Handbook for Sound Engineers: The New Audio Cyclopedia [Hardcover]

Glen M. Ballou (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1987

Handbook for Sound Engineers is the most comprehensive reference available for audio engineers. Written by many of the top professionals in the field, including Glen Ballou on interpretation systems, intercoms, assistive listening, and image projection; Ken Pohlmann on compact discs and DVDs; David Miles Huber on MIDI; Dr. Eugene Patronis on amplifier design and outdoor sound systems; Bill Whitlock on audio transformers and preamplifiers; Pat Brown on fundamentals and gain structures; Ray Rayburn on virtual systems and digital interfacing; and Dr. Wolfgang Ahnert on computer-aided sound system design and acoustics for concert halls.

The audio industry has seen many changes since the previous edition of the Handbook, particularly in the digital area, all of which are included in this edition. Key topics include: Acoustics * DSPs * DVDs * Modeling and auralization * Sound-system design * Application and installation techniques * Loudspeaker and enclosure building, testing and measuring * Sound recording and playback* Transmission Techniques * Audio circuits, amplifiers, filters, and consoles * Grounding

*Condenses years of information and technology to one source
*Contributors are the leading experts in their fields
*Explains MIDI, surround sound, transformers, consoles, and much more

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is one of the best sources for audio information."
Jay Kadis, Stanford University

"The book is a wonderful resource."
Cliff Edwards, Manager of Broadcast Engineering, Texas Southern University

"The audio industry has seen many changes since the previous edition, particularly in the digital area, all of which are included in this edition." - audioXpress

"There's a book out there called Handbook for Sound Engineers, Third Edition, and it pretty much explains everything...It's like the Bible. I keep it right under my bed."
Thes One, from People Under The Stairs - quoted in Remix Magazine

"...a worth-while investment by anyone involved in audio electronics or acoustics. Well recommended."
Lighting and Sound magazine

"I have a first edition and it's been my audio bible for years."
Ken Paschke, Broadcast Engineer --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

The most comprehensive reference work on sound engineering on the market - NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1247 pages
• Publisher: Sams; 2nd Printing edition (March 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672219832
• ISBN-13: 978-0672219832
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.9 x 3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,255,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handbook For Sound Engineers, February 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Handbook for Sound Engineers, Third Edition (Hardcover)

You MUST buy this book! Pretend you did not see the price and order this book. It is the most comprehensive book on the subject that I have ever run across. It contains more than 1550 pages of information, diagrams, schematics, and just about anything else you could ever think to need. Covers everything from Accoustic Theory to Zener Diodes (I don't know what they are either...I haven't read that far yet!). I am planning to use this as a refresher for myself (that is what my schooling is in) and for training more sound techs at my church.

Note: This is a book for intermediate to advanced level sound engineers. It would be way over a beginners head. There are a number of excellent books for beginners available through Amazon, though.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the Best Book on Audio, September 20, 2003

By 

Charles John Gervasi (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Handbook for Sound Engineers, Third Edition (Hardcover)

This is the best book on audio I have seen. It covers a broad range of topics in great depth.

The book goes into great detail about the following areas:
a) human hearing and calculating the acoustic properties of rooms
b) PCB-level electronic components
c) system level components
d) storage media
e) bringing all of the above together into applications

The book assumes the reader has a good foundation in electronics but explains concepts in a very unpretentious way. It's nothing like reading a scholarly journal where you constantly have to look at other articles and review textbooks to understand. If you understand the basics of electronic circuits you will understand this book without consulting other textbooks.

Every audio topic I can think of is explored in this book. If you work on anything related to audio you absolutely should not be without this reference.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most authorative work I have seen., April 6, 2003

By 

Leendert Dekker (Menlo Park, Gauteng South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handbook for Sound Engineers, Third Edition (Hardcover)

I have been playing around with amplifiers and recording equipment for a while now - never had formal education in audio engineering, but I do have some electronic background. This book has helped me a lot in refining my recording techniques, my audio system itself and furthered my understanding of audio systems from microphone placement to cabling, speaker placement, phono cartridge alignment to name but a few. Whatever subject I sought advice on, this book has so far provided me with the answers. I would go as far as saying that whatever this book does not cover is not relevant to audio systems. One word of caution though, this book is not like a "cookbook". You have to have an electronic background in order to make full use of the book - as the title rightly puts it, it is intended for engineers.