Customer Reviews

The Art of Recording: Understanding and Crafting the Mix

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Recording is all about the art of listening and this book teaches you just that. So if you are serious about being able to produce something worthwhile this book is a good read. Some would categorized it as advanced, but for me I think it addresses the most essential part of the recording process. Building from the actual physical penomenon it moves to concepts/terms more frequently encountered; EQ, Compression etc.
My favorite is that it teaches you to be a better listener.

I can't say I learned too many new concepts reading this book. The later chapters are interesting but here's my problem: For one thing, the author goes into gross academic details of concepts he could've summed up in two paragraphs. Don't get me wrong, length is fine as long as there's something to be said or taught. This book is 320 pages and in my opinion should have been 150. It's wordy, too academic and too un-technical for my taste (especially chapters 1-5). I felt like I was reading about concepts I intuitively knew about anyway. But, not to be too cruel, there are few things that are interesting (chapters 6-15). For instance, you learn the techniques of critical listening, evaluating time, pitch, dynamics and overall sound quality. But, again these are concepts that are intuitive to me, these chapters just spell it out. Let's not forget that this is a text book and if you're impatient like me, and don't want every thing spelled out, you might get bored. But if you are taking the academic route to recording and are a beginner then...ahhh... you decide.

This is a very thorough mixing textbook. The author goes far beyond the usual mixing book by establishing techniques and vocabulary for describing all aspects of sound. I'd recommend it to college students, music or audio professionals, and serious amateurs.

Although the book has useful content, it is highly technical (thankfully, no math), so it may not be appropriate for some readers. Also, either the author's style was dense, or I'm dense (probably both).

Most books rechew the same basic homerecording info you already read dozens of times. This book stands out with info you don't read anywhere else. It's mostly about training and development of hearing.
Great book, but like previous reviewers said, a bit dry and academic to read.
Would buy again.

If you are just starting out in the field of music production this book might put you off at first. The style of writing is not the easiest to digest, but if you devote some time to it and carry out the exercises provided inside on a consistent basis you WILL benefit from it. It takes years of experience and accumulation of knowledge to wear the hats of producer, engineer and musician successfully, so you will want to revisit this book along your journey to gain fresh perspective on the topics the author delves into.

The title of the book tells it all: it is for those willing to make art of their recording, to make their concepts sound, not to move blindly, but understand each step to be taken. There are many good, even fine, books on equipnemt and on how to use this or that device, but this one transcends them, goes a step higher. It teaches to listen and think about the sounds heard, and in this respect it is unique.

The self-important author favors generalizations, over-inflated ideas, and wrong terminology. The book is an quasi-academic treatise in which obvious concepts are discussed in depth by a writer of limited professional knowledge. I returned my copy. Spend your book-buying dollars on another title.

The book was in the condition described and arrived well on time.
The Art of Recording is well worth reading for the audio professional.

I was more than a little surprised to see a number of negative reviews for this book. It is intelligent, comprehensive, very original and completely relevant in any and every recording situation. It doesn't tell you which buttons to twiddle and when, rather, it makes clear and comprehensible the often esoteric art of listening; a prerquisite to any attempt at recording. If, however, you wish to properly develop the skills to make truly excellent recordings this work makes for an essential reference.

Although at times, a bit too formal, Dr. Monyan's book is a definitive course for those interested in learning how to truly listen, and transfer these skills to the art of recording and mixing.

The author does not examine any particualr recording technique or equipment at all. Rather, he focuses on developing the tools that enable the professional to judge and craft sound for maximum artistic expression.