International photographer (Jan-Dec 1934)

TlL'O T h INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER September, 1934 Application of Sound Effects To Radio Broadcasting By R. W. Murray, Broadcast Engineer, Radio Station KHJ [The author of this article has been connected with KH) as spective and volume of sound effects for radio dramatic shows. He a broadcast engineer for six years and, as a mixer in their studios, has handled successfully such shows as "Omar Khayyam," "Chandu. ' , , ... , , ., . , , "Globe Headlines," "Calling All Cars," "Snug Harbor," "Detectives has come in close contact with production of synthetic sound tor „. , , Dl ,, „ , ..' c, ,, , ., . Black and Blue, Conquerors of the Sky, and many other draradio programs. It has been his job to pass on the quality per matic shows too numerous to mention.— Editor's Note.] §!§^!I3 SLIGHT technical explanation of broadcast slashing, body falling, sound of fist blows, machinery and receiving equipment is necessary before noise of every description, airplanes, automobiles, trucks, proceeding with our story. Certain sounds motorcycles, machine guns, horse and wagon effects, when listened to in their natural state — that squeaking brakes, ocean breakers, rain effects, dishes ratis to say before microphone reproduction, have a certain tling, pouring liquid. quality of tone which may be termed the true or natural tone. This true or natural tone, such as a door slam, is made up of many component frequencies. In order to recreate this tone or sound at the radio receiver in our homes, the last point of reception, it is Now for a description of how sound effects are put into a radio show. Let's take a play such as "Calling All Cars." Here we have a story that is filled with sound effects. The automobile and airplane effects are usually done necessary that each piece of equipment from the micro with records. One company in the east has a complete phone in the broadcast studios to the loud speaker in our library on the market and for sale of practically every homes, reproduce each frequency with the same amount sound effect known, of volume present at the point of pick-up. The only disadvantage of recorded sound effect is Up to the point where the sound leaves the broad the difficulty of cueing it in at the proper time on a cast transmitter this is done very well, but due to the show. low average frequency response of radio sets in the Let us say that we have a play with three crooks homes of the listening public, certain frequencies of the in a room, looking over their loot. They pour the original sound are either lost or over-emphasized. swag out of a bag on to the table. On a word cue to A condition such as poor frequency response in the fit the situation the sound effect man pours a bag of radio receiver leaves but one thing to do at the broad nails, washers, etc., on his sound effect table which, casting station, without changing its high fidelity ampli when picked up by the microphone at the proper volume, fier equipment and that is to produce sound effect un this sounds like a bag of jewelry in the process of being naturally. This really means they are deliberately un poured on the table. balanced with regard to their frequency content and vol It sometimes requires a lot of imagination on the ume and are sent out on the air that way (because of part of the production department to get effects that the faithful reproduction of transmitting equipment) but they have never really listened to in real life. Suppose when picked up and amplified in the average receiving now that the three yeggs are being surrounded by cops set, become more or less natural again. and in the course of the conversation, one of them e\ If the receiving set were as good as the broadcast claims, "The Cops!" equipment the sound effect would again sound unnatural, The listener-in hears a motor car approaching. Its so the reader will see it's a sort of merry-go-round and a phonograph record of an automobile being faded in causes the broadcast engineers much trouble. by the mixer to1 give the desired effect. The mixer drags Even though our whole system of equipment, from the turntable to a stop to give the impression of a car the microphone to the receiving set loudspeaker, were stopping, and, at the same time, he gives a cue to the a hundred per cent perfect, there are certain effects we sound effect man in the studio to give a brake squeak, cannot produce naturally. Some of these are as fol He does this by sliding a piece of plate glass over some lows: A railroad train, a storm at sea, thunder storm, gravel. galloping horses, airplanes, automobiles, explosions, ef Three cars of cops are brought into the scene in the feet of an earthquake shaking a building down, man same manner. diving in water, and many other effects too numerous One of the yeggs may yell: "They're breaking in!" to mention. Obviously, it would be disconcerting to run and a little ahead of the cue word the sound effect man a locomotive through the studio. is pounding furiously on a prop door. This gives the Following is a list of the most commonly used sound effect of the door being forced by the cops. The sound effects in producing everyday dramatic radio shows: effect man then jumps on a light pine box; you hear Doorbell, phone bell, fire engine bell, railway crossing a crash and the cops come running in — more synthetic bell, sirens of several varieties, stop signal bell, auto sound of footsteps is produced by three or four men runhorns of all makes, whistles of all varieties, footsteps, ning on boards. door knocks, door opening and closing, breaking in door, Sometimes it takes four or five sound effect men to rattle of paper of every variety, effect of fire of every produce a show where there is a lot of action and at description, water effect of every description, cannon times part of the cast in the play are drafted as sound shots, gun shots, explosions of all varieties, horse hoofs, effect men. wagon wheels, battle effects, armor rattling, swords Let us say that our three criminals protest at the Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.