The Recording Engineer's Handbook 3rd Edition Is Here

I'm happy to announce the release of the 3rd edition of the Recording Engineer's Handbook, the best selling book that covers all aspects of recording music.

The new edition is updated to better reflect the fact that so many people are now recording at home directly into their DAW. It also includes a new chapter on prepping the drum kit for recording, an essential operation when it comes to getting a great drum sound.

Still included are the interviews with many of the legends of recording, like Al Schmitt, Chuck Ainley, Ed Cherney, Frank Fillipetti, Eddie Kramer, Michael Bishop, Steve Albini, Bruce Botnick, Wyn Davis and Mark Linett, that covers just about any genre of recording.

You'll also enjoy the Microphone chapter that covers all of the history behind all of the classic mics that we've come to know and love, as well as the new classics, and the classic clones. Of particular interest is the interview with David Bock of Bock Audio Designs, one of the most knowledgeable and passionate proponents of both old and new mics, and why they sound the way they do.

Best of all, you'll discover multiple miking techniques for just about any instrument you can think of, as well as simple drum miking techniques using one, two, three and four microphones that get a great sound. There's even techniques for getting that classic Ringo Beatle's sound, a reggae drum sound, and the big Tommy Lee snare cannon sound.

Instructors that use The Recording Engineer's Handbook as a text book will be happy to learn that an Instructor's Resource Kit is now available (drop me a line for the link), complete with weekly lesson plans, tests, and Keynote and Powerpoint presentations.

You can read more about The Recording Engineer's Handbook at bobbyowsinski.com, as well as read a number of excerpts. You can also buy the book on Amazon (available for the Kindle too) or at most book and music stores.

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Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Don't forget to check out my Music 3.0 blog for tips and tricks on navigating social media and the new music business.

Building Britsh Grove Studios

Former Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler owns one of the finest studios anywhere, and I've already posted a few clips of him using it in the past. We're going to start the new year off with an interesting movie showing how his British Grove Studios was constructed.

Take notice how well this studio is built, with cinder block and concrete walls rather than the usual drywall in order to get the best isolation possible.

Although you get to see the finished studio, the only thing missing in the video is a shot of the studio with all the gear in it. You can get a look at that in this clip of Mark and Engineer Chuck Ainlay that I posted a few months ago.

If you're interested in learning more about studio construction you can check out The Studio Builder's Handbook or read a few excerpts here.

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Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Don't forget to check out my Music 3.0 blog for tips and tricks on navigating social media and the new music business.

Mark Knopfler Band Backing Vocal Session

It's rare that you get to see great musicians work in the studio and even rarer to see singers do their studio thing. The reason is that the recording studio is a very private work area where even the best musician or singer lays his chops on the line, warts and all. It's where you really see how good or mediocre someone really is. Not only that, comfort matters a great deal in getting the best performance. A camera or someone not in the inner circle watching takes that security (or is in insecurity) blanket of away.

Then again, there are many musicians that are so completely at ease with their artistic ability that they're okay with having people watch them as they work. Here's a great example of that, as the singers in guitar great Mark Knopfler's band do a 4 part harmony background vocal. Now we don't see them working out the part, which can take time and be somewhat awkward, but we do get to see and hear a pretty polished and nearly finished product.

By the way, that's my buddy Chuck Ainlay engineering. Chuck was one of the engineers featured in The Recording Engineer's Handbook.

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Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Don't forget to check out my Music 3.0 blog for tips and tricks on navigating social media and the new music business.

In The Control Room With Mark And Chuck

Here's a great movie with my friend engineer Chuck Ainlay and former Dire Strait's frontman and guitarist Mark Knopfler in the control room of Mark's fabulous personal studio. The cool thing about this studio is the vintage gear, and Mark has not one but two of the old EMI consoles; a REDD (originally used at Abbey Road) and a TG-1.

If you can gear lust, best not to look at his movie. But if you love old gear and love the the fact that it's actually being put to good use in Mark's studio, you'll love it.

By the way, Chuck was one of the featured engineer's in the second edition of The Recording Engineer's Handbook.  I'll post an excerpt from his interview soon.

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Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Don't forget to check out my Music 3.0 blog for tips and tricks on navigating social media and the new music business.