Customer Reviews

The Musician's Home Recording Handbook (Reference)

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I returned this book after opening the cover and scanning the contents. If you are looking for help with computer based recording this is not it.

OK, this book was published in 1992, using articles going back as early as 1987. Clearly A LOT has changed in the world of home recording technology and what is available to the average musician's budget. In terms of computer technology, it talks about MIDI sequencers on Atari STs and Sound Tools on Mac (the early incarnations of what became ProTools). In terms of digital technology, it talks about using a PCM encoder with a stereo VCR as a poor man's DAT deck. Back then the average musician was limited to a 4-track cassette Portastudio and a couple of SM57s; if you had a 4- or 8-track reel-to-reel tape machine, a separate mixer, a few bits of outboard gear and a half-dozen mics you were sitting sweet!

If you're looking for a book that will show you how to turn your laptop or desktop computer into a usable recording studio and get your head around ProTools or any other DAW, you'll need to look elsewhere. This book won't help you.

What it is still very useful for is understanding the sheer basics of recording; how microphones, preamps and so on work, signal routing, noise management, the use of EQ and effects, bouncing and mixing. Even rudimentary stuff like like how to solder up your own cables, set up a patch bay and clean the heads on your tape - just in case you still have one - are still as relevant in 2011 as they were 20 years ago.

Also in the book's favour is its refreshing "make do" attitude. With pro-sounding gear more affordable than ever, it is easy to forget - and too many newer books do - that plenty of people still can't afford to drop a thousand dollars or more on their studio. So if you can still only afford a cassette four track and a couple of stomp boxes, it shows you how to get the most out of them.

Bit hard to recommend it has a first or only book these days, but if you happen to come across a secondhand copy for a reasonable price it would not be a wasted purchase.

Gives well explained information on all aspects of recording. Useful pictures and graphs. Explains the use of certain equipment well. A good, well rounded book for home recording.

An excellent book for a musician in desperate need but with no possibility of going into a professional recording studio. All the basic controls are explained, the book deals with recording and post processing in an easy and understandable manner using graphs and photographs. A great book for those that want to produce good music from home, but if you want to get noticed and step away from your home recording studio you should also read "How To Make A Fortune In The Music Industry By Doing It Yourself: Your Personal Step-By-Step Guide To Having A Successful Career In The Music Business. ... To Sell Music, Book Shows And Get Noticed!" By Ty Cohen, a great book to get you started in the music business .

Gives explanations on equipment,such as effects signal routing,basic mixer functions,tells what mics to buy for what job,covers effects to some extent.But far as hands on recording...this book fails miserably