International photographer (Feb-Dec 1929)

Four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER April, 1929 Sound Secrets By Arthur Reeves Having a few moments to spare recently, I went up to the control room of Radio Station KMTR to see my old friend Forbes W. Van Why, chief engineer of KMTR, and consulting engineer of four other major radio stations. Realizing the similarity between his mixing board and the equipment used by studios in recording sound pictures, I asked him to tell us a few hints from practical experience which would be applicable to our own profession. Here it is, in Van's own words: "Our mixing panel, while embodying several features of our own design which incorporates many features of extreme flexibility, serves the same chief purpose as all mixing equipment in general. Its chief function is to permit the use of multiple microphone arrangement, thereby permitting the 'picking-up' of voice or music over a greater area, or from a greater number of artists or instruments, than is generally advisable with only a single microphone. When several microphones are employed by means of a so-called mixing panel, the blending of the singals from the several microphone circuits is of great importance and is strictly, or should be, in the hands of a trained engineer. However, the engineer should not sit at his controls and constantly turn and twist the volume control dials in order to control the shading of the renditions. This steals the individual interpretation of the vocal or musical selection away from the artist or musician, and places same within the hands of, not an artist, but an engineer (very good or very bad). The interpretation of any selection is a matter for the artists to follow, the engineer or mixing control operator naturally has certain limits within which he must keep his volume. This applies to radio broadcast or any type of talking motion picture system, but — outside of that, twisting of the dials and shading of the selections by the technical man is nothing short of 'robbery' as applied to the artistic interpretation of a vocal or musical selection. If anyone is skeptical, please be fair — take a listen, and compare!" Thanks, Van, I hope some of the boys on the sound stages will take the hint. Modern Camera Factory We have received a lot of favorable comment lately on the series of pictures appearing on the back cover of our magazine showing graphically the progress being made from month to month on the new factory building of the Mitchell Camera Company. By October 1, this famous concern will be installed in the new plant located at 661 Robertson avenue, in West Hollywood. The building has a 100-foot frontage on Robertson avenue with a depth of 240 feet. The plan, drawn by the Truscon Steel Company, is for two stories. A third story is to be added at a later date. The building is to be of the "daylight" type, being built entirely of concrete, steel and glass. An outstanding feature of the structure is the floor, which is entirely of end-grained wood blocks set in concrete. Keeping step with modern factory practices, the Mitchell Company are dispensing with line shafts for the operation of power machines. One hundred and twenty electric motors will provide individual power for each machine in the plant. The building will cost in the neighborhood of $60,000 and will be 100 per cent earthquake and fire proof. Hollywood can well be proud of this plant as it will be the largest factory in the world manufacturing exclusively standard professional motion picture cameras. o Film Art Installs Sound Equipment Stanley De Lay, general manager of the Film Art studio, at Occidental boulevard and Council street, has installed one of the finest modern sound recording equipments now available for independent producers on the West Coast. The new process uses the Western Electric wax recording system, and has contracts with the Victor Talking Machine Company to make their records here in Hollywood. The company has installed two large, well ventilated sound booths which allow the use of any type of camera for recording. Joe Walker is still wrapping them up quick for Columbia Pictures, thereby making Harry Cohn laugh because of the many hours of overtime. DR. G. 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