"Live" Or "Dead" Studios Better?

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 4, 4 August 1933, Page 21

"Live" Or "Dead" Studios Better?

Artists Condemned When Speakers at Fault — Organists Deplore Larrikin Element at Sunday Concerts.

ADIO enthusiasts in Christchurch are engaged in a controversy as to the merits or otherwise of "live" and "dead" studios; a dead studio is one heavily curtained, in which few echoes can reach the microphone, while a live studio is one in which there is some reflection from the walls, It would appear that both sides are cortect to some extent; a vocal item appears to be considerably more natural when some echoes are present, the voice having greater brillianee. In the ease of orchestral music the draped studio gives a more pleasing effect, particularly so if the brass instruments predorninate. ‘The concert in the Town Hall, Dunedin, on July 15, relayed :by 4YA, was a good instance of a live studio effect. Admittedly the acoustics of the hall were not ideal. yet many of the items sounded considerably better than similar items from the draped studios of the broadcasting stations. Studio acoustics present difficult problems worthy of study and experiment. Ed & % LISTENERS who complain of the broadcast programmes sometimes unjustly eundemn the artists when the trouble is in their receiver, A listener of some musical ability complained bitterly of a band concert from one of the YA stations. An investigation of his receiver showed that the speaker wag the smallest type obtainable, mounted on a baffle of half the correct size, and was driven by a pentode valve of 50 per cent. efficiency. Itis a peculiar thing how some people with good musical ears will put up with distorting receivers which the average serviceman With little or no musical knowledge would not tolerate for a minute. "THE popular demand for a cheap. ’ highly sensitive receiver has made the pentode power valve almost universal. The °45 type power valves which, in conjunction with large speakers. gave the machines of a few years ago such a good tone, are now rarely seen. It is significant, however, that a famous manufacturer still fits the ’45's to his latest models in push-pull. % bs "THERE appears to be a steady inerease in the number of modern battery receivers available for New Zealand country listeners. A receive: of the superheterodyne type installed in a console cabinet, recently inspected, could not be told from the ordinary mains operated machine when viewed from the front. Its operation was quite the equal in sensitivity and tone of most alternating eurrent receivers. while its battery consumption was only a fraction of that of the old type battery receivers, Lo s a PDPSPITE the varied opinions of "Postman’s Knock," a musical comedy written for broadcasting, given from 3YA, there is no doubt about its being a bright and entertaining work, and one that gave listeners in Christehurch and Dunedin much enjoyment.

The voices were good and melodious, but unfortunately there was a twang about them, and also some of the words were not very clear. Still it was an hour of genuine pleasure. " % xs "HAD Euripides been alive to-day there would have been no greater pleader for the League of Nations," said Professor T. D. Adams, in his lecture on "Ancient Greek Drama" from 4YA on Tuesday night. In "The "Trojan Women," Euripides told of the taking of Troy, and gave the point of view of the vanquished, and presented a moving plea against the bitterness of war. ile sees the war through the eyes of a handful of old women. There was a lot of fading going on during the talk. Ags 3YA did not have a talk on at the time, could not a relay be arranged? Professor Adams is such an authority on Greek drama, that his remarks would be of more than general interest to Christchurch listeners. De * oh ’ T was unfortunate for Winchester that London became a big trading centre, otherwise she would still have been the capital of Mngland, according to Mr, M. I’. Cock, in one of his talks on "The Romance of British Cathedrals." In the early days Winchester

was the chief coinage centre, having six mints to London’s three. Winchester became a woollen centre, but after the fifteenth century her trading fell away. It was the only town which neyer surrendered to the Danes. Its ecclesiastical history is one of great tradition and Mr. Cock made his talk interesting. . bs] * oJ [N an interesting discourse on "The Romance of Words," Professor I. Sinelaire said it was known as philology, and the greatest philologist that ever lived was Jack Grimm, brother of yrimm, of fairy tales fame. Speech created thought. People were not able to think without words. There were twenty-six letters in the alphabet. which, woven into sounds, made words, while language was an expression of craving for beanty. No one knew the origin of words. Professor Sinclaire dealt fully and interestingly with various words and their meanings. Te "stated that the word sirloin was supposed to have originated when an old Fnglish king showed his appreciation of the good old roast beef of Wngland by knighting the loin on the table. x % % N these columns last week was an opinion that we should have organ broadcasts on a Sunday night after a

church service, provided they were given from a church with a suitable organ. During the week inquiries were made and it was found that the City Council authorities had approached various organists with a view to giving a recital on the city organ, They refused emphatically because of the larrikin element which attended the Sunday night concerts. Despite the many good qualities of the civie organ, the chief churches have organs just as good, and better, for recitals. % Pd te "Hu URSDAY evenings for the pas two weeks have been given up to a bright programme in place of the semiclassical type that we have been used to for the past year or so. Hvyery record was of a nature that certainly should have pleased even the hardest critic who deplores too much classical music. * ok & ‘HE Christchurch Salon Orchestra and the Dunedin Ambassadors’ Band enhanced Friday night’s entertainments with some brighter music that appealed. x a a "HE strange magic of Chinese poetry ™ is gripping, and the more you read it the more you want of it, said Mr. John Patrick, speaking from 3YA. There were no ifferent schools of Chinese poetry. There has only been one school. The poets worked on the past. The golden age of Chinese poetry was from 1618 to 1905. Yet the great storehouses of the country’s poetry had been untouched. There were many difficulties of translation. : & 3 z (FDURING Grand National week, commencing on Saturday, August 5, local patrons will be given relays of racing, and as is customary, & week of bright musie will be given. Mr. ©. L. James has a bass voice that is well worth listening to, in songs of a popular echaracter.. Mrs. Rex Wilkinson is a contralto with a voice of excellent quality. Savage’s Novelty Band, the Chatterboxes, and Douglas Suckling will be on the air on Tuesday. Wubert Carter has selected a series. of Irish and Scotch songs for his listeners, while on Friday evening Bob Bradford’s band will play popular melodies. Sunday will see the new 3YA orchestra to the fore, and there will be a B.B.C. programme of a Scottish character. % 2 S GENERAL pleasure will be felt at the suecess of Madame Winnie Fraser, a Christchurch soprano, who appeared at 2FC, Sydney, on Thursday -evening, Madame Fraser’s songs were delightfully rendered and came over the air with good effect, There was ™ statie to spojl the concert.