Reference on acoustics

The Master Handbook of Acoustics, by F. Alton Everest. 4th Edition, published 2001 by McGraw-Hill, USA. Soft covers, 184 x 232mm, 616 pages. ISBN 0 07 136097 2. Price $59.95.

This one of the best books on audio theory and practice that I have ever come across. It is very readable and you can pick it up virtually anywhere in any chapter and get useful information straight away. There is a minimum of mathematics and formulas so that anyone from the novice to an engineer will find it worthwhile.

All told there are 28 chapters plus an appendix so I am not going to list all the contents; a sample will have to do.

The book starts off with some basic audio theory, sound levels and the decibel, the ear and perception of sound. It then goes on to cover speech, music and noise, analog and digital signal processing (DSP), reverberation and control of interfering noise.

From then on there are separate chapters on reflection, diffraction, refraction and diffusion of sound, modal resonances and reflections in enclosed spaces and comb filter effects.

All of these chapters are of particular interest whether you are professionally involved in acoustics or perhaps you are doing home renovations and want to achieve some control of the domestic acoustic environment.