Customer Reviews

The Dance Music Manual: Tools, Toys and Techniques

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I haven't been able to put this book down since receiving it from Amazon. Wow. I've bought quite a few books on music theory, production and mixing techniques, programming guides, etc, in addition to reading all the major electronic music mags out there (EQ, EM, Keyboard, Sound on Sound, Future Music, etc). Basically all that yielded was a lot of disparate information that seemed helpful but you have no idea how it all ties together. This book is the solution to that. I'm not sure I would recommend this book for an absolute beginner...it could be pretty heavy if you're unfamiliar with music (esp electronic music) terminolgy. However, if you have an interest in electronic music (not just dance music) and you're one of those people who has read music production books and routinely reads the music mags, this is the book for you. Trust me, you'll find yourself saying "Oh, *that's* how that works" and you'll start to see how everything fits together. I found this especially true in the "Basic Synthesis" and "Programming Theory" chapters. You can do a thousand tutorials in Computer Music Magazine to program a synth without ever understanding why or what you're doing. This book helps you understand the underlying concepts of waveforms, oscillators, envelopes, etc. There are fantastic tips on sound design and how to create your own unique "sound". Indeed, there is a great discussion on sound itself and the physics that are employed. There is also a chapter devoted to different genres of dance music, everything from trance to hip-hop to house. Perhaps one of the more useful tips is a typical "map" of a club-ready dance track. I could go on and on, just get the book if any of this sounds interesting to you. The price is very reasonable and there's a CD included with examples and software trials. In fact, my only complaint about the book is that I wish it indicated the exact file names on the CD when it references them. You can usually figure it out, but it would be quicker to have the actual file name listed. All in all, I don't think you'll find a more comprehensive book for modern electronic musicians. It'll make you a better informed, and perhaps even a better, musician. And that is the endgame, after all, isn't it?

I first saw this thing about a year ago, and held off because of negative reviews. ignore that noise. this guy has remixed Underworld. the book isn't perfect, no book is, but it's thorough, deep, and excellent. the publisher is Elsevier/Morgan Kaufmann -- I have other books from them, top-notch professional materials on studio technique, and grad-school textbooks on artificial intelligence techniques. this is not some litany of obvious platitudes copped from an article some wannabe DJ wrote for "Remix" in between drug binges. this is the real thing. pretty much any relevant topic is covered. I have plenty of criticisms -- the section on web design seems totally superfluous, and there's a section on trip-hop but no section on drum and bass -- but overall, it's well worth the read.

I can't believe some of the reviews on here. I purchased this book about a year ago, and ever since then I've been using it as one of my main references. There are many detailed guides that you can find on the internet, but none which are so comprehensive and easy to read as this. There is no Holy Grail to writing music, but this comes damn close to being one.

This book covers every subject regarding electronic music production. Forget the name "Dance Music Manual" -- it covers hip hop and ambient, and is an overall guide to making music via electronic equipment in general.

From the first chapter, on music theory, Snoman guides you through sound synthesis, sampling, sound routing, effects, software vs. hardware arguments, reviews and analysis of basic equipment (modern equipment (!) like the Access Virus, and many popular plugins), electronic music genres, promotion, copyright laws, and basically everything you would want or need to know, with audio samples and recommended listening (very fun!).

I made the mistake of first giving everything a brief read-through; this book is just soaked with information. Be sure to have instruments in front of you and a lot of time to experiment if you want to fully understand everything Snoman is talking about. Snoman always emphasizes what is commonly used versus what can be experimented with, so he leaves the reader with knowledge of not only where to experiment from, but what to experiment with, and always stresses deviation from his standards as the key to pushing the boundaries of music genres.

Want good tips on programming a techno bass? House bass? Trance bass? It's in here. Want to learn how to build a 909 snare from scratch? An easy paragraph covers it.

Even his short but comprehensive analysis of electronic musical styles and history is a very interesting and good read.

