With contributions from many of the top professionals and educators in the field, the fifth edition is now divided into eight parts including an Introduction to Sound and Acoustics that includes Ken Pohlmann's Subjective Methods for Evaluating Sound Quality and S. Benjamin Kanters's Hearing Physiology--Disorders--Conservation. Glen Ballou contributes new chapters on interpretation systems, intercoms, assistive listening, and fundamentals and units of measurement.

Also newly added are Steve Barbar's Surround Sound for Cinema and Doug Jones's Worship Styles in the Christian Church.

Familiar, stalwart contributors include: Modern Recording Techniques author David Miles Huber sounds off on MIDI; Bill Whitlock goes through audio transformers and preamplifiers; Steve Dove explains consoles, DAWs, and computers; Pat Brown on fundamentals, gain structures, and test and measurement; Ray Rayburn on virtual systems, digital interfacing, and preamplifiers, Ken Pohlmann teaches about compact discs; and Dr. Wolfgang Ahnert on computer-aided sound system design and room-acoustical fundamentals for auditoriums and concert halls.

Updated/re-written are Ron Baker and Jack Wrightson's Stadiums and Outdoor Venues, Pat Brown's Sound System Design, Bob Cordell's Amplifier Design, Hardy Martin's Voice Evacuation/Mass Notification Systems, and Tom Danley and Doug Jones's Loudspeakers.