[PD] which book

[derek holzer]

Ditto what Frank says, of course.

But more: the Roads book is very good, and comprehensive, but written 
with a specialist in mind. And the specialist that Roads is thinking of 
has a good background in math. [Which I don't! ;-) ] However, if what 
you need is a lot of formulae for computing different types of DSP 
synthesis, the Roads book will give you more. What's more, the chapters 
on granular synthesis and Fast Fourier Transformation in the Dodge book 
read like abstracts of the same chapetsr in Roads. So if these topics 
interest you the most, I would go direct to the source.

On the whole, however, I found the Dodge book more readable and better 
for beginners' understanding of sound and its digital representations. 
If I were teaching a class, I would require either one or the other of 
the students, but in the end let them choose if they want the more or 
less technical one. The material covered is roughly the smae in either case.

BTW, don't overlook Roads' "Microsound" as well, if granular synthesis 
interests you. It is a bit more "reader friendly" than the CMT, and has 
information which cannot be easily found elsewhere.

best,
d.


Frank Barknecht wrote:
> Hallo,
> mählpeak hat gesagt: // mählpeak wrote:
> 
> 
>>curtis roads computer music tutorial
> 
> 
> No.
> 
> 
>>dodge and jerse computer music:synthesis,composition,performance
> 
> 
> Yes.
> 
> 
>>i'd be glad if someone tells me which is overall better...
> 
> 
> Both are very different.
> 
> You didn't say, what you are looking for in these books, which could
> be important. I have both, but so far only read the Dodge/Jerse
> completely, the Roads only about 300 pages. The Roads is more like a
> reference book. It also contains a lot of references like: "To find
> out more about speech synthesis read [1], [2] and [3]." Not that
> helpful for beginners, IMO. The Dogde/Jerse however is a wonderful
> introduction to a lot of synthesis techniques, with enough easily
> understandable explanations to make you want to go patching right
> away. So read the Dodge first, if that is what you look for, buy the
> Roads if you want to have a general compendium which is a bit short on
> deeper explanations unfortunatly. 
> 
> My 2C.
> 
> Ciao


-- 
derek holzer ::: http://www.umatic.nl
---Oblique Strategy # 141:
"Short circuit (example; a man eating peas with the idea that they will 
improve his virility shovels them straight into his lap)"