I have been teaching and training live sound engineers since 2005, and in that time I have relied on a wide variety of resources, both print and video. When starting out I realised that books focusing on live sound reinforcement as actually quite rare – there are many more resources available for those doing recording and music production. Ours is a specialised field and requires specialist knowledge, of which there is a wealth in the material below. Happy reading!
Yamaha “Exploring Sound reinforcement” DVD
Despite being over 15 years old this is still an excellent primer for any one wanting to learn more about sound reinforcement, also known as live sound. Over two hours of material covering all aspects of live sound from microphones to loudspeakers and beyond. Strangely, there is nothing at all on DI boxes! For that, refer to my own videos 😄
Buy on Amazon (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3EFCcsz
More information on the Yamaha USA website: https://usa.yamaha.com/news_events/2005/20050701_exploring-sound-reinforcement-dvd-pro-audio-review-july-2005_us.html
“Basic Live Sound” by Paul White
This is part of a series of small but mighty booklets (they are really small, measuring just 4″ x 5.75″) written by Paul White in 2003. Over 200 pages long, it’s amazing how much detail and knowledge is crammed into these little gems, including a wealth of pictures and detailed technical diagrams of all everything from microphone to loudspeakers. I’ve had my copies for over 15 years and still enjoy them. Of course, many aspects of the technology we use have moved on since then, but certain fundamentals such as the difference between dynamic and condenser microphones remain. At this price, you can’t go wrong!
Buy on Amazon (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3eIyDak
“Live Sound Mixing” by Duncan Fry
This was one of the very FIRST books that I ever got on live sound, and to this day I still regard it like an old friend. If you want something that covers the basics and is accessible to ANYONE, this is the one to start with. Written in a relaxed, conversational and very Australian way with lots of pictures, diagrams and even cartoons, this book will ease you into live sound without the confusion and intimidation that is common to many audio textbooks. Try it, and if it’s too basic for you, give it away to somebody who’s just starting out.
This book is currently only available on Duncan’s website: http://www.dunkworld.com/