Newnes Audio and Hi-Fi Engineer's Pocket Book, 3rd Edition

Newnes Audio and Hi-Fi Engineer's Pocket Book, 3rd Edition

by Vivian Capel
Released February 2016
Publisher(s): Newnes
ISBN: 9781483292113

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description


This is a concise collection of practical and relevant data for anyone working on, or interested in, sound systems. Since the second edition, the Sony Mini Disc has arrived, interest has grown in valve amplifiers and vintage radios, and new safetyregulations are in force for public address systems; all of these are covered in this edition. Also included are further notes on the crossover network, and the latest exciting developments in surround sound.The number of outdoor concerts is growing and place particular demands on sound systems, including the need for reinforcement. A new section gives basic tips. Surround sound developments are described in a further new section, outlining previous systems and how they worked, along with an account of how the ear actually distinguishes sound sources. All of the new material complements the wide coverage of the previous edition make this the most comprehensive little guide to audio and hi-fi.

Table of contents

  1. Front Cover
  2. Audio & Hi-Fi Engineer's Pocket Book
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Table of Contents
  5. Preface to the third edition
  6. Chapter 1. Sound and acoustics
    1. Human hearing
    2. Sound sources
    3. Measuring sound
    4. Sound propagation (1/3)
    5. Sound propagation (2/3)
    6. Sound propagation (3/3)
    7. Room and hall acoustics (1/2)
    8. Room and hall acoustics (2/2)
    9. Sound insulation (1/2)
    10. Sound insulation (2/2)
  7. Chapter 2. Microphones
    1. Transducers
    2. Acoustic characteristics
    3. Special types of microphone
    4. Boundary microphones
    5. Microphones in the sound field
    6. Microphone electrical parameters
    7. Microphone applications
  8. Chapter 3. The gramophone
    1. Studio techniques
    2. Disc manufacture
    3. Reproducing styli
    4. Stylus tracking
    5. Pickup cartridges
    6. Pickup arms
    7. Turntables
  9. Chapter 4. Compact discs
    1. Principles
    2. Compact disc format
    3. The CD player
    4. Three-beam system
    5. Single-beam systems
    6. Decoding the signal
    7. Compact disc manufacture
    8. Compact disc faults
    9. The Sony Mini Disc
  10. Chapter 5. Tape recording
    1. Magnetism
    2. Magnetic recording
    3. Record/playback heads
    4. Noise reduction (1/2)
    5. Noise reduction (2/2)
    6. Head circuits
    7. Head materials
    8. Table of head materials and their properties
    9. Erasing
    10. Effect of oxide deposits
    11. Head adjustments/maintenance
    12. Tape transport
    13. Motors and speed control
    14. Hi-fi sound with video
    15. Digital tape recording
    16. Digital tape formats (1/2)
    17. Digital tape formats (2/2)
    18. Philips digital compact cassette
    19. Recording tape
    20. Tape manufacture
    21. Musicassette manufacture
    22. Tape parameters
    23. Tape groups
    24. Open-reel recorders
    25. The compact cassette
  11. Chapter 6. High-quality radio
    1. Receiver principles
    2. Stereo broadcasting
    3. Stereo decoding
    4. BBC stereo test transmissions
    5. Stereo test transmissions
    6. Interference
    7. Alignment
    8. F.m. tuner parameters
    9. F.m. aerials
  12. Chapter 7. Amplifiers
    1. Thermionic valves
    2. Valve circuits
    3. Servicing valve amplifiers (1/2)
    4. Servicing valve amplifiers (2/2)
    5. Vintage radios (1/2)
    6. Vintage radios (2/2)
    7. Audio transistors
    8. Transistor characteristics
    9. Basic transistor circuit features (1/3)
    10. Basic transistor circuit features (2/3)
    11. Basic transistor circuit features (3/3)
    12. Amplifier parameters
    13. Table of harmonics and their musical equivalents based on a fundamental of 220 Hz
  13. Chapter 8. Loudspeakers
    1. The driver
    2. Some typical speaker coil temperatures with different programmes
    3. Thiele-Small parameters
    4. Enclosures
    5. Baffle/doublet
    6. Infinite baffle
    7. Reflex enclosure
    8. The horn
    9. Labyrinth/transmission line
    10. Column/line source
    11. Loudspeaker absorbents
    12. Electrostatic speakers
    13. Loudspeakers for electronic instruments
    14. Unconventional speakers
    15. Crossover networks
    16. Single full-range drivers
  14. Chapter 9. Surround sound and stereo
    1. Direction location
    2. Matrix four-channel systems (1/2)
    3. Matrix four-channel systems (2/2)
  15. Chapter 10. Public address
    1. Objectives
    2. Loudspeaker distribution
    3. Table of transformer ratios
    4. Table of amplifier output impedances at various powers
    5. Avoiding feedback
    6. Delay lines
    7. Use of delay lines
    8. Ceiling speaker mounting
    9. LISCA (line-source ceiling array)
    10. The second line-source
    11. Mixers
    12. Outdoor classical concerts
    13. Microphones
    14. Induction loops
    15. P.a. system problems
    16. Public-address safety regulations
  16. Chapter 11. Facts and formulae
    1. Resistance
    2. Reactance
    3. Impedance
    4. Resonance (parallel)
    5. Adding two AC voltages or currents
    6. Q-factor
    7. Attenuators and matching pads
    8. Filters
    9. Attenuation beyond cut-off drops to the levels below
    10. Test equipment
    11. Oscilloscope traces
    12. Power circuits
  17. Index (1/3)
  18. Index (2/3)
  19. Index (3/3)

Product information

  • Title: Newnes Audio and Hi-Fi Engineer's Pocket Book, 3rd Edition
  • Author(s): Vivian Capel
  • Release date: February 2016
  • Publisher(s): Newnes
  • ISBN: 9781483292113