Customer Reviews

Dance Music Manual, Second Edition: Tools, Toys, and Techniques

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I own the first edition and used it so much the book literally fell apart, partly due to cheap binding but mostly the repetitive flipping back and forth to dozens of bookmarked pages with useful technical info. I'm not a musician but as a computer programmer for 20+ years I have read more books of a technical nature than the law should allow, and on that basis I can honestly say this is the best tech book I have ever read. It's been a fantastic introduction to electronic music production, with clear enough explanations of concepts that I never felt intimidated or "talked down to" but more than enough in-depth material that I could take my newfound obsession with music production just as far as I wanted. The included CD was particularly helpful, with a full track in each of the genres covered by the book, with the author breaking in with at least 20 minutes of narrative on each, explaining the tools and methods used in production of the track. This was crucial to me because I don't think it's possible to learn music by simply reading words. Being able to listen to "before" and "after" versions of a compressed kick loop gelled perfectly with the compression tips and tricks discussed in the book.

First off, the title of this book is a little (okay, a lot) misleading. From the title, you would think it would be a light-hearted, casual intro to dance music. This is not the case. This book is like a massive compendium of every single concept you would ever want to know about dance music, or anything like unto it. The first pages are all about sculpting sounds from waveforms, and it's not easy reading! As a matter of fact, that's my only criticism of this book - so much of it was over my head. But what the author lacks in his ability to explain concepts to complete newbie/morons (like me), he more than makes up for with his vast amount of knowledge, and the breadth of the subjects in the book. This really is EVERYTHING you could ever want to know about dance music - how audio works, how synth programming works, dance music trends, effects, etc.

And the author doesn't just tell you the "how", he tells you the "why". It's a book for both artists and techies alike, which is a hard line to straddle. I really have enjoyed this book, and will no doubt read it again as soon as I'm done. It's opened my eyes to soooooo much!!

Rick Snoman is a Dance music GOD! This book is a must must have for anyone who intends to write/remix/compose/produce dance music in any capacity. It is written generally with a novice in mind but those of us with more experience will benefit from having it as a reference. It offers an in-depth look into the major genres of dance music and covers everything from how to tweak the knobs of your synth to drum machine programming and musical analysis all the way to remixing, sampling, mastering and promotion! It is a very wide scope of information and it covers it all very well and very informatively. Anyone from beginner to pro can definitely benefit from buying this book. IF YOU ASPIRE TO WRITE DANCE MUSIC DO NOT WAIT; BUY THIS BOOK! It is like the textbook for dance music.

This is a very good book for the beginner. There is a lot of "bread and butter" information in this book.
There is a lot of detailed information on creating synthesizer patches and sounds. The section on mixing and effects is very good.
Music theory really requires it's own book(s) but the section in this book is a good introduction.

The book gives you good starting points for the production of different genres of electronic music.

If you are just starting to make music digitally I recommend this book. It won't be the last book on music you ever buy (if you like learning from books) but it is a very good introduction to the many aspects of making electronic music.

It's worth the money.

The Dance Music Manual is my bible. One of the greatest if not the greatest resource book I've ever read. From cover to cover it details all the important aspects of Dance Music from Ambient to Trance to UK Garage. In it's hollowed pages reside: programming theory, mixing boards and patching overview, recording of live instruments, music theory, an overview of popular genres, mixing, mastering, publishing, and promotion. Appendixes at the end of the book cover issues such as MIDI patching, and tempo delay time charts. It's a perfect "go to" resource for the modern electronic musician.

As you know, first edition of the book was a great success. You can read all those great reviews here, on Amazon. Second edition is even better, because the author updated the material. The book is huge first of all. A lot of material is in there, so you'll keep this book as a reference for months to come. What I especially liked about this book was that author analyzed every dance music genre with every detail possible. You actually realize that dance music is as complicated to produce as any other style. What I realized was that the author not only has a passion for music, but also a passion for writing and research. This is the best book to have in your library!!!

i've read only 2 sections and i must say, this is VERY helpful! i believe everything you need to know is here. its pretty much organized like a textbook but you dont need to read everything to learn what ur looking for. so start with the chapter that most interests you.

I have been producing electronic dance music for over 20 years and this is the best book ever written on the topic. It's comprehensive, well written, well illustrated, and well thought out.

This is a great book for the beginner thru expert, though I think those with intermediate to advanced knowledge will benefit the most. I bought volume 1, 2 and the ebook of this.

Highly highly recommend it.

I haven't made it all the way through the book yet but it is exactly what I was hoping for. A very in depth look at how just about every sound is created and what every parameter means in synths and electronic music creation. If you want to know what your tweaking and why, this book is definitely what your looking for.

The book is replete with information that will prove useful not only to dance musicians, but to all computer musicians. In addition, it is well laid out and nicely bound, with attractive coverwork. Unfortunately, however, there has clearly been zero copy-editing done, and some form of English mistake is made every other paragraph or so. For those of us who care about this sort of thing, the book frequently makes for awkward reading.