5 comments about Understanding Audio: Getting the Most Out of Your Project or Professional Recording Studio.

1. I recently embarked on the adventure of transforming my basement into a functioning recording studio. Shortly after beginning the process I realized I was way in over my head. However, after reading "Understanding Audio", all of my questions have been answered. After providing you with a basis for understanding how sound works, Thompson gives several suggestions and techniques for setting up your equipment for optimal sound quality. Project guidelines are given at the end of each chapter which help you apply the techniques discussed. I'm happy to say that my studio is nearly finished and I am thoroughly pleased with the sound quality it is producing. I definitely recommend this book to anyone thinking about building their own studio, or for anyone who is interested in learning more about the way sound works.



2. Through friends I heard about Berklee Press' books and decided to check out a few titles at the local bookstore. I was very impressed and requested a catalog, and in the catalog I found Understanding Audio: Getting the Most Out of Your Project or Professional Recording Studio. Being a novice in the sound recording world, I decided to risk the $25 and buy the book. Let me tell you it was $25 well spent. This book explains, in a very understandable way, basic and advanced audio techniques. One thing I found most useful was it explained how putting a microphone at different angles produces a different type of sound. It also goes as far as showing the history of recording studios and their technology. This was a perfect book for me because it is not only a handbook for intermediate to advanced level sound engineers, but it also serves as a beginners guide to sound as well. The graphic examples are extremely accurate and helpful, and the in depth detail of every topic is excellent. This is a great book for anyone currently working or planning on working in the recording field.



3. Begin (and end) your quest for audio knowledge as it relates to a studio and modern recording with one book. It delivers what the title promises, an understanding of audio (even if you're not building a studio). I found UNDERSTANDING AUDIO an immensly practical and comprehensive volume explaining "everything you needed to know about audio", whether you're a layman, student or professional. From start to finish, the explanations of concepts, processes, and technical definitions were abundantly clear and free of unnecessary techno-babble. This is used as a text at Boston's Berklee College of Music, but don't let that scare you, rather embrace it. (especially since you won't have to pay the tuition fee) The writing is concise with well chosen words and the information is top notch stuff. Designed to give you a complete overview of the various and interactive components of "audio", it more than does so and in my opinion, better than any other comparable book on the market today at any price.



4. I just started to work with the technical group at Church and needed to come up to speed on audio systems. I'm an amateur radio operator (ham) so technical things didn't scare me but I just didn't know about the equipment or concepts.
   
   This was a great book to show me what's out there, how it's controlled and what to look for.
   
   I've realized the world is ratio's and this book did a great job showing how things are processed and reasons why they are that way. Great book to learn from and a fantastic book to double check others thoughts. (Yea, politics)
   
   Best book I've seen so far on audio systems to date.



5. A textbook for students of no direction.The author dips into everything possible in the subject of audio production ,in a schematic, superficial, lightweight, naive and easy way that the reader is left without real information, motivation ,inspiration or
   means of accomplishing anything - being sound design and manipulation or music creation and production.In fact it's a feel-good book written for those ignorant or already knowing a bit, provided they are not interested in learning anything more.
   The title appears deceptive (actually it is much more enticing than the author's credentials).
   Do you remember those "look busy" screensavers of the old days?They made you look to others as if you were doing something very serious and difficult while doing really nothing; well, leave this book open in your DAW desk : it's the printed equivalent.

5 comments about The Circuit Designer's Companion, Second Edition (EDN Series for Design Engineers).

1. I am about 2/3 the way through the book and am disappointed - not with the book, but with my schooling!
   
   My profs were great and dedicated, but they didn't teach half the stuff in this book, not nearly enough real-world engineering. We came out of school without really knowing how to make a professional, working circuit design.
   
   This great book will help the transition from school boy to engineer.
   
   I highly recommend this book. Tim Williams explains real-world, critical circuit concerns in an easy to understand manner and backs it up with equations. For instance, did your profs ever explain what "ground bounce" really was, and if so did they emphasize how important it is to prevent and how?
   
   The Circuit Designer's Companion is full of great advice and I hope to find more books by this author.



2. If you are like most of us and don't have a really seasoned high frequency PCB layout guy, this book will likely pay for itself with your first new PCB design. Tim has done a great job jotting down a lifetime of experience and knowledge in designing PWB's, but the information could use some organization. Still, it provides a ready reference to get you away from some fairly common pitfalls in RF design and gives you enough info. to understand why - which is the real value of this book to me and my colleagues.
   
