Rating: 
Summary: if you want a deeper understanding of audio
Review: and a deeper respect for mastering engineers then READ THIS BOOK. this book walks you through the disecting audio to different types of audio. it takes you from handing over your mix to the mastering engineer to what it's going to sound like once it hits the shelf. it's not really a "how to" book. it's a "why you need a qualified mastering engineer" book. don't think you're going to master like bob by the time you read this book.... honestly to really understand what's going on you're probably going to have to read the book more than once. it's a deep book, giving you deep understanding of "the art and science of mastering audio."
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Summary: The mastering engineers bible.
Review: Everyone will learn something from this book. People with childs tape recorders or $10,000 digital studios will learn something in this book that will make their mixes sound better. Bob Katz is a genious! This book is very well put together. I like the way its organized, and I love how detailed it can get. Of course, for you simple people, Bob does a great job of summing up the basics to. For the first time lately, I can listen to a mix of my band and say, wow, that actually sounds real! Rather than..ouch. I owe it all to Bob Katz. Dont even think about touching another fader until you read this book! It has many examples and graphs, and helpful tips. It covers many aspects of masterings and also the gear many engineers use. This book goes through many real life examples as well, which really come in handy. It also descirbes many things NOT to do, which I find very very helpful. Anyway, whether your running a Tascam tape deck, a yamaha 16G, own Wavelab, or nothing at all, this book will help you in many ways. Its worth more than I paid for it :-)!
Rating: 
Summary: This has it all
Review: Finally a book that answers all those weird little technical questions about digital audio that you've always wondered about. Obstensibly it is a book about the art of mastering audio. Bob shows you what tools the pros use and how they use them. It also doubles as a guide to mix enginners on how to prepare a mix for mastering. It does a superb job in that regard as well. What I find most impressive is his knowledge of the technical aspects of digital audio and his ability to explain them, and debunk any myths, in plain english. The only fault I can find in it is that the second half looses focus and is more a collection of articles, previously available on the web, than any coherent instruction. Otherwise this book has valuable information for anyone working with digital audio. I highly recommend it.
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Summary: Excellent !!!!
Review: From the moment I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down. It is filled with so much great stuff, and is really well written by someone who loves his craft, and has obviously mastered the art and the science of processing audio. This book goes beyond the process of mastering, there is a lot of indispensable information about various aspects of sound.
Today many musicians are able to record and produce their own music, thanks to accessibility of technology. This book will reveal to anyone who wants to learn how to do that right.
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Summary: Stay away from it if you are looking for hard-and-fast rules
Review: I bought this book after reading many good reviews. After reading it, I would say that it is indeed a very interesting book, there are a lot of "obscure areas" that the author dares to tackle, with a remarkable "scientific" approach.BUT, before you buy this book...It's not a "funny" reading, you should get this book if you are already familiar with all the technical subjects covered, the author seems to assume a certain previous knowledge, otherwise you won't go past chapter 1. AND, for all of you cookbook lovers, forget it, you are not bound to find those here. That being said, I have it, and I like it. I'll probably re read it sometime in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Stay away from it if you are looking for hard-and-fast rules
Review: I bought this book after reading many good reviews. After reading it, I would say that it is indeed a very interesting book, there are a lot of "obscure areas" that the author dares to tackle, with a remarkable "scientific" approach. BUT, before you buy this book...It's not a "funny" reading, you should get this book if you are already familiar with all the technical subjects covered, the author seems to assume a certain previous knowledge, otherwise you won't go past chapter 1. AND, for all of you cookbook lovers, forget it, you are not bound to find those here. That being said, I have it, and I like it. I'll probably re read it sometime in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Difficult to understand..
Review: I relied upon the several positive reviews on this book but I was a bit disappointed. Yes, the book does have an incredible amount of information. It does explain very thoroughly all the concepts, acronyms and just about everything else. The only problem here is it's almost too much. I purchased this book with the intention of learning how to master properly by using a compressor effectively, making my mix punchier, etc. This book talks about all of those things but in such a round-about way that it's far from a step-by-step guide to mastering. This is more of the history of mastering, how it has changed in the studio, and how you need to be extremely technically proficient to really even follow what he's saying half the time. For example, he breaks out into a long discussion comparing mastering on 24-bit versus 16-bit and how you need to account for differences mathematically, how changing the sampling rate from 48khz to 44.1Khz needs to be corrected,e tc. These are all very valid and useful things to know but I was not able to find any step-by-step tutorials. The reason why they don't exist here is because the author does not believe there is any one approach to mastering, and that there is no magical formula. I can understand that too, but I need something to point me in the right direction. For example, if he told me that cutting ##Hz frequencies and boosting ##Khz frequencies typically provide a "punchy" mix, at least I would have a reference point for what he's talking about. There is simply no such thing here. Maybe I'm asking too much but I really would have liked to have a CD-ROM with examples and explanations of the various tweaks he talks about. Overall, this is a good book, but far from a "Mastering For Dummies" type of book.
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Summary: Quality, Quality, Quality
Review: I've acquired many books about audio over the years, but this book is definitely in my top five list. I would recommend this book to any hobbyist or professional, without hesitation. The author addresses his subject with enthusiasm, clarity, and balance. What strikes me the most about this book is its emphasis on quality. Everything, from the book's design, to the writing itself, to the principles engendered, is high quality. Too many books are thrown together (it seems to me) using a combination of notes, spec sheets, opinions, and other miscellany, without proper regard for overall cohesiveness, comprehensiveness, and quality. The results are far too often mediocre. This book, "Mastering Audio" by Bob Katz is an example of a high quality effort, attention to detail, and a passion for the subject matter. This author did not settle for writing a mediocre book. After I bought it and read, I felt I got more than my money's worth! The book achieves a nice balance between theory and practice, though it is mostly about practice. The color plates, diagrams, pictures, etc, are very enjoyable and instructive. Again, quality seems to be at the heart of this work. (I can't see this guy doing anything in a mediocre way, whether it is recording, mastering, or writing. I'd love to tour his recording studio and watch him at work work). The other thing I like is the writing style, the sense of humor, and the straightforward manner the author has. He cuts through a lot of cruft and says things lucidly without pretention. The book is peppered with interesting tidbits, facts, observations, and principles, called out in side-boxes, etc. The author stresses the need for education (in this area and related areas). This is a welcome message, and something I agree with strongly, whether you're mainly a listener, a performer, or an engineer. I have many books on my shelf, but there are a few that I consider "a cut above". This book is one of those books. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Mastering Audio...
Review: If you buy this book and reread it 4 times, you'll come out better of than buying 5 separate books about mastering. Mastering is a true art and if some book tells you exactly how and where to apply your "enhancements" to improve your sound, avoid it. I've been mastering on the cheap with just a "sound forge" mastering software with a 16bit computer. Working off of old tapes from all the bands I've been in, it's been a pretty steep learning curve mastering these tapes to cd. This book is good as a reference, what you're looking for is easy to find. Dither, wordlengh, editing, compression, reverb and all that other stuff is explained well and provides for deeper understanding when reread. I've got my money's worth and am still learning from it.
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Summary: REALLY GOOD!!!
Review: This book is really one of the best on the subject. It may be a little complicated if you don't have background in digital music because all the terms involved, but other than that it's a masterpiece. This book for sure will also be a reference manual for me, not because it's formatted like one, but because it has so many valuable pieces of information. The constant references to further chapters kinda drives you crazy and tempts you to jump to those chapters. All the information is so exciting, I read more than 100 pages non stop... If you're into details and want to learn a few well kept secrets this book is what you should have by your side on your next mastering session.
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