Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-12-18


ventor of radio control devices,
including radio-guided torpedoeS,
ships and aircraft.
AS recently demonstrated in
New York, this device, looking
like a grand piano, can, by touch
ing the keys lightly, be made to
sound like a full orchestra with
saxophone, drums, piano and
even harp tones produced in full
harmony and with enough volume
to fill a giant auditorium. The
vibrations are picked up by mag
netic microphoneS within the
piano to produce remarkable
amplification. Inside the piano
is a radio and the photograph is
in q small cabinet alongside the
piano. The cabinet contains the
loud speaker from which all the
sound emanates.
Somewhat similar, but not on
such a massive scale, is an inStru-
ment recently put on the Ameri-
can market. It has a 32-note
keyboard which is attachable to
the audio stage of any radio re-
ceiving set and can be played
either as solo instrument or
as an accompaniment of the in
coming radio program. 1t is sup
posed to be very easy to play, and
produces a wide range of tones
Stimulating various orchestral in
strumentS and capable also OF be-
ing SWelled to auditorium volume.
These instruments, of course,
employ the electronic tube in
their amplification processes. This
tube, sometimes called the "elec-
trio eye" and actually like the
simple radio set tube, is now be-
ing applied also to the printing
arts for the automatic machine
setting of type from typewriter
copy, the making of half-toneS by
photoelectric scanning, etc. This,
| of course, is not a radio develop
ment, though it shows to what di-
verse fields the radio tube is be-
ing adapted.
From RCA Victor Co., Of Cam
den, N. j.. comes the report that
it has now put into production
its new So-called velocity micro
phone, an odd-looking affair de-
signed primarily for use in radio
studios and looking no more like
the conventional microphone than
the old -whiSker crystal set
looks like the modern cabinet re-
ceiver.
Called a revolutionary improve
ment, this mike reproduces sound
with utmost fidelity. covering the
entire tonal range from o to $4,000
cycles. Where the usual mike en-
ployS diaphTagms the velocity
mike uses a sensitive duralumin
which vibrates exactly with the
vibrations of the air particles set
in motion by sound waves. 1t
can pick up any kind of sound
and reproduce it, and its advent
into radio augurS the diScarding
of much of the complicated sound
effects apparatus now needed in
radio studios to simulate such
sounds as doorbellS, revolver
shots, ETC., which heretofore have
to be faxed" because the old-style
microphones cannot pick them up
adequately.
~ x*
RROADCASTERS of the future
~ are likely to get their pre-
liminary training in universities
rather than in the hard school of
experience, in the opinion of Al
fred J. McCosker, president of the
National Association of Broad
casters and managing director of
WOR, Newark. Radio broadcast
ing. he holds, is having such a
profound influence on the arts
that the higher educational in
situations are expected to eStab-
lish radio professorships.
The broadcaster of the future
said Mr.. McCosker, will have to
be an erudite Northumberland
in many subjects. He will be re-
quired to know music, compost
ton and appreciation, public
speaking, the Interpretation of
current events, mass psychology,
literature and, at least, the ele-
ments of pedagogy and radio en-
cheering.
Among these I would stress
mass psychology, since that in
wolves the determination of what
the public wants and the char
acter of its presentation. There
are only two places one can learn
it, in the editorial chairs of the
great metropolitan dailies, where
their occupants absorb it intui-
lively, or at the hands of the emf
nent psychologists in our univer-
stiles.
"Of course, every one cannot be
an editor, but those who have
Joined the radio stations have
made themselves invaluable. They
are alert, energetic. original and
tenacious of purpose. ConSe-
quently, it seems, to me, the
schools of journalism. now ap-
proximating so in the United
States, might take cognizance of
this fact.
"A few colleges are nibbling at
radio in one form or another. Co.
lumbia University has a class in
radio advertising, while another
school gives a course in announc-
ing. While that is asgood begin
ming, 1t only scratches the sur
| face. Radio is having a pro-
found influence all the arts