A bang-up job! I have learned a lot from it. Very smooth writing style. Congrats are definitely in order! --
Kirk Gramcko, Home Studio Owner, Aug 23, 2002Great book! I am going to offer it for sale on my site. --
Kathy Peck, Executive Director of H.E.A.R. (hearnetdotcom), Sept 1, 2002.I really advise anybody who works around the studio to get hold of this book... it only costs $19.95. --
studiofreaksdotcom, Sept 5, 2002It is perfectly placed on the ladder of technical depth. In short, I like your work very much. --
Dr. Robert Lackey, Professor of Electrical and Audio Engineering, Ohio State University, Sept 1, 2002.It is perfectly placed on the ladder of technical depth. In short, I like your work very much. --
Dr. Robert Lackey, OSU, Sept 1, 2002Just what I'm looking for in our recording section. --
John L. Barton, Inventory Manager, BookPeople Bookstore, bookpeopledotcom, Sept 10, 2002.This book will certainly satisfy your need for knowledge about how to set things up in a right way. --
StudioFreaks, Sept 7, 2002When someone comes up with a book that sorts it out with loads of tips- well, we can only applaud. --
James A. Putnam & Dennis L. Trunk, Musicians Tech Central, Sept 11, 2002, musicianstechcentraldotcom
A technical expert has finally simplified the confusing process of buying recording equipment and setting up a home recording studio for hobby or business purposes. John J. Volanski, an electrical and audio engineer, has written a new book entitled Sound Recording Advice to help guide neophytes and even those with some audio recording background in the set up and operation of a home recording studio. The book is being released in October of 2002 and is being published by Pacific Beach Publishing.
The art of making quality recordings goes far beyond plugging a microphone into a tape deck and pushing the RECORD button. Adding confusion to the process, technology has now provided more ways than ever to record audio: multi-track cassette decks, multi-track reel-to-reel decks, multi-track MiniDisc recorders, multi-track disk-based and tape-based digital recorders, and even home computers with audio interface cards. If you add to that a bewildering array of digital and analog mixers, power conditioners, reverb and echo signal processors, equalizers, enhancers, synthesizers, samplers, amp and speaker modelers, and products to tame unruly acoustics, then you have a nearly vertical learning curve for any musician or hobbyist interested in recording audio at home.
Despite the daunting challenge, more and more people are now interested in making their own audio recordings at home rather than paying for time in a professional recording studio. These interested people include high school, college and private music students, singing groups, bands of all types interested in making demo recordings to interest record companies, individuals wanting to record advertising jingles or other commercial material, people developing slide shows or multimedia shows with audio content, authors recording audiobooks, and the hobbyists who simply enjoy recording their own musical creations at home.
The popularity of home computers has also fueled the interest in home recording. With new wideband networking available in the form of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and Cable Modems, more and more people are trading recordings over the Internet. Properly configured home computers can now be used to record and mix multi-track audio (and video), send and received compressed audio over the Internet, and act as desktop music jukeboxes. Of course, with this increased technical flexibility comes an intimidating array of alphabet soup such as AES/EBU, CD-RW, DAT, DAW, dB, EIN, EMI, EQ, ESD, IEEE-1394, MIDI, MP3, MOV, PCM, RFI, SCMS, SMPTE, S/PDIF and USB. What does all this stuff mean? What do I do if I just want to record music as quickly and inexpensively as possible? WHERE DO I START? HELP!
The reason that John J. Volanski wrote the book Sound Recording Advice is to help people get started recording their own music at home. The book is a thorough yet simplified guide on how to overcome the steep learning curve of setting up a home recording studio. It reads easily and covers all aspects of recording including power, ground, acoustics, studio layout and furniture, what new and used equipment to buy and where to buy it for lowest prices, how to record various instruments and then mix, bounce tracks and generate a master recording. The 336-page book also includes hundreds of other important tips, including info on how to make and modify some of your own equipment and troubleshoot studio problems.
John J. Volanski is an electrical engineer with additional training in audio engineering. He has operated his own home studio for over 20 years where he has gained expertise in how to set up and operate a home recording studio. He has done technical writing during most of his professional career, including writing articles for Electronic Musician and Avionics magazines. As part of his professional engineering career, he has designed and developed many electrical and audio systems concerned with avionics, Virtual Reality (including a patented motion-base VR system), commercial entertainment, and surveillance.
