The Expert Encyclopedia of Recording

Rating:
Summary: A practical guide to the art and career of recording
Review: The Expert Encyclopedia Of Recording by musician, author and journalist Rick Clark is an expertly thorough and practical guide to the art and career of recording. Drawn from in-depth research with accomplished engineers, producers, and artists, The Expert Encyclopedia Of Recording is a direct and straightforward account covering everything from dynamic signal processing to production sickness to surround sound recording mixing and vocals. The Encyclopedia Of Recording is very highly recommended reading for anyone considering a career in the sound technology industry.

Rating:
Summary: Great intro to the innards of hi-pro audio
Review: This book is loaded with tips on how to achieve things most of us (especially those with personal studios in our bedrooms or basements) may not have thought of. Some of the stuff is pretty subtle, and trained and experienced ears are necessary to grasp the concepts and their execution/realization. But even the very advanced stuff whets the appetite, and sets you up to begin learning more, and pretty fast.

There are basically 24 chapters, covering all phases and aspects of studio recording and production - from tracking through mixing right up to and including mastering. The chapters are organized alphabetically (rather than chronologically).

Most of the interviews are pretty darn good, and are either useful, inspiring, or both. The interviewees are very knowledgeable and well spoken, and usually don't succumb too much to industry "jargonese". One of the neatest things is when they tell you what microphones are good for what, as well as what kind of compressors and consoles they prefer, and why. Much of the hardware discussed is somewhat out of the price range for the average home recordist; instead the book gives you a feel for what it would be like to take your project into a professional studio, rather than trying to do it all yourself.

One beef I have is the so-called Appendix 1 (hey, guys, there's only one appendix here!), which is almost 100 pages of album credits by the numerous interviewees. Then again, if you're searching for the perfect producer, engineer, etc. to record your act, and people of this caliber are what you want, this information could prove to be indispensable for the furtherance of your project.

Rating:
Summary: For the Pros in the room
Review: While the book is an invaluable resource for people thinking of going into studio recording, it is vastly too sophisticated for the amateur home recording studio. If you are just beginning recording DON'T BUY THIS BOOK, it will be over your head. The name would suggest that it would be an "Encyclopedia" of information, but rather it is a book based on interviews with top producers and technicians. One should pay close attention to the word "Expert" in the title, because that is the intended audience.