Cutting Edge Web Audio
Ron Simpson, with a foreword by Brian Balthazor, 1998
Prentice Hall
ISBN: 0-130-80753-2
"WARNING: The use of this book may become addictive!"Reviewed by Roger Tilson
|
@ the reviewer |
|
Roger Tilson is a User Involvement Specialist for IBM in Austin, Texas.
|
To start, the author gives an overview of the basics of Internet audio, including browser comparisons and file formats. The first of this book's 50 detailed tutorials takes us through the steps of file conversion, with screen grabs and careful explanations all along the way. While they may focus on a particular product, the tutorials teach cross-platform, software-independent skills, and you can follow along with the seemingly endless supply of demo software and example sound files on the enclosed CD. Both Mac and Windows are evenly (and exhaustively) supported. If you choose not to actually do the steps in a tutorial (or in the rare cases where free software is not provided), the sound files from each step are provided so that you can read the book and listen to the results anyway.
There is a whole chapter devoted to copyrights and music licenses. This is extremely important (especially if the sounds you wish to use are not all yours!) but it is often skipped over by other authors. As in the rest of this book, Simpson recognizes the rapidity of change in the Web-audio domain, and provides plenty of URLs to get up-to-the-minute information on everything he discusses. This gives the book a much longer shelf life.
For those of us who don't record our own music, the author provides a straightforward discussion of music clip and sound effect libraries. Of course, pointers to more information are there, but the CD gets you going with a bunch of royalty-free, use-it-pretty-much-where-you-want-to music clips and sound effects! The one type of sound source that you often will have to create on your own is recorded voice segments. The author discusses the various equipment needs, and leads us through actual recording sessions (both real and virtual). Of course, screen grabs, demo software, and the resulting sound files are all provided.
With all this as a foundation, the next chapter provides an overview of recording and editing software and hardware, including two-track, multi-track, and MIDI, at free, cheap, and "professional" prices. The extensive details are captured in clear tables, and the options are given fruitful discussion in the text. If creating music is not your forté, there is even a pair of tutorials using software that makes up music for you! Need I mention that the software is included?
The next three chapters contain 16 tutorials on recording, editing, and sound manipulation that teach valuable skills that go beyond the wide range of demo software with which they are performed. Recording, "ripping," editing, mixing, fades, 3-D presence, and advanced sound effects are all in there. It is useful to read (and listen to) all the tutorials, regardless of the platform used.
The second half of the book (yes, this is just the beginning!) covers specific technologies in separate chapters, including RealAudio, Shockwave, LiquidAudio, Beatnik, QuickTime, and MIDI. As you might expect by now, the discussion of each is clear and direct, the tables chock full of useful details, the links to other resources work, and the tutorials are enlightening. You can follow these chapters sequentially, or dive right in to the one that most suits your needs.
The last chapter discusses emerging technologies, including the next layer of MPEG, JavaSound, DirectX, Marimba and Castanet. Don't expect the full software + sound files + tutorials for these areas... but I guess we can forgive that, since often they were not even released when the book went to press! And besides, the usual abundance of links and URLs will get you going on these topics.
The book itself is clean, well formatted, and professionally polished. It is easy and enjoyable to read, and an effective resource book as well. Oh, and did I mention the CD...? Due to the evolving nature of this field, some parts of the book are beginning to show their age, but none is out of date. The author has carefully relied on timeless tutorials, and external links to provide the sharpest cutting edge of online audio possible. At this point, I must reiterate my initial warning: If you begin to explore this book and CD, you may learn so much and have so much fun that you will have serious difficulties getting anything else done!
© Internet Technical Group
Last update: July 10, 1999
URL: http://www.sandia.gov/itg/newsletter/jun99/review_web_audio.html
hosted by Sandia National Labs
Disclaimer: Neither Sandia Corporation, the United States Government, nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately-owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Sandia Corporation, the United States Government, or any agency thereof. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Sandia Corporation, the United States Government or any agency thereof.