The Recording Engineer's Handbook (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The third title in the series from author Bobby Owsinski takes you into the tracking process for all manner of instruments and vocals. Learn the tricks the professionals use to record exceptional audio tracks for hit records and learn directly from these award-winning engineers and producers as they reveal how they make their hits in the studio.

About the Author

A longtime veteran of the music industry, Bobby Owsinski has produced and composed for records, DVDs, motion pictures, and television shows. One of the first to delve into surround-sound music mixing, Bobby has worked on more than 200 surround projects and DVD productions for such diverse acts as Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, The Ramones, and Chicago, among many, many others. Currently a principal in the music production house Surround Associates and content creator 2B Media, Bobby has also penned several hundred articles for many popular music and audio trade publications and has authored books that are now staples in audio-recording programs in colleges around the world. A frequent moderator, panelist, and program director of a variety of music and professional audio industry conferences, Bobby has served as the longtime producer of the annual Surround Music Awards and is currently an executive producer for the Guitar Universe and Desert Island Music television programs. He is also a partner in the popular Asia Los Feliz restaurant in Los Angeles, and he serves on the board of directors of the Media Entertainment Technology Alliance.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Artistpro; 1 edition (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932929002
• ISBN-13: 978-1932929003
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #41,604 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Companion, August 7, 2006

By	Geoffrey Armes - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This one kept me very good company on an overnight flight to Vienna from New York. Riveting stuff, not least because there was a good chance I was going to have to oversee the micing of a full-orchestra and choir on one of the dates! Luckily for all concerned, my nascent skills were not called upon, but I certainly felt a lot more qualified after reading Owsinski's tome. Some of the gear described might be above the head of home/project studio owners, but nonetheless Owsinski's straightforward and eminently readable work offers fascinating insights into the vast art of recorded sound.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great reference and a good starting point, March 14, 2007

By	Alejandro F. Orrantia-Rios (El Paso, TX US) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a very useful starting point when recording a new instrument for the first time. It gives you in depth details about micing positions with clear pictures to support what the author is writing about.
The author also explains in a brief way the use of everyday studio gear wich along with all the recording techniques reviewed in the other chapters makes this book a must have in any studio, for beginners as a great starting point and for seasoned pros as an alternative and sometimes a challenge to the way they have captured audio and worked in the studio their whole life.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cohesive and Multi-Faceted, December 13, 2007

By	Gabriel O. Liberti "Two Windmills" (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been engineering recordings for about 5 years and felt this was perfect for someone who already knows the basics about recording and is ready to get into the good stuff. The suggested micing techniques were very helpful and complete and are an excellent resource for when you are not quite getting the sound you want when placing your microphones on a source. The book also recommends which microphone to choose for each application and sometimes gives a reasoning, for instance, why you should pick a ribbon mic over a dynamic in the situation at hand. These tips are very relevant and help you to make better micing decisions on your own in the future. The best feature of this book is that it references many talented and experienced engineers such as Steve Albini and Chuck Ainlay; their helpful side-notes and tips really put these suggestions into perspective and help you to think about recording in the proper manner. I really enjoyed the section written by the "Drum Doctor" because tuning drums and having a kit sound excellent is the most important step in getting a solid drum recording. Overall i would highly recommend this book to anyone who feels they want to broaden the scope of their knowledge about recording or wants to get some new ideas about tracking.