No matter what part of the musical spectrum you come from—whether you’re playing in a band, composing, or DJing—if you’re using a computer (or wondering whether you should be), to get the results you want from your digital studio you’ll need reliable information.

Real World Digital Audio is a comprehensive resource—a book and DVD combo—that offers practical advice on making great music with modern technologies—a valuable reference whatever your musical genre or preferred audio application. You’ll learn how digital sound works, and then apply that knowledge to getting your music to sound the way you want. From recording, mixing, and producing CDs, musical scores, and video soundtracks, to performing live with your laptop, this is the definitive guide to the art of creating digital music.

Real World Digital Audio will show you how to

Choose the right software and hardware to fit your musical direction—and your budget

Optimize your setup for maximum recording quality and reliability

Choose and strategically place microphones for different recording situations

Use loops and grooves to create backing tracks, DJ, and enhance live performances

Master MIDI and audio editing techniques to make expressive, polished tracks

Create dynamic sounds with audio effects, synthesizers, and soft synths

Generate publication-quality notated scores on your desktop

Mix, master, and share professional recordings, online music, and video soundtracks The DVD included with this book is a cross-platform data DVD compatible with both Mac and Windows computers. The DVD contains over two gigabytes of sound content, instruments, and software tools that you can use immediately in your music, and to explore topics in the book.

Companion Web site at www.realworlddigitalaudio.com includes interviews with audio professionals, updated information, and more.

"Writing about digital audio is like shooting at a moving target. But Peter Kirn has managed to score a bullseye with Real World Digital Audio."

—Ernie Rideout, Editor-in-Chief, Keyboard magazine