Mix Book Review Week: How Does It Sound Now?

New York, NY (December 10, 2025)—The colder months of the year are a perfect time to settle in with some hot coffee (or something stronger) and read something that’s not on a screen. There’s any number of bestsellers out there to devour, but audio pros occasionally want to read something that hits a little closer to home. With that in mind, this week, we’re looking at a stack of new books to dig through. Whether you want to check them out for yourself or give them as gifts to your fellow sound mavens, here’s some heartily recommended tomes.

HOW DOES IT SOUND NOW? LEGENDARY ENGINEERS AND VINTAGE GEAR, SECOND EDITION

By Gary Gottlieb (Focal Press). First published in 2010 and now back for a second round, Gottlieb’s epic book is simultaneously a time capsule, motivating discourse, history lesson and more. Sitting down with a who’s who of recording—including numerous icons who have passed away since the first edition—Gottlieb deftly interviews every top-name pro you can imagine.

• Mix Book Review Week: Unplugged

It’s the kind of book that casually picks the brains of legends like Al Schmitt, Phil Ramone, Alan Parsons, Ed Cherney, Bob Ludwig, Geoff Emerick, Cowboy Jack Clement, Chuck Ainlay, Paul Stubblebine, Elliot Scheiner, Bob Clearmountain, Frank Filipetti, Leslie Gaston- Bird (a new addition for the second edition), Bil VornDick and many others who are just as instrumental in the history of modern pro audio (32 in all!).

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There’s insights and anecdotes for days, from Lou Bradley sharing how he used mic leakage to his advantage on an Andy Williams hit, to Geoff Emerick explaining that he used mic selection and placement to his advantage while recording the Beatles, to Danny Leake discussing ways he used skill and pluck to overcome systemic racism in the early 1970s Chicago recording scene. There’s something to learn on every page and it’s a welcome, tech-heavy addition to any serious recording bookshelf.