Understanding Sound From Ear to Engineer

by Geoffrey Dunbar

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Understanding Sound From Ear to Engineer takes readers on a complete journey from how sound is heard to how it is recorded, processed, and mixed in modern audio production. Covering topics from the auditory system and psychoacoustics to microphones, mixers, and digital workflows, this book blends science with real-world application. It equips aspiring audio professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to understand and shape sound in today’s audio industry.

Description from LibreTexts.

Publisher
Pasadena City College
Subjects
Humanities
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0, as LibreTexts states it
Who can read
Teens profiles and older, judged from its title and subjects

Contents

LibreTexts writes equations in TeX, and here they show as TeX; the PDF has them typeset.

  1. Front Matter
  2. TitlePage
  3. InfoPage
  4. Table of Contents
  5. Licensing
  6. 1: The Characteristics of Sound
  7. 1.1: Introduction
  8. 1.2: The Sound Wave
  9. 1.3: Frequency
  10. 1.4: Amplitude
  11. 1.5: Velocity
  12. 1.6: Wavelength
  13. 1.7: Acoustical Phase
  14. 1.8: Sound Envelope
  15. 1.9: Direct, Early, and Reverberant Sound
  16. 1.10: Conclusion
  17. 2: The Auditory System
  18. 2.1: Introduction
  19. 2.2: The Ear
  20. 2.3: How Hearing Works
  21. 2.4: Hearing Loss
  22. 2.5: Symptoms of Hearing Loss
  23. 2.6: Hearing Protection
  24. 2.7: Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants
  25. 2.8: Fun Fact. How Loud Is Too Loud?
  26. 2.9: Sound Pressure Level (SPL)
  27. 2.10: Tinnitus- The Ringing in the Ears
  28. 2.11: Conclusion
  29. 3: Psychoacoustics
  30. 3.1: Introduction
  31. 3.2: Properties of Sound
  32. 3.3: Frequency Spectrum
  33. 3.4: Octave Groupings
  34. 3.5: Instrument Ranges
  35. 3.6: Equal Loudness Principle
  36. 3.7: Quality of Sound (Timbre)
  37. 3.8: Binaural Hearing vs. Stereo Hearing
  38. 3.9: Conclusion
  39. 4: Audio Mixers, Consoles, and DAW Control Surfaces
  40. 4.1: Introduction
  41. 4.2: Faders vs. Knobs
  42. 4.3: Passive vs. Active
  43. 4.4: Function of a Mixer/Console
  44. 4.5: Balance and Combine Levels
  45. 4.6: Monitoring and Metering
  46. 4.7: The Mix Bus and Bussing
  47. 4.8: Routing and Signal Flow
  48. 4.9: Major Sections of a Mixer/Console
  49. 4.10: Broadcast vs. Production Consoles
  50. 4.11: Features of Most Consoles
  51. 4.12: The Audio Patchbay
  52. 4.13: Automation
  53. 4.14: DAW Control Surfaces
  54. 4.15: Conclusion
  55. 5: Audio Recording
  56. 5.1: Introduction
  57. 5.2: Digital vs. Analog
  58. 5.3: Sample Rate
  59. 5.4: Nyquist-Shannon Theory
  60. 5.5: Bit Depth (Resolution)
  61. 5.6: Quantization
  62. 5.7: Binary Code
  63. 5.8: Common Recording Systems
  64. 5.9: The Digital Audio Workstation
  65. 5.10: Audio Interface
  66. 5.11: Digital Audio Connections
  67. 5.12: Recording Media Types
  68. 5.13: MIDI and Its Use
  69. 5.14: Analog Audio Connectors
  70. 5.15: Digital Audio Networking
  71. 5.16: Conclusion
  72. 6: The Microphone
  73. 6.1: Introduction
  74. 6.2: Transducer
  75. 6.3: Impedance
  76. 6.4: Dynamic vs. Condenser vs. Ribbon
  77. 6.5: Moving Coil Principle
  78. 6.6: Ribbon Mic Principle
  79. 6.7: Condenser Mic Principle
  80. 6.8: Microphone Construction
  81. 6.9: Directional Response
  82. 6.10: Frequency Response
  83. 6.11: Mic Limitations
  84. 6.12: Proximity Effect
  85. 6.13: Humbucker Coils in Microphones
  86. 6.14: Lavalier Mic Properties and Uses
  87. 6.15: Other Varieties of Mics
  88. 6.16: Wireless Mics
  89. 6.17: Microphone Accessories
  90. 6.18: XLR Cables
  91. 6.19: Conclusion
  92. 7: Speakers and Headphones
  93. 7.1: Introduction
  94. 7.2: The Audio Signal Chain
  95. 7.3: Speaker Function
  96. 7.4: The Speaker as a Transducer
  97. 7.5: Types of Speakers
  98. 7.6: Drivers and Frequency Bands
  99. 7.7: Speaker Cabinet Design and Construction
  100. 7.8: Active vs. Passive Speakers
  101. 7.9: Polarity and Phase
  102. 7.10: Crossover Networks
  103. 7.11: Bi-Amplification
  104. 7.12: Power Amplifiers
  105. 7.13: Characteristics of Monitoring Systems
  106. 7.14: Monitoring Systems- Stereo and Mono
  107. 7.15: Headphones
  108. 7.16: Headphone Monitoring in Studios
  109. 7.17: Conclusion
  110. 8: Audio Signal Processing and Processors
  111. 8.1: Introduction
  112. 8.2: Function of a Signal Processor
  113. 8.3: Spectrum Processors
  114. 8.4: Time Domain Processors
  115. 8.5: Amplitude Processors
  116. 8.6: Noise Processors
  117. 8.7: External vs. Internal Signal Processors
  118. 8.8: Digital vs. Analog Signal Processing
  119. 8.9: Conclusion
  120. 9: The Mixing Process
  121. 9.1: Introduction
  122. 9.2: Purpose of Mixing
  123. 9.3: Layering vs. Balancing
  124. 9.4: Mixing Perspective and Panning (Music Focused)
  125. 9.5: Stages of the Mixing Process
  126. 9.6: The Mastering Process
  127. 9.7: Signal Processing in Mixing
  128. 9.8: Dynamic Range
  129. 9.9: Audio Imaging for TV and Film
  130. 9.10: Surround Sound Mixing
  131. 9.11: Conclusion
  132. 10: Audio Over the Internet
  133. 10.1: Introduction
  134. 10.2: Streaming Audio
  135. 10.3: Subscription-Based Listening
  136. 10.4: Audio File Formats
  137. 10.5: Audio File Size and Bitrate Considerations
  138. 10.6: Audio Quality vs. File Size
  139. 10.7: Podcasting
  140. 10.8: What Happened to Terrestrial Radio?
  141. 10.9: Alternatives to Streaming
  142. 10.10: The Future of Audio
  143. 10.11: Conclusion
  144. Back Matter
  145. Index
  146. Glossary
  147. Detailed Licensing
  148. Video Tutorials
  149. Detailed Licensing