--- title: Acoustics description: Acoustics is the physics of sound, focusing on its production, transmission, and reception. Learners will understand how sound waves behave in different environments, how materials absorb or reflect sound, and how to optimize room acoustics. category: music-audio subcategory: audio-engineering difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced url: /subject/acoustics --- # Acoustics Acoustics is the physics of sound, focusing on its production, transmission, and reception. Learners will understand how sound waves behave in different environments, how materials absorb or reflect sound, and how to optimize room acoustics. ## Available Resources 4 Books • 1 Courses • 4 Websites ## Courses ### 1. Fundamentals of Audio and Music Engineering: Part 1 Musical Sound & Electronics In this course students learn the basic concepts of acoustics and electronics and how they can applied to understand musical sound and make music with electronic instruments. Topics include: sound waves, musical sound, basic electronics, and applications of these basic principles in amplifiers and speaker design. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.coursera.org/learn/audio-engineering ## Websites ### 1. Arqen Independent acoustics site by designer Tim Perry, with technical guides on bass traps, porous absorber depth, diffuser geometry and speaker placement, plus free calculators. Gives enough theory and numbers to plan treatment for a specific room. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://arqen.com/ **Tags:** room acoustics, acoustic treatment, bass traps, diffusers, studio design ### 2. soundonsound.com Sound On Sound is a long-running audio recording magazine and website. It publishes in-depth tutorials, gear reviews, and practical how-to articles on recording, mixing, mastering, microphone technique, DAWs, plugins, and studio setup. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://soundonsound.com **Tags:** websites, music-performing-arts, audio-engineering ### 3. prosoundweb.com ProSoundWeb is a comprehensive online resource for professional audio engineers and live sound technicians, offering news, tutorials, features, and product reviews across live sound, recording, and studio gear. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://prosoundweb.com **Tags:** websites, music-performing-arts, audio-engineering ### 4. acousticsinsider.com Acoustics Insider is a knowledge hub offering approachable articles and tutorials that explain core acoustics concepts, measurement methods, and practical applications for students, engineers, and enthusiasts. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://acousticsinsider.com **Tags:** websites, music-performing-arts, audio-engineering ## Books ### 1. Master Handbook of Acoustics **Author:** F. Alton Everest, Ken C. Pohlmann A practical reference on sound behaviour in small rooms: absorption, diffusion, reverberation time, room modes, isolation and studio and listening-room layout. Gives the measurements and treatment decisions needed to diagnose and fix a real room. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071603328?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, music-performing-arts, audio-engineering ### 2. Sound Systems: Design and Optimization **Author:** Bob McCarthy A manual for live sound system design: how loudspeaker coverage, arrays, and room acoustics interact, and how to align and tune a rig using measurement software. Readers learn to predict coverage on paper and verify it in the room. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0240521560?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** live-sound, sound-system-design, system-alignment, loudspeakers, audio-measurement ### 3. Recording Studio Design **Author:** Philip Newell Newell works through the acoustic and structural design of studios: isolation, room geometry, control-room response, monitoring and ventilation, with case studies of built rooms. Explains why studio designs differ and what compromises each choice imposes. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0240519175?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, music-performing-arts, audio-engineering ### 4. Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics **Author:** Floyd E. Toole Toole surveys the research on loudspeaker and room interaction, reflections, equalization and listener preference, drawing on controlled blind-listening studies. Readers learn which measurements predict perceived sound quality and which common treatment beliefs the evidence rejects. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0240520092?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, music-performing-arts, audio-engineering --- *This content is part of Dantes.io - Your Treasure Map to Knowledge* *Curated by humans at Dantes.io. Personal study use welcome; republishing this curation requires permission (team@dantes.io).* View this page online: https://dantes.io/subject/acoustics