Based on the award-winning DVD set, Alan Parsons’ Art & Science of Sound Recording—The Book takes legendary engineer, producer, and artist Alan Parsons’ approaches to sound recording to the next level. In book form, Parsons has the space to present more technical background information, more detailed diagrams, and more in-depth discussion on each of the twenty-four topics, from “A Brief History of Recording” to the now-classic “Dealing with Disasters.”
Written with the coproducer of the DVDs, musician and author Julian Colbeck, this book offers readers a classic “big picture” view of modern recording technology. Parsons and Colbeck dig deep into subjects such as distinctions among recording processes and techniques, the pros and cons of different spaces and equipment, and the challenges that come with recording vocals and specific instruments. They also feature insights from many other seasoned industry pros, including engineers such as Jack Douglas and Allen Sides, producers such as John Fields and Jack Joseph Puig, and artists such as Michael McDonald and Erykah Badu.
For all its heft and authority—authored by a man trained at London’s famed Abbey Road studios in the 1970s—this book is written in plain English and is packed with priceless anecdotes from Alan Parsons’ own career working with the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and countless others. Not just informative, but also highly entertaining and inspirational, this book is the perfect platform on which to build expertise in the art and science of sound recording.