Down to the Wire

This is a great e book for people who want to learn proper etiquette and sound techniques to use everyday on set. Accompanied by several videos, it’s a must have for students and sound assistants. This will make their jobs and lives so much smoother on set.

Invaluable knowledge for location sound people. thanks! - Joey Lavoie

I purchased this iBook the first day it came out to see what it had to offer. Even as an experienced production sound mixer I feel that you should always be working on your craft. Whether it's by reading resources or just physically doing the work.. It's a must.

If you plan to purchase this book and expect to be a pro at wiring after you're done with it don't waste your time and money. What this book does is give you a starting point and basic ideas on how to do the job. Wiring each person is different, and one method may not work on another person. Experience is key to doing this. Remember that.

The book covers a wide range of subjects from etiquette to mic supplies and placement. The demo videos are well done and are more help than if it were just still images used. The steps are very easy to understand and are explained why they're done.

As someone with experience in the field, much of what I've read are things that I've seen and applied in the field. If you're starting out or a novice it's definitely a good resource to look through. If you're a long time professional this may not do a whole lot for you, but if you're interested in tidbits of information and ideas to get your mind jogging by all means go for it. In my opinion it's hard to hate books about your craft.

There are some things to take note of which perhaps can be updated in the future. During different demos different mics are used which some people may not have access to. This may be an issue for people starting out even though the basic concepts are the same throughout. The book does not contain info on side-address mics that are somewhat still commonly used. So people with those mics should be aware of that. For me, I would like to see more info on the use of more accessories that come with the mics. Another thing I would like to see is perhaps more ideas on handling problematic situations such as chest hair, noisy wardrobe, etc. That's where the fun is at.

Overall, it's a very good book for those starting out, and a nice read for those with plenty of experience. There is a non-iPad version, but a separate purchase for those without iPad. I hope the author has updates in mind for this book, because there is quite a bit of potential.