   For those wanting more design level info on RF electronics see Chris Bowick's "RF Circuit Design". If you need more basic, but more diverse info see Jon Hagen's "Radio Frequency Electronics", and if you are in need of some testing guidance you won't be dissapointed in Joseph Carr's book "Practical Radio Frequency Test & Measurement", or if you are more into the magnetics/ TEM side of things Jerry Sevick's book "Transmission Line Transformers will be a sound investment. Lastly, if you need some PCB layout advice, your money will be well spent on Tim William's book "The Circuit Designers Companion".



3. As other reviewers have already pointed out this book is a great source of practical design information that is not covered in engineering theory courses. One can read and re-read chapters highlighting great rules of thumb that apply to every-day design challenges. The book is really a must-have reference for any circuit/PCB/product designer.
   
   That said, I have to suggestions to improve the book:
   
   1. Analog domain is covered very well in this book, but the chapter on digital circuits is lacking in several important areas in my opinion.
   
   a. I2C and SPI interfaces should be included alongside RS232, CAN and USB interface descriptions. Trade-offs of using I2C and SPI should be highlighted.
   
   b. Digital interface timing parameters like setup, hold, edge rate, etc. should at least be mentioned. Here's why:
   
   c. A discussion of digital bus topologies as it relates to timing parameters and PCB layout should be discussed. How to connect a multi-device bus, and make sure it satisfies interface timing specifications? Discuss star and daisy-chain topologies for layout. Fan-out and loading are already covered, but add examples of how those derate timing parameters on a shared bus.
   
   2. The book is called a "companion". Unfortunately, in my experience the book's construction does not stand up to even moderate use. Sections of pages in my book have separated from the binding.
   
   For someone thinking about buying the book these criticisms should not be taken alone. I chose not to cover all the wonderful parts of this book because other reviews here do a great job of it. I would not hesitate to recommend this insightful and well-written reference to anyone looking to improve their practical electronics design knowledge or to refresh skills lost to memory.



4. Haven't finished reading it, but so far appears to have practical info that you likely won't learn in school untill you get some experience in the field.



5. This book are a great help in theory and practice for circuit designs.
   Covering all aspects of the field, with a strong enphasys in solving the real circuit
   problems and nuissances.

5 comments about Schaum's Outline of Optics.

1. This Schaum's outline is better than the expensive textbook by the same author on the same subject in many ways, and in my opinion stands alone as a guide on optics. It gets to the meat of optics via solving problems that range from simple to difficult, which is particularly attractive to engineers learning or reviewing this subject. To me, the only chapters that seemed a bit confusing were the first two on wave motion and on electromagnetic waves and photons. For that material you may need to consult another source. From that point onward, however, the outline couldn't be any better. The outline even has a chapter that introduces Fourier optics. This outline would make an excellent review or supplement for someone taking a course in Photonics that uses Saleh's "Fundamentals of Photonics". That textbook has virtually no solved problems in it whatsoever, and the first third of the book follows the material covered in this outline nicely.



2. Its a good book to work problems in congunction with a regular text book. The practical side is limited for engineering purposes. Smith or Fischer is a better book.
   
   I am a practicing engineer, so I look at stuff from what works in real world. It would have been a very good book when I was in grad school (many moons ago:).



3. I used this book as a supplement for a course in Physical Optics, mainly to get practice in solving problems. I found the chapters on Polarization and Diffraction very useful. This book helped me get a better grade in this course. This book does not cover the topics like Jones and Coherence Matrix and Stokes vector. However these topics are covered well in the same author's Optics text. BTW, The Optics text is also very good. Solving problems in this book and then approaching the text gives a much better understanding of Optics. This book does not cover Poincare' sphere, which is also an important topic for which we cant find material anywhere except our Professor's lecture notes. Overall, this book is a must if you are taking any Optics course or the GRE physics text or if you just want to master the basics of Optics.



4. This is a great book for somebody who wants to learn basics and get a feeling about optics. Helped me with the exam too.



5. This schaum's outline is too old for this topic (same thing for Optics by Eugene Hecht ISBN: 0805385665). It is time for someone to write a new one even if physics has not changed! (I guess what you pay is what you get!)
   
