The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-23
PHorooRAPHINo THE VOICE.
Remarkable Exp sriments at Columbia Col.
Iege-Pipes to Initiate Singers.


| lege-Piprs to Initiate Singers.
From the New York World.
Remarkable experiments are being
carried on at Columbia college by Pro-
fessors Halleck and mickey with re-
gard to the tones of the human voice
The object of the professors is primari-
ly to discover a standard for the hui
man voice by which all voices can be
judged. They propose to construct a
machine which will produce the notes
in three octaves, just like a human
voice. The only difference will be that
the notes from the machine will be pure
notes and infinitely more beautiful than
any human being can produce.
By means of these perfect, or nearly
perfect tones, a standard can be fixed
which will represent the human voice
in its highest perfection. incidentally,
the way for a singer TO get the best eff
feet with the least exertion will be
found, besides much other valuable
data. In order to do this Photographs
have been taken of the vocal cords
In mans throat while he Is singing.
This was Gone by means of a laryngo-
scopic glass. The results gave the po-
sition of the cords for each different
note.
Musical notes are produced by the vi
bration of the vocal cords, and their
pitch is controlled by the length, ten
sion and thickness of the cords The
experiments already show that the
training of the arytenoid cartilage
which controls the thickness of the
cords plays an important part in voice
production. Most singers depend en-
tirely upon the alteration of the length
and extention of the cords for singing
different notes. The valuable aid of the
arytenoid cartilage is not called in, and
consequently much greater exertion is
required.
Undoubtedly the most interesting ex-
pertinent, however. is the photograph
ing of the voice itself. A new COM
pncated piece of mechanism, known as
the "monometric flame machine" is
used to contain these results.
Every note sounded by the human
voice contains a number of overtones
In addition to the note itself When the
note "A" is sung, there are sounded,
in addition to the fundamental or act
ual "A" itself, the "A's" of two or three
octaves higher, as well as of several
intermediate tones. We only hear the
note as one sound, but the mometric
flame detects eight or nine others and
divides the notes up. The upper tones
give brilliancy and the fundamental
tones give volume and strength.
Now If some of our finest singers
can be induced to have their voices pro-
tographed in this way the arrangement
and number OF tones in a single note,
which Will be as perfect as possible,
Will be discovered. There is no difficult
ty in producing these different tones
separately by means of tuning forks If
they were all sounded at the same time
and In the proper degree of loudness
the exact counterpart of a human voice
would be produced by mechanical
means. This has never yet been done.
for the metallic, for-away tones of the
photograph cannot be compared to a
real human voice.
Professor Koenig. of Paris, has long
been trying TO do this, but without sue
cess. The great trouble is that the tun-
ing forks cannot all be sounded at
once, and of the correct loudness. The
note that we hear is, of course. the
loudest, and is represented in the pho
tograph by the lowest and thickest line
All the overtones gradually taper OFF in
strength until even the sensitive reson-
ators I'm the monometric cannot detect
them.
The man whose voice is to be photo
sraphed sings a single note steadily in
10 large sounding board. From the
sounding board the note is conveyed to
row of resonators, eight in number,
which are of various pitches, CORE
spending to the different oVertones of
the voice. In front of each resonator
is the little jet of flame. When the
voice inside them is vibrated and agi-
of each resonator nozzle
The flames are reflected into a MANY
sided reflector. which is rapidly revolv- |
ed while the note is being sounded by |
the man who is sitting for his voice |
photograph. The lens of a camera is |
placed close against the reflector and a |
rapid plate exposed for a second or |
more. When developed the result |
shows the vibration of the mans voice, |
and consequently it's quality. AS a |
rule the better the voice the more over |
tones there are i'm IL, and to record a |
voice like Jean de Reszke's would re- |
quire dozen or more flames.
In order to produce the human voice |
Professor Halleck will use organ pipes. |
They Will be very small and inclosed in |
boxes. so that no more sound can get |
out than is needed to produce the COM |
pick tone. If the experiments are sue
cessful and the projected machine can /
be constructed IL will even be possible /
for man to sit down in his drawing |
room and play on a piano, the notes |
room and play on a plano, the notes of |
which will not only give forth the musi-
wood hammers, but the glorious melody
of a human voice. There will be no |
need TO go to the opera to hear a IA
nous prima donna, because the instru-
ment Will sing much better than any |
human being can. The best points can |
be taken from a number of the finest
singers and the results formed into a
scale of notes which will be almost per-
feet.
Opera will then mean a stage fun of
voiceless Tristans and Tannhausers
who go through the motions while the
singing is done by machine behind the