l Co r t 1957 Dick H od son and H . a Bul en py igh , , by g J y

All r T s ook ma not e re ro duced in rights rese ved . hi b y b p foml without permission of the publishers . Library of Congress Catalo g Card N umber 56 — 1 1805 Eublished s imultaneously in Canada by

S Re nald S aunders Pu l s ers To ronto 2B . I . gi , b i h ,

Printed in the U nited States of America Lois and Grace

who had to to endless discussions on tape recording contain ed in many miles of recorded tape and put up with the seemingly ceaseless pounding of typewriter keys for over

three years .

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

PART ON E

Why a Ta p e Re c o rder Fidelity of Sound — Simplicity of Recorder Operation Flexibility— Versatility— Economy of Operation— Con venience— By W ay of Explanation

2 Ta e Reco rd r Deve | 0 ment z A Histo r . p e p y

3 Auto ma t o n in Bus n s o m un t o n . i i e s C m ic a i s I4 Sound Records — Sales — Advertising — Training — Audio and Visual Programs

Tec hn u s o f Us n a Ta R c o rde r I7 4 . iq e i g pe e Organiz ing Y our Thoughts — Thinking During Record ing— Selective Listening During Playback— Practical Tips about Recording and Playback Techniques

PART TWO

" o und R c o rds 27 5 . S e

’ Temporary Records — Briefings — Salesmen s Call Re ports — Expense Accounts — Data Transmission— Order Filling— Reports — Field Contacts — Exchange of Ideas Employment Applications — Dictati on — Secret Meetings — Official Messages — Inspection Semi -Permanent Records — Telephone Conversations Sales Meetings — I nterview Reports — Inventory Reports

vii viii CON TEN TS

— Delivery Control— Check Cashing— Labor Relations Liaison — Accident Reports — Complaint H andling Permanent Records — Indexing— Records of Important Meetings — Legal Facts — Medical Records — Mechanical Seund Library Performance Checks Effective Speeches or Presentations — Job Descriptions — Analyti cal Reviews

M a rketing Ad ve rtis i ng — Se lli ng — Re ta il Busi ne s s Sales Conferences Sales Training Tailo red Sales Presentations Market Research Interviews with Dealers — I nterviews with U sers — Sales Tool — End -use Reports — Advertising Idea Sessions — Auditions — Air Checks Eavesdropping Message Repeater N ews Releases Point- oi -Purchase U ses Presentati ons of Campaigns Radio and TV Commercials Technical Reference Data Storyboards Testimonials Trade Show Exhibits — Retailer U ses — Recorded In -Store Com “ mercials — Radio Commercials — The Invisible Sales ” man — Semi -Automatic Fulfillment— Customer Reaction

Emplo yee Tra ini ng 69

U S P — L of Memorized, niform ales resentations ibraries Successful Sales Talks — Sales Meetings — Live Training Sessions — Talk - and - Do Training— Self- Evaluation— Ori entation of N ew Employees — Personal Evaluation Telephone Solicitations

8 Aud o a nd V sua Pr s nta t o ns 77 . i i l e e i Sound —Slide Presentations — Costs and Materials — Me chanics — Typical Applications — Case Histories — Public Relations Plant Tours Exhibits Motion Picture Presentations

G n ra Bus ness U s s 84 9 . e e l i e Authors — Farming— Mood Music— At- home Work— Li brary Research— Assembly Instructions — Time and Mo CON TEN TS ix

tion Studies — Laboratory Research— Intem al Eaves dropping— I nternal News Reporting— Repeated Phone Messages — Safety W arnings — Voice Suggestion Box Noise Evaluation — Recording Conventions — Home Dic tatio n — Sound Trucks — Sound EHects — Mechanical Per fo rmance Evaluation — Memory Master— Entertainment While Traveling— Idea Exchange— Subjective Analysis

PART THRE E

IO N o n- Bus n ss Us s fo r the Ta e Rec o rder | 07 . i e e p

’ Party Games— Checklist— What s That Sound— M usical Quiz Vocal Quiz Mystery Voice Hidden Mike Gossip — Tape a Story— Add a Line — Thespians All — The Interviews — Scavenger Hunts — Tape Roulette— Fill-in the Blanks — Dancing “ Tape Recorder Hobbies — Tape Clubs — Recorded Auto ” graphs — Sound Hunting — Discussion by Mail — Re corded History— Radio Building Tape Albums — Tape Recorders as a House hold Tool— Recording Special Events — Recordings of and for the Children — The Tape Recorder as a Train ing Device

PART FOU R

Ho w to Sele ct a Ta pe Rec o rder | 39 ’ Tape Speeds — Frequency Response— Sound Track Number of Heads — A- B Switch— Recording Level Indi cator— Equalization Controls — Signal-to -N oise Ratio Reel Size — Timing Accuracy— Selection Locator— Re wind and Fast Forward Ratio — Automatic Tape Cut Off— Motors — Controls — Editing Key— Editing Facility — High - Speed Start and Stop — Input Jacks — Sequential Recording Adapter— Built-in Mixer— Output jacks Speakers — Amplifi ers — Power Output— Operating Sta bility — Public Address Facility— Power Requirements Weight— Price— Specifi cations for an Ideal Portable Recorder Ho w t ra t a Ta R co rd r I2 . o Ope e pe e e Thr eading the Tape — Controls — Volume Control— Input and Output Jacks — Repairs

c c sso ri n w I3 . A e e s a d Ho to Use Them I66 Microphones Extension Cords Reels Recording Tape— Type of Base — Splicing and Editing Tape Other Accessories

APPEN DI!

