The Live Sound Manual: Getting Great Sound at Every Gig

This book contains no photos, nor diagrams; you are expected to know what is being referred to without the aid of illustrations. (For that I would recommend "The SOS Guide to Live Sound", by Paul White).But is has everything else.This book is like a doctoral thesis on live sound. Everything you need to know is here. It is logically set out, with six chapters covering subjects from signal sources to speakers (theory, and know-how); then, from there, two chapters on cabling, soundchecks, and the gig itself (the practical side). There are other chapters, on maintenance, safety, tips on buying gear and touring, aural health, and a pretty decent glossary as well.If you just read the tips alone (grey panels, spread throughout the book) you would get your money's worth. More than that, the quality of this book is superlative, written in a knowledgable but understandable style.Mercifully, where there are differences between UK and US terms these are pointed out..I would describe this book as being the equivalent to the content of a college HND, or degree-like, module all in one tome; the book itself measuring 11" x 8.5".With this book---and with hands-on experience---you can become a competent engineer.

This is my favorite book on live sound. Fairly easy to read, tons of useful information. Number 1 in my book!

Great introduction & in depth guidance into sound reinforcement.A good reference book.Every sound system engineer should have this

Extremely detailed and well beyond my amateur needs.

This book is like an incredibly brilliant (and very long) conversation with a sound professional. It doesn't so much tell you what you want to know as tell you what you ought to know, especially on unexciting issues like equipment testing and safety.I'm not sure that the term 'manual' is quite right for this book. I read it from cover to cover, but it's not the kind of thing I would recommend taking with you to a gig. As another reviewer pointed out, it doesn't contain any diagrams. This makes it less useful as something to stick in front of your face while you tell the other guys where to put speakers. But it is written in a memorable style which makes it easy to remember what it says when you do come to do it.For myself, I forgive the lack of diagrams. This is the one book which taught me the most practical and useful stuff. And, more importantly, it opened my eyes to worlds of reliability and health and safety.