PC Publishing Book Catalogue

1996 Titles

Handbook of MIDI Sequencing Dave Clackett (of Hands On MIDI Software) 256 pp * 244 x 172 mm * illus ISBN 1870775 38 4 £13.95

If you want to get better results from your sequencer you need this book.
Written by leading MIDI song file producer Dave Clackett of Hands On MIDI Software, the book lists the hardware and software you need to set up a sequencing system, and introduces the basics of sequencing and music notation.
It explains how to program drums, keyboard, guitar and bass, as well as ‘real’ instruments’ – woodwind, brass, strings etc., and shows how effects, controllers, SysEx and quantising can be used to fine tune your song files. There are sections on synchronising to tape, standard MIDI files, copyright, transcribing from record, and a chapter on using MIDI files live,
The book will be of particular interest to musicians using General MIDI/GS/XG equipment, but all the examples are relevant whether you use a hardware based sequencer or an Atari, PC, Mac or Amiga.
With a help section, a glossary and appendices on General MIDI data, its a book no MIDI musician can afford to be without.

PC Music Handbook (2nd Edition) Brian Heywood and Roger Evan 216 pp * 216 x 135 mm * illustrated ISBN 1 870775 42 2 £10.95

This book will show you how to turn your PC into a creative music making machine. It explains how you can create very sophisticated music on your PC by running sequencing software, how to create your own sounds with a soundcard, how to use your PC as a sound librarian, or a sample editor, or even use it as a hard disk recorder or a sound sampler. All these things are possible with today's sophisticated PC.
The use of sound in multimedia applications is also covered, and there is a chapter on PC hardware with advice on which type of PC is best for your particular needs whether it's a 386, 486 or Pentium. And if you want to incorporate keyboards, sequencers, sound modules, drum machines, multitrack tape etc into your MIDI system, a range of different setups are suggested.
There's advice too on getting connected to the Internet, where you can contact other PC music aficionados world wide!
An invaluable book for anyone using a PC for music making.

Reviews of the previous edition

‘Excellent’ MIDI Monitor
‘Well worth reading’ PC Plus
‘Easy read and very informative’ Keyboard Player
‘Answers a lot of basic questions’ International Musician
‘Excellent primer’ Computer Shopper
‘Sounds a sweet note for the MIDI musician’ PC Format

How to Set up a Home Recording Studio (2nd Edition) David Mellor 128 pp * 216 x 135 mm * softcover * illustrated ISBN 1870775 43 0 £8.95

Gone are the days when you had to book expensive studio time and pay session musicians to produce your demo tape. The low price and high sophistication of modern sound equipment and recording gear means it is now possible to produce very high quality recordings without taking out a second mortgage.
So if you're thinking of setting up a home studio, a project studio or a DJ studio, this book is the place to start. It takes a highly practical 'nuts and bolts' type of approach to help you produce an efficient and productive studio.
It covers soundproofing – keeping the sound in and the noise out – acoustics, studio layout, and studio equipment – with advice on the kit you are likely to need. There's a chapter on studio furniture, and the practical theme is continued with sections on cabling, wiring looms and even soldering, all highly illustrated. A chapter is devoted to the layout and wiring of the patchbay, and the book ends with an invaluable questions and answers section, a glossary of terms and a list of contacts.
A practical and user friendly book.
Contents: Types of home studio. Soundproofing. Acoustics and decor. Equipment . Studio furniture. Cables. Patchbays. Bits and pieces. Questions and answers. Advanced interconnection. Glossary of terms.Directory of manufacturers and distributors.

Review of previous edition

Invaluable accessory – Musician

"David Mellor is a composer and musician who produces music for radio, film, television and CD in his home recording studio. His music and recordings are frequently heard on BBC Television and Radio, Independent Television, Channel 4 and satellite broadcast stations. He has worked as a sound engineer at the Royal Opera House, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and other major venues in the UK and abroad. He is widely credited as a consultant and lecturer in recording and sound engineering."

Current Catalogue (alphabetically)

Advanced MIDI User's Guide (2nd Edition) RA Penfold 192 pp * 216 x 135 mm * 29 line drawings ISBN 1870775 39 2 £10.95

Most MIDI users do no more than scratch the surface of MIDI's potentialities. But dare to dig a bit deeper and you'll find a whole new world of creative possibilities.
With the Advanced MIDI User's Guide, you'll learn how to optimise your MIDI system to give the best results for your particular setup, you'll find out how switchers and mergers can add sophistication to your setup and how they can be used in a MIDI system at live gigs. Want to incorporate a multitrack tape recorder into your MIDI system? No problem – there's a section on synchronisers, SMPTE and MIDI time code. And all you retro freaks will find out how to use your MIDI system with that dusty old analogue synth!
You'll find out how to improvise a simple MIDI tester to help troubleshoot problem systems, and how to use SysEx messages to access some of the more esoteric features of your system. And the really intrepid MIDI freak will be able to get to grips with MIDI programming!

