7 Books for DAW-based Audio Engineers in 2020

7 Books for DAW-based Audio Engineers in 2020

Introduction

The internet is a great place to absorb content and to answer questions. However, there are times when we can create more work for ourselves by not going directly to the source. I find that books are great tools for both reference and context. I assembled this list, in no particular order, hoping to share with anyone wishing to learn more about audio--or even the audio engineer themselves--to procure these books. Each text will work its magic slowly because audio engineering is a multi-disciplinary field, much in the same manner as neuroscience or linguistics. While some of the books are new, others are not. But do not let that bother you too much; they all have place in the personal library of anyone who manipulates or routes audio signals, respectively.

The Recording Studio Handbook
​by John M. Woram

Image source: ebay.com

​During downtime on an early morning recording session, my mentor mentioned to me how and why transformers work and how and why transformers have such an effect on audio signals. I had no idea what he was talking about; I'm sure he noticed as much given the confused look on my face. After all, I was mostly there to take out the trash and clean out beer bottles. Any involvement I had in the recording process was merely due to his fatigue. He later suggested that I pick up a copy of the Recording Studio Handbook, by John M. Woram. Little did I know at the time of his suggestion that I would find myself hunched over a library desk, calculating decibels with logarithmic functions and learning about the analog world of studio recording. I'm certainly glad I took his advice. After purchasing the book and using it as both a reference source and a mental pleasure source, it has become one of the two go-to hardcover books that have contributed to my growth as an audio engineer and audio producer. Ebay had a sale listing for a 1st edition, so I paid the $45 to make it mine. If you can find an available book, you should do so, too! But caution: the book is incredibly dense, loaded with signal flow diagrams which may be quite alien to a modern, DAW-based audio engineer or producer. That learning curve can be surmounted by taking realistic time to slowly absorb the content. It's interesting to consider just how far we have come, in such little time, from, for example, editing audio with magnetic tape and a razor blade and scotch tape to firing up Pro Tools and getting the job done in a fraction of the time. ​

Understanding Audio
​ by Daniel M. Thompson

Image Source: Amazon.Com

This book is a perfect text for anyone already working in the audio industry or anyone who is looking to get a more academic approach to audio engineering. In fact, from what I know, this book has been listed as a classroom text at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. It is a dense and challenging book, which aims to educate the reader on everything from signal flow to inputs and outputs to digital audio workstations to microphone placement to compression and equalization. It even addresses the more esoteric concepts surrounding the involvement of voltage and physics and how they routinely work in tandem with audio signals. I'll tell you this now: you will need to read this book slowly and with much of the patience that would be necessary with reading the Recording Studio Handbook. There is a good chance that a highlighter may come in handy; additionally, a sharp pencil will become your best friend. I read this book when I have significant downtime or when I prefer to seek reference material on audio topics. When, for example, I wanted to answer a question on the difference between impedance and resistance, Mr. Thompson shines, as he, with the employment of drawings and diagrams, expounds the critically definitional differences between the two. Now I can add value and participate in conversations with electricians and car audio professionals when they mention the importance of avoiding ground loops and why cheap electrical cables are a major no-no. All in all, Understanding Audio has been extremely helpful for me by removing my intellectual insecurity on a litany of audio concepts, and I feel that it can do the same for you.

​Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Manual
​by Gary Davis and Ralph Jones

Image Source: Reverb.Com

You should think of this book like an audio encyclopedia more than anything else. While both dense and informative, you will quickly be able to have informed conversations with old guard analog audio engineers, who were getting gigs and progressing the profession long before digital audio was a thing. I am not sure how the authors Gary Davis and Ralph Jones decided to organize the content, but it really covers so so many topics in audio, in physics, and even in mathematics. Again--it helps to think of the text as that ONE massive reference tool that can both answer your questions and force you to create new questions. You get everything from intensely in-depth signal flow diagrams to strict definitions of popular terms in audio to the intersection of audio and electrical engineering. I purchased the book after it was suggested to me, again, by my mentor. However, the book came in handy during my brief tenure in live sound audio. The topic needing quick absorption was gain and how to gainstage microphones for live events--from concerts to conferences. Every once in a while, I use the book to test the knowledge of other engineers and to get their insights on what works for them in real-world situations. When I have had a hard time sleeping, I have used this book to help me count sheep. I don't mean that in a pejorative sense; rather, it is meant to convey just how enjoyable of a read this book remains in my life. I am confident that you, too, will find it so.

