I know there are tons of resources out on the internet. But do any of you have specific books that you recommend that have seriously influenced your work?
2 Likes
This makes me realize that I need to read more books. I can think of influential books in other areas, but none when it comes to music. I mean, it’s not that I haven’t read any, but nothing comes to mind as being seriously influential. Though my memory for this sort of thing is terrible.
I’ve also been realizing lately that I know very little about music. Okay I’m all ears for other people’s suggestions. 
Especially when it comes to books about the musical aspects as opposed to the engineering aspects.
I recently read Mixerman’s new book, but it’s too soon to say what kind of a long term impact it will have on me. I’ve also been listening to How Music Works by David Byrne, and that’s been quite interesting. I’ve read at least a couple other mixing related books I can think of, but this whole process has felt more like chipping away and learning a little at a time rather than being able to see turning points.
Music is a very wide subject. I’ve read a lot of books about it but you kind of have to narrow it down to know what to recommend. Like you say " chipping away a little at a time" from many sources seems to work the best.
Not specifically looking for an area of recommendations for me, just thought it might be interesting to discuss books that people have found important.
For me. I’d say Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior was pretty important. It may have just been the timing, but I feel like some of the information in my head finally connected. Maybe he was just able to speak in a language I needed to hear.
Tech books are cool, I think most of it is on the net as well. I like biographies, I read this recently, Jim Morrison.
The Bible?
1 Like
When I was in school this was our “textbook”. It’s a pretty great text, especially for the beginner, and is on it’s 9th edition now, so he’s trying to keep it as modern as possible.
https://www.amazon.com/Recording-Techniques-Engineering-Society-Presents/dp/0240821572
2 Likes
Mike seniors,
Mixing secrets for the small studio
meh… Ive read lots of books, or theories on recording. They all kinda sucked for me, I hated everything except mid-side (I even had a commercial studio for a few years with some vintage mics) to try stuff out on. I recorded with a lot of mono drum overheads at that time. According to Boz, and probably correctly, I fucked up mid-side decoding too.
Now, I still end up making up my own techniques based mostly on listening to how some of the old pros do it, or bastardizing two or three things I like… but all pretty much learned via the internet, and by recording OTHER people, a lot.
Just check out this clusterfuck of a thread, where Im not really sure even what Im doing, technique wise, but I sure know what I want and how to get it. Im just not able to classify it.
Until next week, when I might have learned something new. 
Oh and while you are reading the books and stuff, you just KNOW it isnt going to show you how to mix ANYTHING like THIS…
Cool video, I know - but just REALLY listen to how the cool kids (CLA in this case) mix this shit.
When you want to know how to do THAT… Ask VERY specific questions.
Haha! That is too funny! I ran across this in an old “college books” box up in the attic recently. This is the 12th printing of the 1st Edition of this book! (circa 1984 when I took the class). 
But I’ve got to say, that this book is about THE most dry and uninteresting audio book I have ever come across…
@Mixerman should take note - try to get one of your books into “the system” as a modern textbook on recording and the industry. No idea how you would do it. But seriously, you’d have guaranteed sales every year - and lots of 'em!
2 Likes
It sure is! 
It’s funny though, when I took that course… hmmm like 15 or so years ago, the insane wealth of information that currently resides on the internet didn’t exist. So I read that book back to front like 10 times. I wonder how well they’ve kept it updated. Signal-flow on a console is probably not quite so hot a topic as it was back then. 
1984?
Most of the material in that book must be almost irrelevant at this point.
Dont get me wrong, I did my first recording back in the 80’s…
But really, after all these years, the real answer is just to record stuff in a real world AMBIENT space, not too close, not too far, with a decent condenser or ribbon mic or two.
If you are going to concentrate on anything as a newbie recordist, try to make your recordings the WIDEest possible STEREO image, without being phasy sounding (check constantly!).
You ARE going to need something pretty bright sounding (in a modern mix) at the end of the day, so dont pick a mic that is ugly or aggressive in the top end and wont take that EQ curve nicely.
Sidenote @ingolee: wait - according to that book, the Doors were going to FIRE Jim Morrison? Seriously? Jerry Scheff was just about to JOIN the band when Morrison died, AFAIK.
I don’t have the book to refer to and it’s been a couple of years since I read it so I don’t remember Jerry Scheff’s role but Morrison was severely alcoholic and mostly useless as a band member in his last years. The story of his rise and fall is fascinating reading though.
I’m an electrical engineer and actually like dry, technical reads over books where the author tries to be witty and technical and is neither.
The book goes into the science of sound, types of microphones, techniques, stuff like that. The physics doesn’t change, and if he’s been keeping the revisions coming, then the technology part of it has been updated too. So actually, I would think the newer version would be pretty relevant. I just thought it was ironic that my 1984 book is titled “Modern Recording Techniques”.
It’s actually a very clever title if you think about it. Kind of timeless, as long as the author keeps it current…
You should put this one on your Xmas list! 
1 Like