Here's what people thought of the previous edition

'Gets down to the nitty gritty' Keyboard Player
'Sensible investment' International Musician
'Of interest to anyone involved with MIDI' Keyboard Review
'Useful glossary' Home & Studio Recording
'Recommended' Musician 

Computers and Music (2nd Edition) RA Penfold 184 pp * 216 x 138 mm * illustrated ISBN 1 870775 32 5 £8.95

This book will help you learn the basics of computing, running sequencing, notation, voice editing and other types of program, wiring up a MIDI system and using it to good effect, in fact just about everything you need to know about hardware and the programs, with no previous knowledge of computing needed or assumed. This book will help you to choose the right components for a system to suit your personal needs, as well as equipping you to fully exploit that system.
Contents: Computer basics; Storage media; Ports and peripherals; Real computers; About MIDI; Music software; MIDI instruments; Glossary; Checklists; Index.

Reviews of the first edition

‘Ideal’ Musician magazine
‘A very readable and useful book’ Amiga User International
‘Extremely useful’ Practical Electronics
‘Contains first rate knowledge’ Music Technology

Electronic Music and MIDI Projects RA Penfold 160pp * 246x189mm * illustrated ISBN 187 0775 24 4 £9.95

Strapped for cash? Fear not. Here’s the book to help you build up your MIDI system without laying out thousands on hardware.
Want a MIDI THRU box, patchbay or switcher? Well they’re all here. And you don’t need a degree in electronics either. All the projects are explained in detail, with full instructions on assembly. No complicated printed circuits either as all the projects can be put together on basic stripboard.
So if you’re into MIDI and want to expand your system without taking out a second mortgage,
look no further. Here’s the book for you.
Contents: Short echo unit. Automatic swell pedal. Audio mixer. Stereo mixer. Metronome. MIDI THRU Box. MIDI switcher. MIDI automatic switcher. MIDI controlled switcher. Basic MIDI patchbay. Simple checker. MIDI checker 1. MIDI checker 2. MIDI lead tester. MIDI pedal 1. MIDI pedal 2.

Electronic Projects for Guitar RA Penfold 114 pp * 246x189mm * illustrated ISBN 1870775 31 7 £8.95

Although there is now a wide range of ready built musical gadgets on the market, there are nevertheless plenty of useful effects units and accessories that can be constructed at quite low cost. This book contains a collection of guitar effects and some general purpose effects units, many of which are suitable for the beginner to project building. An introductory chapter gives guidance on construction. Each project has an introduction, an explanation of how it works, a circuit diagram, complete instructions on stripboard layout and assembly, as well as notes on setting up and using the units.
Contents include: Introduction; Guitar tuner; Guitar preamplifier; Guitar headphone amplifier; Soft distortion unit; Compressor; Envelope waa waa; Phaser; Dual tracking effects unit; Noise gate/expander; Treble booster; Dynamic treble booster; Envelope modifier; Tremolo unit; DI box.

Reviews

‘An excellent investment’ Recording Musician
'Excellently laid out and informative' Music Mart

Introducing Digital Audio (2nd Edition) Ian R Sinclair 160 pp * 64 line drawings ISBN 1870775 22 8 £7.95

Digital audio involves methods and circuits that are totally alien to the technician or keen amateur who has previously worked with audio circuits. This book is intended to bridge the gap of understanding for the technician and enthusiast. The principles and methods are explained, but the mathematical background and theory are avoided other than to state the end product. This second edition has been updated to include sections on oversampling methods and bitstream techniques. The opportunity has also been taken to add a glossary of technical terms.

Reviews of first edition

‘Readable and informative’ Home & Studio Recording
‘Well worth a read ... the writing is clear and unambiguous’ The Gramophone

MIDI Survival Guide Vic Lennard 104 pp * 216 x 135 mm * Illustrated ISBN 1 870775 28 7 £7.95

Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, the MIDI Survival Guide shows you the way. No maths, no MIDI theory - just practical advice on starting up, setting up and ending up with a working MIDI system.
Vic Lennard is a music journalist with over 1200 published articles to his name. He has been involved with Music Technology, Home & Studio Recording and Sound on Sound, and was responsible for setting up both the
UKMA (United Kingdom MIDI Association) and Club Cubase.

Multimedia on the PC Ian R Sinclair 192 pp * 246 x 189 mm * Illustrated ISBN 1870775 35 X £11.95

Multimedia is already the main growth area of PC computing, and its importance is set to increase as the already large selection of CD ROMs becomes even greater and less costly. In particular, the business and educational aspects of CD ROM are being greatly expanded. This book introduces the whole topic of multimedia to the PC user.
Ian Sinclair explains what a CD ROM is, how it works, and why it is such a perfect add-on for a PC, allowing you to buy programs, text, graphics and sound on a CD.
He explains how to install a CD ROM drive and a sound card, and shows how you can create your own multimedia presentation containing text, your own photos (if you have a scanner), a soundtrack with your own voice recorded as a commentary, even animation and edited video footage. You'll also find out how to hear your typed text spoken by your computer!
This book will change your ideas about presentations and show how the use of multimedia can revolutionise educational and business applications as well as the more obvious aspects of game playing and other types of leisure computing.

