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Waipa Post, Volume 42, Issue 3269, 7 March 1931, Page 2

IS REVEALED AT PREVIEW OF " RIGHT TO LOVE." MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE DEVELOPMENT IN SOUND RECORDING. SINCE ADVENT OF TALKING PICTURES. A new system for the recording of talking pictures, which accomplishes the most perfect reproduction of the human voice since, the inception of talking pictures, was revealed to electrical engineers and film executives in New York recently. The new recording device total y eliminates all mechanical extraneous noises from the screen and increases volume range to a point where clear-cut rendition of the faintest and loudest of sounds is possible. Introduction of the new invention, to be known as the Western Electric New Process Noiseless Recording System, was made at a private showing of Paramount's new picture, " The Right to Love," starring Ruth Chatterton.

Following this preview, electrical engineers hailed the new process as the most important single development in sound recording since the advent of talking pictures. Jesse L. Lasky, first vice-president of production for Paramount, stated that Paramount, pioneer in the use of the invention, has adopted the device for all uses, and soon will be filming all of its productions with the new process.

Developed in the West Coast laboratories of Electric Research Products, the, new process is a result of many years' work on the part of sound engineers to eliminate the " ground noises " which have marred the perfect enjoyment of talking pictures. Although the process was perfected several months ago, it was not announced or put in genera, use until given a thorough test through the recording of " The Right to Love," the first film to make use of this technique. However, now it is possible to record and reproduce in theatres the faintest of sounds without having them " masked" or covered up by those extraneous hissing and scratching sounds. Every syllable of even the' softest words, whispering, and the sobbing of a distressed heroine now will become clearly audible. The new. process produces a greater realism, and it is a great step toward perfection of the talking picture, it is claimed..

" One of the major problems confronting sound engineers has been the extension of the Volume range of sound ' recording and reproducing, according to H. G. Knox, engineers' vice-president of Electrical Research Products. " This means the ability to reproduce both louder and softer sounds.

" There are, of course, two ways of widening the volume range in recording and reproducing. One is the recording and reproducing of higher volumes, which means the handling of louder sounds. One obvious way to do this is by increasing the amplifier power and the capacity of the loudspeakers to handle it. This presents practical difficulties in that it would, require new and more powerful theatre equipment. The .second method is to broaden the volume range by making it possible to record and re-, produce sounds of lower volume. To do this necessitates reducing the extraneous electriqal, mechanical, and photographic noises heretofore recorded which mask or cover up the desired sound.

" In the theatre this means simply the refinement and better maintenance of its sound equipment. In recording it means the reduction of the electrical and mechanical background noises commonly called " ground noises " so that every syllable of very soft sound, such as whispering and sobbing, will become clearly audible. One hushed gasp out of utter stillness may climax a dramatic crisis. A single low word after a long silence will startle the waiting audience. It is the successful solution of this problem that will make the new Western Electric process of noiseless recording possible. " The new method of recording requires some additional equipment and changes in the present recording sys-, tern, which produces a tremendous increase in sensitiveness to sounds that are to be recorded. A number of the principal producers are already equipping their studios to take advantage of the improvement. " Motion picture audiences are well aware of the hissing and scratching

sound which becomes audible as soon as the sound apparatus is switched on. In other words, during the silent introductory title of a picture everything is quiet. Just before the recorded portions of the film start listeners are warned of the coming sound by the scraping ground noise from the screen. While in good, recording this ground noise is not particu arly offensive, it nevertheless means that any whispers or low-level sounds on the film must be raised artificially to a relatively high volume if not to be masked by the noise of the system itself. During normal dialogue or music the presence of the ground noises fades to relative unimportance, and of course, during loud diaogue or heavy passages of music, it is comp etely covered up. It is, therefore, a question of making ' silence' silent.

" While the problem can be simply stated, the method for its solution has been many years in the making. At last, however, the film recording machine has been so modified that all audible evidences of the mechanical nature have been removed, and under the new Western E ectric process it is now possible to record the lowest whispers in thrilling silence. " Fortunately, this innovation has come at a time when audiences are demanding more realistic sound, and at a time when producers are using less dialogue and more silence. To be effective the silence must be complete. During dramatic periods the expression will soon be true that " it was so quiet that one could hear a pin fal. " —even in a talking picture theatre.

" As with every startling improvement, high standards of performance are involved. A standard of developing and printing of films higher than the already exacting technique of sound pictures is demanded. The reproducing equipment in theatres will likewise require more careful groomting and maintenance if it is to handle noiselessly-recorded pictures in this new way. By and large, however, noiseless recording is the greatest advance in ta.king pictures in the past four years."