The Audio Expert: Everything You Need to Know About Audio - Ethan Winer

He's pretty serious in what he does and is more known for his room treatment products and advice.  Has the appearance (at least to me) of a basement guru, that is having some success, thanks to the internet, and able to expand on his original goals. It appears he isn't getting rich, but is making a living doing what he likes and believes in.  That IS the definition of success in my opinion.  I've never heard any top notch recorded music mixed, created or finished by him, although he plays a bit of cello and other instruments, like a jack of all trades, quality. His equipment he uses seems to be middle of the road as well.  He does have a presence on the internet which you'll see on all the acoustic type forums.  Check his website and the variety of videos he's made.  I don't disagree with much that he states, and he'll make some bold statements now and then, but he's seemed to have found a niche and is doing well by it.
Ought to be a good value in getting his book, although I haven't read it.  As far as geared towards *truely advanced*, I might tend to slightly disagree as a GUESS.  But it should have lots of good info, never the less.

Mr. Winer has been published in a wide variety of print media and his reputation for offering authoritative and helpful information predates the public availability of the internet by about 20 years.
 
http://ethanwiner.com/articles.html
 
Not only does he know a lot about audio but he has a sense of perspective formed by having seen myths and popular misunderstanding emerge, disappear, and reemerge in a cyclical fashion.
 
I have not read the book mentioned in the OP but I imagine that it will be a good read for audio enthusiasts at all levels of experience. 
 
best regards,
mike

mike_mccue
Mr. Winer has been published in a wide variety of print media and his reputation for offering authoritative and helpful information predates the public availability of the internet by about 20 years.
 
http://ethanwiner.com/articles.html
 
Not only does he know a lot about audio but he has a sense of perspective formed by having seen myths and popular misunderstanding emerge, disappear, and reemerge in a cyclical fashion.
 
I have not read the book mentioned in the OP but I imagine that it will be a good read for audio enthusiasts at all levels of experience. 
 
best regards,
mike

Sounds good to me.Thanks Mike

I'm going to make a prediction...in that what will help your mixing the most, will be the acoustical treatment to your mixing area.  Ethan's site is chock full of info and you can easily end up making and installing it yourself.  After treating my mix area, I would have to say that the $500 (or less) that I spent was by far the best thing I could do to improve my mixes, as what I could hear now and was clearly much better in so many ways.
 
So...although the book may not delve into that area, that seems to be Ethan's focus now and should you proceed if you already haven't, will be a pleasant surprise.  I think you may get side tracked into that direction, after discovering more of what Ethan's knowledge has to offer.

mixmkr
I'm going to make a prediction...in that what will help your mixing the most, will be the acoustical treatment to your mixing area.  Ethan's site is chock full of info and you can easily end up making and installing it yourself.  After treating my mix area, I would have to say that the $500 (or less) that I spent was by far the best thing I could do to improve my mixes, as what I could hear now and was clearly much better in so many ways.
 
So...although the book may not delve into that area, that seems to be Ethan's focus now and should you proceed if you already haven't, will be a pleasant surprise.  I think you may get side tracked into that direction, after discovering more of what Ethan's knowledge has to offer.

Hi !
Yes the room is massively important isn't it. My friend is studying music production at university and this is what he tells me too,everytime I see him :)
I just read a review of the book by one of the above posters and actually there is a chapter about room treatment ,I dont know if it will go into much detail or just act as an intro to the subject,but I'm thinking it will be a good start.
The problem with my mix area is that its really small.I play guitar here too and I always notice how dry the sound seems to be when I play there,rather than in a larger room of the house. I think on a mixing level,I sometimes add to much reverb to my mix,to compensate for the dryness of the room.A few years I mixed in a kitchen with tiled floors and the sound used to bounce around everywhere....then I'd use hardly any reverb thinking there was already reverb in the mix !!!!!!!!!! I understand to a very basic level the importance of mixing in a good room,I'm excited to see what this guy can teach me.
Thanks for you post ! 

wst3
dissenting opinion... sorta...
 
