to apply his ideas the same day I read a chapter on EQ. I have read so many books on sound where authors get into all the details, but fail to give hands on practical advice. Rose has two unique things going for him in this book: the included CD that gives A/B comparisons of various audio sweetening and processing techniques and the cookbook format at the end of each chapter. Try any one of these "recipes" and you will instantly get results and be able to solve various problems and massively improve your soundtrack.
   He gets technical in spots going into the physics of sound, studio design, and other minutia but the non-geeks you can usually skip these sections and side-bars. For those who just want to fix things they can jump to the end of each chapter and use the cookbook/troubleshooting sections. I can't recommend this book enough. If you are serious about filmmaking, you can't be without this book.



5. I was impressed from the beginning with the content of this book. It has been a great help in my recent graduate projects. This is one I will keep on the shelf for reference.

5 comments about On the Sensations of Tone.

1. Helmholtz's Sensations of Tone became an almost instant classic in the study of hearing when it was published in 1863. It combined the physics, physiology and psychological aspects of hearing in an attempt to explain the origins of musical harmony and dissonance. Though not easy reading, it is accessible to the non-specialist. However it also provides an important historical resource for the specialist and helps one to understand the origins of so much of contemporary hearing research. Indeed, in many ways Helmholtz reads more like a contemporary than a long-past founding father. The appendices provided by the translator are helpful as well. Finally, the inexpensive paperback edition from Dover makes this book an excellent bargain.



2. This is worthwhile for the reasons already cited (so I need not rehearse them), but it is important to recognize that much of it has been superceded or disproved. I hope those prospective purchasers who have found their way here are aware of Juan Roederer's THE PHYSICS AND PSYCHOPHISICS OF MUSIC--very much recommended!



3. I found two misprints:

   Page 412, last equation on that page, x_2 = -b/(2a). ... : On the right-hand side, there are five terms. Terms number 2 to 5 have to be multiplied by b. In term number 3, replace u^2 by v^2.

   Page 417, second of the two equations, r_p = 16 B' B" . ... : The second of the two brackets in the denominator must be squared.

   These two misprints occur also in the German original, possibly since 1863.




4. This book is of historical interest only, I think; it's very well written, but a lot of its content is mind bogglingly outdated, ancient. If you need a readable quick intro into sound, read Jeans's book (the first part of it is updated Helmholtz). Then, if you still need to (as in "know specifically what I'm after and it can be found only in Helmholtz"), you can pick this book; but otherwise, resorting to modern literature will be a much better investment of your time.



5. Part 1 discusses how tones may be perceived as built up by the base tone and the "harmonic upper partial tones". These upper partial tones are what distinguishes different instruments and they determine the "quality of the tone"; e.g. "if only the unevenly numbered partials are present ... the quality of the tone is hollow, and, when a large number of such upper partials are present, nasal", etc. (p. 119). Helmholtz's model of the ear has it that there is a spectrum of hairs in the ear, each with its own mode of vibration. When we hear a tone it is decomposed into its partials through "sympathetic resonance" of the corresponding hairs, and it is this information--i.e. essentially Fourier coefficients--that is sent to the brain. Part 2 discusses the theory of consonance. Again, the Fourier analysis point of view is the key. The consonance or dissonance of two tones is determined by the interaction of the partials of the tones, giving mathematical precision to the idea that "two consonant tones flow on quietly side by side in an undisturbed stream; dissonant tones cut one another up into separate pulses of tone" (p. 226). Thus one can claim that "ultimately, then, the reason of the rational numerical relations of Pythagoras is to be found in the theorem of Fourier, and in one sense this theorem may be considered as the prime source of the theory of harmony" and so "the enigma which, about 2500 years ago, Pythagoras proposed to science ... 'Why is consonance determined by the ratios of small whole numbers?' has been solved by the discovery that the ear resolves all complex sounds into pendular oscillations ... and that it regards as harmonious only such excitement of the nerves as continue without disturbance" (p. 229). Part 3 studies scales; quoting from the conclusion: "the construction of scales ... is a product of artistic invention, and by no means furnished by the natural formation or the natural function of our ear, as it has been hitherto most generally asserted. Of course the laws of the natural function of our ear play a great and influential part in this result; these laws are, as it were, the building stones with which the edifice of our musical system has been erected, and the necessity of accurately understanding the nature of these materials in order to understand the construction of the edifice itself, has been clearly shewn by the course of our investigations upon this very subject. But just as people with differently directed tastes can erect extremely different kinds of buildings with the same stones, so also the history of music shews us that the same properties of the human ear could serve as the foundation of very different musical systems." (p. 366).