Glo ssa ry o f Tec hnic al Te rms

IN DE! FOREWORD

o Much of the credit for this book must g , not to any individual o r to organization , but an amazing instrument the tape l . W recorder ithout this e ectronic marvel , there would not only

co - have been no subject , but in all probability the authors would never have been able to collaborate on any project . W first I hen the idea for such a book entered my mind , immediately recognized that while the tape recorder was an old I to and familiar friend , was not enough of a technician adequately cover much of the information which was required . The answer was obvious — collaborate with someone who could - h provide the technical know how . T e right person for the job

— a C was also obvious close friend from Marine orps days , H B . . Jay ullen But I C was busy editing a new magazine in hicago , and Jay Bullen was busy at work as general manager of Leather neck M a a ine W W e w z . g in ashington had , ho ever, been keep ing in regular contact via tape recordings and thus the idea for the book developed through the medium it was to L C cover . ater, Jay moved to alifornia and again tape recorded efficien i correspondence provided an t link , simpl fying the job of developing ideas , making comments on various material and editing . But to credit just the tape recorder, itself, would be to fail to do justice to many industry experts who helped to provide f n ffi cials much o the material you will fi d in these pages . O of most of the companies manufacturing tape recorders were especially helpful in providing many technical details . Manu facturers of l o f tape and accessories were a so special assistance . C Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing ompany, in particular, helped on much special research . xi

P A R T O N E

1 WHY A AP . T E RECORDER

2 AP V L PM N : A HI Y . T E RECORDER DE E O E T STOR

A MA I N IN B IN COM M UNICA 3 . UTO T O US ESS TIONS

4 HNI OF IN G A AP . TEC QUES US T E RECORDER

CHAPTER 1

WHY ’ A TAPE RECORDER

BU SIN ESS PROCEDU RES were revolutionized a comparatively A revolu few years ago by a device called the telephone . new h tion is currently underway . T e device responsible is called

the magnetic tape recorder . W to hat the automobile was the horse and buggy , the tape Th recorder is to older methods of sound recording . e auto mobil e left a solid and permanent impact on all types of busi The ness , its methods and techniques . tape recorder promises o t do the same . A magnetic tape recorder was an inevitabili ty because of A for fi ndin effi cient the merican penchant g simpler, more ways r o to do a job . Fo years technicians had a workable rec rder almost — one - within their grasp except for , all important ele H ’ ment . itler s sound technicians unwillingly supplied the II A A missing element late in World War . t this point merican ingenuity climbed back into the driver’ s seat and transformed s in what had previously been a delicate, expen ive laboratory strument into an amazingly practical and dependable tool of

a thousand uses , reasonably priced . Today’ s magnetic tape recorder represents a new technique for accomplishing many essential business operations presently 3 4 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

o being done by slower, more expensive , less desirable meth ds . Audible sound has been given a new dimension— not just in r r h us e o u ose a s . T e quality of reproduction , but in f p p well use fo r desire to sound various purposes is not new, but until the advent of the tape recorder it was frequently impossible or impractical due to various operational and mechanical T complexities . ape recorders have changed all this and con verted sound into a new tool for the modern businessman . Six basic factors are responsible for the magnetic tape re ’ corder s superiority over previously- used methods for record ing sound Fidelity of recorded and reproduced sound Simplicity of recorder operation Flexibility Versatility Economy of operation Convenience

Fid elit of S o und G y enerally speaking , a tape recorder is subject to fewer pitfalls for faithf ul sound reproduction than either disc or wire recorders . A tape ’ doesn t have grooves which wear out a little more with each ’ playing and it doesn t have the response -limiting thickness that wire must have to make it manageable in handling . A good disc can produce sound o f excellent quality— the r T fi st time a stylus rides through the grooves . his quality deteriorates with every playing because the stylus physically wears away more and more of the material from which the Th “ ” l disc is made . e disc soon becomes scratchy and ful of t T n ex raneous noises . o date no o e has been able to deteriorate

the original sound quality of a tape by repeated playing . A wire recording doesn’ t have the same problems as a disc I n T recording . t has its ow special brand . o get even a passably wide range of frequencies on a wire it must be driven at a ’ m E own co paratively high speed . ven then it can t hold its t t wi h a magnetic tape . Wire is o o thin to handle easily and to o e thick to record high fr quencies . WHY A TAPE RECORDER 5

