This first edition softcover of Basic Live Sound Reinforcement: A Practical Guide for Starting Live Audio from Focal Press teaches you how to access and interpret manufacturer spec information, find shortcuts for plotting measure and test equations, and begin your journey towards becoming a live sound professional. Land and perform your first live gigs with this guide that offers just the right amount of information. It doesn't bog you down in details intended for complex and expensive equipment in Madison Square Garden-sized venues. Basic Live Sound Reinforcement is a handbook for audio engineers and live sound enthusiasts who perform in small venues from one-mic coffee shops to clubs.
With their combined years of teaching and writing experience, authors Raven Bierderman and Penny Pattison provide you with a thorough foundation of the theoretical and the practical, offering more advanced beginners a complete overview of the industry, the gear, and the art of mixing, while making sure to remain accessible to those who are just starting out.
- Introduction
- Part 1: Introducing Live Sound
- Chapter 1: What is Live Sound?
- Chapter 2: Overview of the Live Sound Industry
- Chapter 3: Live Sound – Where the Boots Hit the Ground
- Part 2: The Art and Science of Live Sound
- Chapter 4: Sound Science – Physics and Perception
- Chapter 5: Acoustics – The Science of Sound in the Environment
- Chapter 6: Sound Power, Power, and More Science You Need to Know
- Chapter 7: Beyond Ears that Hear – The Art of Live Sound
- Part 3: Tools of the Trade – The Public Address System
- Chapter 8: The P.A. System – More than the Sum of its Parts
- Chapter 9: Microphones – Sound to Signal
- Chapter 10: The Mixer – Shaping the Signal with the P.A. UI
- Chapter 11: Processors, Effects, and More – Rack Mounted Equipment
- Chapter 12: Amplifiers, Crossovers, and Speakers – From a Little Signal to a Big Sound
- Chapter 13: A Word to the Wireless
- Chapter 14: Parts to P.A. – Tie it Together with Cables
- Part 4: Getting Ready for the Show
- Chapter 15: Preproduction – Preparations in Advance
- Chapter 16: More Preproduction – Plan it, Do it, Double-check it
- Chapter 17: Safe Gear Humping 101 – Get it to the Gig without Breaking Your Back
- Chapter 18: The Step by Step Guide to a Safe Setup
- Chapter 19: Good Sound Starts Here – Microphone Set-up for Live Production
- Chapter 20: From Signal to Sound - Speaker Placement for Live Production
- Part 5: Show Time and Beyond
- Chapter 21: Setup – Connecting and Tuning the Chain
- Chapter 22: All in the Mix – Fundamentals, Mixing Monitors, and Sound Check
- Chapter 23: Mixing the Live Show – From Curtains up to Last Call
- Chapter 24: Beat Trouble to the Draw – Tactical Troubleshooting for Today’s Audio Outlaw
- Part 6: Becoming a Live Sound Professional
- Chapter 25: Getting your Foot in the Door – Making the Transition from Out in the Cold to in the Live Audio Fold
- Chapter 26: Navigating the Audio Technology Marketplace
- Chapter 27: Working Like a Pro
- Chapter 28: The No Bucks Wasted Poor Engineer’s Guide to Buying Audio Gear
- Chapter 29: Working Well With Others (Bonus Online Chapter)
- Glossary