Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-03
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PHoNoGRAPHIc TRICKS,
Interesting Experiments With Talk
ing Machine
From the Scientific American.

From the Scientific American.
Some interesting and amusing "stunts'
that may be performed with a talking ma.
chine, grapnophone or photograph are de-
scribed. In addition to the machine itself,
the author notes. a recorder and few blank
records will be needed. The first trick,
which he names the Speech by Tom
Thumb" Is thus performed:
THE machine must be speeded up as
high possible and an announcement re-
corded on blank In a deep loud voice
The machine should be quickly slowed
down to eighty revolutions per minute. and
The speech or monologue recorded at that
speed, care being taken to artculate dis
tinctly. When the blank is full and repro
Queer may be substituted for the recorder.
and the machine be brought up again to
high speed at which the announcement
was made. When the record is reproduced
at this speed the result will be the loud
voice of the announcement. followed by a
rapid, pinched-up little voice making the
speech.
The second trick described is the repro-
duction of whistling duet, III which both
parts are performed by the same person.
This is effected as follows:
Put blank, and after the speed Ia
at about 100 revolutions whistle some pop
ular piece of which you know the second
part. When the record is full set the re-
corder back to the beginning again without
stopping the machine. When the recording
point gets to the commencement of the
piece the first part will sound family in the
recorder, thus giving the cue and the pitch
for the second. which should be recorded
not quite so loudly as the first.
Several notifications of this experiment
will suggest themselves. The first may not
be perfectly successful but that need not
be considered drawback. as a spoiled rec
ord can be easily cleaned with a rag and
little kerosene. The rubbing should Dc
lengthWiSe of the cylinder till the lines are
all removed after which q soft Clotn IS
ish. Hard or god-molded records r ay also
be cleaned In this way. which -act suggests
another amusing trick.
This will call for two records. preferably
talking selections, which are exact oupii-
Gates. One OF these Is 'doctored by eean-
ing off the latter half. the rest being pro-
tected by a piece of writing paper wrap
ped around and secured by an elastic band.
On this blank space various remarks should
be recorded which should be very different
from those originally there. The good rec
ord is to be played through first While
saying that you VIII repeat Ii the second
one is quickly substituted In the machine,
and. of course, starts Off exactly Ike the
first one. When the 'doctoraf portion IS
reached, however, a change VIII be noticed,
but cannot be accounted for by the hear
erS
'sBy taking two records of entirely differ
ent character, cutting each IN two. and
putting on half Of one and half or inc
other We can often jump from The suDIiine
to the ridiculous by quickly Tipping the re-
producer across the gap from one TO me
other With care the thinner half OF one
of these records may be slipped halfway
on In a reversed position, and when made
to run true will produce everything back
ward A curious thing about such records
is that the voice one hears in the proper d.
rection is Instantly recognized when re-
versed. but Is. of course, uniateiliSiote.