Projection engineering (Sept 1929-Nov 1930)

Projection Engineering, April, 1930 Page 19 A cow that amazed spectators by answering questions. Church Amplifiers A church at Guadeloupe, Mexico, is encountering considerable acoustical difficulties. The priest cannot be heard because of the spacious interior. To make matters worse a well-trained choir cannot be heard by a good proportion of the congregation. Power amplifiers now enter the church as an accessory to religion. When the priest is through and the choir is not present, well selected organ records are placed on a turntable and the music of internationally known organists is distributed throughout the edifice with volume and clarity that amazes the worshippers. Incidentally the installation and cost of an organ involves considerably more money than a system of power amplification as described above, and the operation of the same can be handled by almost anyone, as no particular experience or knowledge is required. Loudspeakers in Park At Lima, Peru, the municipality found that the employment of a band for the city's park and zoological gardens was not to be compared to the music of philharmonic orchestras of the world's capital cities. The bandstand at Lima was remodeled and today one man distributes the music of the world's leading orchestras over the parks and gardens of that ancient city of the Incas near the equator. Music and finance are not usually discussed in the same sentence, yet it is interesting to note the comparative costs of the band for a year and a system of this type. Power amplification pays for itself in a short time and its use in Peru has drawn comments from the local papers which speak most enthusiastically of the installation. In journal comment it only repeated the experiences at Port of Spain. While discussing this subject the following point should not be overlooked. Lima is practically on the equator and is geographically located where radio sales are difficult. At Lima, broadcast listeners usually "tune in" where the worst forms of static prevail. It is interesting to note that business in power amplifiers is unaffected by this despoiler of radio broadcasting. On the contrary, power amplification as a business is more easily negotiated in coimtries where broadcasting facilities are poorest ; it is a real potent substitute as well as an ally of radio. In Europe On the European continent we find King Albert of Belgium distributing music through one of his official homes automatically and through electric power amplification. The system at Brussels is so arranged that an automatic record-changing mechanism • "feeds" one record after the other automatically, so here we have music through power amplification without the need of an operator. The phonograph needle is of the better quality (usually tungsten metal) to do away with the need of changing same for average usage. Power amplification's first use was dance music from a phonograph record. It has now passed from the dance hall to the throne of a king. Its appeal seems universal to say the least. But industrial kings must not be forgotten. We all know of Renault Freres of France who manufacture the well-known French automobile bearing their name. At the residence of one of the Renaults near Paris, France, an automatic installation as described above can be found in daily use. In Chile The owner of a small motion-picture theatre at Santiago, Chile has read of talking pictures. He wants to compete with a large house in his city that has an elaborate synchronous sound picture installation. The cost is prohibitive. Then again, the English recording is another problem. The big house can overcome this because of its popularity, but the small house cannot. His problem is answered with two pickups (phonograph pickups) two electric turntables (78 r. p. m.) dynamic speakers, baffle-boards and a properly selected power amplifier. The Esmeralda Theatre at Santiago has had what is known as a nonsynchronous sound installation in operation during the past six months and the other theatres in that section of Chile are now sending men to New York from Santiago to superintend the purchase of additional similar installations. It might be well to point out that the average motion-picture fan cannot distinguish a well-cued non-synchronous motion picture from a synchronous installation and of course the cost is materially lower. The reproduction is frequently better, even though cheaper, because the smaller 10-inch and 12-inch records (revolving at the rate of 78 r. p. m.) are works of the better artists as compared to the present 16-inch recordings (revolving at the rate of 33% r. p. mi.). At Roosevelt Field In May, 1927, Lindbergh left Roosevelt field, L. I., in his plane for Le Bonrget, France. Roosevelt Field was little known at that time. Today it is known throughout the world due to Lindbergh's epochal flight. Aviation has grown extensively in the last two years and today Roosevelt Field is an extensive airport terminal with planes arriving and leaving with railroad precision and regularity. Power amplification has been brought into play at A carload of American loudspeakers d e s t i n e d to foreign markets.