S implic ity o f If you can tune in a picture on a tele Rec o rd er Oper a tio n vision set you can Operate a tape re corder— the fi rst time you try itl In ’ tt re fact, you ll probably have less trouble ge ing satisfactory sults than you did the first time you tried to make the picture l l TV tu The stand sti l and stay in the midd e of your be . same ’ can t be said about either wire or disc recording . W ith disc recorders you need more equipment, more time rofi ien Sel and more technical p c cy to get comparable results . dom will you fi nd even the most expert technician making a T to o recording of himself . here are many mechanical opera d rin W ou o r u . ti ns to pe form g the recording ith tape , y turn on ‘ ’ the micro hone — the recorder, pick up p , and you re ready either r If n to record yourself o someone else . you make a mistake o o n a disc recording you put a new disc , throw away the old , W ou o and start from scratch . ith tape y merely g back to the beginning of the unwanted section and record right over the ke mista . No waste ; no lost time; and no added expense . Operating a wire recorder is much simpler than disc record iffi cul If d t . ing , but still more than tape the wire gets kinked ’ u — or tangled you ve got troubles coming p breakage , distorted

o . s und , etc

Flexib ility A high quality tape recording can be made in an expensive sound studio— or in the front seat of your car ! ’ If you ve ever seen the assorted paraphenalia needed to make a disc recording you know immediately why no one tries to use the same unit to make high quality recordings in an office or , on a train , in a hotel room in a booth at a sales con vention and display . G P ood disc recorders are cumbersome and expensive . ortable disc recorders of like quality may be even more expensive than ’

. Stu studio equipment, and they can t stand much abuse dio quality porta ble tape recorders deliver the same performance in the studio or in the fi eld; they can stand considerable phys ’ ical abuse and you don t have to dip into capital reserves to

buy one . 6 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

’ Vers a tility Ou today s market there are tape recorders which will record a new program while simultaneously playing back one that was previously recorded!And you can choose your own method of playback— either for your ears

r . alone , or for an audience of up to th ee or four hundred people If ou y need a public address system for special occasions , nd re a you bought the right model , you can use your tape D corder . epending on your desires , you can use the unit as a A straight P . system or you can make it do double duty and simultaneously record the sounds the audience hears coming out of your speaker .

Ec o no my of Ope ra tio n Y o u can record ( or play back ) a magnetic tape one time or o ne

a - thousand times . One tape m nufacturer has laboratory tested ’ o ne reel of tape by re - recording it over times — and he s i 0 still at t . N one has yet been able to perform similar magic ’ An o o w ! with a disc . d wire recorders don t make out t ell in this “ ” Th n type of recordathon either . e problem is not o e of trying

o - of - of to get l ng gone sounds out worn out grooves , but rather keeping the wire from kinking and snapping .

Co nvenienc e It is possible to get nearly 18 hours of sound on o ne seven- inch reel of tape! It would take at least 12 separate LP-type discs to accommodate a recording of l If the same ength . you wanted to mail a recording of this length you would have the choice of mailing either one tape o r 2 1 or more discs . If you want to make a considerable number o f duplicates of

ou . W the original , y use the tape as its own master ith a disc o u T y need a special master . his means more time , more money , more bother . After a tape recording has served its purpose it can be ’ re- D erased and recorded . iscs don t lend themselves to this type of treatment .

By Wa y o f Expla na tio n The purpose ofThis book is not to convince the reader that a mag netic tape recorder is the panacea for a ll business problems

CHAPTER 2

TAPE RECORDER DEVELO PM ENT: A HISTORY

THE DEVELOPM EN T of the tape recorder represents a story of Fmm amazing progress in a very short period of time . the end of World War II — when the fi rst important development work on i n A — 1950 t began tape recorders merica until , the versa ile “ ” electronic tool progressed from a dr eam to a well -established industry . Although the tape recorder came of age in this five-year pe The fi rst riod . , it is by no means a youngster magnetic recorder won the grand prize at the Paris Exposition of 1900 for a n Danish engineer named Vladimir Poulsen . Know at that time “ ” It T t . as the elegraphone , it was the sensa ion of its day even duPont U S . gained a degree of popularity in the . , with , for

20 Tele ra hones W office . one , ordering g p for its ilmington T hese early magnetic recorders , however, left much to be h desired . T e perfection of the vacuum tube stimulated devel opment and the Naval Research Laboratory and others worked ’ on 2 the principle all through the 19 0 s . The fi rst big step came during World W ar II when wire re cor ders were developed by the Armour Research Institute and B D C . A o . P rush evelopment for merican armed forces reviously, ’ wire recorders had fascinated people in the 1980 s when used 8 TAPE RECORDER DEVELOPM EN T: A HISTORY

’ ’ for such recordings as King Geo rge V s N ew Year s Day greet ’ ings in 193 0 over BBC and at the 193 9 N ew York World s Fair where they were used to record voices of visitors talki ng on o In the teleph ne . many cases , the early applications used a

steel tape . But the story of how tape recorders first got their start in America has its foundation as part of the history of World

War II .

