Acoustics & Sound Books

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession

Daniel J. Levitin

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Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Reference -> General
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Reference -> General AAS
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Theory, Composition & Performance -> Theory

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 108 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

In this groundbreaking union of art and science, rocker-turned-neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin explores the connection between music—its performance, its composition, how we listen to it, why we enjoy it—and the human brain. Drawing on the latest research and on musical examples ranging from Mozart to Duke Ellington to Van Halen, Levitin reveals:
• How composers produce some of the most pleasurable effects of listening to music by exploiting the way our brains make sense of the world
• Why we are so emotionally attached to the music we listened to as teenagers, whether it was Fleetwood Mac, U2, or Dr. Dre
• That practice, rather than talent, is the driving force behind musical expertise
• How those insidious little jingles (called earworms) get stuck in our heads

And, taking on prominent thinkers who argue that music is nothing more than an evolutionary accident, Levitin argues that music is fundamental to our species, perhaps even more so than language. This Is Your Brain on Music is an unprecedented, eye-opening investigation into an obsession at the heart of human nature.

The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature

Daniel J. Levitin

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Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> History & Criticism
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Theory, Composition & Performance -> Appreciation
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The author of the New York Times bestseller and Los Angeles Times Book Award Finalist This Is Your Brain on Music tunes us in to six evolutionary musical forms that brought about the evolution of human culture.

An unprecedented blend of science and art, Daniel Levitin's debut, This Is Your Brain on Music, delighted readers with an exuberant guide to the neural impulses behind those songs that make our heart swell. Now he showcases his daring theory of "six songs," illuminating how the brain evolved to play and listen to music in six fundamental forms—for knowledge, friendship, religion, joy, comfort, and love. Preserving the emotional history of our lives and of our species, from its very beginning music was also allied to dance, as the structure of the brain confirms; developing this neurological observation, Levitin shows how music and dance enabled the social bonding and friendship necessary for human culture and society to evolve.

Blending cutting-edge scientific findings with his own sometimes hilarious experiences as a musician and music-industry professional, Levitin's sweeping study also incorporates wisdom gleaned from interviews with icons ranging from Sting and Paul Simon to Joni Mitchell, and David Byrne, along with classical musicians and conductors, historians, anthropologists, and evolutionary biologists. The result is a brilliant revelation of the prehistoric yet elegant systems at play when we sing and dance at a wedding or cheer at a concert—or tune out quietly with an iPod.

iPod & iTunes for Dummies

Tony Bove, Cheryl Rhodes

List Price: $16.99 By: For Dummies Amazon Marketplace: 20 new & used starting at $1.68

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Music -> iPods
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Music -> iTunes
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Hardware -> Macs

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Discover iPod’s hidden talents – the calendar and alarm!

Configure your iPod, load it with iTunes, keep it legal, and let the music play

Once you discover all it can do, your iPod will never leave your side. Here’s your guide to setting up your iPod, loading it with songs (legally), managing your music files, fiddling with sound quality, even using the alarm, calendar, and games. Plus, you get tips for shopping at Apple’s cool iTunes music store!

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Discover how to:

• Rearrange, repeat, or skip tracks
• Stay legal when sharing music
• Search, browse, and sort songs
• Reset or update your iPod
• Create on-the-go playlists

Use iPod’s data player features

Critical Listening Skills for Audio Professionals

F. Alton Everest

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Music -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Digital Music -> General AAS
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Recording & Sound

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Audio productions are made or broken by the quality of the recording engineer's ears. The ability to properly discern sounds, identify subtle problems, and act accordingly to apply the necessary fix makes all the difference in the quality of the final tracks and master. The good news is that these crucial skills can be learned. The ability to instantly identify frequencies, hear hidden distortions, and instinctively reconcile conflicts in the EQ of instruments, audio elements, vocals and more are traits of those who have mastered the art of audio production. The best engineers have trained their ears to immediately recognize audio problems that the consumer and those new to recording arts would likely not hear, but that, if left unresolved, would result in an amateurish final product. For more than two decades, students of F. Alton Everest's Critical Listening and Auditory Perception courses have rapidly developed these skills by using the intense lessons found in this book and on the CD. Unfortunately the books and CDs included with the course were usually too expensive for aspiring engineers to purchase and were often available only in colleges, universities, or school libraries. Now for the first time these indispensable training sessions are available with this release of Critical Listening Skills for Audio Professionals. Through hundreds of illustrations and an accompanying disc containing high-resolution MP3 files with nearly five hours of narration of the entire course, you can acquire the audio discernment skills of a seasoned recording engineer by studying this course at your own pace, in your own home.