   Pro: good summary for something you know
   con: not much detail like many old books from schaum's

5 comments about Programming 16-Bit PIC Microcontrollers in C: Learning to Fly the PIC 24 (Embedded Technology) (Embedded Technology).

1. I just bought this book and managed to read through it over a few days. I must say that I'm very impressed by it! The book covers programming the PIC24 in C using MPLAB's C30 C compiler. It covers the PIC24 architecture and peripherals in as much detail as required by a C programmer as well as various non-ANSI C PIC24 specific addons available in the C30 compiler. It also includes a myriad of cool interfacing projects with minimal additional hardware (SPI EEPROM , 3 resistors for the video example flash card, PS2 interfacing e.t.c.) Finally it also introduces all the debugging tools available in MPLAB such as the simulator/logic analyzer and stimulus generator. This book is not for the absolute microcontroller / programming in C beginner however. Its target audience is embedded systems programmers considering to switch to Microchip's PIC24 family and EE students/hobbyists with some background in embedded systems/ microcontrollers / C programming.



2. I have thouroughly enjoyed reading and using this great publication. It is absolutely the best introduction to PIC24 in particular and C30 as well. This book makes a great companion for the Explorer 16 development board from Microchip.
   I look forward to a follow up edition with a few more projects and peripheral code segments.
   
   Very Well Done Lucio



3. I already had a problem to solve in my mind when I statred to read this book. The book worked out for me in two ways: First, the topics of the book cover my problems very well, and secondly the code in the book worked well as I tested them project by project as a learning process. Also, I agree with the points other reviewers made before my review. So, no need to repeat them. I am not an EE and new to microcontroller. To understand a topic of the book I still need to cross-check some sections in the data sheet of a PIC24 and its corresponding C header file. This slows down my reading, but turns out to give me a better understanding. I completely recommend this book.
   
   David W. at Ferndale, MI, USA



4. I've bought several books on microcontrollers, and most of them have been poorly written. This book is exceptional: the writing is clear, it has been professionally edited, and the audience focus is clearly stated. It contains a lot of valuable background that only someone who works at Microchip would know.
   
   I have to take off a star because the book does not mention the numerous hardware problems these microcontrollers have. All microprocessors have some issues, but the errata for PIC24F parts is unusually lengthy. Jasio neatly sidesteps the hardware minefields, for example by using an SPI communication protocol rather than the more elegant I2C. Don't get me wrong: I'm a big fan of these parts, and I think everyone who designs with microprocessors should look at them seriously. Still, I can't believe that someone could write a book like this and not mention the errata.



5. This book pretends to be a programming book on the PIC24 16-bit microcontroller family from Microchip. And if it were only that, it would easily earn a 5 rating. But the author has gone way beyond his calling. He turned this into a real insider's view of what gcc is doing under the covers with this MCU. This is better than good because there are so few good books on embedded C programming, and none of them do a good job of showing both sides. As a C programmer you normally don't care what the computer is doing under the covers. But as an embedded C programmer this is critical information! So I'd like to give this book a 10: 5 for PIC24 coverage and 5 for under-the-cover info on what gcc is doing. Even if you don't use the PIC 24, you need this book!

2 comments about F# for Scientists.

1. I wish more books were written at this level of quality. While this book can be used by anybody that wants to get up to speed with F#, it's also well suited for use as a text book for an undergraduate course in applied math or computer science (or reference for a graduate course). It's well organized, well written, and draws from classic examples in mathematical computing.
   
   It's not easy material, and deserves to be read slowly and perhaps a couple times - much like any sophisticated treatise on a difficult but powerful subject. Don't loose patience if you don't get it at first glance. If you enjoy this type of stuff, it's an absolutely pleasure to read - logical in flow and well articulated.
   
   Anyway, this is a must-have book if you're doing anything with F# - or just considering it.



2. I found this book to be very useful. Before reading this text I had already read portions of Expert F#, and have an extensive background with the older SML language that F# and Ocaml are related to. As someone who works in scientific computing, I have always wished for a reference that would explain how to use this family of languages in scientific contexts. This book provides an excellent discussion of this topic. The examples are familiar if you come from a scientific computing background, and it is useful to see examples framed in a mathematical or scientific context instead of the more abstract or simple examples found in texts aimed at more general audiences. I would highly recommend this book - it's a pleasure to read, and has proven to be a useful reference for me so far.

