Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-17

passes in front of it in a continuous
motion. The film, upon being devel-
oped, shows a succession of delicate
dark up and down markings. on a
clear background. These markings
represent the oscillations Of the re-
Elected beam of light. The dancing
beam is what gives the apparatus its
name, for "pallo photo" are Greek
words that mean literally shaking
light"
The record secured on the film is a
m~arvelously faithful record of the
sound because of the extremely small
size of the little mirror and diaphragm
and their low inertia. These charac-
teristics enable the dancing beam, or
shaking light" to produce a sound
record on the strip of film that
catches all the fine oFertones. the
delicate standings of speech. the sibi
liant sounds. every trait that makes
one voice different from another,
Therein lies its salient triumph, for
the sound record is more nearly exact
than any record so far obtained in de-
vices OF this nature.
This recording device operates by
mechanical principals. as distinguished
from electrical. There is no essential
electrical process involved at this
stage of the procedure,
When the time comes TO reproduce
the record. which has been obtained
in the manner Just described. an en-
tirely different contriyance, the re-
producing device comes into play.
These two devices are SO independent
of one another that each can be re
moved from the apparatus while the
other is in use. This procedure has
been followed by Mr.. Hoxie repeated.
" in his laboratory demonstrations OF
the pallophotophone.
The reproducing device is electrical
in mode of operation as distinguished
from the mechanical principles en-
ployed in the recording device. The
photographic film. on which the record
of the sound has been made, is wound
on a reel SO that it passes in front of
an extremely sensitive electrical APP
paratus. This apparatus consists OF
an ingenious arrangement of vacuum
tubes.
Offers Great Possibilities
Its particularly notable Characters
tic is that it responds to variations in
the light falling upon it with such
instantaneous speed that it can only be
compared TO the speed OF light itself,
or 10 the speed with which wireless
waves travel through space. Conse-
auentlv. when the film is moved con-
~tfnuously in front of this device, an
electrical current Is created which cor
responds with great accuracy TO the
original sound wave, as represented by
the markings on the film. This electric
current is then made to actuate Il lele-
phone. n loud speaker IT to operate
directly radio broadcasting apparatus
atf the use of 4 microphone or the
other pickup devices ordinarily used
This shows how the panophotophone
can be used to produce, at some central
studio, a master film from an artist 5
concert number or a mans speech, TINS
film later being copied and sent TO
b~roadcasting stations anywhere, 10 De
sent out by radio. In addition, how
erer il might be used to make q record
Of a speech of any great figure IN
American public life en- any memorable
occasion. and to reproduce this speech,
for future generations. in the true voice
of the man himself.
Ii the Hoxie apparatus had been
in existence in 1868. and had been
taken to the Gettysburg dedH,a-
tion. the immortal Gettysburg ad-
dress of Abraham Linciln. in the
very voicc Of the great emancipation,
could be heard today by the millions
who have been born long after
Lincoln has breathed his last.
As an apparatus which may. and
probably will, produce talking movies,
and as the recorder of speeches,
songs and whole concert programs,
which can be broadcast by raaio nj
any subsequent time, it is wehderfuI
enough.
VIII Help Photograph Recording
But that does not tell half the
story of it's possible applications
1t can be employed to make a master
monograph record with most successful
results. Its big advantage here is hat
a whole ihorus can sing into a phone
graph horn ard it's rendition can be re-
produced with great fidelity.
At present the persons who sing have
10 get Sc close to the horn that even
when several horns are attached to the
same monograph only Il limited Mum
Der of artists can perform. 1t may be,
also. that musical instruments can be
distinguished from each other, when
reproduced from records made with tine