Book Review: "If Bad Sound Were Fatal,
Audio
Would Be the Leading Cause of Death"
In 1995, Don and Carolyn Davis, founders of the audio and acoustics education seminars called Synergetic Audio Concepts (Syn-Aud-Con), turned the business over to Pat and Brenda Brown and "retired" from audio. O.K., they retired from audio for eight years, but with 40 years of audio knowledge they each accumulated, they could not 'hide it under a bushel basket' when there are so many people getting into the audio field and crying for more knowledge. Today sound systems are not just put together by the local resident 'expert' in the congregation, but by competent audio professionals. To this end, the Davises, along with Dr. Gene Patronis, are revising "Sound System Engineering", the book that brought so much practical information about designing, installing and tuning sound systems.
This review, however, is about a book they just completed called "If Bad Sound Were Fatal, Audio Would Be the Leading Cause of Death". Taken from 20 years of Syn-Aud-Con Newsletters and Tech Topics and liberally annotated with recent additions, it is a delightfully entertaining and informative book with many photos and graphics. Even more surprising, the book does not have even one equation or chart in it.
Don and Carolyn started their career in audio in 1951 with the "Golden Ear" hi-fi store. Don also worked with Paul Klipsch and for Altec Lansing. As Vice President of Marketing at Altec, he was co-inventor of 1/3-octave equalization and I feel can be credited for what sound system equalization is today. In 1973 they founded Syn-Aud-Con where they taught thousands of people in the audio field. Through the years they met and worked with many of the audio greats of this century.
Don and Carolyn have always read and learned as much as possible and have always shared what they have learned with everyone, which is why the motto of Syn-Aud-Con is:
I met a man with a dollar
We exchanged dollars
I still had a dollar.
I met a man with an idea
We exchanged ideas
Now we each had two ideas.
Besides writing this book and "Sound System Engineering", they have written "Acoustical Tests and Measurements" and "How To Build Loudspeaker Enclosures."
"If Bad Sound Were Fatal, Audio Would Be the Leading Cause of Death" has 16 chapters and 344 pages filled with interesting stories and little-known facts.
Through the years they met and worked with many of the audio greats of the century. There are stories of many of the audio giants and synergetic people in the audio industry such as Paul Klipsch who designed the famous Klipschorn loudspeaker; Richard Heyser, the inventor of TDS and TEF, the basis for all modern audio measurements; Harvey Fletcher, who inspired the people who developed today's high-quality sound equipment; Edwin Howard Armstrong who invented the modern AM receiver; S. N. Shure who designed the famous Shure microphones and phonograph cartridges; Dr. Wolfgang Ahnert, designer of EASE, the industry standard sound system computer design program, and Dr. Gene Patronis, mentor and designer of the Pataxial loudspeaker, just to mention a few.
There is a chapter called "Don and Carolyn" which they tell about their experiences in watching the audio field grow. Of course any book written by Don and Carolyn Davis wouldn't be complete without stories about their many travels into Russia, Japan, Europe, Australia, and more; their pets; the joys of country living; firearms; and (of course!) humor. One of my favorite cartoons is of a man with a big smile on his face walking into the office of "Alfonso Construction" with a set of plans under his arm and saying "They took our low bid for that tower at Pisa".
Don and Carolyn also talk about the dos, don'ts and often frustrating parts of management and leadership; things that are right and things that are controversial; philosophy with subtitles such as "If I Have Seen Further, it is by Standing on the Shoulders of Giants"; books and articles of interest to everybody; and a chapter called "Gleanings" (but you will have to read the book to find out what it is about).
"If Bad Sound Were Fatal, Audio Would Be the Leading Cause of Death" is a book that should be on the desk or in the bookcase of every person that is interested in audio. I highly recommend it.
The book may be ordered from www.authorhouse.com, or by phone at 888-280-7715. If you wish the book autographed, you can order a copy directly from the authors by e-mailing them at fcpd315@outdrs.net. The cost is $20.75 plus $5.75 postage. For more information about the book, go to: www.ifbadsoundwerefatal.com.
Glen
Ballou is the editor of the "Handbook For Sound Engineers".
