Handbook for Sound Engineers

by Glen Ballou (Editor), Doug Jones (Editor)

Overview

Handbook for Sound Engineers is the most comprehensive reference available for audio engineers, and is a must read for all who work in audio. This sixth edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect changes in the industry, and includes nine new chapters on networked audio, sound system design, sound system verification, emergency sound and communication systems, assisted listening systems, sound masking, cinema sound, theater sound, and sound for touring systems.

The handbook features contributions from many of the top professionals in the field, with this new edition now incorporating chapters by Brian Christ, Aaron Johnson, John Loufik, Dr. Heather Malyuk, Rob Miller, Dan Mead, Ray Nardelli, Tom Ruhling, Dale Shirk, Hadi Sumoro, Xian Yu, Dr. Stefan Weinzierl, and Harry Witz. The chapters cover an extensive range of topics, from audio and acoustic DNA, MIDI, audio transformers, grounding and interfacing, room-acoustical fundamentals for auditoriums and concert halls, and speech intelligibility, to microphones, resistors, capacitors, inductors, tubes, solid state devices, wire and cable, and power supplies.

Covering everything from historical perspectives to modern technologies, Handbook for Sound Engineers is an essential text for serious audio and acoustic engineers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032553443
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/25/2025
Series:	Audio Engineering Society Presents
Edition description:	6th ed.
Pages:	1690
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Glen Ballou is the editor of the 1st–5th editions, and co-editor with Doug Jones for the 6th edition, of the Handbook for Sound Engineers and has authored many of the chapters in all six editions. He has authored many articles in sound magazines including S&VC, Church Production, Audio, Sound and Communications, Broadcast Engineering, Journal of the AES, and The Electrical Engineering Handbook. He is a member of the AES, and past Governor and Chairman of the AES Convention.

Douglas "Doug" Jones, MA, was the founding chairman of the Department of Audio Arts and Acoustics at Columbia College Chicago, where he taught for over 30 years and retired as Associate Professor of Acoustics Emeritus in 2013. He contributed to multiple editions of the Handbook for Sound Engineers and authored Sound of Worship (Focal Press 2010). Currently, he is the Principal Consultant at DRJAcoustics LLC and VP of Engineering at Sound Specialty Co. He is a member of AES and ASA.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Acoustics 1. Audio and Acoustic DNA-Past and Present 2. Fundamentals of Audio and Acoustics 3. Small Room Acoustics 4. Acoustical Noise Control 5. Acoustical Treatment for Indoor Areas 6. Room-Acoustical Fundamentals for Auditoriums and Concert Halls 7. Worship Styles in the Christian Church Part 2: Perception 8. Psychoacoustics 9. Hearing Physiology-Disorders - Conservation 10. Subjective Methods for Evaluating Sound Quality Part 3: Electroacoustic Devices 11. Microphones 12. Loudspeakers 13. Arraying Loudspeakers Part 4: Electronic Components 14. Resistors, Capacitors, and Inductors 15. Audio Transformers 16. Tubes, Discrete Solid State Devices, and Integrated Circuits 17. Transmission Techniques: Wire and Cable 18. Transmission Techniques: Fiber Optics Part 5: Electronic Audio Circuits and Equipment 19. Ac and Dc Power Supplies and Power Distribution Safety 20. Attenuators 21. Consoles, DAWs, and Metering 22. Amplifier Design Part 6: Recording and Playback 23. Analog Recording: A Historical Perspective 24. Optical Disc Formats for Audio Reproduction and Recording 25. MIDI Part 7: Systems Design 26. Acoustical Modeling and Auralization 27. Grounding and Interfacing 28. Sound System Design 29. Sound System Verification 30. Networked Audio 31. Computer-Aided Sound System Design 32. Speech Intelligibility Part 8: Applications 33. Fundamentals of Cinema Sound 34. Sound for the Theater 35. Stadiums and Outdoor Venues 36. Preparing and Designing PA Systems for Touring 37. Sound Masking Systems 38. Emergency Sound and Communication Systems 39. Personal Monitor Systems 40. Assistive Listening Systems and Devices 41. Intercoms Part 9: Measurements 42. Test and Measurement 43. Fundamentals and Units of Measurement

Editorial Reviews

"There's a book out there called Handbook for Sound Engineers, Third Edition, and it pretty much explains everything...It's like the Bible. I keep it right under my bed." —Remix Magazine
"...a worth-while investment by anyone involved in audio electronics or acoustics. Well recommended."—Lighting and Sound magazine

From the Publisher