Books
Introduction to Show Networking
Introduction to Show Networking covers the basics of how Ethernet networks provide a platform for entertainment control and audio/video media distribution for concerts, theatre productions, corporate and special events, cruise ship revues, wrestling shows, houses of worship, museum presentations, fountain spectaculars—any kind of show presented live for an audience. The book’s bottom-up approach was designed with show technicians in mind, starting with the basics and then moving up through cables, network switches, and layering, and on through Ethernet, and network components like TCP, UDP, IP and subnet masks, all with a practical focus. More advanced concepts are introduced, including broadcast storms and VLANs, along with show networking best practices. Closing out the book is a network design process demonstrated through practical, real-world examples for lighting, sound, video, scenic automation, and show control networks. An appendix covering binary and hexadecimal numbers is also included. This easy-reading book draws from Huntington’s Show Networks and Control Systems [see below], the industry standard since 1994, but is completely re-focused, reorganized, and updated.
Reviews
Richard Cadena, Lighting&Sound America: “Whilst, as Huntington says, ethernet “just works” (I would append four words - “most of the time”), it helps to know how and why it works, and more importantly, best practices for setting it up and making it work. That’s where this book excels. It covers everything from the architecture of networks, to concepts and the physical layer, and then it takes a deeper dive into ethernet before moving on to examples of networks.“
Read the full review here.
Karl Ruling, ESTA Protocol: “Huntington hits the right level of detail to help a person put together a reliable show network, demystifying terms a technician or student may have heard but doesn’t really need for a show network, while giving suggestions for what might be needed in special situations.“
Read the full review here.
Kyle Jensen, Live Sound International: “Introduction to Show Networking is a perfect reference for those individuals who have practical knowledge of show networks and want to reinforce that knowledge with the concepts laid out in the book, or those individuals who wish to learn more about the basics of show networking, having never touched a network before. I highly recommend this book for anyone in high school or college who wants to learn or reinforce the basic networking concepts…“
Read the full review here.
Get a Print Copy
If you would like to support a small business in our live entertainment industry, Rational Acoustics is selling print copies at a competitive price. Click here to buy your copy!
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Print and EBook Published October 13, 2020
List Price: $25.00 Print, $15.00 EBook.
Size: 6" x 9"
Edition: First
Publisher: Zircon Designs Press
Print ISBN: 978-1-7357638-0-4
EBook ISBN: 978-1-7357638-1-1
LCCN: 2020918289
For errata, click here.
Introduction to Show Control
Reviews
Richard Cadena, Lighting&Sound America: “If you’re interconnecting and synchronizing control systems, whether it’s for audio, video, lighting, lasers, automation, or special effects in live events, one of the most important sets of tools you can have is John Huntington’s books, including his newest, Introduction to Show Control: Connecting Entertainment Control Systems for Live Shows.“
Read the full review here.
Karl Ruling, ESTA Protocol: “I can recommend Introduction to Show Control: Connecting Entertainment Control Systems for Live Shows to anyone trying to learn about show control or teach the subject, but also to anyone who designs shows that have cues.“
Read the full review here.
Introduction to Show Control explains the practice of interconnecting and synchronizing entertainment technology systems such as lighting, lasers, audio, video, stage machinery, animatronics, special effects, and pyrotechnic systems for live shows such as concerts, theater productions, theme park attractions, themed retail installations, cruise ship shows, immersive art experiences, museum exhibits, and traditional performing arts. Designed to be read along with Huntington’s companion volume Introduction to Show Networking, this book covers topics including cue concepts, triggers and synchronization, cueing systems, show types, and system architectures before moving on to methods of connecting entertainment control systems together. An easy-to-understand set of system design principles is introduced next, and then a cohesive show control design approach is explained and examined through practical example systems drawn from the world of live show production. This new book–along with the companion Introduction to Show Networking volume–are the successors to Huntington’s now-retired Show Networks and Control Systems (previously Control Systems for Live Entertainment), the industry standard since 1994.
Get a Print Copy
If you would like to support a small business in our live entertainment industry, Rational Acoustics is selling print copies at a competitive price. Click here to buy your copy!
If you’d like to buy direct from the printer, click here.
The book is available from many online sellers; here is a tool which can help you locate many worldwide.
If you buy from Amazon, please click here and I get a referral bonus.
Search inside and preview the print edition here.
Get an E-Book
The e-book is available on Google Play, get your copy here!
Search inside and preview the EBook here.
Buy Both Books Discounted!
If you’d like to buy both books from a fantastic small business in our live entertainment industry, Rational Acoustics is selling a bundle at a discount!
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Print and EBook Published May 15, 2023
List Price: $25.00 Print, $15.00 EBook.
Size: 6" x 9"
Edition: First
Publisher: Zircon Designs Press
Print ISBN-13: 978-1-7357638-4-2
EBook ISBN-13: 978-1-7357638-5-9