Music, Physics and Engineering (Dover Books On Music: Acoustics)
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Now thoroughly revised and enlarged, this book offers the most comprehensive coverage available of all aspects of the production, reception, and reproduction of sound. Written clearly and concisely, all its chapters can be understood without specialized training in music, physics, engineering, or mathematics.
Dr. Olson discusses the nature of sound waves; explains the division of sound into scale patterns and the traditional method of notating them; describes the individual characteristics of all musical instruments currently in use (including the human voice); shows how the ears hear; discusses concert hall and recording studio acoustics, amplification systems, etc; describes the elements of sound reproduction systems from the telephone to the stereo record player; and concludes with a new chapter on the production, development, and potentialities of electronic music.
Under these broad headings, readers will find a close analysis of the way in which a violin produces sound; descriptions of carbon, crystal, dynamic, velocity, and unidirectional microphones; a comparison of the relative absorbency of 22 acoustic materials, building materials, and objects; a description of how music can be produced by a digital computer; and much, much more. Conductors will find suggestions on positioning their orchestras; performers will understand the dynamics of their instruments; recording engineers and acousticians will discover a remarkably comprehensive reference work; and music teachers, students, physicists, and enthusiasts in general will find easy access to a vast wealth of information.
Publisher : Dover Publications; Revised edition (June 1, 1967)
Language : English
Paperback : 480 pages
ISBN-10 : 0486217698
ISBN-13 : 978-0486217697
Item Weight : 1.1 pounds
Dimensions : 5.35 x 0.91 x 8.42 inches
12 reviews for Music, Physics and Engineering (Dover Books On Music: Acoustics)
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orlando rafael alvarado –
A sound engineer , bible
I got this book , when I was 16 , studied music technology and engeeniring , at venezuela TAS , and all I can say , no matter how technology is going forward , this book keep , on the gain , what you will learn from it, would be a great foundation for life , it is a must have book
Marc –
Too Good to Be True
Although I have learned quite a bit from going to school for Audio Production (degree of Art) I love this book for teaching me more more about the scientific side of audio engineering.
Dave Cow –
Great book on the subject
This book explains the subject really well. Provides factual information and provides some theory. Most of the book is easy to follow but there sections that were difficult to grasp the text along with the formulas. Overall I really found this book very useful
Joshua Pannepacker –
Thank you
Thank you
Garrett Hafker –
Five Stars
Just what I was looking for.
Robert Auld –
The basics presented by an audio pioneer
It is true that there have been many developments in audio since Music, Physics and Engineering was originally written in the 1950’s, with the revised version coming out in 1967. But, as other reviewers have pointed out, the laws of physics as applied to sound and the characteristics of musical instruments and music have not changed. If you really want to understand such things, this text is a good place to start.But there is more you should know: Harry F. Olson was one of the giants who created the recording industry. He first joined RCA right around the time electrical recording was introduced, in the late 1920’s, and quickly made himself very valuable by designing the first practical ribbon element microphones. The famous RCA 44BX and RCA 77DX microphones are Harry Olson designs. Olson went on to do other important design work–his studio monitor speakers were among the best available–and he proved that ordinary people prefer wide-range, high fidelity sound with a series of ingenious laboratory experiments, which are recounted in this book.If I had to name the three most important individuals in the development of modern, high fidelity, multi-channel sound recording and reproduction, I would pick Harvey Fletcher of Bell Labs (you have heard of the Fletcher-Munson equal loudness curves, perhaps?), Alan Blumlein of EMI (he literally patented stereo recording and reproduction in the 1930’s) and Harry F. Olson of RCA. If you want the basics of audio, straight from one of the pioneers of the industry, get this book.
Eye Flies –
Useful, If Dated, For The Musician and Engineer
The author is a relatively unknown giant in the world of electronic music – though he was not a musician. For many years, Dr. Olson was the head of research at RCA Laboratories where he made significant contributions to the development of the field of Acoustic Research. While Olson also made significant contributions to the development of the modern microphone and magnetic tape recording (among other things), he is best known, perhaps, as being a key member of the team that researched and developed the RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer – the first synthesizer used to create and market music for mass consumption. The book, originally published in 1952, hearkens back to the days when sound studio engineers wore white lab coats and carried clipboards. It takes the reader, chapter by chapter, from the basic physical nature of sound waves up to the production of electronic music. Most of the important topics are treated, like how different musical instruments produce and manipulate sound (the section on trumpets is very cool), how sound waves behave in the physical world, the physical and psychological aspects of sound and music perception (how your ears and brain work), the design of sound stages, studios, etc, and ends with an introduction to the basics of recording technology and electronic instruments (electric guitar, synthesizers, etc.), such as they were in the 1950s. The book is aimed at the non-specialist, but has enough information to give a solid foundation in the basic physics of sound and how it applies to the production of music. While it is true that much of the technology discussed in the book is no longer in common use (i.e. magnetic tape, massive synths, etc.), the basic concepts of sound still hold true and thus make this book a still-useful reference. It should also be noted that this book is very often cited in musical texts of many types.
Scott Skowron –
This is a must have for anyone interested in recording …
This is a must have for anyone interested in recording or live sound. It’s a little dry for reading cover to cover, and long winded as a refference, but the information it contains makes it well worth having.
jose augusto mannis –
recebido em boas condições
Sarah Johnson –
My daughter used this book to study for interviews and found the chapter on microphones particularly interesting.
Keith Desa –
An excellent treatise on the Physics and Acoustics of musical instruments. I have been using it for the past four decades, from my days at the university and then in my career of research and teaching. I think it was out of print.. Thanks to Amazon I now have my personal copy!
Ganesh Dilwale –
Good one