Professional Microphone Techniques

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Summary: Professional Microphone Techniques
Review: Huber's "Professional Microphone Techniques" is a priceless guide to the world of professional recording with microphones. The book includes set-ups for concert miking, instrument miking (in fact, it has illustrations and multiple configurations for each instrument), and miking for vocals. As if the background and easy to follow illustrations weren't enough, a CD is included with about an hour of examples of different miking techniques. This is one of the best guides I have found to the world of professional miking. A very well written book and an intriguing easy-to-follow writing style make this a must-have for anyone into the world of recording.

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Summary: Professional? I expected more.
Review: I expected more from a book titled "Professional Microphone Techiques". This book would be usefull for someone just starting to record music, but if you have even a modest level of experience with mics and mic techniques don't look here for any insights. Topics include basic mic types, 3:1 rule, prox effect, freq. response, an almost too expansive list of suggested mic positions of various insturments, eq suggestions, basic compression uses. CD included with the book is a nice touch.

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Summary: nothingreally's review is misleading
Review: I have not yet bought this book, yet a cursory look through some key pages via the "search inside this book" feature reveals that pretty much all of the claims made in nothingreally's negative review are false. I just wanted to urge those of you who are interested in this book, but are turned off by such negative reviews, to use the "search inside" feature and see for yourself.

For example:
1) The advice is much more deep and varied than "6-8 inches, perhaps more." Look at the section for acoustic guitar, for instance. There are miking positions described all over the guitar, even under it and behind it.
2) There is plenty of information to suggest why to use one position over another. In the previous example, the book describes the effect every position has on the quality of the sound, noise pickup, and sometimes even the effect on the performer.
3) It's true there's no examples of records that use particular approaches (how is the author supposed to know this, anyway?), but nothingreally must have missed the CD that comes supplied with the book which demonstrates every single example position described in the book. Not only do you get examples of the sounds, but this emphasizes point number 2 by letting you decide which position would work for you.
4) The examples given are not presented as the only options, and the book constantly urges the reader to experiment and try variations. Guidance for variations is presented not only along with the instruments, but also in the form of basics and fundamental guideline chapters.
5) There is more than one paragraph for the bass. In fact, about a page for the acoustic (upright) bass, and a litle over a page including a diagram for the electric bass (ie, miking the amp plus DI). One can also go to the electric guitar section for more amp miking advice.
6) And guess what, the hammered dulcimer section does *not* suggest to put the mic 6-8 inches in front of it. Go see for yourself.

This was all easily verified by actually looking at the book for a few minutes. I urge every other interested amazon customer to do the same, and to all but ignore nothingreally's misleading review.

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Summary: Fantastic...
Review: I've been a musician for years and decided it would be interesting to be on the other side of the glass for a change. Use this book as a general guide...not a bible. As most pro studios will tell you...ultimately you do whatever it takes to get a great recording. Almost every studio uses the techniques used in this book.

If you are serious about recording you should read as many recording books as you can...then practice, practice, practice. Add this book to your library, but get others such as the mixing engineer's handbook, studio drummer survival guide, etc...

Good luck and happy recording...

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Summary: One of the best to learn!
Review: Is a very good book. That is what wizard made. The book give you a solid foundation. If you want to learn fast, then this is the book for you! Of course, if you want to come in deep more, included studio and live recording, synthesizer programming, mac & pc recording softwares, how to eq effexts and mastering, designing your CD covert, making your video clip, o just promoting, copyright, publishing, biggest resource and so on, try to buy "Music Technology & Live Sound" plus "Music Marketing", a pair of cheap books bilingüal (spanish and english)...I use this 3 books a lot. You must read its!!!

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Summary: Almost no valuable information
Review: The "ultimate guide"?
Hardly.
One could summarize all the advice in this book with one sentence "put a microphone 6-8" in front of it; or perhaps further away".
No attempt is made to suggest, for example, why one might choose one offered position over another. No attempt is made to explain different techniques for different styles of music and recording. And most important, no attribution is given as to what record we might turn to for example of a particular approach. It's as if the examples given are the only options; and choosing between those options is unimportant, as no guidance is offered.
It's hard to believe anyone gains anything he didn't already know from this book.
Perhaps more than a paragraph on bass would be useful instead of endless pages of instruments ("put a microphone 6-8" in front of it") that one might encounter once every 10 years. And if I did encounter a hammered dulcimer, for example? I'd probably make a guess on my own and put a microphone 6-8" in front of it.

Rating:
Summary: Almost no valuable information
Review: The "ultimate guide"?
Hardly.
One could summarize all the advice in this book with one sentence "put a microphone 6-8" in front of it; or perhaps further away".
No attempt is made to suggest, for example, why one might choose one offered position over another. No attempt is made to explain different techniques for different styles of music and recording. And most important, no attribution is given as to what record we might turn to for example of a particular approach. It's as if the examples given are the only options; and choosing between those options is unimportant, as no guidance is offered.
It's hard to believe anyone gains anything he didn't already know from this book.
Perhaps more than a paragraph on bass would be useful instead of endless pages of instruments ("put a microphone 6-8" in front of it") that one might encounter once every 10 years. And if I did encounter a hammered dulcimer, for example? I'd probably make a guess on my own and put a microphone 6-8" in front of it.

Rating:
Summary: nice
Review: This is a nice book .. i expected more pictures .. but after all , this is a nice book .

This book book cover a large range of instruments and there are lots of good tips in the EQ. Chapter .

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Summary: Great reference on mic techniques, as has a CD!
Review: Who would think a book on mics would be a page-turner? But this one was. It has a clear and unaffected style. The book covers both professional and affordable (my kind) mics, describing the attributes, pros and cons of different types, and techniques of placement to get a desired effect. The CD that comes with it demonstrates different mics and mic placements on a number of different instruments. A valuable reference for anybody who records.