RECORDING AND REPRODUCING OF MUSIC AND SPEECH 499 



means of the sound power directly, while Fig. lb shows a record being 

 made by the same artists with the electric process. 



It will be noticed in Fig. la that the artists are grouped very closely 

 about the horn. In the case of the weaker instruments such as violins, 

 it has been possible to use only two of standard construction. The rest 

 of the violins are of the type known as the "Stroh" violin which is a 

 device strung in the manner of a violin but so arranged that the bridge 



Fig. lb — Picture of the same orchestra shown in Fig. la, but recording by the electric 



process. This picture was furnished through the courtesy of the Victor Talking 



Machine Company, Camden, New Jersey 



vibrates a diaphragm attached to a horn. The horn is directed toward 

 the recording horn, as shown by the player in the foreground. 



With such an arrangement of musicians, it is very difficult to arouse 

 the spontaneous enthusiasm which is necessary for the production of 

 really artistic music. In Fig. lb the musicians are sitting at ease more 

 nearly in their usual arrangement and all are using the instruments 

 which they would use were they playing at a concert. Furthermore, 

 the microphone is now sufficiently far away from the orchestra to re- 

 ceive the sound in much the manner that the ears of a listener in the 

 audience would receive it. In other words, it picks up the sound after 

 it has been properly blended with the reflections from the walls of the 

 room. It is in this way that the so-called "atmosphere" or "room-tone" 

 has been obtained. 



In the old process, it sometimes happened that after the instruments 