A li offi cers U . S . N rmy intel gence , monitoring azi broadcasts E N o in ngland before the ormandy invasion , became curi us ’ ’ h f H er uehr r about t e timing of some o itler s broadcasts . D F e s voice came on the air just too frequently fo r a man so busy

r . i e di ecting a nation at war Obv ously, it seem d , the speeches were recordings— but not the usual kind— there was none of the or A scratch, rumble background noise , which mericans were n accustomed to hearing o records . American sound engineers had known of a phenomenal Cer “ ” man instrument called the Magnetophon which produced fi eli i Bu high d ty record ngs on a magnetic plastic tape . t the last ’ available reports indicated that even this device wasn t capable ’ of f H producing the high quality o itler s broadcasts . P t two u ting two and together, however, the sound engineers monitoring the N azi broadcasts came to the conclusion that the broadcasts indicated that the Germans had made some T amazing developments in tape recordings . hus , one of the “ tasks of Allied expeditionary forces became the capture of one m of the i proved tape recorders . Bu The N t the task was not to be an easy one . azis had no f intentions o giving up their highly developed radio secrets . Altho ugh special Commandos were assigned to capture Ger N man stations before they could be destroyed, the azis always o f one seemed t be one step ahead o them . One by they blew up every single radio installation from N ormandy to Paris just C — the before the ommandos arrived and , unfortunately, just as A llied forces arrived in several cases . The A i ll ed forces , however, rolled up a momentum that was too much for the N azis and Signal Corps offi cers soon had the IO HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

prize they sought— the improved versions of the Magnetophon “ ” F M a neto hons tape recorder . rom a handful of liberated g p A has sprung the whole tape recorder industry in merica , which is now represented by millions of sets . Much of the development story can be traced to a former telephone engineer who was a member of one of the Signal Corps teams which was assigned the task of examining cap re tured German sound equipment . Several German tape ’ A corders were uncovered , but it wasn t until the mericans r nkfur T hi s captured Radio F a t that John . Mullin really had At R Frankfurt eyes opened . adio was found a Magnetophon that was superior to anything that had ever been seen before d The in the fi el of sound reproduction . frequency response went to cycles per second and the recordings were “ clean . B ecause of his previous experience as a telephone engineer, Mullin recognized the potential of the improved Magnetophon H e immediately . dug into maintenance manuals for the re corder and photographed every page of the instruction book . As he checked into the possibilities , he found that a few simple changes could extend the frequency response even further . The improved recorder was immediately put into daily use once the American forces began broadcasting from Frankfurt . H fi ured how M a neto hons owever , Mullin g out other g p could be rebuilt to provide the same fidelity as the latest broadcast T i S C . o model prove his point, Mull n and another ignal orps man rebuilt a “standard” Magnetophon and found that it lived up to its promise . M o eanwhile , several technical teams had been r unding up German sound equipment and soon the Signal Corps head P erflo in G W quarters in aris was ov w g with erman recorders . ith ” an eye to the future , Mullin obtained two of the surplus M agnetophons and shipped them piece by piece back to hi s ran i o an F home in San F c sc . When Mullin arrived in S rancisco

‘ in i 945 one of first , the things he did was assemble the two n Mag etophon recorders . T of hen, instead going back to his old job with the telephone TAPE RECORDER DEVELOPM EN T: A HISTORY I I

l B P of P company, Mul in joined an old friend , ill almer almer F San F i ilms in rancisco , and put the recorders to work mak ng sound tracks for motion pictures early in 1946 . B P Am ex E Co efore long , Mullin and almer joined p lectric a war-born company which had been turning out electri c motors r fideli field T but was looking for an ent ee into the high ty . heir mission was to assist in building an American tape recorder patterned after the Magnetophon . ’ Am ex t s fi rm p wasn t, by any mat er of mean , the only work ing on an American tape recorder . Others included Marvin Camras of A R oundation accumu the rmour esearch F , who has l B lated many patents in the magnetic recording fie d; S . J . egun B C R N . of B D Co . rush evelopment , and olonel ichard anger of S C G the ignal orps , who , like Mullin , brought back a erman Magnetophon from Europe and set to work to produce an

American version . ’ “ ” But another of Jack Mullin s lucl

A n B C E netophones . few mo ths later ing rosby nterprises i The first A - bought the first Ampex mach nes . mpex recorded Crosby show brought about the next major step toward tape — 24 recorder acceptance American Broadcasting Co . bought 2 C R o Model 200 Ampexes ( at $5 00 each ) . apitol ec rds then bought two of the units — and the dam had burst! B 1950 standard ro y , tape recorders became the form of p -F n fessional recording . Many others outside the Mullin ah er Ampex - Crosby-ABC chain of events played major roles in the rapid development of magnetic recording, but there is little ’ doubt that Mullin s German M agnetophones provided the vital spark . Side -by - side with recorder acceptance was the development P i of improved recording tapes . articularly mportant in this chapter of the hi story of magnetic recording was the experi mental work of Minnesota Mining Manufacturing Company . W o 8M un ithout the special rec rding tapes produced by , it is likely that tape recordin g would have moved nearly as fast as