Music Technology Reference Book Peter Buick and Vic Lennard 160pp * 246 x 172mm * illus ISBN 1870775 34 1 £12.95

Don't waste your time searching for information – with the Music Technology Reference Book you'll have it at your fingertips. It's an indispensable reference source for the musician or sound professional working in the recording, broadcast, live, video, computer, multimedia, post production and theatre industries.
The Music Technology Reference Book will be in daily use with its charts, planners, checklists, useful hints, tips and ideas. It also includes a glossary of terms and is comprehensively indexed.
It's organised into convenient sections – MIDI, synthesis, sampling and tapeless recording, music, recording and production, audio and sound, electronics, computers and multimedia, and a list of industry contacts in UK and USA.
Music Technology Reference Book - the essential accessory!

Practical MIDI Handbook (3rd Edition) RA Penfold 176 pp * 246 x 189 mm * 29 line drawings ISBN 1870775 36 8 £8.95

This third edition of the very successful Practical MIDI Handbook has been completely revised and updated. There’s a new chapter on General MIDI and the book has been produced in a larger format to allow more extensive use of charts and photographs.
If you want a basic down to earth introduction to MIDI and its capabilities, this is the book for you. It explains the basics of MIDI and what it can do, shows how computers can be used in a MIDI set-up, and describes the use of sequencers in music making.
There’s a section on MIDI instruments – keyboards, drum machines, guitars, wind instruments etc. – and MIDI devices like mergers, pedals, effects units, switches and sync units. With practical advice on connecting up a MIDI system, the book is nicely rounded off with a glossary of terms.
If you want a readable introduction to MIDI, look no further.

Reviews of previous editions

“A good introduction" Musician
“A great handbook” Keyboard Review
“I would certainly recommend the book” UKMA MIDI Monitor
“An informative book” Keyboard Player

Recording Techniques for Small Studios David Mellor 192 pages * 246 x 189 mm * illustrated ISBN 1 870775 29 5 £9.95

Whether you are a recording musician or a recording engineer learning the trade, David Mellor tells you everything you need to know to get the best from the studio recording process.
Everything from planning the recording session, microphone techniques, recording vocals, drums, guitars and keyboards, using MIDI and synchronising, operating the mixing console, the use of compressors and noise gates, equalisation, location recording, adding effects, monitoring, mixdown, digital and hard disk recording - and much more.
With useful appendices giving lists of UK recording studios and a glossary of terms, it's a book no recording musician or engineer can afford to be without.
Contents Introduction. Microphones and techniques. Musical arrangements.4-track recording. The mixing console. The session. Recording drums. Recording vocals. MIDI and multitrack. Compressors and noise gates. Equalisers. Location recording. Effects. The mix. Addresses of recording studios. Glossary of terms.

Sequencer Secrets Ian Waugh 1995 *108 pp * 216 x 138 mm * illustrated ISBN 1870775 37 6 £6.95

The manual may tell you how your sequencer works, but Sequencer Secrets goes beyond any manual. In this concise, creative and intensely practical book, Ian Waugh explains how you can get the best from any software sequencer. It contains a collection of hints and tips acquired over many years of experience with a wide range of software sequencers. It explains how to master functions you may have previously ignored, how to use short cuts to speed up your work, and how to turn your sequencer from a recording tool into a creative music machine.

The book will show you how to:

A troubleshooting section helps you track down MIDI anomalies like double notes, volume dropouts, stuck notes and instruments going out of tune.
An indispensable book for sequencer users at all levels.
Ian Waugh is one of the UK’s leading hi tech computer and music writers with over 1000
articles and several books and albums to his name.

What the magazines said:

"Indispensable" Future Music
"Punchy 100 pages of valuable lore" ST Format
"Take months off the learning process" Keyboard Review
"Gets into the nitty gritty of sequencer power" ST Format
"Packed with helpful hints and valuable projects" Sound On Sound

Tips for Recording Musicians John Harris 100 pp * 216 x 135 mm * illustrated ISBN 1870775 40 6 £7.95

Written by Sound on Sound Demo Doctor John Harris, Tips for Recording Musicians is packed with invaluable hints and tips to help musicians and recording engineers get more professional results.
Today’s studio equipment is affordable but sophisticated, and it takes a lot of know how to use all this technology effectively. So we’ve prised John Harris away from his mixing desk and persuaded him to write this concise and pithy guide.
He details the equipment you need – microphones, effects, tape machines, etc – and he explains how to use the mixing desk, and how production techniques like arranging and track layering can help avoid a muddy mix. Separate sections are devoted to the recording of vocals, electric guitar, drums and acoustic instruments, and he shows how MIDI can be used to good effect in the recording process.
You’ll learn how to get the best from delay and reverb, as well as other effects like compression and gating, and the book includes some useful tips on using the mixing desk and post production work.
All in all it’s a handy guide, in an easy-to-read hints and tips format, that will improve your recording techniques at a stroke.

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