Live Sound: Theory & Practice
by Mark Amundson

Live Sound: Theory and Practice offers practical advice on real topics important to technicians and engineers in the live sound business.

In these pages, sound engineers of all levels will find vital help on how to deal with real-word problems such as time-pressure, troubleshooting a rig, dealing with non-technical individuals (venue management, musicians, patrons, etc.) and their competing demands, and the limitations of their budget.

Live Sound: Theory and Practice offers practical advice on real topics important to technicians and engineers in the live sound business. In these pages, sound engineers of all levels will find vital help on how to deal with real-word problems such as time-pressure, troubleshooting a rig, dealing with non-technical individuals (venue management, musicians, patrons, etc.) and their competing demands, and the limitations of their budget. Collected and expanded from Amundson's monthly column in Front of House magazine, Live Sound: Theory and Practice offers solid technical data to help you understand the theory behind the hows and whys of sound reinforcement with sections that cover speaker and amplifier configuration, power distribution, and signal processing, as well as concrete practical advice you can use when the gig gets hot. It's recommended reading for anyone out on a gig who wants to get it right.

"Mark is a real engineer who understands the physics of sound in ways that most of us never will, holds several patents and has been involved in the development of technology that he can't even talk about (he could tell ya but then he would have to kill ya...), and he also comes to live audio with the perspective of a musician who has played hundreds of club gigs, usually providing sound as well as playing guitar and keys. The perspective is important, because it explains how Mark can communicate with seasoned pros and green newbies alike, and offer something of value to both of them." - from Bill Evan's Foreword Mark Amundson's interest in live sound production sprang from the amalgamation of two youthful pursuits: performing music and avidly tinkering with electronics. His desire to understand every aspect of music electronics, design and history led him to attain an electrical engineering degree in the early '80s. His career strayed away from pro audio into aerospace and defense, but he still spends nights and weekends following his passion for music gigs and building mixing consoles, power amplifiers and live sound gadgets. After decades of gigs, both onstage at clubs and behind the consoles as a live sound engineer, Mark decided to start writing about the experiences of live sound production, spinning his in-the-trenches war stories with practical advice, born as much in theory as in practice.