Electronics of Rock and Roll (B&W Edition): How Electrnics Enabled and Shaped Rock and Roll

By Dr. Vladan Jovanovic

The book's central premise is that there would not have been truly popular music without the advances in audio technologies over the last 150 years. In particular, there would not have been rock and roll music without the electronics of the second half of the 20th century (electric instruments and special effects, PA systems, "Top 40" AM radio, microgroove single and LP disks, TV, electronic keyboards, "Progressive Rock" FM radio, multi-track recording, Hi-Fi, etc.). These electronic technologies not only enabled, but also shaped many aspects of rock and roll music as we know it today. The book covers the history of early acoustic recordings, AM radio, amplification and PA systems, electronic instruments, FM radio, vinyl and magnetic recordings, loudspeakers, Hi-Fi systems with stereo and surround sound, digital audio systems, audio data compression, audio editing software, etc. For each technology, a detailed explanation of the working principles and a technical description are provided on a popular level, with no background in STEM required to understand them. A detailed explanation of the imperfections in analog and digital audio recordings is presented, with a special emphasis on the reproduction of vinyl disks. LPs are regaining popularity rapidly with the "vinyl revival," but many aspects of their performance seem not to be properly understood, mainly because most of the analyses predate WW2, and many results are largely forgotten now. Interspersed with the history of electroacoustics and audio technologies, the history of rock and roll is covered as well, with explanations and many examples of how they affected this genre of music. Also covered are some social and legal changes that influenced how some of the technologies were used, in many cases affecting both rock music and the technologies themselves (i.e., the FCC's "Non-duplication" ruling for FM, "Payola" scandal). Although popularly written, the book provides a rather rigorous presentation of the science of audio engineering and Hi-Fi. In contrast, many popular audio texts came from what the author used to call the "tabloid Hi-Fi press," which often non-critically regurgitated press releases by the marketing departments of audio companies. Its remnants appear in many e-zines and on internet forums these days. Not many magazines and books are left in print on Hi-Fi now, and this book helps to cover that gap. In addition, the manuscript is sprinkled with vignettes and anecdotes about the intricacies of being a rock music fan behind the Iron Curtain, where the author lived until the early 1990s. Episodes related to the black market for LPs, cassettes and instruments, and the attempts by the authorities to constrain the popularity of rock are included.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0CR832NVZ
• ISBN13: 9798872248309
• Release Date: December 2023
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 327 Pages
• Dimensions: 11.0" x 0.7" x 8.5"