I read what I could read on Amazon, and I think that there are a lot of books that will serve most folks better. I think this book tries to cover too much turf, and in a couple cases it appears to over-simplify some topics. From my perspective I would not purchase it, so I can't really provide a more thorough analysis.

If I were trying to build a library to help me record music I'd be prepared to spend a bit more, and purchase books that focus on a single topic.

Some examples:
 
For room design and/or treatment anything by Philip Newell or Michael Rettinger will go a lot further, and not only teach you how to design, build and tune a room, but it will also explain how to deal with a room you can not fully tune. Michael Cooper also wrote a fantastic book, but I was unable to find it today when I went searching.

For electronics - the list is long, but start with Hill & Horowitz, Jim Williams, and Douglas Self.

For mixing - I've really found very few books that can teach you to mix, but Bobby Owsinski and Bob Katz spring immediately to mind, especially Katz.

For a more general overview try to find the original edition of Robert Runstein's "Modern Recording" probably my favorite book, although it was written long before computers invaded studios. Still worth reading! Yamaha published a book on live sound that I think everyone should read. If you are feeling ambitious, Don Davis's Sound System Engineering is still considered by many to be the benchmark.

I know it's not much help, but that's what I'd do. Come to think of it, that's what I did<G>!
 

Ah well I've ordered the book now,so I'll have to give it a go. It's mainly mixing that I'm interested in for the time being,although later in the year I'm planning and learning more about room treatment.
 
So Bobby Owsinki and Bob Katz ?! I heard these names mentioned before. A poster not long ago posted a youtube link to what I think was a 'Bob Katz' video on mixing. It was an excellent watch which covered the basics really well. I've been mixing a few years now and I want to take it to a more intermediate level.I'm finding the more time I spend on it,it's bring some improvements....slowly. I think some guidance I can hopefully get closer to where I want to be.Modern Recording and Sound System Engineering sound good ! Maybe later in the year I'll look at buying these.
 
Thanks for your feedback !!! And wishing you a Happy New Year !!
 
Kev
 

 

wst3Yamaha published a book on live sound that I think everyone should read. 

 
I still have my first edition that was gifted to me while I was setting a live stage one afternoon. That book was/is really helpful.
 
:-)

mike_mccue
 

wst3Yamaha published a book on live sound that I think everyone should read. 

 
I still have my first edition that was gifted to me while I was setting a live stage one afternoon. That book was/is really helpful.
 
:-)

Great,sounds like a good read !!

mike_mccue
Hi Kev,
 The Yamaha Live Sound Reinforcement Handbook is more like a reference book. If you have an eager mind you can read it cover to cover. If you need a solid reference that you can use for practical applications like setting up sound systems and understanding the "why" of all the interconnection protocols than this book is good to have handy.
 
 I've never read a book about mixing. I come from the school of thought that one learns about mixing by listening to their favorite music as well as music they think they don't like. Personally speaking, I think I only fell in to the trap of second guessing every one else's mix for a short while and I feel fortunate to have seen the benefit of adopting a perspective where by every other mixer's mix teaches me something about other perspectives. That doesn't mean I don't have opinions about what I like or don't like, but it does mean I listen with a different set of expectations than I often hear described by other production fellows. I don't listen for what I'd do different, I listen for what the other guy does different.
 
 I also come from the school of thought that says mixing teaches you mixing. You have to have some listening skills to make any headway, but eventually you have to mix to get there.
 
 It seems to me that an obvious product category that is missing in the growing community of production enthusiasts is the commercial availability of good, solid, pre tracked multi track content that people can practice with. There is a great focus on samples and effects and it seems like a product line of multi track production tracks would be more useful to a lot of people.
 
 I grew up mixing experienced bands. I got to start with good material and had a mentor standing a few feet away the first couple of months until he figured he could double book. Having access to great content to learn to mix seemed much more valuable than anything I can imagine reading.
 
 Anyways...
 
 My philosophy is that a solid understanding of the basics of sound and music will provide a basis for devolping one's personal approach to mixing.
 
 It's a craft/art-form, which in my mind means that one has to learn to think holistically while applying detailed analysis quickly and effectively so as not to loose an understanding of what is happening to the whole.
 
