Kinematograph year book (1944)

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284 The Kinematograph Year Book. In the FRM2S equipment the rack mounting system is employed, and salient features are : Negligible distortion factor throughout ; signal integrating circuit controlling the " noiseless " bias, giving nearly perfect background suppression ; dual power and peak level volume indicators, to give a precise indication of modulation level during recording ; and effective automatic stabilisation to provide freedom from the effects of wide variations in mains supply voltage. Microphones of the smallbutton condenser and ribbon types are provided, together with a microphone mixing unit of ultramodern design. Sound monitoring provision consists of moving-coil headphones 'in the studio) and a small "Duosonic" speaker system (in the recording room). The monitor input may be operated from a photo-cell pick-up in the recording light beam (as a check on recorder performance) or direct from the main amplifier. FRM1S equipment is less elaborate, but is built on similar lines. For news-reel and similar work the type ND portable equipment is available, recording sound and picture on the same negative. Although designed for compactness and portability, it nevertheless embodies such useful features as " noiseless " recording, two microphone inputs and intercommunication telephones. Leevers Rich & Co., Ltd.— Both the standard studio installations and the mobile film recording unit have remained substantially unaltered during the war period. A new type of disc-cutting machine is now provided for use with either installation, and employs an improved method of tracking which eliminates the use of a lead screw, and a cutting head of exceptionally good performance, both as regards frequency range and freedom from amplitude distortion. Machines of the new type have been supplied to ENSA, together with a comprehensive four-channel amplifier and mixing system. A 16-mm. recorder is available lor direct recording, but as a war-time necessity work has been concentrated on the production of 16-mm. sound films by the electrical reduction process. An improved model of the electrical reduction machine has been produced which is very flexible and adaptable in operation. Provision is made for the rapid production of copies from a single original, using automatic motor control, and when required single copies can be recorded manually without readjustment. RCA Photophone, Ltd. — RCA film recording history dates back to 1921 with the development of a variable area recording system ; since 1928, when, after seven years of intensive research, it was made available to film studios. RCA has been responsible for many outstanding developments in sound equipment, including magnetic drive, rotary stabiliser, ground noise reduction, ribbon microphones, unidirectional microphones, ultraviolet light optical system, non-slip ultra-violet light printer, modulated oscillator test system, electronic mixing. To-day RCA ultra-violet soundfilm recorders are standaid equipment in nearly all major Hollywood studios. Designed to provide simplicity of installation, ease of operation and accessibility for maintenance, the RCA recording system requires a minimum crew. The outstanding feature is its reliability. As an example of this the RCA Galvanometer will, on the average, operate satisfactorily for more than a year without servicing. This alone is an important factor when compared with other modulator units which require servicing as often as several times a day. Recommendations for sound motion-picture studios are based on an accumulated fund of operating experience gained by RCA Recorder Engineers through our work at major studios . . . RCA equipment, performance and methods are to our knowledge the best available to-day. The art, however, is constantly changing . . . even now a number of ideas are in the development stage . . . and those which are proven improvements will in due course be made available to all RCA recorder licensees. Technical advice is provided to all users of the RCA Sound System, as well as complete detailed