Fully updated throughout this best selling title on surround sound offers you a wealth of practical information, now considered the 'go to' book for those requiring a working knowledge. Concentrating specifically on surround audio, Holman provides clear comprehensive explanations of complex concepts, making this a must have book for all those in the field.

In 12 fact-filled chapters--covering everything from stereo to multichannel music to home theater--discover how to choose the best components for the money, how to match components fore the best sound, and how to set up and fine-tune a system for maximum performance.

Explores the principles and practical considerations of spatial sound recording and reproduction. Particular emphasis is given to the increasing importance of multichannel surround sound and 3D audio, including binaural approaches, without ignoring conventional stereo. The enhancement of spatial quality is arguably the only remaining hurdle to be overcome in pursuit of high quality sound reproduction. The rise of increasingly sophisticated spatial sound systems presents an enormous challenge to audio engineers, many of whom are confused by the possibilities and unfamiliar with standards, formats, track allocations, monitoring configurations and recording techniques. The author provides a comprehensive study of the current state of the art in spatial audio, concentrating on the most widely used approaches and configurations. Anyone wishing to expand their understanding of these cutting-edge technologies will want to own this book.

* The V.A.S.S.T. Instant Series features a visually oriented, step-by-step instructional style that effectively guides readers through complex processes. * Surround sound is rapidly displacing stereophonic sound as the accepted standard. * This low-price-point book is an easy buy to provide the reader a foundation in the technology that will serve them regardless of the software they chose. Instant Surround Sound demystifies the multichannel process for both musical and visual environments. This comprehensive resource teaches techniques for mixing and encoding for surround sound. It is packed with tips and tricks that help the reader to avoid the most common (and uncommon) pitfalls. This is the fifth title in the new V.A.S.S.T. Instant Series. Music and visual producers can enhance the listening experience and engage their audience more effectively with the improved perceptive involvement of surround sound. Record, process, and deliver effective and stunning surround sound to your listener with the aid of this guide. Packed with useful, accessible information for novice and experienced users alike, you get carefully detailed screenshots, step-by-step directions, and creative suggestions for producing better audio projects.

This book presents an extensive and timely survey of more than 30 surround and 20 stereo-microphone techniques. Further, it offers, for the first time, an explanation of why the RCA "Living Stereo" series of legacy recordings from the 1950s and 60s is still appreciated by music lovers worldwide, despite their use of an apparently incorrect recording technique from the perspective of psychoacoustics. Discussing this aspect in detail, the book draws on the author’s study of concert hall acoustics and psychoacoustics. The book also analyzes the "fingerprint" features of a selected number of surround and – more importantly – stereo microphone techniques in depth by measuring their signal cross-correlation over frequency and also using an artificial human head. In addition, the book presents a rating of microphone techniques based on the assessment of various acoustic attributes, and merges the results of several subjective listening tests, including those conducted by other researchers. Building on this knowledge, it provides fresh insights into important microphone system features, from stereo to 3D audio. Moreover, it describes new microphone techniques, such as AB-PC, ORTF-T and BPT, and the recently defined BQIrep (Binaural Quality Index of reproduced music). Lastly, the book concludes with a short history of microphone techniques and case studies of live and studio recordings.

Getting started - Monitoring in surround - Recording in surround sound - Preparing to mix in surround - Controlling your surround mix - Multichannel mixing concepts - Printing your final mixes - Mastering surround sound - Software plug-ins for surround sound - Current surround formats - Additional outlets for surround sound.

A low-tech way to understand a high-tech system! Create the home entertainment center that fits your home and your tastes Gadget fans, a home theater setup is the stuff your dreams are made of. This book keeps the dream from becoming a nightmare! Here's how to select, set up, and optimize a system, translate the salesperson's geek-speak, connect all the parts throughout your home, and even do cool stuff like accessing your system from your laptop computer. Discover how to * Choose the right space for your system * Select and connect source devices * Understand speakers, TV types, and remotes * Create a whole-home network * Access your system away from home