Sound Picture Recording and Reproducing Characteristics<!--<xref ref-type="fn" rid="fn1-10.5594_J11989">*</xref>-->

Abstract

In the improvement of sound motion pictures, the trend has been to make the response of all parts of the recording and reproducing circuits as nearly “flat” as possible. In some cases, however, this has resulted in unnatural sound, and therefore certain empirical practices have been adopted in the studios and theaters to make pictures sound best. — This paper describes the results of a study the purpose of which has been to evaluate the factors which effect the quality of speech as recorded and reproduced, from the vocal cords of the actor on the sound-stage to the brain of the listener in the theater. The characteristics of the various factors have been determined and combined with dialog, voice effort, and other equalizers designed to produce an overall characteristic “subjectively flat” at the brain of the theater patron. These factors, as well as others which are now in the process of being studied, are presented in this paper. — One of the most important characteristics studied is that of the change in voice quality with a change in the effort on the part of the speaker. This is described in detail in this paper. The stage and set acoustic characteristics, microphone characteristic, and dialog equalization to compensate principally for tire hearing characteristic of the average theater listener, are among the factors described herein.