If you're an expert at producing music, then you should buy this book. If you aren't an expert, then you NEED to buy this book. Forget all the Google searches, forum queries, and Sound on Sound free articles, and embark on Dance Music Manual 101 =)

This is an amazing book! If you make music with a computer, you can forget about other books and get this one. Other books on production waste trees on "how to record a drum kit", "how to record wind instruments", "how to record guitars" blah blah blah. I'm not knocking recording live instruments, but many of these books do not satisfy the needs of producers of electronic music which boil down to creating and producing music from electronic sources. The chapter on basic synthesis is worth the price of the book alone. Instead of rehashing what a sine wave is and what an LFO does, it takes you in plain terms how to program useful sounds, the sounds that you actually want to program. This section is a must for trance/ambient/techno producers. The chapter on processors and effects not only give you information on how to use them but offer rationales for use, helping you to develop critcal thinking to determine your choice rather than on relying on "processing chain recipes". I could go on and on and on about this book, but I will put it to you like this. I own several books on mixing, electronic music, and subscribe to Computer Music, Keyboard, Future Music, Electronic Musician, etc., and I can frankly say this is the only book you need. One thing though. TEAR OUT PAGES 28 TO 37 AND SHRED THEM. This is the chapter on music theory and unfortunately the information is totally wrong. However the rest of the book is worth every cent. I produce r&b, and this is a handy reference. If you make music with a computer this is the only book you need.

I have never written a review of a product on amazon.com before, but this book motivated me and deserves to be the first. It is the most comprehensive book on the process of creating electronic music that I have seen - indeed, it explains many things about music in general better than other texts. It takes the reader through all of the details, step by step, from the basics of music theory and setting up a workspace to explaning genres and what to do with your finished product. I am devouring the book - it fills in all the missing pieces that so many other references overlook. Thank you, Rick Snoman, this is quite an undertaking!

This book is a must have for all budding and professional musicians alike. It covers everything you need to know. This is absolutely the best book on my shelf for music production by far. If you're thinking about should I or shouldn't I part with the money for this book, don't worry, just do it as the infomation is well worth the investment. This book covers many genres of music from House to Techno to Trance and more. Furthermore, from this book I learnt how to build a basic website which I consider a bonus for those wishing to promote there music on the web. Nice one Rick, I look forward to purchasing Volume 2, this book is the best!

Do you want to learn the ins and outs of creating trance, techno, trip hop, hip hop, or house? If so, this is the book for you! You learn not only about music theory of dance genres, but Snoman introduces topics such as effects and how to apply them, mixing, mastering, synthesis/sound design, and self promotion. The book includes a CDRom with practical examples of the techniques found in the book.

Don't let the generic name fool you. This book is very detailed and to the point. Production techniques are described in excruciating detail but simple language. Often times after I read a tip, I realize that it would have taken me years of experimentation to arrive at this or that. This book just hands to you on a silver platter. That is not to say you'll be ready to make formulaic dance music. This book provides you only with the needed building blocks (tricks) that will help you down the road leaving you ample time to concentrate on being creative instead of trying to replicate some standard trick. This book is worth its weight in gold.

This book should have 6 stars, really. I have read this book 3 times, and still refer back to it. Covers every aspect of production in detail, from sound design, to composition, to arranging mixing and mastering.
Some of the tools he describes may be a little dated, but the techniques are still very valid.

Excellent book on sound design and engineering. It will also teach you Dance and House tricks! Do you have a stutter in your song? You should! This book teaches you how! Also, there is an indepth explanation on effects and mixing. You could even make up a snare drum from scratch using your LFO. An easy read if you are a sound engineer. There is a good section on HTML if you are especially interested in composing your own website. I recommend you having a Synth module (hard or soft) and an effects unit so you can apply the techniques in there. I liked the special chapter on the pro gear thats used in Dance music- a little outdated but thats due to the publishing date. If you are a musician put on your sound engineering and design helmet. Author is a professional and knows his stuff. I read it many times because once is not going to cut it! This is an indepth instructional manual. If you want to make Dance music this is a must! Please don't try to read it in one day...this is not a novel! Take your time and re-read and learn!