. E it did ach time a major improvement was made in recorders , M a tape improvement paralleled it with 8 taking the lead . Also playing a major role in tape development was M arvin Cam ras of Armour Research . The period from 1950 to 1952 was the era of major develop

e . W ment of tape r corders ith the medium well established , there was time to simplify machines design them for In broader markets develop recorders in all price ranges . this period tape recording progressed from being only a pro fessional recording medium with non - professionals considering it an “interesting gimmick” into the standard recording me di um e s o . for prof sional , educational, business and h me uses At hi t t s wri ing , tape recorders are still in a development n stage , with new improvements being an ounced almost every I week . ndustry experts are making all kinds of predictions as t of r Th s to the eventual sta us the indust y . e be t guesses place the industry annual income in the next decade at over $200 i fi l o ve e . m llion , with from three to mi li n tap recorders in use There is little doubt that there will we further major im rovemen h p ts in tape recorders . T e future indicates better and TAPE RECORDER DEVELOPM EN T: A HISTORY I3 more simply operated sets at lower costs and at least one

— revolutionary development close at hand picture recording . ’ The technicians assure us that it won t be long before both pic tures and sound can be easily recorded on tape , bringing about a major change in the television and motion picture industries and transforming the old home phonograph into a special kind “ ” ’ of TV set which will show programs of the viewer s own choice— whenever he wants to see them — and without commer i c als . CHAPTER 3

AUTO MATIO N IN BUSIN ESS COM M UN lCATlONS

’ WE DON T need a hi story book of the next century to tell us that we have entered another cycle in the great Industrial ” i n i The A e o Automa t o . R . T evolution h s is , without a doubt, g f W t of herever you urn , new tools are bringing a high state i n effic e cy to every phase of American industry . Keeping pace with this new industrial look has been an important develop ment in the field of business communications — the magnetic tape recorder . While it was first developed in America as a means of pro “ ” ducin u g radio programs , and then was picked p by schools and churches as an educational tool , the tape recorder soon found its way into business circles and within a couple of years had achieved a status seldom accorded a new tool . Today the tape recorder is widely accepted as an important instrument for business communication and in many of its ap plications it has brought to thi s fi eld the automation that is the ’ of spark business development today . While it s true that the tape recorder has only replaced other similar tools in some of its uses , its versatility has permitted it to be accepted in roles where no form of sound recorder has previously been per mi d tte .

I6 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

i s to out i o com present ng campaign idea , try rad o and televisi n l mercia s .

’ It s also useful for obtaining data of a technical nature for to o TV or reference by cow riters , as sound g with film story ou- - o of boards , to get the spot testimonials and in sc res other ways .

Tra inin As o g a business training t ol, the tape recorder is able

to do many jobs whi ch were impossible before . Some companies have built libraries of successful sales talks “ used the recorder to trans cribe sales meetings for the ’ benefit of those who couldn t be present or for future refer ence for self- evaluation orientation of new employees

etc .

Audio a nd Vis ua l Pro g r a ms The tape recorder is a natu ral implement in any audi o I ou films or and visual program . t can provide s nd for slide can In re e . be us d for motion picture narration other cases , tape ’ cordings alone can play a vital role in companies audio and visual programs .

Add to these major categories such items as using a tape recorder for mood music in a factory dictation labora tory research time and motion studies for safety warn ings idea exchange company news programs and hundreds of other potential applications described in th e Th following chapters . e net result is clear cut evidence that to the tape recorder can no longer be cast aside as a y , a de lightful hobby or a complicated instrument of use primarily in or r radio stations sound laborato ies . T is f f I o or o . t his not a book theory , a collection dreams is the record of how forward- thi nking businessmen have taken a r modern electronic marvel and , in a few sho t years , developed i it into an ind spensable business tool . CHAPTER 4

TECHN lQU ES OF USING A TAPE RECORDER

TH OU GHTS ARE the fundamental basis of any sounds comi ng T is out of a tape recorder . his true whether the sounds are bird ’

s i o r . call , sing ng commercials an annual stockholder s meeting The thoughts can be organized or disorganized and the t e corded tape will reflec t them with unfli nching accuracy and a unemotion l candor. Photographers are fond of pointing out that most people see ” “ i . e . c out selectively ; , in any s ene they pick only the elements ’ A I e . i t they want to see camera lens doesn t do th s . s es every it of thing in front of , frequently to the embarrassment the ’ “ ” amateur who didn t notice the N 0 Dogs in the Park sign pro trudin of g from the left ear his pet Chihuahua . The human 'ear the It is same as the eye . usually hears only

what it wants to hear . The ta pe recorder is a blood brother to the camera lens : it reproduces everything the microphone will pick up— with no discrimination except that of an electronic

The si nifi cant g point in both cases is that, marvelous as a s one camera lens or a tape recorder is , neither one pos esses the capability which makes man a superior being— the power to I7 I8 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