5 comments about Sound for Digital Video.

1. Target audience: Anyone involved in audio for video, from the rank amateur to the
   experienced professional.
   
   As a video shooter, you are most concerned with your picture. But as we move from SD to
   HD, the quality of your soundtracks should follow suit. Video has never been more capable
   of delivering high quality sound and picture, yet today's soundtracks are getting worse
   instead of better. Why? Partly because DV equipment has made video accessible to more
   people at lower cost. While there's nothing wrong with low cost gear, unless you really know
   how to handle your audio with the equipment you have, you'll end up with some truly awful
   sound. But even expensive top of the line Pro gear can record bad audio, and does so often,
   and with great precision! So what can you do to ensure the best quality sound for your
   video?
   
   Enter "Sound for Digital Video" by Tomlinson Holman. Simply put, every question about
   sound for DV, from microphones through recording, to editing and release audio formats is
   covered. Yet, surprisingly, the principles are highly approachable by even the most non-
   technical reader. In fact, Mr. Holman has adopted a unique "Director's Cut" section within
   chapters, intended to serve those, like Directors, who have limited time but need to digest
   the key points quickly and with complete lucidity. The book is, in fact, quite easy to
   assimilate by someone who picks it up, but is in the middle of a production! Mr. Holman
   directs those readers to what chapter to read FIRST, to glean the critical essentials, as well as
   how to use the "Director's Cut" sections.
   
   But don't think it's only for the beginner or the time-limited. There is enough detail and
   scientific information contained that even a seasoned pro will find it an essential reference
   work. There is enough contained in each chapter to merit several readings, even by those
   with careers in audio. The beauty of the book is that it can serve such a wide audience with
   useful information, without alienating the extremes.
   
   For those with more time, or more need to create a highly polished and effective soundtrack,
   the book delves into the real nuts and bolts of audio as it applies to digital video. For
   example, if you had to record dialog from a shout to a whisper, what do you need to know to
   accomplish it? What microphone would be best (the answer might surprise you!), should you
   plug the mic into your camera directly, or use a mixer? What can you do in post production
   to make your dynamic range sound larger than it is? Would using a compressor help you or
   hurt you, and when should it be used or avoided?
   
   The basics are completely explored: What type of mic should you use for a given type of
   recording circumstance? How can you use both channels of your camera to best advantage?
   Avoiding overload is covered more thoroughly than I've ever seen it before, and yet in a
   highly understandable way.
   
   In today's competitive market, everyone needs some kind of "edge". After reading only a
   portion of this book (for example, on avoiding overload) you become equipped to produce
   soundtracks that can sound better than many very high profile producers. For example, we
   recently heard a track on a PBS TV show that, if the recordist had understood "avoiding
   overload" in this book, the track would have contained clean and understandable dialog. As
   it was, it was so overloaded as to be barely intelligible. So simply reading this book can give
   you the understanding to record better audio than National Geographic! How's that for
   Return on Investment?
   
   Then there's the included CD. It's a collection of demo and illustration tracks to be used as
   examples for material in the book, but is also a collection of audio tools that can be used for
   calibration and testing. The demo material illustrates sonic characteristics not easily
   described in words, like good and bad bump edits, and how to solve editing problems.
   There a group of Sound Process Demo tracks that demonstrate filers, limiting and
   compression and numerous other audio processes. The demo tracks have descriptive
   narration. There's also a standard leader track (30 seconds of tone plus "2-pop") that you
   can use on the head of your project. All together, there are 23 tracks.
   
   "Sound for Digital Video" is as enlightening as it is pleasurable to read. No one involved in
   DV production, pro or amateur, should be without this book. Recommended without
   hesitation or reservation!



2. This is a pretty good "bridge" book for those who have no knowledge of sound and its importance in film/video and those who have some. I have yet to utilize the cd that came with it, but the chapters are lucid and easy to follow.



3. I've read many books on sound post. This book is excellent. It full of tips and techniques throughout, especially on sound editing, the cd provided has good examples of sound edits. Highly recommended.



4. I highly recommend this book for the amateur and more advanced since it contains a lot of information that many of us either forgot, or never knew. It contains a chock full of tips and techniques that aids with sound editing that worked better than I had expected. The book comes with a cd that has samples of great sound editing works for reference.



5. Essentialy, it is a great book: very well written with every piece of important information for working sound for video. The part on post-production is better than the initial one on sound recording. It is not a book for someone looking into learning the basics on sound for video, though. Some prior knowledge is required, I think.