Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18
IBALANCE IN RADIO
PROGRAMS PUZZLE
lMicrophone Must Register
Complete Picture for
Proper Results.

Many problems confront the mod
sern broadcastinC station in its effort
10 improve programs. but of these, the
most interesting, both from the view
point OF the radio engineer and the
program director. is the placement OF
The miCrophone to obtain the most per-
feet balance Of a musical program.
Unlike many new puzzles which are
daily presenting themselves, TINS
enigma has been a bugaboo TO radio
from the beginning. And yet, accord
ing TO Eugene +. GroSsnnan, operating
engineer OF the National BroadcastlnS
Co. this is the most interesting con
dition i'm broadcasting today because it
constantly presents new angles IN
practically every program.
"rhe artists may be the best in the
world" said Mr.. GrOSsman, but I'M
less the micTophone registers the com
plete picture the broadcast Will prove
q sorry mess. In earlier attempts OF
this kind. due 10 the novelty Of radio,
the results. good or bad, were Justihed.
whenever big orchestra was put on
che air there was little studied EFFORT
"a obtain the proper balance OF lnstruc-
fl1ents For this reason the same
orchestra has sounded perfect on one
great disappointment. Outlines where
10 or II vioins were playing the
strains of three or four. due TO their
relative position TO the microphone,
were heard. but the others We're lost
10 the listener and the result was not
the effect of a massed symphony
orchestra
Many Lessons Learned.
Mr.. Grossman pointed ont that the
small size of the first broadcastiug
studios caused a great deal Of the trou-
HE. for instead Of placing the instru-
ments in relation to the sensitiveness
Of the microphone to their music. ali
OF them We're punched up, making it
impossible to get any sort of balance
MANY things have been learned in
The short space of five years and has
largely been responsible for radio be-
ing accepted as a new art OF eX-
preston and not a scientific novelty.
Mr.. GrosSman continued. "Once when
a soloist drowned out the accompani-
ment the conductor was instructed 10
play forte or double forte, but no
more. Now. we simply move the singer
slightly away from the mcrOphone
and the balance is restored without
any crescendo on the part of the or
chestra.
This is but one of the many little
details worked out for the broadcast
of any single feature. 1t has been dis
covered that the same group Of artists
and musicians. when moved from one
studio 10 another, must be in slightly
different positions depending upon the
studio.
All programs of the National Broad
casting Co. are tested through a mon
itoring board an hour or two before
going on the air. The full program is
PLAYED and the orchestra's personnel
is placed accordingly. This is done in
the hearing of Miss Bertha Brainars,
National Broadcasting Co.'S Eastern
program director. or one of her staff
with one of the National Broadca sting
Co. Is plant operation and engineering
men sitting in as consultant.
Balance Easily Obtained.
The technical man, judging the mu-
sic. not as beautiful sound, but rather
as so many frequency registrations,
will indicate that certain instruments
are predominating and destroying the
balance. The program department
representative, with q score of the mu-
sic before him. will check TO see wheth-
err that particular instrument is sup
posed to predominant in that measure
of the selection. If not the conductor
is advised and the instruments are re-
arranged so that a balance is obtained.
Some of the instruments, particu-
larly the trumpets, are directional and
should the performer play with the
bell of his instrument pointed directly
at the microphone, according to Mr..
Grossman. his tones win be heard over
all other instruments. For this rea
son the trumpeters in the National
Broadca sting Co.'S studios will be
found far back and at an angle TO the
microphone. This is but one instance