T ’ think . hinking about what a tape recorder s capabilities are be ore and durin o and what it will do , f g the making of a rec rd ing, is the main factor that makes the difference between a recording of value and one that is just so many sounds stored on tape . Most people who use a tape recorder for the first time stop “ ” think ing the instant they have the switch in the record posi T tion . his is probably due to the fact that a recorder is so simple to operate and they know that everything will be on ” ” The N o D A the tape . ( ogs llowed sign was in the picture , ’ too , but it wasn t wanted . ) The same people who stop thi nking when they start record ’ start It s ing , thinking when they begin to play it back . too late . h A T e damage has been done . t this point it takes much more thought to get logic out of the recording than it would have It taken to put it into the recording in the first place . can still be done , but it takes more time and effort . This is the point at which many people are inclined to write ” off the tape recorder as i mpractical and too unwieldly to use of and return to their previous techniques preparing reports , outlining sales or promotional campaigns , training personnel or storing business data . Remember the fi rst few letters you dictated to a secretary t ? In t or to a dicta ing machine all honesty, could you claim hey ’ were as good as the ones you d previously prepared on a type ’ or ? S ou fi re r writer in longhand till, y didn t the secretary , th ow away the machine and go back to preparing letters by hand . If of t be ( you did , you may as well skip the rest this chap er, ’ no t f r cause it s o you . ) The clue to proficient dictation was learning the techniques d Y ou involved in using a new method to o an old job . realized this after the fi rst few attempts so you made a conscientious — f and successful e fort to master the thought processes involved . ’ The T identical problem exists with tape recorders . hey re a

f I — f new kind o tool . t takes a new philosophy type o thought battern— to get on your tapes the thought stimuli you want to o m come fl of the during playback . TECHN IQ UES OF USIN G A TAPE RECORDER I9

I n Chapter 9 we di scuss the use of a tape recorder as a “ ” Memory Master . This particular technique is possibly the most dramatic single example to illustrate the fact that effec tive use of the tape recorder necessitates a new method ( or “ ” philosophy ) of thinking instead of relying on the method ’ you re accustomed to using when making written notes or records . Beginning about the time that Eve offered Adam his first of to or piece fruit, man has been resorting written ( scribbled ) or symbols to convey his thoughts to others , to make perma t n W ou nent or temporary records of even ful happe ings . hen y s consider the number of centuries , decades , years , month and days between then and now— during all of which time we have writin our been g thoughts on rock , papyrus , scrolls and paper ’ “ ” — it s pretty obvious that a habit has become somewhat in delibly ingrained in the mental and physical behavior patterns f o all mortals . It only takes six or seven years to establish basic and penna habit atterns — nent . p according to child psychologists and pro f i n l The on ess o a educators . human race has been working the ’ U e writing habit for several thousand years . nderstandably w ve o n our not got a problem hands when we endeavor, to break entirel mo di sli htl I . t y, but to fy g y a habit that old can be done definitel H rifi ed . ve but it is y not an easy assignment owever, h of case istories pioneer, iconoclastic tape recorder enthusiasts t Th prove hat the rewards are high . e rewards are in the form effi cienc of time , effort and money saved , as well as increased y, ’

t T . productivi y and quality of output . hey re worth working for As of in most other phases human endeavor, persistence, tenacity and a predetermined plan of attack are the clues to ’ It — c . s t . ultimate suc ess trite , but true prac ice makes perfect And the correct theory of tape recorder utilization is defini tely not an exception to the established rule . The basic techniques of tape recorder usage are simple and there are only thr ee of them : Organization of thoughts before starting a recording Continuation of the thinking process during the recording Selective listening during playback 20 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

Org a niz ing Y o ur Tho ug hts When you first started compos r a o ing business letters , yea s g , you possibly made a written content outline before you wrote ’ Ex ou o the actual letter . cept in unusual cases y probably d n t Y ou o — t one do that today . still use an outline th ugh a men al ; ’ you decide what points you re going to co ver in the letter and i then you start di ctat ng . This same technique should be applied to your tape record A At first to n . ings . you may have resort to a written outli e fter ’ a while it won t be necessary . Organizing your thoughts prior “ ” to recording— instead of ad libbing from one random thought to the next— will make the fi nished tape much more effective “ ” Th t r . e o from an impact standpoint message will c me h ough ,

o . to any listener, with much m re clarity I ’ ncidentally, this doesn t mean that you ought to write a for - offi ce or con formal script a report , an inter memo a sales

ference . Just jot down the points to be covered then present n each o e in a conversational manner .

