The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1915)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. THE AEOLIAN VOCALION FORMALLY LAUNCHED. New Musical Creation of the Aeolian Co., New York, Arouses the Enthusiasm of Critical Music Lovers — Wins Much Favorable Comment — Its Special Features — Ambitious Plans for Its Exploitation Will Result in General Interest Throughout the Country. For a long time past it has been current trade knowledge that the Aeolian Co., through its mechanical experts, was making a close study of the talking machine field in its various phases of development. As a result, in the latter days of 1914 a new Aeolian product was created. This has been referred to in a previous issue of The Talking Machine World, but it was not until the first of the year that the new product of this great music registers and varying timbre are amplified with uniformity. Artists and others who have listened to the tones of this new creation have been enthusiastically outspoken in their admiration of its musical accomplishments. Naturally, everything which the Aeolian Co. does is planned on a vast scale, and it is understood that the Aeolian Vocalion within the near future will The Vocalion Salon on Third Floor of Aeolian Hall. trade organization, designated the Aeolian Vocalion, was formally presented to the public. Naturally, when a great organization, with ramifications extending throughout the globe, enters the talking machine domain as manufacturers, it creates a good deal of comment. Hence a brief be produced in large quantities. It will be marketed through the Aeolian organization in America and in other countries. In line with the Aeolian policy, extensive and attractive publicity will be used, and a policy of close, energetic co-operation with dealers will be followed. The history of the product will be interesting: In the latter part of 1912 F. J, Empson, of Sydney, Australia, appeared in London, England, with an invention for controlling phonographic tone. He expected that English manufacturers would jump at the chance to buy his patents. Instead he met with a series of rebuffs which so discouraged him that he purchased his return ticket and made prep Aeolian Vocalion, Style K. |^ arations to sail for home. Just before leaving, however, he called to say "good-bye" to H. S. Spottiswoode, chairman of the famous old English firm of piano manufacturers, Broadwood & Sons, with whom he was acquainted. Mr. Spottiswoode earnestly advised him to show his model to the Aeolian Co.'s London house, assuring him of consideration and courteous treatment if nothing else. This advice he followed, and A. J. Mason, head of the Aeolian Co.'s European business, was so impressed that he secured an option on the patents and sent Mr. Empson to the home office in New York. The features of the Empson invention appeared so obviously valuable to the officials in New York that exclusive rights for the entire world were secured, and Mr. Empson returned to Australia not only enriched financially, but highly pleased with the recognition and courteous treatment he had received . In the two years that have elapsed Aeolian experts have been intensively at work developing the mechanical principles of phonographic construction, bringing to the task the wide knowledge of (Continued on page 22.) Aeolian Vocalion, Style L. description of the Aeolian Vocalion will be interesting to World readers. The illustrations which accompany this article are views of two models of the Aeolian Vocalion, of which, we may remark, there are many, and it is the intention of the officials to specialize in designs which will conform with period furniture. The tonal effects of the new Aeolian Vocalion are in many respects remarkable and strikingly original. It may be said that one of the distinctive features of this product is the Graduola, a device which enables the user to modify tone volume. The Graduola affords an outlet for the individual's tone modulation or control. There is also a new improved sound box and a horn, termed the Symphonetic, which is made up of a series of wood sound boards under tension — in effect they are quite similar to the sounding board of the piano — arranged above the metal composition horn. By this arrangement tones of all The Aeolian Vocalion Quarters on Second Floor, Aeolian Hall,