Sherman's Sound Engineering School

These are the books and recordings of Sherman Keene.

Used by teaching studios, colleges and universities for years, these world-class books are now available exclusively here at twoesses.com

Practical Techniques for the Recording Engineer Table of Contents (opens new window).
Quality in Sound Engineering Table of Contents (opens new window).

As far as we know, our books are the only ones in the world that offer free automatic-scoring online tests for use by:

• those studying at home
• recording studios and teaching studios
• colleges and universities.

Click "Home Study Courses" in the sidebar to view (or try) our online tests.

Please select
Books and MP3 CDs
Correspondence Courses or
Home Study Courses from the list on the left.

Bookstores! To order books, contact us by email (at the bottom of the page) or call us at 520-991-1366. We will respond with your order total including precise shipping.

Schools! The author, Sherman Keene, is available for consulting, presentations and guest lectures. Call 520-991-1366.

Testimonials

"I received the texts today - they exceed my expectations. This info is just what I needed. Thanks for making this available! Yes, I have the link to the tests. That will really help with our accountability for home schooling, too! I especially appreciate that. You certainly don't need to thank me for my comments—it was heart felt and well-deserved. I had more time to read over the material last night. It's great stuff and I’ve already learned information that will help me out big time. I hope I will get to work with someone like you someday."—JJ Sumter, SC

"I want to say your training at Wally Heiders was something that I will use to rest of my life. It wasn't the tech stuff that changed my life so much, it was the concepts you taught about how to act in a studio--the etiquettte. There are times and places for speaking up and you should pick them carefully. Even as a tech that is important and what I learned from you has served me well. Thank you!"--JS

"In the mid '80s I spent some time working for the talented Australian producer/engineer and former LRB guitarist, David Briggs. Apart from teaching me numerous 'top secret' production tricks learnt from his recording experiences in the USA, Briggs also introduced me to a fantastic book called 'Practical Techniques For The Recording Engineer' by Sherman Keene. This self-published book was one of the most useful texts I'd ever seen on the topic of sound engineering, and it became our studio bible. Whenever a situation arose that we weren't sure how to deal with, Briggs would ask, 'What does Sherman say?'. I'll bet most of you have never heard of Sherman Keene. Usually credited as Barry Keene, he engineered a number of great recordings for artists including The Byrds, Ike and Tina Turner, and Frank Zappa (one of the most demanding perfectionist artists of all time). Sherman Keene was a true recording professional, and I hung on his every word as if it were the gospel. One of the most useful pieces of advice I got from his book was also one of the simplest: 'A good mix includes at least one true stereo track'. That advice has served me well to this day."--Greg Simmons writing at http://www.royerlabs.com/articles/Audio_Tech_issue13.html

"I just want you to know how much I appreciate your teaching, and the inspiration you gave me to pursue recording engineering and sound design at a professional level."--TC

"The recording books I ordered are gifts for my boyfriend. Your program is what he specifically asked for; that's how I know about your web site. I do know that he is familiar with you and your work because of his uncle, an L.A.-based recording engineer, and through Tape Op magazine. I guess most sources say you are the authority on recording."--LS

"I have the book you wrote, but its an older copy, where your picture has a side part, and you dropped Zappa's name in your bio. Your book entered my life in a time where I was recording with cheap consumer stuff found at a thrift store in the desert. Then after reading your book, I decided to go to school for recording in San Francisco. It turns out that your book taught me more than $8,000 of schooling ever did, aside of the digital recording. I guess I need to pay respects where respect is due, and you definately have mine. Thank you, you're one of my heroes, man."--AK

"I loved your book as a student years ago when I was attending the University of Surrey in England. Now, many years later, I find myself teaching recording technology at the University of Memphis. Next semester I will be teaching a course titled "Advanced Media Production and Technologies" in which I believe your "Quality Sound Engineering" text would be great."--JF

"Sherman Keene suggests in his book, Practical Techniques for the Recording Engineer, that there are eight properties of a good mix. They are:

1. Powerful and solid lows
2. Proper use of the very powerful mid range areas
3. Clear and clean highs
4. Proper but not overburdening effects
5. Dimension - some sense of depth
6. Motion - movement of the instruments using pans to heighten the music
7. At least on true stereo track (e.g., strings, piano, hopefully something used "up front" in the mix)
8. Some acoustic information - not just delays and reverb

Although his comments are directed at doing an album mix, they are true for a sound reinforcement mix in a church as well. Only items six and seven are slightly irrelevant for our typically mono sound systems. And although his comments are somewhat subjective (I couldn't think of a better way to say it either), if you'll sit down with this list in front of you and listen to a few of your favorite albums, what he is trying to say will begin to sink in. Then you can apply that concept to your approach to your mix."--Curt Taipale writing at http://www.churchsoundcheck.com/mixtech.html