Radio doings (Dec 1930-Jun1932)

Page Twenty RADIO DOINGS March, 1931 The Technique cf /< uiul Effects By CHARLES FORSYTHE AN epidemic of dramatic and musical plays is with us, and threatens to become chron out the country has shown, vi The radio audience throughry definitely, its preference for this new type of program. In presenting radio plays, the most essential element seems to he atmosphere which, until television arrives, must of necessity be produced by sound effects. Naturally, the stations producing these plays are forced to use sound effects and, in nearly every case, grope in the dark for means of producing the necessary sounds to lend the desired atmosphere to their productions. It is with that thought in mind that I offer several suggestions which may help various radio producers to help themselves, and by so doing, I feel sure that better radio drama will be the result. I offer the following "don'ts" for sound effect technicians and radio producers: DON'T use metal sheet for imitating thunder. As you know, or will learn by experimenting, a sheet of metal reaches the loud speaker exactly like a sheet of metal, and is one of the poorest methods of producing an imitation of thunder. A large thunder or cannon drum is the only manner in which this effect can be obtained. It will prove a valuable asset to all studies going in for dramatics in a big way. The cost is between forty and sixty dollars, depending, of course, upon the size of the skin used for the head. I cannot spare space here to describe the design and specifications, but will cover the matter thoroughly in a later issue of this magazine. DON'T use the imitation of footfalls at any time except for eerie situations, for thrills, mystery scenes and such as creeping down stairs, or loose squeaking boards in the attic, etc. Footfalls are very seldom practical in foregrounds; never very effective except for distant sounds or someone supposed to be in the next room, or overhead. DON'T use a bell for European trains. They do not have bells. The whistles should be single tone similar to the compressed air whistles used on an American interurban electric train. The chug, or exhaust, of a European locomotive should never be strong and thunderous — like American trains. You will get a very accurate example of the sound of a European locomotive by copying the sound of our donkey engines in this country which we use in logging camps and construction camps. The rail clicks should be in pairs, not in triplets, as is the case with American trains. European coaches have the car wheels, two in the front and two in the rear. Enough for European train effects. ; Last month I promised something regarding signal whistles foe-trains in the United States. One long whistle for a train arriving at yard limits of a station; two long and two short whistles for a train approaching a crossing outside of the yard limits of a station; a series of short blasts of a whistle for all emergencies such as some obstruction on the track or danger ahead. When a train departs from a station, be sure that the whistle precedes all other sounds. DON'T use cocoanut shells on a marble slab or similar substance for horse hoof effects, except when imitating hoof beats on the pavement. DON'T use a single electric door bell for a telephone bell. Have TWO electric door bells connected so that they will ring simultaneously: then you will get the correct effect. Be sure to have the bell edgewise to the mike, as they are very directional and when used at the wrong angle the microphone will pick up the hammering, and not the bell tone, itself. In ringing a bell for telephone, always remember that modern telephone equipment provides a mechanical device for ringing that bell, and that the impulse of that device is just as rhythmic and methodical as the ticking of a clock. It might be well to remember . . . getting down to the fine points of it . . . if the locale of your action is in poverty or medium circumstances, it seems highly probable that the telephone would be a party line. In this case, ring the bell in pairs: two bells and a slight pause, and then repeat two bells. In ordinary circumstances, or where your action is in the home of a person of importance, naturally this would be out of place and the ordinary single ring would be in order. In closing, it is highly advantageous when planning an important program, that sound effects should accompany dialogue. This should be rehearsed just as it is going to be done on the broadcast. This will enable you to accurately balance your sound with your voices, giving it the naturalness which is next to impossible to attain at all times without monitoring. Sound effects very often overload, and in this case when your technician cuts down his gain to protect against that overload, he will fade your voices with it, thereby spoiling your dramatic action. Hence, the obvious necessity of perfectly balancing sound effects with dialogue. Military bands, comparatively rare in the concert field, are returning to public favor via radio, according to Pryor Moore, conductor of a brass-and-woodwind ensemble which has recently been signed for a year's contract with KFIKECA, Los Angeles.' Programs of the new feature will start with a series of concerts over KECA Mondays at 7:00 p. m. (P.S.T.) KMTR broadcasts "Strange Facts You Should Know" every Thursday night at 7:30 — not to be outdone by the newspaper's "Ripley'' drawings and stories — radio must needs have its hand in the enlightening business of unearthing "unusual stories." Listeners are asked to write the strange facts that they have come upon from time to time and these, with the work of the research department of the station make up the most interesting of programs. For instance: in Glasgow, Scotland, the newspapers use their front p.ige to print the classified advertising, whether for convenience or for profit is not told.