What can I say about the late Roger Nichols? The engineer on every Steely Dan record. A former nuclear scientist who was addicted to audio quality. The inventor of Wendel, the first digital drum-replacement system. He was all these things and more. His tireless quest for crackle & pop-free sound led him to digital audio recording long before most, and his skill in the studio is obvious from the recordings he worked on.
This book is based on materials that Roger initially prepared for his Recording 101 classes, making the bulk of it somewhat basic. Someone just starting out with recording could benefit highly from his no-nonsense approach and walkthroughs of the included Pro Tools sessions. For an experienced engineer, luckily there is more. His audio definitions section is definitely worth having, his thoughts on sampling are obviously informed, and his descriptions of recording formats and digital audio come from true experience.
One of the true highlights of this book are the many photos from Roger's career, and the snippets of knowledge throughout are delivered with a sense of humor. Roger left the recording world a better place than when he found it. Now let's hope that a book of his Recording Engineer/Producer and EQ columns will come next.
($29.99; www.alfred.com)