Contents -- Introduction -- CHAPTER 1 How Microphones Work -- The Dynamic Microphone -- How It Works -- The Ribbon Microphone -- The Condenser Microphone -- Condenser Mic Fallacies -- Condenser Operational Hints -- Phantom Power -- Microphone Specifications -- Sensitivity -- Overload Characteristics -- Frequency Response -- Noise -- Polar Patterns (Directional Response) -- Proximity Effect -- Specialty Microphones -- Shotgun Microphones -- Lavaliere -- PZM -- Wireless -- Stereo Mics -- Parabolic -- Microphone Accessories -- Pop Filters -- Wind Screens -- Shock Mounts -- CHAPTER 2 Common Microphones -- Classic Microphones -- RCA 44-Style Ribbon Microphone -- RCA 77 Unidirectional Ribbons -- Neumann U 47 -- Neumann U 47 FET -- Neumann U 67 -- Neumann M 49/50 -- Neumann KM 84 Series -- Neumann KM 54/56 -- Neumann U 87 -- AKG D 12/112 -- AKG C 12/Telefunken Ela M 250/251 -- AKG C 451 -- AKG 414 Series -- Sony C-37A -- Schoeps M 221B -- STC/Coles 4038 -- Shure SM57 -- Sennheiser MD421 -- Sennheiser MD441 -- Beyer M160 -- Electro-Voice RE20 -- New Versions of the Classics -- The New Classics -- Audio-Technica AT4050/4033 -- Heil PR 40 -- Royer R-121 -- Shure Beta 52 -- Shure SM81 -- Yamaha SKRM-100 Subkick -- Inexpensive Microphones -- Quality Control's the Thing -- You Can Never Be Sure of the Sound -- The Weakness -- Some Good Choices -- Meet Microphone Designer David Bock -- CHAPTER 3 Basic Recording Equipment -- The Microphone Preamplifier -- Why a Separate Mic Amp? -- Vintage Mic Pres -- Modern Mic Pres -- Mic Amp Setup -- Primary Controls -- Direct Injection -- Compressor/Limiters -- Primary Controls -- Compressor/Limiter Setup -- CHAPTER 4 DAW Recording -- Getting Sound into the Computer -- ADCs and DACs -- Latency -- FireWire versus USB -- Headroom and Gain Staging -- Headroom.

Interview with Gannon Kashiwa: Digidesign's Professional Products Market Manager -- CHAPTER 5 Basic Stereo Techniques -- Types of Stereo Miking -- Coincident Pair -- Spaced Pair -- The Decca Tree -- Near-Coincident Pair -- Baffled-Omni Pair -- CHAPTER 6 Basic Multichannel Tracking -- Choosing the Right Mic -- The Secret to Getting Good Sounds -- Secrets of Mic Placement -- Checking Phase -- How to Check Polarity -- Checking Phase by Listening -- Checking Phase with an Oscilloscope Plug-In -- Checking Phase with a Phase Meter -- CHAPTER 7 Preparing the Drum Kit for Recording -- The Keys to a Great-Sounding Drum Kit -- The Snare -- Snare Construction -- The Snare Unit -- Tuning Tips -- Interview with the "Drum Doctor" Ross Garfield -- CHAPTER 8 Miking Individual Instruments -- Accordion -- Considerations -- Placement -- Audience or Crowd -- Considerations -- Placement -- Bagpipes -- Considerations -- Placement -- Banjo -- Considerations -- Placement -- Acoustic String Bass (or Upright Bass) -- Considerations -- Placement -- Electric Bass -- Considerations -- Placement -- Bassoon -- Considerations -- Placement -- Bongos -- Considerations -- Placement -- Bouzouki -- Considerations -- Placement -- Brass -- Considerations -- Placement -- Trombone -- Tuba -- French Horn -- Choir or Ensemble (Vocal, Saxophone, or Other) -- Considerations -- Placement -- Clarinet -- Considerations -- Placement -- Claves -- Considerations -- Placement -- Conga -- Considerations -- Placement -- Cowbell -- Considerations -- Placement -- Didgeridoo -- Considerations -- Placement -- Djembe -- Considerations -- Placement -- Dobro -- Considerations -- Placement -- The Drum Kit -- Considerations -- Single-Mic Setup -- Two-Mic Setup -- Three-Mic Setup -- Four-Mic Setup -- Kick (Bass Drum) -- Considerations -- Placement -- Kick Tunnel -- Considerations -- Placement -- Subkick.

