The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-17
MAKING SOUND RECORDS
How Talking Machine Should Be
Addressed.
Difficulties in the Nay of Obtaining
Good Rcsui;s-The Experience of ~
Family Circic-Esperss Employed
in Rendering Popular Selections.

1t is natural for a person to wish to
hear his own voice and, as in this age of
scientific achievement this is said TO be
rendered possible without the aid Of ma
gle the means artualiy employed toward
the end in view become matter of curl
osity. The testimony Of those who have
heard their own or their friends voices
reproduced by n talking machine is both
interesting and curious.
The accuracy of the mimic sound is
here brought in question:; but there is
also involved the consideration as to
whether the person making the record
is iHeNperisuce,, or nervous tthe one, by
the way, nearly always presupposing the
other. in the latter case, il is almost
unnecessary To observe, the voice becomes
more or loss unlike the normal tones of
the speaker. an absence OF expression
and melody being especially noticeable.
Eut even this explanation can scarcely
account for the very weird effects de-
scrlhed by 4 gentleman who formed one
of It family party, the members of which,
as a matter or amusement, tested the
capabilities of the talking machine The
gentleman who owned the contrivance,
and who was quite an expert in its mys-
teres explained just how it was to be
manipulated and the manner In which
the talking or singing should be done in
order to obtain a thoroughly good re-
cord.
The thing seemed simple enough. All
one had to do. apparently, was to stand
in front of the metal horn and talk in
a strong, even tone, taking care not to
stop except at periods. But this. in itself,
was somewhat disconcerting to a novice,
as it conveyed the idea that he must
articulate as rapidly as possible or some
thing disastrous would happen.
Just what share the mental and vocal
conditions thus induced had in the uiti-
mate result, or what was due to the nat
ural. or rather artificial, deficiencies of
the machine itself, the narrator was UNI
able to determine with any degree of sci
entific exactness. Certain it is, however.
that the result itself was startling. Can
that he my yoice-impossiblei Gasped the
amateur record maker as. pale and dis
mayed. he listened to sounds which were
evidently not of this earth. The words,
such of them as were audible, he had GER
tainly spoken into the horn, but he was
utterly unprepared for the manner in
which they came out. He had had the
temerity to essay humorous introduce
ton to the divers vocal contributions of
those present. Following this, and in
tone calculated to move the very metal
itself, he delivered the beautiful passage
from Robert IngersOu upon the laughter
of a child. His wife and little boy, re-
spectively, spoke and, sang into the in
strument The gentleman who operated
the continuance, and to whom it belonged,
concluded the performance with the omi-
nous and, as il proved, prophetic obser-
walton. Il think this viii be a very bad
record"
The reproducer was. after the talking
process, substituted for the recorder. a
large horn attached TO that part OF the
apparatus from whence the sound issued,
and the cylinder vi. set In action by spring
motor. The emotion of the gentleman
who had led OFF" and who narrates the
occurrence, has already been alluded to.
The humor of his Introduction was over
wheimed in the plaintiye. soul-harrowing
tones in which the words were rendered.
The croak of the raven of limited CONVEX
sational powers immortalized by Poe
was music itself 70 the sound which is
sued from the brass horn The expectant
smile upon the countenance of the record
maker died away ana he braced himself,
with strong effort. for what
remained. Worse, indeed, was to come.
The delicate sentiment. of Ingersoli 5
passage. to which the speaker had given
full expression, was lost. and the towery
We're delivered In the tone of
a Scotch landlord contending for his over
did not render at all, as if i:
that the passage sounded as
well or better without them Such blanks.
it filled up on its own account
with "A sort of surly murmuring. as
though it grudged the concession of
speaking at all
The little son of the narrator had surg
a song, and when the machine corI-
TO repeat 1t. it was quite inter
esting to observe the expression of the
vocalist. as he exclaimed. in
indignant disgust. "Why. it's no more
like me than a hog" The concluding
words of the gentleman who performed
the part Of operator sounded fearfully dis
tinct by comparison, so. doubtless. there
was some justice In his observations to
the effect that the art of talking into
the machine was one which had TO be
acquired.
In fact. the truth of this remark was
borne out in the statements OF an expert
In this city. who is the manager OF a
large agency for the Instruments. 1t ap-
pears that professional recordmakers are
employed for turning out the popular