Ethan Winer - The Audio Expert: Everything You Need to Know About Audio

Its important to thank the people who were most influential over the years in teaching me how technology works. First was Marty Yolles, who, when I was about 12, spent many Saturday afternoons helping me overhaul an old lawnmower engine I would later use for a home-made go-cart. Then later in my teens and early 20s, Cliff Mills, Alan Podell, Marvin Fleishman, and others graciously gave their valuable time to answer my endless beginner questions about audio and radio electronics. Later, Leo Taylor and I designed and built several analog synthesizers and other audio devices, with Leo doing most of the designing and me doing all of the learning. Leo worked as an engineer at Hewlett-Packard, so I got to play with every type of audio test gear imaginable as we created and refined our designs. Finally, my thanks especially to Bill Eppler, who for more than 30 years has been my friend, mentor, and advisor on all technical matters.

I mention these influences because, aside from lawnmower engines and electronics, these people also taught me what I call the ham radio ethic of sharing information freely and with endless patience. When I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, ham radio was popular, and many towns had a local ham radio club where you could learn about electronics for free in a friendly and informal atmosphere. This ethic of sharing has been a driving force throughout my entire life. It was why I wrote my first book in 1991a manual for programmers to explain the unpublished internal workings of Microsofts DOS BASIC compilerseven though at the time I owned a software company that sold products based on the same information! My company was unique because we included all of the assembly language source code so people would not only buy a packaged solution but could also learn how the programs they bought worked.

It always bothers me when people are secretive or protective of their knowledge, as if sharing what they know means theyll no longer be as valued or even needed. This is why today I continuethrough my posts in audio forums and articles on my personal websiteto help people build acoustic treatment, even though my current business manufactures and sells acoustic treatment products.

Many people contributed and helped me over the ten months it took to write this book. Id like to thank Catharine Steers of Focal Press for recognizing the value of this book and helping to make it a reality. Carlin Reagan, also of Focal Press, guided me throughout the process. Expert audio engineer and journalist Mike Rivers did the technical review, offering many incredibly helpful comments and suggestions. My friend, cellist, and electronics engineer, Andy Woodruff, provided formulas for the decibels.xls spreadsheet, and also performed the cello demonstration video. My friend, black belt electronics engineer Bill Eppler, contributed his considerable wisdom and helped with fact checking, as did microphone expert Bruce Bartlett, video expert Mark Weiss, acoustics expert Wes Lachot, and loudspeaker maven Floyd Toole.

I must also thank Collin Wade for the saxophone demo; David Gale for his violin expertise; Steve Isaacson and Terry Flynn, who demonstrated the piano; expert arranger Arnie Gross for years of musical tutoring; luthier Bob Spear for his string instrument expertise; and composer Ed Dzubak, who contributed several pieces for the plug-in effects demos. I offer my special thanks to John Roberts, a professional electronics engineer and friend since we worked together in the 1970s, for his many valuable suggestions.