Thinking During Depending on their individual personali f he Rec o r din to one i g ties , people tend do of two th ngs ’ when they ve got a microphone in their ” hand : introverts freeze up from mike fright and extroverts go Shakespearean and indulge in all sort of nonsensical verbosi

ties . ’ ’ I n both cases there s one common factor— they re not think ri n ing du g the recording . ’ It s t true , the recorder will take down every word you ut er and you can always separate the pearls from the oysters when But to you listen to the playback . there are likely be many more oysters than pearls and you ’ll waste a lot of time looking Th dis for jewels . is is another point where beginners tend to “ ’ c I credit re orders , the idea being, wouldn t have to wade ” h n through all this extraneous stuff if t e thing were o paper . ’ T should on be rue , but other things that be paper wouldn t ‘ f just because o the time and trouble involved in writing them . ’ If on i ou do you ll keep think ng during a recording, just as y ’ “ ” in normal conversation , you ll end up with even more meat TECHNIQUES OF USIN G A TAPE RECORDER

h - e I . than you had in t pre recording outline . deas beget ideas ’ There s nothing to stop you from interpolating or adding to And the basic outline you ha d . you can do it easily if you cons ciously think of what you or your compani ons are talking

about during the recording .

S elec fi ve Lisf e ning Regardless of how well you or your During Pla yb a ck associates organized your thoughts be or t fore recording, how inten ly you o kept your thoughts buzzing during the rec rding, there will be sections which are not of great consequence in the final I i T i be . n analysis . h s is as it should the process of mak ng a — a or s t recording customer interview a testimonial , for in ance o n y u suddenly get a new slant o your original concept . D for si nificant uring the playback, listen only facts that are g If ou o to the project at hand . Make notes as you listen . y kn w ’ ’ for ou what you re listening before y start the playback , you ll retain the important concepts without having to play the

tape over and over again .

Pra ctic a l Tips a b o uf Rec o r ding The fi rst time you want to a nd Pla yb a c k Tec hniq ues record someone other than ’ yourself you ll realize that ’ e t some complicating factors have been added . W don mean ’ technical problems ; we re referring to the human variety . ’ “ ” - You ve gotten yourself into an interview type situation . ’ In if first t for most cases , particularly it s the ime the inter i ’ v ewee s of . ( ) , there may be a problem mike fright You ll h Th ave to accept the chore of keeping thi ngs moving . ( at is - i M where the pre recording organization comes n. ) ake the microphone as inconspicuous as p ossible and try not to make of If o . an issue out turning on the rec rder necessary , put the e o mike in some appropriat spot, start a casual conversati n and then turn on the recorder sometime later— as inconspicu ousl y as possible . This is analogous to the technique some photographers use T in shooting pictures of inexperienced models . hey start choking the shutter with no film in the camera and suddenly 22 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

film The switch to using loaded holders without any fanfare . advantage is obvious : any tenseness or fright has been over come by the time you get around to the assignment at

hand . Whether you record the warm -up or not depends entirely n h f o the situation and the people involved . T e advantage o it ’ tape is , if you did record , it s there to hear if you want it on or ou playback, y can just skip over that part and start in of with the beginning the actual interview . B This brings up a point about listening to playbacks . egin ners confronted with a 20 minute or half - hour long tape tre ’ quently complain that it s impossible for them to remember

t two or . T every hing they hear, even after three playbacks hey say they either have to play the tape over and over or else

to . So transcribe it paper , they ask, why not write it in the first place and save time? The answer is this : except in the cas e of professional writers the written- word is seldom as powerful— or comprehensive o o uncon as c nversation, which contains colorful phraseol gy, of scious humor, spontaneity and the added impact thoughts nfl conveyed by voice i ecti ons . The solution to the problem is twofold : selective listening

and selective notations . Tape can be edited— pieces cut out and the remaining sec T tions spliced together . here are people who make their living E r doing this for radio and television stations . ve y day they ’ face the problem of listening to long tapes they ve never heard

before and having to remember certain sections . From a half hour tape they may only want two -and- a-half minutes for a particular show— but it has to be the right two -and -a -half T ’ t minutes . hey ve devised a system that works beau ifully, and

it solves the problem for the businessman . with the short

memory . The fi rst time they listen to a tape they make rough one word or one - sentence notes of the general content a nd they ‘ no te either the ela psed time or the footage at the beginnings h i u of eac s ect on. When they fi ish a tape they have an outline ’ f for o ot o . T the t al c ntent hey couldn t recite it word word ,

24 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

— An finest a . all it is tool y tool , even the , is of little value Th unless it is used properly . e most versatile tool imaginable can turn out sub -standard material or perform inadequately if the person who uses it doesn’ t understand its capabilities hl how t it and limitations thoroug y and know o use . “ ” One r of t i t pu pose h s book is o point out a few hows . PA R T TW O .

