Customer Reviews

Sound Systems: Design and Optimization: Modern Techniques and Tools for Sound System Design and Alignment

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This is a beautifully-written book. We have had the oportunity to work with Bob several times leading up to the release of the book. From pioneering measurement and analysis methods to identifying themes among system allignment scenerios most common in the field, Bob is thurough, complete, methodical, and passionate about the laws and facts of physics. This book captures the gammut of his scientific adventure, from nuts and bolts too deep to absorb in one reading, to rules-of-thumb and cheat-sheets that will give you instant insight into the invisible.

When I heard about this new book from Bob McCarthy I had to have it. It is well written and fun to read. Anyone serious about sound system optimization will own this book. Sure to be requred text for all future training courses in live sound schools, Sound Systems: Design and Optimization, joins Sound System Engineering, and the Sound Reinforcement Handbook as a must read for sound system engineers.

What surprised me most about this book was how readable it was. OK, I know it's not going on Oprah's book club list, but I was expecting a book that I wouldn't be able to understand beyond certain basics. Kind of like my 10th grade math book. But the way McCarthy works his way through the subject was well organized, clear AND at time humorous. I think that it's an excellent book that most sound engineers are going to want on their bookshelf.

"That is what we thought then, this is what we know now."...to borrow a phrase Bob McCarthy has used. This book is about what we know now (or should know) thanks in large part to McCarthy's work in the field. This book doesn't rehash the information found in just about every other book involving sound and acoustics. It applies that knowledge along with technical data that has been collected over the course of his career to current real world technologies, systems and situations.

While various measurement tools have existed for quite some time, it has only been more recently that low cost solution (comparatively) have existed for analyzing our systems and their interaction with the environments we put them in. Now most anyone can afford to better understand what their systems are doing and why. Unfortunately the information that such tools provide is somewhat useless if you don't understand what it means, how to interpret it or how to apply it. This book doesn't teach you how to use such tools specifically so much as it addresses the reason the tools exist and how to use the information they provide to improve the listening experience and the efficiency of the systems that deliver the experience. McCarthy does this by sharing both the information that he has collected over the course of his career and most importantly, the knowledge that has been gained while compiling that information.

Besides the fact that McCarthy is in a unique position of having more experience in this area than maybe anybody else, he's also a hands-on guy who knows how to teach others. Anyone that has had an opportunity to attend one of his seminar courses knows he has a knack for making complex science understandable to almost anyone. I'm living proof of that and am happy to see that his knack has translated well to a very informative and interesting to read book. Detailed color graphics along with a few related comic strips help keep it all within reach.

If you use Smaart (or any other similar program), you will definitely get something out of this book whatever your experience level. Currently you won't find another book that brings this information all together with the real world experiences and insight as McCarthy has done, much less make it readable in an accessible fashion. While there maybe a handful of others who could possible write such a book with this type of applied knowledge, nobody else has. Reading this book will take you to a higher level of understanding of how sound system components react with one another as well as the acoustic environments that they exist within.

While McCarthy points out in the book that there used to be a division of art and science when it came to thinking how to evaluating sound system performance, the number of mixing engineers running Smaart @ theMIXsite is an indication that everyone is catching on that art and science go hand in hand. While Michelangelo was a artist, he studied science as well and it was the combination of his two disciplines that empowered him to create his many masterpieces.

Sound Systems: Design and Optimization is a study of how the paint hits the canvas and should be of interest to artist and engineers in the field of sound reinforcement.

This is the must have book for all sound engineers and system designers. From start to finish this book provides absolute detail from Bob's twenty years of experience in the field and he has effectively written the ultimate compendium for sound engineers dedicated to the subject of sound system design and optimization. It has excellent graphical representation of concepts and design. Highly recommended reading for novice to expert sound engineers.

Bob McCarthy did a great job. This book cover the black holes on sound systems design.
No matter how good audio guru you are, this is a MUST HAVE TOOL!.

This is not a book for beginners. But for the rest of us, it's the best book you can buy on this subject. In most audio literature you'll find the same old info you have already read in other books or know by experience. Not so here: this book is a treasure!

I'm can honestly say, this book is changing (the more I read) how I think about designing the systems I've been setting up for the last 17 years.

I am so glad I have this tool.

Peter Thompson- Thunder Audio Inc. Detroit MI

A fully documented definition (devoid of marketing mumbo jumbo) of a technical and creative engineering discipline. A reference tome for present day and future generation artisans of presenting PA and varied other sound systems. An enigmatic attempt to detail (overly done) measuring to create awareness without judgment in what can be a objective industry.

If you have been searching for a concise source explaining today's concert speaker array systems and its associated control technology this text will fill the bill. Although not an easy (nor lite) read, this is one of the best written subject focused texts that I had the pleasure to read (and re-read) in a number of years. Exceptional diagrams and charts.

Bill K - Sound Management Inc.