Customer Reviews:
 Good but some problems August 7, 2007
N. D. Southwell (England, UK)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I bought this book a few weeks ago expecting that it would have been substantially updated since the previous edition that I also own. This was not the case though. In particular, as I have now got to the stage when I have a few tracks finished, I was interested in the recommended websites for MP3 hosting and Cd distribution, but none of the links seem to work and several of the recommended sites (Ampcast.com, iuma.com, vitaminic.com)seem to have closed down a long time ago. One even has a closure notice dated 2005! This was a big disapointment to me as I only bought the new edition in the hope of getting more up-to-date information.
Other than this annoyance, the book is just as good as the older edition, and I have found it very informative, and helpful. I particularly like the fact that although much of the focus is on DAW computer software recording, Studio In A Box (SIAB) based studios are praised and explained well (though once again the list and descriptions of popular models seems very out-of-date). I use a Boss BR600 (see my review elsewhere on Amazon) and find that although it is not specifically mentioned in this book, most of the recording, mixing and mastering principles explained are very relevant.
Descriptions and explanations about microphones, mixers, effects, eq, etc. are excellent. Oddly, studio monitor speakers are only superficially explained, and I could have done with some more information and advice about monitors when I was trying to decide which ones to buy. In the end I chose largely by guess work, but seem to have done alright on my very low budget as I bought Behringer MS20 monitors through Amazon (see my review elsewhere on Amazon).
If you are new to home recording, or are muddling along using only the instructions/help that came with your recording software/equipment/SIAB, and some magazine articles, or like me you are struggling with the transition from analogue to digital, I am sure that this book, will be very useful to you.
In fairness, this edition was published in 2005, but the speed with which products, software and internet information changes these days requires a faster response from publishers who should keep a record of described products and services to be regularly checked and updated. Smaller but more frequent print runs, or on demand printing are the answers to this problem, and some publishers are embracing such an approach. I really hope that when/if there is a 3rd edition, the product and web information is substantially updated. Overall it is still a good book, but it has temporal problems.
 Highly recommended January 3, 2007
Mulberry (Yorkshire)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
A wonderfully clear and practical guide to making the most of your home recording and getting the best possible result. It is suitable for complete novices, like myself (I didn't have a clue about different sorts of mics, nor know what EQ or compression was, I just wanted to know why my recording of my violin sounded like a particularly nasty saw grating). On the other hand, I wouldn't call it superficial either. I particularly like the way the book starts with an overview of all the steps to go through until the finished product is achieved, and only then goes through each of the steps in detail. This is great for the beginner, but you can always skip it if that is known to you. For me it helped both keep in mind the process as whole and its ultimate aim, as well as clarify why I was being asked to learn something hideously technical I didn't really want to bother with. In short, I didn't lose sight of the wood for the trees. (Oh, and the violin actually sounds like a violin now, although I have still to get to grips with adjusting the EQ for it to improve it still more. I am currently studying that chapter).
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