Synopses & Reviews
Mastering Audio explains leading-edge audio concepts in an easy-to-grasp, holistic manner, including an ear-opening investigation of the mysteries of jitter, dither and wordlengths, high sample rates, distortion, headroom, monitor calibration, metering, depth perception, compression and expansion, equipment interconnection and much more. Mastering Audio is for everyone who wants to increase their mastery of digital and analog audio: musicians, producers, A&R, mastering, recording and mixing engineers, and students.
*Outlines the steps taken in producing a compact disc, from creation to final pressing
*Provides insights to equipment, training, and the business of mastering
*Answers questions most frequently asked by audio engineers
Review
"The definitive work on mastering...an indispensable resource for anyone working with audio... If you only buy one book on audio, this has to be it - it should be required reading for anyone involved with recording, producing or mastering music."
Sound on Sound magazine
"As one of the most complete books on the final stage in the recording process...this book clears up any potential misconceptions for newbies and veterans alike." Electronic Musician Magazine, July 2003
"This book is sure to become the 'Industry Bible' on mastering audio. Highly recommended."
Christopher Hambly, www.audiocourses.com
About the Author
Bob Katz played the B flat clarinet from the age of 10, and his lifelong love of sound and music led him to become a professional recording, mixing and mastering engineer (since 1971). Three of his recordings have garnered the Grammy' award and many others have been lauded in publications such as Stereo Review, Audio, and Stereophile. He has written over one hundred articles for audio and computer publications, and is an inventor and manufacturer with processors and support gear in use at mastering studios worldwide. His most recent patent-pending inventions, the K-Stereo and K-Surround Processors, fill a missing link in the mastering and post- production pantheon. He has been a workshops, facilities and section chairman of the AES and has given lectures in several countries. Currently, Bob runs Digital Domain Studios just north of Orlando, Florida.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Roger Nichols
Preparation:
No Mastering Engineer is an Island; Connecting It Together; An Earientation Session; Word lengths and Dither; Decibels for Dummies; Monitoring
Mastering:
Putting the Album Together; Equalization Techniques;
Macrodynamics; The Downward Processes; The Lost Processes; Noise Reduction; Other Processing
Advance Theory and Practice:
Monitor Calibration; The K-System; Analog and Digital Signal Processing; How to Achieve Depth and Dimension in Recording, Mixing and Mastering; High Sample Rates, Is This Where It's At?; Jitter--Separating the Myths From the Mysteries; Tips and Tricks
Out of the Jungle:
Education, Education, Education; At Last
Appendices