 I think all art making shares that big picture/small detail thought processing and I sometimes get the impression that some music enthusiasts may encounter frustration because they are unfamiliar with that basic experience of craftsmanship which is common to all creative endeavor.
 
Anyways...
 
 Finally, I suspect that any book you read will be helpful and I have found that sometimes it takes me years to absorb and appreciate the knowledge I have encountered in books I didn't appreciate at first.
 
 These days, I enjoy reading anecdotal stories about the production process and the human interaction element of music making... well, that and "Designing Power Supplies for Tube Amplifiers". These days, those are the two subjects I have zeroed in on as being the most important things to understand about music making. :-S
 
 
 Keep reading!!!
 
 all the best,
mike
 

Hi Mike
 
Yes I understand what you're saying,the best way to get better at mixing is to mix !!!! There's the same parallel in learning a musical instrument - you can know all the theory in the world but it doesn't necessary make you a great player. On the other hand though,if you play a lot and put the hours in,you end up using the theory sometimes without even thinking about.You get an instinctive feel for how and when to apply it ? I suppose this is what I'm after in trying to learn theory in mixing...to be able to apply what I learn and put it into practice.
 
You were lucky to have worked with those bands when you were younger. This is definitely the best way to learn,as it's hand on,and it sounds like you were working with good source material too. My friend is opening a studio in about 3 months...he's just put in for permission with the council and for a loan with the bank.All being well and it gets the go ahead we'll be up and running mid 2014. This will be my first experience working in a studio,I'm looking forward to it !! For ten years I've mixed inside the box,so it's going to be a bit of an eye opener with regards to mics,getting the right room sound (treatment) and even I guess learning some degree of diplomacy. My friend has this band that want to record with us,the singer has an insane ego and 'thinks' he can sing high when in reality he sounds a bit like a cat being thrown around the room.So it's challenging in this sense...do you tell him to try the same line an octave lower or do you just go along with it - if the client is happy,then who am I to argue with him ? I think like you,the studio will expose me to different styles of music too which is also positive. When I write,I generally go for the same sonic picture.Working with other peoples material must force you out of that rut and get you to work outside the box a little ?
 
Referencing CDs,yes another good way to learn to mix. My problem is I tend to listen for 10 minutes then I'll start a piece with the source I'm trying to copy,but after that I'll totally get engrossed in my project and forget about the reference track !!!!!! Normally when I listen I'll get quite into the reference track,get pretty excited and worked up about what I'm hearing,but then like I say,once I've started trying to copy the sound,I'm off into my off thing !!! I guess it's all about discipline and in my case learning some self restraint. The mixes that I've done with a reference track at the beginning are defo better than my mixes with no reference track. It's something I'll have to work harder on. 
 
When you say this -
"It's a craft/art-form, which in my mind means that one has to learn to think holistically while applying detailed analysis quickly and effectively so as not to loose an understanding of what is happening to the whole."
 
It's no different from the process of writing music is it ? I mean when you write a chorus,it's always in relation to the rest of the song.When you write lyrics,it's always makes a complete picture,a story etc. I think mixing and writing music are very similar in a lot of ways. Recently I was asking myself,what do I really want in a good mix ? I decided the main thing I want is to express a musical idea which is understandable to others and easy to relate to.When you put it like that,it doesn't seem so far out,it makes me want to learn mixing,the same way I learnt composition...it's just to express an idea and hopefully people will 'get it' or even better,'like it' !!! :-)
 
Thanks for your book references and ideas.It was interesting and helpful to read your post.
 
Kev
 

I usually agree with Mr. McCue - but I am going to veer off course a bit this time.

It appears that Mike and I came up about the same time... an eager young (read untrained<G>) audio fanatic could walk into a studio and learn the business from the bottom up, the bottom being sweeping floors and running for food. That opportunity is much rarer these days. So one has to look to other resources, which, I guess, means books.

I think you can get some fundamental idea of the process from reading a well written book, although I'd never try to write such a tome! Better yet, a book about mixing with a DVD or two worth of material - just plain audio files, that the reader can dissect and mix and whatever. I am unaware of such a book... hmmm............
 
