The Sound System Design Primer

The Sound System Design Primer is an introduction to the many topics, technologies, and sub-disciplines that make up contemporary sound systems design. Written in clear, conversational language for those who do not have an engineering background, or who think more in language than in numbers, The Sound System Design Primer provides a solid foundation in this expanding discipline for students, early/mid-career system designers, creative and content designers seeking a better grasp on the technical side of things, and non-sound professionals who want or need to be able to speak intelligently with sound system designers.

The Sound System Design Primer is an introduction to the many topics, technologies, and sub-disciplines that make up contemporary sound systems design. Written in clear, conversational language for those who do not have an engineering background, or who think more in language than in numbers, The Sound System Design Primer provides a solid foundation in this expanding discipline for students, early/mid-career system designers, creative and content designers seeking a better grasp on the technical side of things, and non-sound professionals who want or need to be able to speak intelligently with sound system designers.

With this definitive guide to sound reinforcement design and optimization, Bob McCarthy shares his expert knowledge and effective methodology developed from decades of field and teaching experience. This book is written for the field professional as well as the consultant or student, in a clear and easy-to-read style and illustrated with color diagrams and screenshots throughout. McCarthy's unique guide reveals the proven techniques to ensure that your sound system design can be optimized for maximum uniformity over the space. The book follows the audio signal path from the mix console to the audience and provides comprehensive information as to how the sound is spread over the listening area. The complex nature of the physics of speaker interaction over a listening space is revealed in terms readily understandable to audio professionals. Complex speaker arrays are broken down systematically and the means to design systems that are capable of being fully optimized for maximum spatial uniformity is shown. The methods of alignment are shown, including measurement mic placement, and step-by-step recipes for equalization, delay setting, level setting, speaker positioning and acoustic treatment. These principles and techniques are applicable to the simplest and most complex systems alike, from the single speaker to the multi-element "line array.

In this guide to sound reinforcement alignment and design, Bob McCarthy shares his expert knowledge and effective methodology from years of teaching audio professionals. Written in a clear and easy-to-read style and illustrated with color diagrams and screenshots throughout, McCarthy's unique guide gives you all the newest techniques to ensure you perfect sound reinforcement and fulfill design needs. Outlining how sound is spread over a listening area, looking at the physics of speaker interaction, methods of alignment including mic placement, equalization, speaker placement and acoustic treatment, and now including case studies offering real world examples to fully explore different principals discussed, thiss book provides the definitive guide to sound reinforcement design and optimization.

A guide to sound reinforcement alignment and design, this text is illustrated with colour diagrams and screenshots, demonstrating the techniques which can perfect your sound reinforcement and fulfill your design needs.

This book is intended for those who are active with sound amplification and sound distribution. The book provides information on adapting sound systems and/or transducer to the given acoustics like in open, half-open and closed spaces. An important aspect is how loudspeakers can be adapted to cover all types of surroundings. Very often a choice has to be made from a wide range of loudspeakers. On the other hand a combination of loudspeakers must be developed and composed in order to adapt the loudspeakers to the given acoustical circumstances. The question of which loudspeaker is the correct choice and how they need to be set-up so that speech and music are fully comprehensible in all kinds of acoustical and noisy circumstances. This book gives a full answer to these questions. The reader is also made aware of the design of loudspeakers on the basis of Small and Thiele parameters. With thorough calculations and the visibility of the out coming of these calculations by simple software it is possible to convert the acoustic and mechanical elements of the loudspeaker into electrical analogues so that the loudspeaker is simulated on the PC. Using an example the calculations mentioned above can be supported. Finally the full reference list simplifies the task of the reader in finding the information they require. “I’ve been fascinated by the possibilities of Electro-acoustics since I was 10 years old and now I am very pleased to be able to share the knowledge that I built up over 40 years working in the Electro-acoustics division of Philips.” My work experience was supplemented by giving lectures on electro-acoustics at the post-academic courses on acoustics in Antwerp (Belgium)

Anyone interested in electronic sound reinforcement should have this book. The book introduces electrical fundamentals, & proceeds to acoustical fundamentals. The "Psychoacoustical Aspects" chapter is brief, dealing with the varying frequency response of the hearing system with changes in level, masking & critical bandwidth, echo perception & directional cues, besides concert hall requirements. High-frequency & low-frequency radiating systems are discussed, followed by special mid-frequency systems & "Dividing Networks-Component Matching." "System Architecture" is broad, including information on rational specification & functions with minimum distortion & noise. "System Intelligibility Criteria" is an important chapter. Included in the distributed & paging systems chapters are pew-back systems & information for all distributed systems. Artificial ambience systems (electronic reverberation & surround systems) information is current. The speech privacy & noise masking chapter provides the basics & engineering information for such systems. Chapters on high-level sound reproduction & theater sound reinforcement are "overviews" that may be expanded in the future. The final chapter concerns column loudspeakers & line arrays. All chapters are illustrated with understandable figures. There are also photographs & drawings of other manufacturers' products. Excellent chapter references are provided. Author of the Microphone Handbook, also published by ELAR, Eargle brings vision & experience to sound system engineering.