​Assistant Studio Engineer Handbook
​by Tim Crich  

Image Source: Amazon.Com

​I was taking a smoke break when my mentor asked me if I like to read when I'm not playing around in Logic and Pro Tools. I told him I do like to read, but why does he ask. He mentioned the Yamaha Reinforcement Handbook...and then he recommended the Assistant Engineers Handbook by Tim Crich. After handing me the red covered softcover book, I read the book on my downtime during the recording sessions we would have during the next eight months. I had to decide which book would get my attention; however, I decided to stick with the Handbook. I thought it would give me a better idea of what was expected of me more quickly than the Yamaha text. I was right. This handbook, even though it addresses engineering from the analog side of the fence, explains how to conduct oneself and add the most value as a helpmeet during the quickly moving process of audio recording. Remember that plans change, songs change, gear selection change--all these elements are evolving in the studio. The chief engineer is responsible for making sure everything is sorted for the client, but you, as the assistant, are in charge of keeping clear the brain of the chief engineer. I still think assistant engineers are moving around more than the chiefs, but the chiefs are where they are because, at some point, they were also an assistant. They had to take their lumps; they had to make their mistakes and get chewed out. No one is immune from the recording process. You will learn how to manage a patchbay, how to communicate with the clients, and how to complete a recall sheet. You won't forget any of these skills either--because your next job might depend on it. And even if you are these days, like I, more of a DAW-based engineer. I believe it is critical to understand how things were done before the convenience of technology. One read through this book will give you an insider's look into the madness which was commonplace for analog recording assistant engineers. 

​Mixing Audio
​by Roey Izhaki

Image Source: Amazon.Com

​Shortly after I completed building my MIDI-based studio, I started the process of learning how to mixdown all the music I produced. This was, of course, after I heard how terrible everything sounded by overcompressing and overequalizing just about every track in each session! Mixing Audio, by Roey Izhaki, is THE book for beginners and intermediate mixing engineers. Not only does he cover the logic behind the mixing process, but he also defines each and every signal processing tool needed to take a record to the next the level--by doing less not more. Loaded with illustrations, the text is easy to follow. Additionally, Mr. Izhaki provides a CD-Rom with audio samples undergoing the signal processing techniques that are discussed in the book. I can attest this book will provide any reader with the mindset needed to approach any mixing session without confusion or fear. Personally I found the diagrams and discussions about frequency ranges of popular instruments very engaging; I even copied the section and carried it around during the day. This was to test myself so I would have a strong memory of what to listen for when listening to music or writing my own. 

Critical Listening
​by F.Alton Everest

Image Source: Amazon.Com

​Most of the books in this blog are very scientific in their approach to many popular topics of audio engineering. This book by F. Alton Everest called Critical Listening Skills for Audio Professionals is no exception; however, it replaces the scientific rigor with importance on our hearing. I am sure we all get sidetracked with DAW updates, microphone sales, and the latest plug-ins. But our ears are the most important link in the audio chain, and we would be remiss not to sharpen this very important tool. After all, how can we hear the difference in the gear if our ears are not as sharp as they should. This book has several chapters of in-depth critical listening lessons, aimed to inform the listener as to how to identify everything from frequency to distortion to phase shifts. I do not believe it is helpful to rush through the book just to get through it. Rather, I recommend that you, again, slowly digest the lessons in the book. It will serve you better to grow with it because many of the sounds we are accustomed to hearing are closely examined here. 

Acoustic Design for the Home Studio
​ by Mitch Gallagher

image source: B & H PhotoVideo

​Most of us are recording at home, in some room, perhaps a basement or a bedroom. Years ago, when analog audio was all that existed, these rooms would have been quickly shunned as appropriate recording spaces. As time moved on and pro audio gear became more mobile, more modular, and more affordable, simply pressing a button was the only limitation to recording audio. But another problem needed to be addressed: room acoustics. Yes, we could press a button and record anything at any time. But the recordings did not sound professional, as they were severely hampered by comb filtering, phase issues, and other acoustic anomalies. Books like Acoustic Design for the Home Studio by Mitch Gallagher one of the best resources for any recordist working in less than ideal spaces. All those inherent problems with reflections, comb filtering, nodes, and antinodes are addressed in the text. In fact, with the sagacious suggestions laid out in this book, anyone can turn a room into a decent space for decent audio work. I have used this book for the last ten years. When I decided to build a DAW-based recording space in my basement, this book was tremendously helpful. (Note: Ethan Winer has also been wicked helpful, too.) 

In closing 

There you have it. The books that I would recommend any audio engineer read to enhance their knowledge for work in the field, I imagine that many of you already own or have heard of some of these texts. If so, good on you. But if you have not, do yourself a favor and get the books. Read the books. Struggle with the books. Keep coming back to them. With so much misinformation in the digital age, it will not hurt to have solid knowledge to guide you as you move forward in your quest to do the best you can with what you have.