Research

[HalighALie01]

Hey. My name is Sean.

I'm a junior in high school and for my Thematics class I have to write a research paper. It could be about anything we wanted.

I would like to do the music recording industry.
Past. present. new technologies. how it was first done. whats the difference. digital vs all analog. ect ect ect ect


But everything has to be a liable source.
So.

Could anybody point me in the way of good books that would give great information about the history of music recording. techniques. then and now, ect ?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Nick The Man]

hey a fellow junior whats up???


lol i dont know any books but i just wanted to say hi

 

[ermghoti]

But everything has to be a liable source.

Suggestion 1: Keep a dictionary handy at all times.

 

[chessrock]

I think he meant to say "libel" source. Silly.

 

[Middleman]

"Make Mine Music" by Bruce Swedian - He was there near the beginning and is still alive and kicking. In fact if you go to Craig Anderton's site over at harmony.com he will converse with you.

Bob Ohlsson over at Gearslutz.com worked at Motown during the height of the 60s & 70s. If you take it offline, he might give you some interesting data.

Go to the universalaudio.com site and read up on everything about Bill Putnam. He invented some of the first technologies like limiters, compressors and mixing desks. Also patch bays and some other stuff.

One of the top mixers of digital is over at Gearslutz.com this month, Michael Brauer. Unless you have some decent questions he may ignore you because these guys get very technical.

Read up on Joe Meek, another great innovator of early technology

Geoff Emerick, was the engineer for the Beatles and quite an inventor in his own right.

George Martin, although more a producer, he created a lot of innovation in the 60s.

Another great inventor was Les Paul who invented Gibson's first electric guitar and also multitrack reel to reels. He did a lot of other stuff too.

Last of all, go to RupertNeve.com and read up on Rupert.

This should keep you busy for a week.

 

[ahuimanu]

WOW,

I wrote a similar research topic on MIDI when I was a Junior in HS Waaaaaay back in the mid 80s (when MIDI was pretty much brand new). You'll have fun with your topic.

 

[Fishybob]

Dude. I did a similar subject for my Dissertation (UK Final assignment for Degree - 10,000 words). That subject is huge. My advise... To explore a subject thoroughly choose a narrow field of research.

Similar to what you've chosen but more streamlined. Ask yourself which area it is that most interests you... Say, How the invention of Midi helped move the world of Disco to Techno (or did it)... something like that. Or, How recording studios have embraced the world of digital.



Just my 2cents, but I found it SO much easier when I had a narrow scope for research.


Oh, and try to enjoy it... Otherwise it'll be labourious to do - and read!

 

[qbert1]

You might find value in the first DVD or two in the Ken Burns Jazz documentary. There's some pretty useful information about the early years and technology of recording - along with a very thorough history of Jazz.
It might be a good reference to start you on your journey.

Good luck

 

[Dani Pace]

This isn't a book, it's a film documentary well worth the time and full of info which you might can use, TOM DOWD & THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC. If nothing else it will give you a lot of insight into how recording changed between the years of 1950 through the late 1990s, and a lot of behind the scenes looks at gear and studios.