Considerations -- Placement -- Snare -- Considerations -- Placement -- Brushes -- Considerations -- Placement -- Hi-Hat -- Considerations -- Placement -- Toms -- Considerations -- Placement -- Overheads -- Considerations -- Placement -- Room -- Considerations -- Placement -- 1960s Beatles Sound -- Considerations -- Placement -- 1970s Drum Sound -- Considerations -- Placement -- The Reggae Drum Sound -- Dulcimer -- Considerations -- Placement -- Fiddle -- Considerations -- Placement -- Flute -- Considerations -- Placement -- French Horn -- Acoustic Guitar -- Considerations -- Placement -- Guitar Tricks -- Nylon- or Gut-String Guitar -- Considerations -- Placement -- Electric Guitar -- Considerations -- Placement -- Glockenspiel (Also Known As Glock or Orchestral Bells) -- Considerations -- Placement -- Gong -- Considerations -- Placement -- Hand Claps -- Considerations -- Placement -- Harmonica -- Considerations -- Placement -- Harp -- Considerations -- Placement -- Indian Instruments -- Considerations -- Placement -- Koto -- Considerations -- Placement -- Leslie Speaker -- Considerations -- Placement -- Mandolin -- Considerations -- Placement -- Marimba -- Mouth Harp (Also Called Jew's Harp or Jaw Harp) -- Considerations -- Placement -- Piano -- Considerations -- Placement -- Upright Piano -- Piccolo -- Considerations -- Placement -- Recorder -- Considerations -- Placement -- Saxophone -- Considerations -- Placement -- Shaker -- Considerations -- Placement -- Steel Drums (Also Known As Steel Pans or Pan Drums) -- Considerations -- Placement -- Stick (Chapman Stick) -- Considerations -- Placement -- String Section -- Considerations -- Placement -- Synthesizer (Or Any Kind of Electric Keyboard) -- Considerations -- Placement -- Tambourine -- Considerations -- Placement -- Timbale -- Considerations -- Placement -- Timpani (Also Known As Kettle Drum).

Considerations -- Placement -- Triangle -- Considerations -- Placement -- Trombone -- Trumpet -- Tuba -- Vibes (or Vibraphone) -- Considerations -- Placement -- Vocals -- Considerations -- The Hanging Microphone -- Background Vocals -- Considerations -- Placement -- Voiceovers -- Considerations -- Placement -- Whistling -- Considerations -- Placement -- CHAPTER 9 The Recording Session -- Preparing for the Session -- Headphones and the Cue Mix -- Tips for Great Headphones -- Tricks for Loud Headphones -- Personal Headphone Mixes -- The Click Track -- Making the Click Cut through the Mix -- Preventing Click Bleed -- When a Click Won't Work -- Getting the Most from a Vocalist -- Recording Basic Tracks -- Where to Place the Players in the Room -- How Long Should It Take? -- Recording without Headphones -- Leakage -- The Assistant Engineer -- Attributes of a Great Assistant Engineer -- CHAPTER 10 Surround Miking Techniques -- Multi-Miking in Surround -- OCT Surround -- IRT Cross -- Hamasaki Square -- Double M-S -- Drum Surround Multi-Miking -- Multi-Mic #1 -- Alternate to Multi-Mic #1 -- Multi-Mic #2 -- Multi-Mic #3 -- The Halo -- CHAPTER 11 Surround Microphones -- The Holophone Surround Microphone System -- The Schoeps KFM 360 -- SoundField MKV Microphone and Model 451 5.1 Decoder -- B Format -- The SoundField 451 5.1 Decoder -- SPL/Brauner Atmos 5.1 Surround Microphone System -- CHAPTER 12 Final Recording Checklist -- General Checklist -- Checklist for Drums (in Addition to the Above) -- Microphone Selection Checklist -- If the Sound Is Distorted Checklist -- Checklist for Overdubs -- Vocal Recording Checklist -- If All Else Fails -- CHAPTER 13 Chuck Ainlay -- CHAPTER 14 Steve Albini -- CHAPTER 15 Michael Beinhorn -- CHAPTER 16 Michael Bishop -- CHAPTER 17 Bruce Botnick -- CHAPTER 18 Ed Cherney -- CHAPTER 19 Wyn Davis -- CHAPTER 20 Frank Filipetti.

CHAPTER 21 Jerry Hey -- CHAPTER 22 Eddie Kramer -- CHAPTER 23 Mark Linett -- CHAPTER 24 Mack -- CHAPTER 25 Al Schmitt -- Glossary -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- W -- X-Y -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- X -- Y -- Z.