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Acoustics: The Art of Sound
What is the difference between an echo and a reverberation? Where do you best place microphones for that perfect recording? How do you calculate the best note to whistle in a toilet? In this fascinating little book, musician Steve Marshall explores the field of acoustics. From decibels to dolphins, stereo to surround, this book will appeal to singers, musicians, architects, biologists, and anyone who ever wanted to know more about the wonderful world of sound. WOODEN BOOKS US EDITIONS. Small books, BIG ideas. Tiny but packed with information. “Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. "Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST.
64 pages, Paperback
Published March 15, 2023
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July 8, 2023
You wonder about sound. You know that on a molecular level - dare you say 'zen' level? - you are immersed in the vibrations of sound. The universe has a sound. It makes music. That beat-up acoustic in the living room makes music, too, and you wonder where those soundwaves go after a few minutes of strumming and singing to an empty house. You know there is math involved. You know there is science. You know that when scientists and mathematicians get involved, sometimes the art gets pushed to the side, especially if an 'engineer' is involved. It's why you love to think about that David Bowie interview you saw once where he talks about getting new studio equipment and how the first thing he'd do is throw away the manual because the manual was written by an engineer and it might as well have been in an another language. At the same time, you also like to imagine Rudy Van Gelder in that New Jersey recording studio, with his meticulous approach to recording. You know he was called an engineer, but you think of him as something else.
You read this book. It reinforces your knowledge of what you don't know. How you know so little. How there is always so much to learn. The rules of sound are fixed - defined by science. It almost explains how the low-rumble of the bass on a track like "Turn the Page" by blue-collar classic-rock-star Bob Seger is more felt than heard. How it rumbles like the passage of a slow moving tour bus, going from city to city. The book almost explains it. There is just so much you know that you don't know.
You read this book. It reinforces your knowledge of what you don't know. How you know so little. How there is always so much to learn. The rules of sound are fixed - defined by science. It almost explains how the low-rumble of the bass on a track like "Turn the Page" by blue-collar classic-rock-star Bob Seger is more felt than heard. How it rumbles like the passage of a slow moving tour bus, going from city to city. The book almost explains it. There is just so much you know that you don't know.
Displaying 1 of 1 review