Mastering Audio, Second Edition: The art and the science

Bob Katz

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Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Recording & Sound
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> General
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Written by an award winning, highly respected professional, Mastering Audio gives you a thorough introduction to the unique procedures and technical issues involved in mastering.

Suitable for all levels of students and professionals, it is ideal for anyone who wants to increase their mastery of digital and analog audio: musicians, producers, A&R, mastering, recording and mixing engineers.

Fully updated to cover the latest technologies, Mastering Audio discusses audio philosophy and art: sequencing, leveling, processing; how to make a record album radio-ready; mixing as it reltes to mstering. Divided into 5 parts, the book begins with the basics - monitoring, mastering techniques, useful tutorials and the fundamentals of dithering and decibels and moves on to more advanced concepts - jitter and clocking, monitor collaboration as well as multi channel audio, miking and acoustics. Leading-edge audio concepts are explained in an easy-to-grasp holistic style.

Including practical tips and real world experiences, Bob Katz explains the technical detail of the subject in his informative and humorous style.

* Written by a well respected engineer who has engineered albums which have won the Grammy
* Provides you with information on the latest techniques and processes used in mastering
* Covers equipment, training and the business of mastering and answers all the frequently asked questions

The Sound Reinforcement Handbook

Amazon Price: $23.07 List Price: $34.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Yamaha - Model: 500964 Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $14.00

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Features:

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Recording & Sound
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Theory, Composition & Performance -> Techniques
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 50 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

do not buy this book, it is old and provides no recent technological info 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

the book is old, second printing 20 years ago and that is a lifetime in these digital technological days.
it presents info that will always be valid but it does not integrate it with newer technologies.
do not waste your money.

The definitive resource, not dated - more like learning painting from an old master 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This was, is, and will be the definitive live sound guide. Take it from MANY professionals. I studied music and this was what was recommended for live sound reinforcement and funny enough when I checked recently - it still is. So never mind the "these digital times" review - this is indeed like learning an art from a master with timeless and always-pertinent concepts useful to those who know this and use this powerful material. The concepts are solid and still pertinent. If you want to learn how to use modern digital equipment specifically and ignore that the concepts in this book can be applied since the acoustics and challenges of live sound remain relatively unchanged, read the manuals that came with the digital equipment. Then read this book to REALLY learn how to do more with whatever you have.

Editorial Review:

Sound reinforcement is the use of audio amplification systems. This book is the first and only book of its kind to cover all aspects of designing and using such systems for public address and musical performance. The book features information on both the audio theory involved and the practical applications of that theory, explaining everything from microphones to loudspeakers. This revised edition features almost 40 new pages and is even easier to follow with the addition of an index and a simplified page and chapter numbering system. New topics covered include: MIDI, Synchronization, and an Appendix on Logarithms. 416 Pages.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Recording with Cubase (Complete Idiot's Guide to)

Michael Miller

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> General AAS
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Recording & Sound

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

excellent teaching 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is my first "complete idiot" book, and I'm very impressed. To be honest, for years I've avoided these books simply because of the name. I'm not real thrilled to have a book with such a title on my bookshelf. But anyhow, I'm most of the way through this book, and it's been a tremendous help both as a "read it from beginning to end" type of book, as well as a reference.

What I like best about the book is that unlike some of the other dreadful books and training videos on music packages that I've encountered recently, this one actually focuses on the making of music, not just repetitively going through each and every feature in the pulldowns. The book starts off by going through how to set up your equipment. Then how to do an audio recording in cubase. Then it talks about how to record in MIDI and usual virtual instruments. It also goes into editing in MIDI, mixing, and finally how to do some authoring.

Excellent, excellent book. I highly recommend it.

Editorial Review:

Mix-mastery is just a few clicks away.

This guide offers a step-by-step, practical approach to mixing, recording, and mastering tracks with the Cubase digital-audio recording, sequencing, and mixing software program. From configuring the program for both audio and MIDI recording, to editing and adding process effects and equalization, to creating drum tracks and loop-based recordings, this essential resource will help musicians stay in key.
• More than 1.5 million users of Cubase worldwide
• One of the first books on the new Cubase SX version 4.0
• For users of all 3 Cubase versions: SX (full-featured version), SL (mid-level version), and SE (budget version)
• For musicians recording with Cubase in both home and professional recording studios

Harmonograph: A Visual Guide to the Mathematics of Music (Wooden Books)

Anthony Ashton

Amazon Price: $9.60 List Price: $12.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Walker & Company Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $6.66

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Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Reference -> General
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Reference -> General AAS
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Professional Science -> Mathematics -> Applied -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

huh ??? 1 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

After about 5 pages into this thing I found myslelf becoming more and more baffled, as the author continually threw out various terminology with no explanation of it. I kept at it for a while and it didn't get any better. He has all sorts of drawings and diagrams, but again -- he does not define his terms or even give you a clue as to where find any definitions. If the book had a glossary this would be marginally tolerable, but it doesn't and it isn't. This is too bad, because the topic is fascinating and the author is obviously very knowlegeable. Unfortunately he seems incapable of sharing this knowlege with the reader.

