Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

Major Developments of RCA Research Electronic Music Synthesizer, Cooling System, Light Amplifier, ami TV Tape Recorder are Described by Sarnoff to Electrical Engineers JL wo major new RCA research developments — an electronic music synthesizer and an electronic cooling system with no moving parts — were described by Brig. General David Sarnoff, Chairman of the Board of RCA, in an address on Jan. 31 before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers at its annual convention in New York. Together with the disclosure of these new fruits of research, Gen. Sarnoff discussed two additional RCA developments of major promise for the future — the electronic light amplifier and the magnetic tape re- corder for television and motion pictures. He stated to the AIEE, of which he is a Fellow, that the motive for discussion of these developments publicly in their present experimental stage, before they are ready com- mercially, was his belief that competition can be as "stimulating in research as in manufacturing and mer- chandising." Calling special attention to the RCA Electronic Music Synthesizer, because this was the first time that it had been publicly disclosed, General Sarnoff said that the scientists and engineers of RCA Laboratories have created an electronic system capable of generating any tone produced by the human voice or any musical instrument, as well as any musical tone which is beyond the capabilities of a voice or conventional musical in- strument. It is a means, he said, for producing elec- tronically, an infinity of new musical complexes em- ploying the sound of human voices and conventional instruments, or tones that may never before have been heard, either in solo performance or blended in any desired orchestral arrangement. Advantages of the Synthesizer "This new system of making music should encourage musical composers to write new compositions that can take advantage of the wider scope and superior char- acteristics offered them by electronics for the expression of their genius," said General Sarnoff. "In this new role, electronics performs in marked contrast to the musician whose playing is limited to the use of ten fingers and sometimes also the two feet. "This electronic instrument also offers new oppor- tunities for production of phonograph records, since it can produce any kind of sound that can be imagined. Dr. Harry F. Olson, background, and Herbert Belar, de- velopers of the RCA Electronic Music Synthesizer, are shown with the system at the David Sarnoff Research Center of RCA, Princeton, N. J. Further, with this new system, old recordings can be rejuvenated into new phonograph records free from distortion and noise. "It is not necessary that a composer be able to play a musical instrument, for whatever musical effects he wants to create he can achieve by use of the synthesizer. "But the vital factors of correct 'interpretation' of the music written by the composer — the heart, the soul and the mood of the composition — continue to be the task and function of the human being who synthesizes the music from the score. That person must be a good musician. In the hands of a great musician the electronic synthesizer can create great music." Demonstrating the scope and possibilities of the music synthesizer, General Sarnoff's address was illus- trated by a film showing the system in operation. The motion picture was supplemented by a magnetic tape recording of synthesized music made by engineers at RADIO AGE 7