The Cine Technician (1939)

225 T H ]•: CIS E-T E (H.Ml'JA N Mareh-=-April, 1938 TECHNICAL ABSTRACTScontd. fromp.224 Phonorhythmie, New Dubbing Karl Kobert Blum, of Blum & Co., GmbH, Friedrichstrasse 22, Berlin SW G8, has developed a process called "phonorhythmie" In which it is possible to produce sound films in am number ol languages using only one sound strip. In this new process, sound and picture are shot separately. The text for all languages is recorded before the shooting of the pictures begins and the pictures are then synchronised (by a special procedure) with the sound Him. The sound is recorded in two parts, one strip for the music and noises and one for the language. These strips are then mixed and copied on the picture strip. The inventor claims that by this method it will be easy to replace a good singer who is a poor actor b\ a good actor, recording only the singer's voice. It is also claimed that, by this method, costs ma\ lie reduced by 2o to 30 per cent., through saving in materials, time and employment over the usual dubbing inei hods. Su far onh short films produced by this method have been shown privately in Germany. A long feature him. however, is in preparation which is intended to be produced in 1 1 languages. The process is tull\ covered \>\ German and foreign itotib — . I ma ican Cinematograph Separate Tracks for Six Orchestra Units In recording the orchestral music of "One Hundred Men and a Girl", for which Leopold Stokowski conducted. Universal carried the multiple channel method somewhat tart her than theretofore in motion picture sound, employing a separate track for each of six instrumental divisions of the orchestra — -violin, woodwind, brass, 'cello and bass, harp, and percussion. The original recordings were made at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, using R.C.A. ultra-violet, pushpull equipment. In mixing the six tracks, Stokowski himself "conducted" at the control panel. "The reproductions are superior to the original renditions from which they arc taken", he is reported to have said. —Motion Picture Herald X.B. — Nearly four years ago B.I. P. used a three channel recording for the music of "Invitation to the Waltz," using brass, 'cello, bass, and percussion on the first, strings, woodwind and harp on the second, and solo voice on the third, all sufficiently blanked off from each other for the voice to be practically inaudible on the orchestral tracks. The sound department even went one further than this, for the voice track was discovered to have a slight doffoct and was post-synced separately without having to r"crel the orchestra. Transposition of Speech Sounds E. fiaianx . J. Acoustical Soc. Amer., 8: 217-10. April. 1937. Transposition of speech sounds was studied by rotating gramophone records at various speeds. The author studied the intelligibility of spoken words when the vocal chambers were filled with hydrogen instead of with air. The presence of a hydrogen atmosphere raised the pilch 1 to 2 octaves, lint did not. ot course, alter the duration of the sounds. A reduction in intelligibility ot about 25 per cent, was noticed. — Kodak Bulletin Push-Pull Recording With five studios already using push-pull recording, and with all others signifying an immediate practical interesl in it. general adoption of this method by Hollywood producers as a means ot attaining finer sound quality in tic standard single sound track is indicated at an earlv date. Such use of push-pull — merely to produce the two balanced tracks for dubbing a single track on the secondary master from which the release prints are produced — is today regarded as the only one likely to be made of the method, since few theatre sound systems are capable of handling two tracks, and the cost of effectively adapting the remainder scarcely would be warranted, it is pointed out, by the amount of improvement the change in theatre apparatus would achieve. Adaptation of recording equipment to push-pull, however, is relatively simple, and its use has so tar reduced the noise constant to a value representing a total gain I three decibels, or enough to lie readily appreciated by the average person, in the effective volume range. In the continual quest for the reduction of noise level, so that the limit of usable sound may extend closer to the limit of audible sound in reality, every decibel gained is regarded by studio technicians as worthwhile if attainable at a reasonable cost. — Motion Picture Herald THE CINE-TECHNICIAN PUBLISHED Six Issues per annum (January, March, May, July, September, November). Editorial Committee: Max Andersen, Sidney Cole, George H. Elvin, Kenneth Cordon. Subscription Rate. 9d. per copy; 1 1 d. post free. 5/6 per annui post free. il A.C.T. Members' Rates. post free post free. Special /A.v-. i . ivicmucii noiw. 6d. per copy; 8d. post free. 4/ per annum. Dost free. Order through any ACT. Studio, Laboratory or Newsreel representative, any branch of W. H. Smith & Son, Ltd , or direct from the ACT., 145, Wardour Street, W.l.