2 comments about Handbook of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering.

1. I used to sell solar electric PV systems as an ARCO Solar dealer back in the early 1980's. At the time no one could pronounce the name of the technology, and most thought is was angel dust. Solar powered calculators were just coming in, same with watches. Solar powered emergencyy freeway phones were 15 years away, unheard of at the time.
   This technology is the most fascinating and yet due to cost, the most frustrating of all the renewable energy technologies. It is not widely used in mainstream electrical production, yet will fill vital niches in the renewable energy portfolio of any advanced economy.
   
   The big energy companies have spent big bucks on research and have patents in all directions, yet the most widely sold solar cell modules use twenty year old technology.
   
   Now that Germany has finally taken the plunge in supporting solar in a big way, other countries are taking a second look. California's governor tells the German chancellor that "we will do it even better." So the interest in the technology is growing.
   This book is a bridge between the Popular Science or Scientific American articles and the chaotic science papers so much in vogue among academics trying to publish-not-perish. It is readable, for an educated individual who has some high school science.
   Once you are over the rahrah and want to know "How does it actually work? or Could I get into manufacturing? this book will help. Trying to get answers to these questions is tough. No way will the marketing staff at BP Solar or Sharp or Shell tell you how they manufacture solar cells and assemble them into modules. So you wander in a sea of science papers, some in expensive collections like the IEEE proceedings or the obscure conference papers. Perhaps you stumble across the US DOE ENREL web site, or the patent information. But without the foundational knowlege, it is all hard to evaluate. So now comes the Wiley Handbook of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering. Take the time to use the "look inside" feature to see the table of contents. The writing style varies, each chapter is written by a different author. What unifies the presentation is that it is understandable. You will read some paragraphs three times but hey, this isn't Jules Verne. Yes it will take some effort, and you definitely need to know at least high school chemistry and physics, but when you really want to know something, you will find a way. So how to justify the cost? Well it comes out to 4 cents a page. And based on the used book prices, you can resell it later if you care to. The down side? Most of the research that is digested here is 2002 or earlier, but hey, some of the basic physics is over 100 years old, so there is quite a bit of catching up to do. I have not found another intermediate to advanced level book with the understandable detail this one offers. And something that gets you up to speed with state of the art 2002 does provide a good foundation for the field.
   
   Now if I could only find a solar cell manufacturing cookbook... lets see-- 99 parts silicon, two parts boron one part phosphorous, heat the oven to 1150 degrees and stir ever so slowly.. pull the taffy out with a crystal and let it cool for eight hours, slice with diamond dust and sprinkle with silver and tin. Wrap in tedlar,place under glass. Serves millions, should not spoil even in full sun for 25 years...yup it is angel dust.



2. This Handbook is a collection of writings by many authors with expertise and experience in the field of solar photovoltaics. It brings the reader an excellent brief review of the history of PV, exposes the reader to just the right amount of theoretical foundation behind the workings of PV, and doles out to the reader fair amount of practical advice in the makings of PV products that eventually provide clean - and green - electricity to the humankind. It covers different types of photovoltaic products, from crystalline to amorphous based on the Group IV semiconducting elements and their various compound forms. In addition, this Handbook also offers insights into the economics of photovoltaics in an increasingly environment-aware society.
   
   If there is a place where this Handbook could be improved, I think the editor could find more industrial practitioners of photovoltaic products to offer more hands-on advice about how to make a better - more efficient - solar cell.
   
   Overall, this is an excellent handbook and could serve as a good reference to anyone who's interested in solar PV.

4 comments about Professional iPhone and iPod touch Programming: Building Applications for Mobile Safari (Wrox Professional Guides).

1. This book contains quite some materials from the book you can also find them in Apple's documentations. It also has quite some details on Joe Hewitt's iUI framework. But generally speaking, it lacks more detailed explanation (on CSS, AJAX, JavaScript). Here's the dilema: if you are an experienced CSS and JavaScript developer, you will find it lacking the depth. It barely scratches the surface of what real AJAX-powered iPhone applications can do. If you are somewhat a newbie developer, you will need more explanation on the subject. Unfortunately, this book falls in-between the above 2 scenarios.
   
   After all, this is the first and only book on iPhone programming, it's a nice start for anyone that's interested.



