Omaha daily bee., 1918-10-23
Making Canned Music
Literary Digest.


the violin of the other, any more than the print
on this page was laboriousy placed here by the
editors pen. Both are the results OF modern
quantity -reproduction-the wondrous methods
by which all sorts Nof articles are multiplied by
the million and distributed from sea to sea at
cost that bears only small ratio to that OF the
original that was the source OF them all. Your
record was nodded from metal electrotype
matrix, which was made from mother, which
in its turn was nodded from a master, itself an
electrotyped reproduction of the original wax
disk whose grooves were really cut upon its sur
face by the sound vibrations that it is ultimately
to reproduce. In The Scientific American (New
York. August 81 Austin c. Lescarboura tells
of the various stages in the production and man
ufacture of record. And first he describes the
studio where is born the real music OF which the
record gives US only the counterfeit present
ment. The arrangement of this music room is
all-important, Mr.. Lescarbeura tells us, and in
most places the musicians are introduced to
Studio" before they enter the actual "labora--
tory" where they play to the reproducing ma
chinery. He writes in substance:
There is such thing as monograph fright
just as there is the well-known stage fright.
This, no doubt, is due to the changed conditions;
there are no footlights, no audience and no ap-
plause. There is simply a little horn to stare
at and to sing into. 1t is brand new kind OF
work for the artist, who must learn to sing or
play for the records. And that is where the at
mosphere' helps matters for it removes much of
the cold, mechanical aspect OF recording. The
artist comes to a studio, not factory, and in
the seclusion of the homelike private sitting
rooms he can rehearse his selections until he is
ready for the laboratory on the floor above.
"The most bizarre feature of this laboratory
scene is, no doubt the seating arrangement. In
order that each instrument will focus on the
horn without interference OF any sort the mu-
scians are seated on chairs of varying heights,
with the lowest ones nearest the horn and the
highest ones-six feet tall in some cases-at the
rear of the semicircle. The music stands, in
turn are Suspended from the ceiling by an ar
rangement of overhead rails and hangers.
Certain instruments, such as horns, must
be kept in the background, while others, the vio-
lin, for instance, are placed in the front row.
In the case of brass instruments, where the horn
is behind the player, a queer situation arises.
The sound must be directed toward the horn,
yet the musician must follow the orchestra
leader. Fortunately, with large mirror mount
ed on an adjustable stand, the musician can sit
with his back to the horn and the leader, while
observing both through the mirror in front of
him.
when everything is in readiness the mu-
sicians wait for the buzzer signal, which indi-
Gates that the recording apparatus has started and
that every sound is being recorded. With the
sound of the first buzzer signal silence reigns."
Should there be discordant note the wax
record is ruined and work must start all over
again. There is no such thing as patching; the
rendition must be absolutely correct. Once in
great while in the middle of selection
sneeze or cough breaks out triumphantly! And
no matter how much time may have been ex-
pended on the record up to that point,rit is now
wasted and work must begin again We read
further:
-, A. 1t
selection can best be learned by entering the
long and narrow room back of the partition.
The sound waves entering the large end of
the specially devised horn are brought down and
intensified as they approach the smaller end.
Here they strike upon a diaphragm which vi
brates inresponse. to their impulses: Connected
with the center of this diaphragm by delicate
lever is fine cutting tool. This tool, moving
in response to the motion of the diaphragm, cuts
groove in a revolving disk of soft wax, which
groove corresponds in onhguration with the
outline of the sound w-ves entering the horn.
Much depends on the wax disk Its surface
is carefully prepared so as to be absolutely flat
and smooth and free from imperfections of any
kind. Preparatory to being used the wax disks
are kept in cabinet that is electrically heated
so as to MAINTAIN constant temperature. When
a selection is to be recorded the wax disk meas
uring half-inch or more in thickness by the
usual diameter of the standard record is placed
OH TIC tuIHtdDle He gravity IHOlOT is
and the producer tool placed the proper distance
in from the edge. The buzzer signal is given
to the orchestra leader at this time, and with the
cutting of the required number of blank groves
the second or start signal is given"
The first wax record is a so-called test record
and corresponds to a printers proof. As it is
played the director, with the musical score in his
hands, follows the selection, pointing out loud
note which must be subdued or the weakness of
the accompaniment, or critic;sing the enuncia-
ton of word. He thus READS" the record, just
as the editor proofreads and revises this page
before the reader sees it. To quote further:
After the wax record is completed the wax
is allowed to set or become hard. The test
record is thrown out after having served its pur-
pose, as the grooves of soft wax have been more
or less ruined by the steel needle of the repro
Queer.
THE wax master is carefully covered over
with fine powdered graphite. which is brushed
evenly into every groove and hollow. 1t is then
suspended in an electroplating tank and sub
jected to weak electric current for period of
As to SO hours. The weak current necessitates a
long immersion in the plating bath. and the de-
post, in consequence is extremely fine grained.
The thin shell of copper deposited on the graph
tied wax, carrying every grove and variation
soldered on heavy brass disk after which it is
nickel-plated to harden its surface. This cleo
trotype, to give it the proper name, is the mas
ter
"A second electrotype operation now follows.
The nickel-plated master is treated with acid to
prevent the next copper plating from sticking,
and it is placed in an electrotyping tank for
period of 50 hours. The thin copper shell is
then removed and mounted on metal and the
electrotype thus obtained is called the mother.
The mother is nickel-plated treated with acid
and placed in the electroplating tank in order to
produce still another electrotype, which is
known as the 'matrix,' and from which the COM
mercal records are nodded"