THE AUXETO-GRAMAPHONE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 422, 3 February 1909, Page 4

THE AUXETO-GRAMAPHONE.

. Most; people; would.have imagined that'the gramaphone had'reached perfection long'ago, but-absolute.-perfeqtion is'riot.in riian.-thongh apparently, manifest in nature.j The ,latest; improvement /in-vtheigramaphohe^the-.fhoriv-: zontal dispYtaJking- {thoYAuxetoGraraa^hone,.;the' ; invention: of J "the --Hoiv; Charles Parsons; of ..turbine fame.,; This able engineer oonceivedythe;-idea of -.reproducing yocal:-rec'ords. precisely/ as ifHheywere being-' produced -by;/ natural., moans—sound - thrown out on awave-of air, as similar as possible to' the human .breath.,-., That, is ..the AusetbGramaphone. To achieve this effecti electricity, is called into "work a small fan; which fced3/with a;ourrent ofair pipes that in turnlead to the'.sound-bbx.--' This it passes "through' two delicate'combs, '{which:' vibrate gently: :iri tho;passing'air which'passes out at the point whero the /needle is picking' up the 'sound waves m .'.the/revolving disc; ,-To illustrate the, perfection of the newest" grariiaphbnb' an .imitation concert-was■ given last ;evenirig"'iri the;,big Town .Hall," which was well filled. Records • of. such fine ' artists'. as Madame Molba, Caruso,,. Scotti,. Patti, . Tetrazzi'ni, Francisco,-Mischa-'-Elniari, Harry -Lauder, Evari..' Williams,' Peter Dawson, and 'others Wol ' e - reproduced,' arid many—notably those of Melbaaiid'Caruso—were quite remarkable for their degree) of excellence.' The improvement -chiefly needed : in the gramapho'no, ho\Vover. is. something that will- displace' the needle as a'reproducing agent.' In'tile bestof .rccortls'-'-th'b. hiss of -the needle as it follows the, linos /cast in the disc is. ; tho"oiily blemish, and, if:the point be worn, oven •in} the t slightest:dflgrco',. the"' noiso' ; which jt makes, is .a check: on .enjoyment,.:. During/the evening Mr.- Shc'ard; who is in: Wellington/in connection;with tlio;"Au'xcto,'.' 'explained'.how records', were -taken/at : tho .headquarters of the Gramaphorio Company in London,- and I iljustrated his remarks : ' with interesting views. During; the progress of tho concert, I ipioturos' of- the performing artists woi-o i. thrown on to a screon; ;■ .■■,.-,■