Fall Reading List
With the weather cooling down, I added three audio focused books that you might want to dive into while cozying up with a warm drink.
Immersive Sound
The Art and Science of Binaural and Multi-Channel Audio
Edited By Agnieszka Roginska and Paul Geluso
Publisher Book Description:
“Immersive Sound: The Art and Science of Binaural and Multi-Channel Audio provides a comprehensive guide to multi-channel sound. With contributions from leading recording engineers, researchers, and industry experts, Immersive Sound includes an in-depth description of the physics and psychoacoustics of spatial audio as well as practical applications. Chapters include the history of 3D sound, binaural reproduction over headphones and loudspeakers, stereo, surround sound, height channels, object-based audio, soundfield (ambisonics), wavefield synthesis, and multi-channel mixing techniques. Knowledge of the development, theory, and practice of spatial and multi-channel sound is essential to those advancing the research and applications in the rapidly evolving fields of 3D sound recording, augmented and virtual reality, gaming, film sound, music production, and post-production”.
I recommend this book if you have any interest at all in immersive audio. The editors were both my professors at NYU and are some of the top experts in the field.
By Leslie Gaston-Bird
Publisher Book Description:
“Women in Audio features almost 100 profiles and stories of audio engineers who are women and have achieved success throughout the history of the trade. Beginning with a historical view, the book covers the achievements of women in various audio professions and then focuses on organizations that support and train women and girls in the industry. What follows are eight chapters divided by discipline, highlighting accomplished women in various audio fields: radio; sound for film and television; music recording and electronic music; hardware and software design; acoustics; live sound and sound for theater; education; audio for games, virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality, as well as immersive sound”.
This should be included on everyone’s bookshelf as a history book that highlights some incredible pioneers in the audio industry.
Al Schmitt
Publisher Book Description:
“In this memoir of one of the most respected engineers of all time, you'll discover how a very young boy – mentored by his uncle Harry – progressed through the recording world in its infancy and, under the tutelage of legendary engineer and producer Tom Dowd in his heyday, became one of the all-time great recording engineers. Today, Schmitt continues as an unstoppable force at the top of the recording world, with his name on megahits from the likes of Paul McCartney to Diana Krall to Bob Dylan. His credits include a veritable who's who of the music world.
Reading the compelling accounts of Schmitt's life in the studio, you'll see how he has been able to stay at the top of his game since the 1950s, and you'll experience what it was like behind the scenes and in the studio during many of his historic, impactful recordings. Schmitt also shares many of the recording techniques and creative approaches that have set him apart, including his use of microphones, effects, and processors, and the setup diagrams from many of his highly lauded recording sessions”.
Al Schmitt was an absolute legend both in and out the studio. This book is an opportunity to learn about his incredible journey while also getting some insight about some of his most iconic sessions.
