"This book is a treasure trove of knowledge about the design and implementation of sound systems, and can be strongly recommended to those readers who have the requisite practical and/or academic background and are seeking to enlarge their understanding of a particular aspect of the subject.
As stated in the preface, the authors have intentionally provided a "two-track" approach to their subject, interlacing everyday practicalities with theoretical concerns. Thus, you will find sections on units, wiring, and acoustic measurements alongside with others on the physical characteristics that enter into designing microphones, loudspeakers and interfacing electrical and acoustic systems. To profit fully from the latter discussion, the reader should have had a good grounding in electromagnetism and acoustics. Clearly, the authors are aware of this problem and have provided the types of practical examples and illustrations throughout the bolume that encourage "cross-over" and permit all serious users to derive benefit from even the more sophisticated sections.
Personally I expect that Sound System Engineering, Third Edition, will become an invaluable resource for my own courses in the physics of music, and I thank my colleague, Gene Patronis, for joining with Don Davis to create this book. The authors and editors are to be commended for the clarity of the presentation and the production of a text that is relatively free from error."
-- Henry S. Valk, Professor of Physics, Emeritus, Georgia Institute of Technology
"Sound System Engineering, Third Edition, contains a wealth of information on the design, implementation and testing of sound reinforcement system. Don Davis' section on audio and acoustic measurements is a must read for anyone serious about performing such tasks. The concepts he discusses about signal delay/synchronization and room acoustics will help the reader to understand what is at the very basis of these topics.
Similary, Eugene Patronis' section on loudspeakers and arrays is not to be missed. It will have you going back again and again to find that peice of information you need about horns, direct radiators, crossovers and arrays. His presentation of signal processing starts with basic sampling and progresses through system theory and digital audio.
Two of the latter chapters on equalization, and "putting it all together" are true gems. They yield practical information that you'll be using the next time you're faced with the issues covered.
Sound System Engineering, Third Edition, takes all of the knowledge contained in the second edition and augments it with up-to-date interface methods and advances in the field fo audio and acoustics since its last publication.This text is equally suited for both the novice and the veteran audio practitioner. It is written in such a manner that each time you read a portion of it, something new will come to light."
-- Charlie Hughes, President, Excelsior Audio Design & Services
"Congratulations to Don Davis and Eugene Patronis, Jr. for writing the most informative book on sound system engineering ever. The book contains all of the elements of theory, design and practical installation. The book is an excellent reference for the sound system engineer.
Sound System Engineering, Third Edition is the most complete technical book on sound system engineering I have ever read. It is a concentrated capsule of knowledge that gives the theory as well as instructions of how to implement the theory. Don has recorded for us how to do the installation process. Dr. Patronis has given us the physics back of the theory and he added the mathematics so one can reporduce the results. There are places that Doc uses the "It is intuitively obvious..." leap of knowledge that some might have trouble working through but it can be done.
Thank you for such a great work"
-- Don Eger, Owner, Don Eger & Associates
"I pulled SSE-I, SSE-II and SSE-III from the shelf in my office to try to make some sort of comparison. There is was -- my copy of SSE-III is only three months old and it already has yellow stickies poking out from various places, hi-lited passages, formulae, and diagrams just like the other two (it already lies flat if that tells you something).
Like many audio professionals, I have a couple of walls full of text and reference books, some from college 40 years ago, and some of the latest texts and references on this and related subjects. None is used as often or as effectively as Sound System Engineering, in all of its iterations.
In the Third Edition, Davis and Petronis have a writing and teaching style that has made the subject manageable for those at many levels of "studenting" and somehow magically speaks a language understood by us all. The darned book is even what I would call a good read.
Davis and Petronis have taken what may be the complex field in non-quantum physics and made it not only understandable but useful to the day-to-day practitioner as well as the advanced theoretician and academician.
I think my comment that is "already lies flat" says a lot. Show me a book that spends its time open and I'll show you a book that people are reading, using and learning from."
-- James L. Sorensen, Engineer & Technical Consultant