Dan Alexander Audio: A Vintage Odyssey

There are those collect rare books. There are some that drive the continent over in search of illusive bicycles, figurines, or headdresses. And of course, there is still actual buried treasure out there if you have any inkling where to look. For those who dream of Indiana Jones-ish expeditions to uncover and procure the rarest and most coveted pieces of audio recording gear, they’d be following in the footsteps of Dan Alexander. Before he actually wrote the book on the subject, he figuratively did… living, and perhaps pioneering, the life of a gear hunter/picker/trader. This book is full of such tales, amusingly told, and enough to make us gear-heads minds full of wonder.

Everyone who loves old studio gear WILL love this book. It has stories and photos of all the things we all love. But the images are not that great - just basic old photos in many cases - and better versions can be found all over the web. The most interesting part is the old sales records, seeing everything at 1/10th or less the current price (that's not very useful to us, but a real shocker to see the original prices back then!) I liked it but didn't love it - things like a chapter on United Audio, when the company is called Universal Audio - that's something a real editor would have caught, so you know this is a home-made, homespun book. It's good - but could have been great with some editing and development of the ideas. Still - it's what we have, and something beats the hell out of nothing anyday!

Really great book which tackles a lot of historical objectives regarding recording gear of the golden era of recording.

EXCELLENT book for any recording expert or novice trying to gain knowledge. When I look through it I feel a lifetime of commitment to state of the art recording equipment. Dan has even out done his great reputation in the recording studio industry with the most comprehensive book on vintage gear I’ve ever seen.

Dan Alexander is like the Zelig of recording studios and vintage audio gear. He's been everywhere, man! His love of the gear and his love of the deal seem to sit equally in his heart. This book breaks down his passion for both - in 400 pages of sexy mic pix, old receipts, boxes of dusty tubes, forgotten once-cherished consoles, and mysterious Black Forest Audio Alchemy. For so many - and for so many years - the road to Gear Nirvana went through the various doors of Dan Alexander Audio. This is a fine and fun book by one of the most unique personalities in Studio Land. A worthwhile addition to the library of any self-loathing or self-respecting Audio Geek. Thanks Dan, for sharing your stories. I love this stuff!

Far better than expected. Not just a book full of gear... it’s an autobiography told through vintage audio equipment.

The list of people Dan Alexander's studios recorded reads like a who's who of the 70's and 80's. This was the gear I lusted after back then, I wondered how they financed all this amazing stuff. Turns out it was being sold for cheap.If you like vintage gear this is a fun book. Highly recommended. High quality production. Filled with pictures you'll never see anywhere else.Good music to you!

This book is a must-have for any and all recording studio professionals and pro audio enthusiasts. Many musicians as well would find this both an interesting read and a valuable resource. Dan delves into the vast quantity of audio gear he has personally encountered and also offers tidbits of “straight from the horse’s mouth” facts from his many conversations with audio equipment innovators and icons. As an example, there are 51 pages of “neve” photographs and documents as well as history, descriptions and stories about the many neve consoles dan has owned. The book covers pretty much all of the legendary pro audio gear brands and manufacturers in like fashion. A fun read and a fine reference tool……..

Great book if you're into vintage audio equipment, perfect for on the coffee table at the studio.Loads of excellent photos of your favourite Neumanns, Telefunkens, API & Neve desks etc!Good solid hardback.

Basically it’s one guy telling you what a dude he is buying all that fancy vintage stuff for pennies back in the 1970ties/80ties. No real valuable information.

Really cool book!! Like no other audio book. Cool stories and great information.

Superbe livre, unique en son genre.Le récit d'une vie.Pour amateurs de matériel Audio.