Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-20
Graham


4 \ he has been taking lessons in
microphone technique ever
since, just to be prepared in case some
thing like that ever happens again. He
comes from st. Louis, and he had never
happened to see broadcast taking
place in the studios. When he arrived
glad to make arrangements for him to
visit our studios, although my engage
mentS prevented me from being there
with him.
Let us call him plain Mr.. Jones
Everything was all fixed up to have
him received at the studios and all
the plans worked out without hitch
One of my friends met him, and eS-
corted him to a control booth, where
he was not only able to catch the pro-
gram, but also to hear it, However,
the escort was called away for Few
minutes to answer the telephone, aho
while he was gone a page approached
Mr.. Jones and tapped him discreetly
on the shoulder.
Admitted His Identity"
"Mr. Jones?" he asked. My St LOUIS
friend admitted ownership Of the name;
won't you please come with me, SAID
the page. I'VE are all ready to put you
on the air in studio B."
But / don't understand, SAID MI
Jones. II came here tonight to listen
to programs. not to take part in them.
yes, 1 know" said the page, trying
his best to be diplomatic, but they
are very anxious to have you talk, just
the same" My friend from st. Louis,
somewhat puzzled, was none the less
f1attered.
But what am I to say?" he asked.
st really can't say" the page replied.
Bv this time my friend, not knowing
much about the program on which ne
was supposed to speak, was in some
thing of stew. He's brave SOUL now
ever, and he gave a twist TO his necKtle
and a hitch to his trousers and pro-
fessed himself ready for anything. just
as he was about to leave the control
booth for the nearby studio, however,
the page remarked that usually, when
Chicagoan is to speak on one OF our
programs, he speaks In our chicago
studios and his talk is relayed to all
the stations from there.
"Chicago?" queried Mr.. Jones, But
I'm not from Chicago; I'm from 81.
Louis" 1t turned out that the page
had been instructed to meet Mr.. Jones
of Chicago in that very same control
booth at that time. Mr.. Jones of Chi
cago had been slightly delayed by traf11c,
but he was discovered a moment later
in one of the corridors. The two Mr..
Joneses got together after the program
and now hear they are fast friends.
Mike as "AIarm Clock"
A few weeks ago mentioned in this
column that probably the most unusual
use for a microphone of which I had
heard was that devised by fox
breeder. AS many of you know, black
foxes are very nervous animals. Inc
slightest thing sets them all agog, and
this is particularly true during the
mating season and during the period
when the young are being born.
The breeder of whom spoke, desir-
ing to keep close check on how things
were going in the kennels even at night,
installed a microphone in the space
allotted to each pair of foxes and had
them all connected to a loud speaker
in the quarters of his head keeper. II
the foxes should be disturbed the COM
motion would probably awaken the
keeper. who could get to the kennels
and straighten out any difhculty with
out loss of time There are many more
fox breeders, especially in the East, than
had thought, for that one paragraph
has brought in a little over 20 letters
from fox farms asking for details Of the
u.
the letters want TO know how much
tenn really works.
Well, 1 haven't much idea how good
a mike you need to pick up the bark
of worried fox, but I do know that
microphoneS of one sort or another run
from S25 to more than 500. These are
the familiar carbon type, which has
recently been replaced in broadcasting
studios by the condenser mike. /
shouldn't be surprised if you could buy
noise-maybe you couldn't tell from
listening what kind of noise-for as low
as SIS. The installation is another
matter.
The microphone itself, and all the
wire lines must be carefully protected
from moisture, to avoid short circuits.
know how delicate mikes are. I had
to broadcast whole foot ball game in
the rain one day, wholly unprotected
from the weather. 1t happened had
heavy overcoat, and l managed to
drape it around myself and the micro
phone in such a way that both of us
kept reasonably dry-and on the air,
But I had a. stiff neck the next day
from the awkward position had to
assume.
Who Will Be Next Sensation?
Around the studios we amuSe our
selves now and then arguing as to who
will be the next radio sensation. i
there any one now on the air, some ont
will ask, who has chance to grab of
some of the fame that has come tC
such folks as Rudy Vallee and Amos n
Andy?
AS for me, I shouldn't want to risk
any money on predictions, but severa,
of the announcers and production mer
have a bunch it might be Baby Rose
Marie. The child is only 5 years old
but she has appeared on the networks
at least half a dozen times, and the
mail response has always been tremend'
GUS Like many Italian children, sht
has a rather deep, husky speaking voice
which gives her singing voice tina
isn't so high and thin as the voices o.
most American children.
With that, and an ability to stay or
the key and sing a song for all it !!
worth, she is something of novelty
She's cute little tyke, with brown hair
brown eyes and chubby cheeks. Hel
parents dress her in light blues, greens
and pinks, but she says her favofitt
color Is purple. (Her father hastenS Il
explain that she really means orchid.
/ very much doubt if it makes an.
difference to her If an audience i
present when she sings.
Baby Rose Marie isn't unfamiliar with
audiences, for she has made length.
tour in vaudeville, but have been un
able to see any difference in her manner
when she was singing just for fun, fol
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