2. It's just a basic web app which are a combile of AJAX and CSS. Not much new.



3. I've never owned a Mac (until now) and never done any development for that platform. While this book doesn't intend to cover the recently released iPhone SDK (it was published before the SDK's release), it does provide excellent coverage of web-based development for the iPhone (and iPod Touch). It leverages a free, open-source library to take much of the grunt work out of it, but also provides detailed code samples and examples and enough information so you could probably do it without the library should you desire. If you're interested in making your site look and feel like an iPhone app, this book will get you there. You should understand HTML, CSS and, preferably, a modicum of Javascript to get the most out of the book.



4. This book was a great start for something I am hoping to do on a regular basis, iPhone development.

2 comments about How to Use Oscilloscopes and Other Test Equipment (BP).

1. i can't believe how well the author related to what i wanted to know. this book has theory for propeller-heads, but thankfully has a lot of practial application for us motorheads-gone-electronic.



2. 
   .
   This book is a little more advanced then the book that came with your 'scope. It covers all the basics and gets a into a few advanced tricks-of-the-trade.
   
   If you are new to using Oscilloscopes, then this is a great place to start learning what they are and how to use them.
   
   If you are an experienced bench technician, this is a good refresher if you need to re-awaken dormant skills.

2 comments about Professional Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio (Wrox Programmer to Programmer).

1. This is not an actual review of the book since I am still waiting for it to arrive. I wanted to post the Table of Contents here to help out others since I did not see one from Amazon...
   
   Foreword.
   Introduction.
   
   Part I: Robotics Developer Studio Fundamentals.
   
   Chapter 1: Exploring Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio.
   
   Chapter 2: Concurrency and Coordination Runtime (CCR).
   
   Chapter 3: Decentralized Software Services (DSS).
   
   Chapter 4: Advanced Service Concepts.
   
   Part II: Simulations.
   
   Chapter 5: The MRDS Visual Simulation Environment.
   
   Chapter 6: Extending the MRDS Visual Simulation Environment.
   
   Chapter 7: Using Orchestration Services to Build a Simulation Scenario.
   
   Chapter 8: Simulating Articulated Entities.
   
   Chapter 9: Adventures in Simulation.
   
   Part III: Visual Programming Language.
   
   Chapter 10: Microsoft Visual Programming Language Basics.
   
   Chapter 11: Visually Programming Robots.
   
   Chapter 12: Visual Programming Examples.
   
   Part IV: Robotics Hardware.
   
   Chapter 13: Using MRDS with Robotics Hardware.
   
   Chapter 14: Remotely Controlling a Mobile Robot.
   
   Chapter 15: Using a Robotic Arm.
   
   Chapter 16: Autonomous Robots.
   
   Chapter 17: Writing New Hardware Services.
   
   Index.



2. Of the two textbooks available, Professional MRDS is an excellent reference book for those who need guidance with MRDS. The textbook has a plethora of examples that are easy to grasp and has an excellent code library (available from the website at no cost). In addition, the hands-on attitude of the authors make MRDS a pleasurable experience.

5 comments about Modern Control Systems (11th Edition) (Pie).

1. I am taking a 1 semester long control course from EE department.
   This is the book we use. It features numerous mistakes and skimpish explanations. It also skips a lot of derivations of concepts. Very weak text for the course. I am not sure of the alternatives but it is not hard to imagine something better.
   It is also virutally identical to the previous editions - i get by just fine with the 9th edition which i obtained for $15 used.



2. Taking control theory course at my school where the book is required. As a student introduced to the theory for the first time, this book has been no help at all. Explanations are very limited and I find myself re-reading the same page numerous times just to figure out how did the author came up with derivations. Text is often too dry without any real world connection (essential for engineering students - at least for me). If this text is required, prepare to spend a lot of time with your professor. This is NOT a good book for intro course.



3. This book is one of the worst I've had in Engineering school. The explanations are weak, only going over the simplest version of a concept. Just wait until your professor actually assigns problems from the book. The problems are difficult and complex, and there are zero answers in the back to verify your answers. So, you have no clue if you're doing it right. If your professor is not very helpful, you're in trouble.



4. This book covers a lot of ground and does a so-so job explaining the topics. Plenty of reference tables and examples though.



5. the book arrived in perfect condition just as expected and the shipping arrived withing the alloted time. B+