Part one, a little less than a third of the book, forms the obligatory audio primer, but is unfortunately weak. Some of the information presented here is incorrect, and much more is misleading, confusing, or poorly organized. Those who know something about audio will be bemused, while those who don't will be confused.
For example, on page 7 the authors state that a musical instrument produces "harmonics, overtones, partials and other elements." Now, we audio experts know that harmonics, overtones and partials are basically three different words for the same thing, but beginners won't, and are liable to become hopelessly confused. A basically correct explanation of harmonics follows, but the elusive overtones and partials are never mentioned again, much less the "other elements," whatever in the world they may be. This kind of muddle continues throughout the book, as the authors use terms without defining them, and sometines digress into irrelevant information.
It seems plain to me that authors Lee Purcell and Jordan Hemphill are mainly computer writers, with little if any background in audio. Much of their "audio primer" reads as if it were simply paraphrased from other sources. The real tip-off, however, is the following sentence:
Computer-based equivalents of sound equipment costing tens of thousands of dollars...can be incorporated in a program no more expensive than a word processor or photo-retouching software. The sophistication with which these new computer-based tools work generates results that are indistinguishable from results accomplished with high-end studio equipment.
Most computer audio books have a sentence (and sometimes, alas much more) of this type. Most computer writers seem to assume that their beloved PCs swept away the tape-based professional recording industry years ago, but audio people know that although a revolution is under way, it still has years to run. The $100-per-hour rooms at your local studio are still booked up, and the 24-track analog tape recorder (which has been around since the 70s) is still the cock of the walk in most commercial studios, with non-linear audio systems mostly used for mastering. On the home front changes happen more quickly, but they're still selling those darn casette portastudios (although I predict they won't survive the century).
Part two of the book, "Presenting Audio on the Internet," is what you came for, and I'm happy to report that it is considerably better than part one, and contains much useful information.
An audio file can be linked to a Web page like any other file, offering users the ability to play or download the file by clicking on the link. The EMBED tag, however, allows a sound to play automatically when a page is loaded (the BGSOUND tag is similar, but works only with Explorer). Internet Audio Sourcebook thoroughly discusses the use of EMBED tags, including how to customize the on-screen transport control.
Further chapters discuss OBJECT tags, adding sound to Adobe Acrobat files, QuickTime, Shockwave and other technologies. Various ways of using Java and Javascript with audio files are discussed.
The third section is called "Pushing the Envelope," and it discusses technologies that were cutting edge at the time of publication, including RealAudio, StreamWorks, and Liquid Audio, all of which are still going strong. MIDI is a technology that would seem to offer tremendous possibilities for Web applications, due to its small file sizes. A chapter is devoted to the use of MIDI on the Web, and Beatnik and other newer MIDI tools are discussed.
Appendices include a HTML 3.2 primer, a glossary, and a list of audio and Internet resources. Contact info is provided for most of the companies mentioned in the book. The included CD-ROM is packed with useful applications, including demo versions of Cakewalk, Sound Forge and Samplitude Studio, as well as authoring apps such as Visual Cafe and Jamba, and various plug-ins including Beatnik and Liquid MusicPlayer.
Like most Internet books, this one's already a wee bit dated. Most of the technologies that the book describes are still basically the same however, just a bit better than they were a year ago. Notably, today's browsers handle audio a little better, and MP3 has emerged as an important format.
When authors Lee Purcell and Jordan Hemphill stick to what they know (the Internet), the result is good, and overall this is a strong book about Internet audio. It's a little pricey and a little old, but there aren't many books out there about computer audio, much less Internet audio, so it isn't a bad bet if you can skip the audio primer section, or simply keep plenty of salt on hand while reading.
