The Classroom in a Book series from Adobe Press (www.adobepress.com) is an excellent resource for users of Adobe software. Of particular interest to EM readers is Adobe Soundbooth CS3 ($54.99), a 211-page text that serves as “the official training workbook from Adobe Systems” and can lead to Adobe certification. It takes you step-by-step through nine lessons that cover the basics and present dozens of tips and productivity techniques. You learn how to find your way around in Soundbooth CS3's Workspace, take advantage of AutoComposer to create custom music, integrate your edits with Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro, and more. An included CD-ROM contains media files to use with all the lessons.

A new book from Peachpit Press (www.peachpit.com), Martin Sitter's Soundtrack Pro 2 ($54.99), charts a similar course toward Apple Pro certification. Part of the Apple Pro Training Series, the 358-page book is subtitled Sound for Picture in Final Cut Studio and Logic Studio. Ten comprehensive lessons cover specific applications such as recording and mixing multitrack audio, integrating work flow with Final Cut Pro, enhancing and restoring audio files, manipulating the frequency spectrum, and so on. A DVD-ROM containing lesson files accompanies the book.

A new book from Magic Smoke Electronics (www.magsmoke.com) called An Analog Synthesizer for the 21st Century ($20) could help you realize the dream of building your own analog synth. Using easy-to-find parts, legendary DIY electronics author Thomas Henry provides schematics and parts lists for constructing a complete voltage-controlled instrument with two audio oscillators, a multimode filter, a noise generator, ADSR generators, a versatile LFO, sample-and-hold, a phase shifter, and more. Neophytes beware: this 36-page book offers no instruction and is intended for readers who are confident of their DIY chops.