Editorial Review:

During the nineteenth century, a remarkable scientific instrument known as a harmonograph revealed the beautiful patterns found in music. Harmonograph is an introduction to the evolution of simple harmonic theory, from the discoveries of Pythagoras to diatonic tuning and equal temperament. Beautiful drawings show the octave as triangle, the fifth as pentagram; diagrams show the principles of harmonics, overtones, and the monochord. Anthony Ashton examines the phenomenon of resonance in Chladni patterns, describes how to build a harmonograph of your own, and provides tables of world tuning systems. This inspiring book will appeal to musicians, mathematicians, designers, and artists alike.

Home Recording for Musicians for Dummies

Jeff Strong

List Price: $21.99 By: For Dummies Amazon Marketplace: 13 new & used starting at $10.41

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Home Computing -> Internet -> General AAS
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Computer Science -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Computer Science -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The best begginer recording book ever... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have used dummies books for just about everything I need to learn about that I don't already know. They have always been found to be helpful and full of information that I would have otherwise either not understood or had no clue about.
I have been messing around with recording myself for quite some time. I recently purchased Cakewalk Sonar Producer edition for my laptop to do some home recording for a demo I am producing. I purchased the venerable Power Books on the subject, as well as used the online Help. All of which are fine for the program, but if you really want to learn what it takes to record a great sound, you need this book. It covers all the topics, in a simple, straight forward way, for an amateur musician to understand all the concepts, hardware and processes involved in getting that great sound out of your hard work. There is no frustration here trying to figure out what it all means. No lengthy babbling about what, how and why.
If your a pro, well, Dummies books certainly aren't for you unless you need a reference, however, if you just simply want to learn how to do it, this is the book for you.
With all that being said, I have already cut three songs that I previously recorded without using this book and the sound is light years ahead of my original recordings.
If you are going to school to study Sound or Sound reinforcement, then reading this book will give you a hedge in your classes.
Stop trying to do it yourself without learning the basics and get this book. It will save you a lot of frustration and time and have you produce that sound you've always been looking for!

Editorial Review:

This friendly guide covers the essentials a first-time recording engineer needs to know about setting up and operating a home or project recording studio. Home Recording For Musicians For Dummies hits all the major topics including choosing the right device for your project, building a studio space, operating your recording equipment, using MIDI technology, choosing and using the right microphones, getting great sounds on the recording, editing, mixing, adding sound effects, and sharing it with others via CD or the Internet. This up-to-date resource covers the latest technologies that the older books don't explain, including the latest PC-based recording software and standalone recording devices.

Dance Music Manual, Second Edition: Tools. toys and techniques

Rick Snoman

Amazon Price: $26.37 List Price: $39.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Focal Press Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $25.03

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Subjects -> Entertainment -> Movies -> Video -> Technical
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Recording & Sound
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Theory, Composition & Performance -> MIDI, Mixers, etc.

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

So you want to learn the ins and outs of creating dance music and looking to improve your production? Then this book is just for you. No matter what genre you are interested in- trance, techno, garage, chill out, house or what tool you are working with- Abelton, Reason, Reaktor or Absynth, Snowman covers every aspect of dance music production- from sound design, compression and effects to mixing and mastering to help you improve your music. No matter what you level of experience the Dance Music Manual is packed with sound advice, techniques and practical tips to help you achieve professional results.

The CD provides demo tracks showing what can be achieved when applying the advice contained in the book, including examples of the quality difference before and after mixing and mastering. The CD also contains free software demos for you to download.

For even more advice and resources, check out the book?s official website www.dancemusicproduction.com

* Covers every aspect of music production, enables you to achieve professional results using any music software
* CD includes MIDI files, samples and example tracks, shows you what you can achieve when applying the techniques discussed in the book
* Rick Snowman has remixed for high-profile artists including Madonna, Moby and Massive Attack, learn from one of the best in the field