The Audio Engineer's Reference Book is an authoritative volume on all aspects of audio engineering and technology including basic mathematics and formulae, acoustics and psychoacoustics, microphones, loudspeakers and studio installations. The content is concise and accurate, providing quick and easy access to everything you will need to know, from basic formulae to practical explanations and operational detail.

Extensive coverage and detail Authoritative Contains modern theory and practice An industry 'bible'

Compiled by an international team of experts, this second edition has been updated to keep abreast of fast-moving areas such as digital audio and transmission technology. Much of the material has been revised, updated and expanded to cover the very latest techniques. For professionals engaged in the design, manufacture and installation of all types of audio equipment, this reference book will prove an invaluable resource. It will also be of interest to anyone employed in recording, broadcasting or audio-visual units in industry, and students on university courses.

Michael Talbot-Smith is a freelance audio consultant and writer who, for many years, trained audio engineers at BBC Wood Norton. He is also the author of Sound Assistance and Audio Explained, and is the editor of Sound Engineer's Pocketbook.

Smith is a prolific writer on sound engineering with at least eight titles to his name, ranging from books about data to those on the audio aspects of video. This reference work is aimed at the busy engineer who needs to find and digest information with a minimum of effort; it also assumes the reader has some basic understanding of audio principles already - hence it is a reference, rather than a text book. It is an amalgamation of works by various recognised practitioners and other authors including Rumsey, Davidson, Ratcliff, Maes and Baxandall to name a few.

Smith sets the scene by describing the basic principles of audio engineering, illustrating the concepts and principles of acoustic waves, the hearing process, as well as the electronics and mathematics involved. The basic principles also extend to covering subjects such as perpetual audio coding, the rudiments of digital audio and noise measurement which are of course fundamental to understanding modern audio systems. The next collection of articles focuses on acoustics and acoustic devices and commences by looking at room acoustics and isolation and noise control; this section in many ways illustrates the 'easy-read' nature of the book by imparting a complex subject in digestible form.

The attention then turns to hardware with subjects such as microphones (including stereo ones), loudspeakers and headphones, mixing equipment, amplifiers and limiting/compression covered in detail - from both theoretical and practical points of view. The next chapter investigates recording and reproduction and begins by studying the analogue tape recorder, before studying related noise reduction methods such as companders, dbx and Dolby. Digital methods are described next, with lengthy sections on CDs and digital audio tape. The chapter is rounded off with a section on audio measurements and measuring techniques. While this is perhaps a little biased towards older technologies, the principles remain universal.

The book then moves into the digital age as it explores subjects such as artificial reverberation devices, digital mixing and filtering principles as well as a section on the ubiquitous MIDI. A move into the studio follows with a chapter exploring their requirements, in particular radio (both smaller local as well as national studios) TV and broadcast sound control rooms and OB units. As well as looking at the physical requirements such as size, air conditioning and noise control, other topics include practical requirements such as headphone distribution, patching, power supplies and monitoring.

The penultimate chapter investigates audio distribution by a variety of methods including radio, telephones (i.e. ISDN) and audio transfer by digital methods such as MADI, AES/EBU and SPDIF. The final chapter looks at a few miscellanea such as international audio standards, ultrasonics and general health and safety in the workplace.

Smith's background is evidently in broadcasting and while this doesn't detract from the book some reference to live sound techniques and practices would have been good; similarly, some modern audio practices such as digital audio networking are not covered - although digitisation is as a process. Also some sections are a little dated (such as analogue tape recorders) which are seldom found in today's digital age. Despite this, much of it is still relevant and the book is filled with copious illustrations and references for further reading. In all, a good reference book but aimed at the designer and engineer rather than those practicing out in the field, actually operating shows.