Kinematograph Year Book 1942 (1942)

British Production. 293 two sound stages, to the recording theatre equipment or for special scoring, the installation having been carried out in such a manner that RCA mobile units may be used without any inconvenience. Western Electric Co., Ltd. — The Western Electric condenser microphone has proved a valuable addition to recorder equipment. Although of small dimensions, it is more robust than previous transmitters of the condenser type, and has a very even frequency characteristic. The microphone fits directly on to its associated amplifier, and the complete assembly can be accommodated in the usual microphone boom mounting, as it is both small in size, and light in weight. Western Electric recording equipment is installed in the following, British studios : British Movietone News, London ; British Paramount News North Acton ; D. & P. Studios, Ltd., Denham and Pinewood ; Merton Park Studios, Merton Park, Wimbledon. The Western Electric 16-mm. recorder has been designed to meet the demand for a machine that would enable sound technicians to record 16-mm. negatives with the same facility and quality as with 35-mm. stock. Direct recordings may be made independently, and by electrically interlocking the machine with a 35-mm.. recorder both sizes of negative may be made simultaneously. It can also be used to re-record from existing 35-mm. product, thus permitting the introduction of such changes in frequency characterstics as experience has shown to be desirable for reproduction on current 16-mm. projector mechanisms. The re-recording can be made directly from a positive print or from a negative by use of the recently developed negative playback. This latter apparatus permits the immediate reproduction of negative variable density sound tracks and offers all of the oral advantages that would be given by a device capable of permitting one to view a photographic negative as a finished positive print if such a device were available. Direct headset or loudspeaker monitoring is accomplished by means of a photocell monitoring amplifier contained in a compartment directly back of the modulator. Numerous original sound films and recording recently produced on the new recorder prove that 16-mm. is now an entirely practical medium for non-theatrical subjects. The recorded quality approaches that of commercial 35-mm. film closely. STEREOPHONY AND MULTIPLE REPRODUCING SYSTEMS. THE potentialities of " stereophony," the sound recording and reproducing process which, by means of multiple-speaker systems, simulates bi-aural reception, is receiving much attention in the United States. The essential differences between the reproduction requirements of dialogue and music, choruses, etc., are pointed out in a recent B.K.S. abstract. Speech is produced by approximately a point source while the latter is one of large area. The technique for dialogue scenes is to play almost all the action in medium or close shots, and in order to improve both illusion and intelligibility it is desirable that the sound should appear to come just in front of the screen. Music and sound effects present an entirely different problem, the auditor is interested more in a spatial effect than in localising the source of sound. Since it appears that those sequences that may require increased reproducer volume are also benefited by acoustic spread, Vitasound devised a system by which as the control tone was increased it would first provide acoustic spread by fading in supplementary side speakers and then control the volume of the entire system. Thus, in the case of dialogue the central speaker operates at normal level with the side speakers off and for music, control signal amplitude, turning on the side speakers increases the volume of all the speakers, which is actually recorded in the perforation margin of the film. Such a track can be recorded and printed very easily and can be reproduced by a very simple and inexpensive attachment to the sound