- ISBN13: 9780240811345
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
Whether you have a ton of equipment or just the basic gear this book offers an all you need to know to setting up, running and getting great sound from a project studio. In three parts Harris walks you thought Acoustics, Equipment and Recording Technique. From the basics of acoustic treatment to techniques to solve problems specific to your room, and from offering explanations and information of equipment to how to record and create a great mix. In no time you’ll be… More >>
Home Studio Setup: Everything You Need to Know from Equipment to Acoustics
Tags: acoustic treatment, acoustics, Equipment, Everything, explanations, from, Home, Know, Need, remainder mark, Setup, Studio
#1 by R. Langdon on April 21, 2010 - 12:27 am
I found this book very useful with many valid tips for setting up a home studio …
- Scriptor
Rating: 4 / 5
#2 by BeforeISleep.net on April 21, 2010 - 1:38 am
I have been interested in putting together a simple home recording studio for several years, and so I was very pleased to see that this book was available. After reading the whole thing (and skimming the parts that were not directly applicable to my situation), I can say that the book has definitely given me a lot of very good guidelines about how to set up my studio. The only criticism I have is that there is SO much information in the book, it seems like some concepts are dealt with a bit too quickly. It’s clear the author has a lifetime of experience dealing with studio recording, and the book is written in a casual tone so that reading it is like hanging out with this guy and having him tell you a little bit about everything he knows. You will get a ton of information, some of it more useful to you than others, and some of it a little too complicated to fully grasp the first time through.
That said, after reading the book, I now know the basics, and I am far more aware of how important the acoustics of my room are to producing a good sound. I’m still a little unclear on some of the more nuanced aspects of how to mix and whatnot, but there are other books that can go into more detail on that. This book is kind of like an introductory class at a university. You get a lot of broad information about a lot of topics, and then armed with this knowledge, you can move on to take more specialized classes in the things that you want more instruction on.
Overall, I recommend this book to people who want to put together a home studio but don’t know where to start.
Rating: 4 / 5
#3 by javajunki on April 21, 2010 - 1:44 am
Home recording has always been an interest in this household but – to be blunt – we’ve lost track of all the new technology and more closely resemble our grandparents than we would like to admit. Not wanting to spend more than necessary but still wanting a way to get up to date and set-up a more up to date home studio, I jumped at the opportunity to grab this book when it was presented.
It is everything claimed! Easy to read yet detailed enough that you can start shopping for exactly what you need without worry about spending money on things you really wont use. Better yet, the background information provides sufficient discussion about sound quality, interpretation and even how the ear works in order to understand the impact of your decisionmaking process. Enough technical coverage for those inclined to do things ‘by the numbers’ while still providing enough general conversation for those that are more artistically inclined.
Best of all, the writing style is conversational yet informative. Following this will yield very pleasing results across a wide variety of budgets. Alternatives are mentioned on a regular basis so you can make informed trade-offs when it comes to cost. Exceptionally well pleased!
Rating: 5 / 5
#4 by Lawrence A. Schenbeck on April 21, 2010 - 3:10 am
For this review I have relied on my spouse, Dr. Lyn Schenbeck, who has spent many years in the music industry and in educational settings that prepare students for its business and technology demands. She writes:
Home Studio Setup is a convenient, handbook-style DIY summary of how to set up a home studio. After a basic section about acoustics that is simple, concise, very accurate, and easy to understand, Harris takes a step-by-step approach to recording studio creation. If you follow his directions in order, you will be able to build your own studio. Anyone from a high-school student to older adult can follow his directions. Of course, for obvious reasons he does not mention the equipment costs involved. It is an excellent handbook for someone who would like a nuts and bolts approach.
Rating: 5 / 5
#5 by D. P. Schroeder on April 21, 2010 - 3:55 am
I wish I could give the book 3.5 stars because what actually IS covered generally is covered quite well: for instance, the entire section on acoustics (not to mention the helpful acoustical tidbits peppering the lessons along the way) is fabulously done. I took a college-level course in Acoustical Physics, and this book offers NO misinformation. Well done!
However, I spend my time as a private music teacher and professional free-lance performer who teaches a variety of percussion instruments, want to get into recording myself playing numerous percussion instruments, and desire to create a decent home-setup where I can record students’ audition/demo pieces. I can envision that a large number of people purchasing this book are instrumental musicians who don’t play in a band. If you are one of these people, this book is probably going to leave you with a LOT of unanswered questions as it did me.
A big surprise is that the author suggests a number of micing techniques, as well as very generally pointing out what types of microphones (dynamic, ribbon, condenser…) work best for what general instrument groups (mainly in one chart on one page), but he offers very little in tangible tips on micing techniques that don’t involve, say, voice or acoustic guitar or drum kit, and even on those, the information is pretty thin, suggesting essentially that you need to experiment. True, but it would be nice to have some solid reference points and tips to start with. Does the author have no experience to offer in recording instruments other than rock/jazz bands? Why not even a few tips on recording acoustic piano? Euphonium? Flute? Should I choose ribbon mics, dynamics, or condensers (or a combination of several) to record that incredibly complex acoustic beast called the marimba? Timpani? Even in just my world of “percussion,” there’s a lot more going on than just the drum kit. Huge gaps here.
Another big annoyance are the constant references to his pretty spare website. I’ve spent a lot of time on the site, and I really haven’t found much that is helpful. The site simply looks as though it is at the early stages of being “in process.” Since it’s clearly supposed to be an equal companion to the book in terms of reference material, one would expect to find much more on it; however, it appears to be more of a project that he got behind on while trying to bring his book to press. Disappointing, though I hope the site does ultimately offer what it promises. It could be an excellent resource.
Being somewhat new to the emerging DAW world, I did learn an incredible amount about what is possible, though not all of it is practical, especially given my needs — much of my recording will be done with nobody at the controls (I expect this is true of many or most musicians here), so why should I choose to use a laptop rather than a simple console that takes down the tracks to mix later? Does one really need a DAW in such a case? What are the merits of using a DAW versus a simple digital mix board that records to SD cards, creating multiple tracks I can mix later with software that offers fewer on-the-fly options that nobody is going to be there to fiddle with anyway? Is he a ProTools Only person and just doesn’t have experience in another area? If so, this book really is more about becoming a home studio-engineer rather than a musician who’d like to record at home. This just seems to be another yawning chasm devoid of data.
Perhaps this is an unfair “pet peeve,” but this reader gets annoyed by the claims of a guide that promises to teach you “Everything You Need to Know” but comes up incredibly short of that promise. One can learn a great deal here about home studio construction, get a good refresher on basic acoustic principles (or learn them for the first time), and be happily informed about what’s happening in the DAW world; however, I was left with as many questions as I began with.
While this book was well worth reading and taught me much that will prove useful, and I plan to refer back to it frequently, it (and especially the promises of its companion website) did not teach me “Everything [I] Need to Know….” I don’t get the feeling the author would claim that himself, as he frequently says that more in-depth texts are available on this or that subject, so did the publisher push that deceptive subtitle onto the text?
Rating: 3 / 5