Another approach, which can help novice and seasoned pro alike, is ear training. The Golden Ears series from Dave Moulton remains the gold standard. I should have thought of that earlier, but the OP asked about a specific book, and that threw me.

There are web sites that provide raw tracks from known recordings, I'm not sure all of them are completely legal, but it is worth some surfing to find some of these. There are also companies that provide tracks to songs specifically to practice mixing - I've not used any of them, so I can't make recommendations, perhaps others can?

Finally, it should go without saying, but just in case: as you read "The Audio Expert..." do not be afraid to fact check assertions made in the book. I can think of only one or two authors who I would not do the same, and even then, I (and others) have found errors in at least one edition of one of the most well known, and well considered texts. So if you run across anything that makes you scratch your head don't be afraid to ask.

i'm more interested in the craft of 'listening' and understanding how to get a sound captured and mixed properly, than the technology behind it..
 
in other words, learning how to make good mix decisions, and knowing your playback system well, is the most important thing.
 
ethan seems to want people to believe that other things, are the most important things.
 
 
when i hear good craft, i know it.
 
 

Wow David,
 
 That seems like an amazing resource for self study people, educators, pupils etc.
 
 Thanks for sharing the link.
 
best regards,
mike
 

dmbaer

wst3
There are web sites that provide raw tracks from known recordings, I'm not sure all of them are completely legal, but it is worth some surfing to find some of these. There are also companies that provide tracks to songs specifically to practice mixing - I've not used any of them, so I can't make recommendations, perhaps others can?

Mike Senior's web site is a gold mine of this sort of thing.  In addition to a lot of information not included in his book, he has an extensive collection of raw tracks for mixing practice, available at no cost:
 
http://www.cambridge-mt.com/ms-mtk.htm
 
I had a chance to speak to Mike about a year ago - seems to be a extremely nice person.  He said he was a little puzzled and disappointed that more people didn't seem to be making use of what he was providing.  Maybe it's because few people know it's actually there.

I too think that's a great site David. However, one of the downfalls (in my opinion) of the multi-tracks are they are really too good. They stand up on their own with little needing to be done in all honesty. So to me, more than using them to mix, I've sent some of my interns there to use the tracks as sound identification because of how well some of them are recorded.
 
Most bedroom guys are not going to get that type of quality, so it's almost a moot point to mix stuff like that. BUT, they do allow an engineer to take a listen to their own instruments in comparison to see how they are doing. I think Mike would do better with tracks recorded by beginners that presented a challenge over using these incredible tracks he has presented as in my opinion, there isn't much of a challenge factor for mixing as much as it is for "sound tracking". All the other incredible resources he offers are mint....I just felt the multi's were recorded a little too good.
 
-Danny

Danny Danzi
I too think that's a great site David. However, one of the downfalls (in my opinion) of the multi-tracks are they are really too good.

Wow, I mean no disrespect, but isn't that kind of the point of tracking? You want the best possible tracks so that mixing is easy - or easier I guess.

A good instrument, in great shape, and in tune (do I really need to say that?), an appropriate microphone placed appropriately for the instrument and the room... that's the key. Yeah, some basements and bedrooms don't sound as good as some purpose built spaces. So if you really need a great room tone you go somewhere you can get it - I've recorded a number of tracks over the years in church sanctuaries, music school auditoriums and concert halls, etc. OR, you learn how to minimize the problems in your bedroom/basement through microphone selection and placement.

Sorry, but I think the tracks at Mike's web site are perfect for learning to mix...
 
Learning to track is an entirely different matter<G>!

I have more fun with it when the tracks are (moderately) crappy. It's very satisfying to make something sound good that started out bad.
 
To return to topic: yes, I have read Ethan's book and found it fairly enjoyable. I'm a fan of Mr. Winer. A vendor who'll gladly teach you how to make for yourself the very products he sells. A sometimes lonely voice of reason in a field rife with unscientific beliefs and unfounded opinions.
 
But the book itself is just a compilation of Ethan's favorite audio-related topics, and not a great tutorial. Something to round out your library, along with The Adventures of Mixerman, Behind the Glass and This is Your Brain on Music.