Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

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October 11, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 49 Sound Laboratory Is Designed to Test Theatre Acoustics A portable sound testing laboratory has been designed by Vesper A. Schlenker, acoustical engineer of the Vitaphone Corporation, which is being used in an attempt to adapt talking equipment to the peculiarities of the individual theatre. Schlenker contends that no two houses have the same acoustical defects, although they may have the same cubical content, and for that reason each theatre needs to be individually diagnosed for sound perfection. One of the experiments performed by the sound testing apparatus was in connection with the reproduction of a speech over a theatre horn. The speech was photographed as it came out of the horn and simultaneously photographed at scattered spots in the theatre by means of microphones. The horn photographs were used as a basis of comparing reception at various points in the house. The reverberation test is another trial used. Single tones are projected and suddenly interrupted electrically. During the short time that the sound dies away it is photographed. The rapidity of its disappearance provides the measure of reverberation. In a third experiment, a single syllable is projected so that its path can be followed completely around the theatre and photographed. Schlenker says this serves as a basic test, for when one sound receives the proper acoustical reception, all others and all combinations of sounds will be similarly received. The Award of Merit William R. Hearst Installs Photophone in Long Island Home ; His Third RCA Set William R. Hearst, newspaper publisher and one of the producers of the Hearst Metrotone News, a newsreel, has contracted for installation of R C A Photophone sound equipment in his summer home at Sands Point, Long Island. This is the third Photophone set put in use by Hearst. He has previously placed models of the small theatre type in the private theatre on his ranch in California and in his Santa Monica home. Expert Explains DeForest Phonofilm to Visitors at Edgewood Theatre Opening When the new $350,000 Edgewood theatre opened in Baltimore, an engineer of General Talking Pictures Corporation explained operation of the DeForest Phonofilm sound set to visitors in the projection booth. The mayor of Baltimore attended the opening night ceremonies and helped dedicate the theatre. The house is owned by the Frank H. Burkee Enterprises. Boys' Club of New York to Install 2 R C A Photophones Sound pictures are to be provided for the 12,000 members of the Boys' Club of New York, through a decision of the executive committee. Two RCA Photophone reproducing sets are being installed in the auditorium of the Tompkins Square building. Installation will be completed about October 25 That the awarding of the HERALD-WORLD plaque for better sound reproduction has proved of practicable value to the theatre winning the award because of its sound presentation is attested in the experience of the Opera House at Bellows Falls, Vt., which received the award this summer. The formal presentation is shown herewith. R. A. Kiniry is lessee and manager of the Opera House. "The reactions of our patrons were far greater than we expected. They seem to be just as anxious to tell their friends as we are to tell them through our various forms of advertising." Thus writes T. J. Goggans, manager of the Riverview theatre at Riverview, Ala., in commenting on the result of the winning of the Herald-World Award of Merit for excellent sound reproduction. "Where Sound — Sounds Best" It is to be noted that the Riverview is a small theatre, operated by the West Point Manufacturing Company of West Point, Ga., which has a number of sawmills and power plants in the South. "Where Sound — Sounds Best," is the slogan that was adopted by the Riverview as soon as it had reached the standard of talking picture presentation which was the aim of the management. And when the news of the awarding of the plaque reached Riverview, the public was appraised of it in no uncertain tones. In the next succeeding issue of the Chattahoochee Valley Times appeared a reproduction of the plaque in two columns above the theatre's regular advertising, while on the back page was a one-column reproduction with a running story more than half a column long. Describe Equipment in Paper "We told you so!" ran the story. "And now we have the actual proof that the Riverview theatre ranks both for projection and perfect sound with the nation's best theatres." There followed a complete description of the reproducing equipment, and this also has been an interesting sequel to the decision to acquaint the public with the quality of sound in theatres that were not satisfied with less than the best. The public has become interested in information regarding the equipment itself, and thus the mechanical side of presenting a story upon the screen has become news to the townsfolk.