5 S UND . O RECORDS

6 MAR T . KE ING ADVERTISING SELLING— RETAIL BUSINESS

M P Y RA 7. E LO EE T INING

AUDIO AN D VISUAL PRESENTATIONS

RA BU 9 . GENE L SINESS USES

CHAPTER 5

SOUN D RECORDS

TAPE RECORDER is just what the name implies— a device

records on ta e . For for making p business men, these records s t s ound e serve many purpo es and while hey are r cords , they can replace many other kinds of records which formerly

ff or to . required much more time , e t and money produce Every day more uses are being found for sound records on For tape . example, the day is coming when , to get a job ’ ’ done exactly right every time it s done , you ll do it yourself ’ once! H ou one just owever, when y do it that time you ll

— probably have a silent partner a tape recorder . “ There may be no actual sounds involved in what you are “ o h i doing , but the rec rder will ear someth ng just the same h on The and put everyt ing tape . tape will then be used to actuate some kind of computing device which will control a machi ne that repeats your operation down to the last detail . ’ antastic? ! The G F Yes , but it s already been done eneral Electric Company had an operator guide a lathe through one particular operation while his every move was recorded on W fi ni he tape . hen he s d the tape was used to operate a com i i the du li cat puter mechan sm wh ch in turn controlled lathe, p 27 28 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

ing exactly what had bee n done by the workman— auto maticallyl B o o classified y stretching y ur imaginati n , that tape could be “ ” e o o as a sound r c rd , even though it contained nothing m re t than magne ic impulses in the supersonic range . o n i Even pictures can be rec rded o tape . As th s book is o to the being written, there is go d evidence indicate that day is not far distant when television programs — and probably even — o lm movies will be rec rded on magnetic tape rather than fi . C t one of r arrying his just step further, the printing the futu e may easily be done from tape recordings rather than engrav ings and type. ’ But there s no need to look into the future to find the value of the tape recorder as a tool for producing valuable business records . Such records can be roughly divided into thr ee fundamental classificati ons Tem ora 1 . p ry 2 S - . emi permanent P r 3 . e manent

Tape recorders can do a valuable job on all three kinds .

TEM PORARY R ECO R DS

If no re they had other value, the chances are that tape corders would continue to grow in popularity just as the As the modern approach to correspondence . a medium for of - or transfer thoughts from one person to another , probably

— more important, from one group to another the tape recorder e has already prov d its worth . one o of communica Just for obvi us example , take the case tions between an advertising agency and a client . A new The campaign is in the making . agency plans board has spent many hours kicking around possible approaches and has settled ’

i . N ow on three or four wh ch they consider the best bets , it s up to the account executive to present the ideas to the client . 1 he F T usual method is to prepare a written presentation . irst ’ of all there ar e pages of scribbled notes — the media director s ’ ’ v art d iews , the irector s approach, the production manager s " SOUN D" RECORDS 29

f so on For estimate o costs and down the line . the account executive this means valuable hours to organize the material then dictate it . M ore man-hour s are expended as a secretary tr anscribes the But fi nall . tt dictation y everything is set in sterile, typewri en

. Ou to form the client to be read by the advertising manager,

- his assistants , the executive vice president, the sales manager A on . and so up and down the line gain , valuable man hours expended in the course of absorbing the agency’s sug T gestions . hen another round of discussions , notes , organiza

t . tion , dictation, ranscription and back to the agency H ow much simpler it would have been to have each of the “ ” members of the agency team record his suggestions on tape with the proper emphasis on the right words and phrases If fil . e and send the tape , itself, on to the client a copy is “ ” — or necessary, a duplicate tape can be dubbed quickly , if be r need , a secreta y can transcribe the notes directly from the tape . ’ At the client s end , the whole group can get together and listen to the proposals — or the individuals can listen to it - - L one b . y one istening takes far less time than careful reading , frequently with less chance for misunderstanding . Simple? Yet this basic idea has thousands of applications in T ff business and industry . o do the job most e ectively takes

- - adequate pre planning , but the total man hours expended is far less than by written communications . Then take the case of the poor engineer who is a whizz ’ at figuring out new applications for the company s product or Bu ways to cut costs in production . t ask him to take note Put of the slogan on the wall which says , it in writing, “ ” hi s l Who M E? and he just shrugs shoulders and rep ies , , “ ” At first he may have mike fright, but chances are that this will be overcome much more easily than trying to con vince him that he can write anything but a Christmas thank A I you note to unt Minnie . nterview him a few times with a hidden mike and he will probably soon come to respect the tape recorder as his ally . Such examples of correspondence by tape recording are only 30 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER a starter for putting this new communications tool to work n In on temporary sound records for your ow business . such temporary uses the tape recorder is at its best from an econ omy standpoint . When records are needed only for a few i two . days or a month or , tape economy is at its max mum And so is the accuracy of the records stored on the tape during this period . But consider some of the many other temporary sound records which can be tape recorded

’ Briefi ng s Busy executives can t afford the time it takes to keep up with the highlights in the daily and N f not weekly trade publications . either can they a ford to keep u h — p . T e answer is simple a secretary or some other trained individual reads the periodicals thoroughly and digests the important news and features on tape! The busy executive listens to a ten or fifteen minute recording of all that is im for o portant to him and then , if necessary , checks additi nal ’ n i nifi n H e o details o some especially s g ca t item . d esn t even ’ offi o have to do his listening at the ce if he d esn t want to . r H e can play the tape in his car o at home . Tape briefings are also valuable in organizations where f for . A or work continues more than one shift shop foreman , “ ”

r on hi s . example , can leave a progress repo t tape for relief ’ This ensures that some special or important project won t sud

nl G — or o de y come to a standstill . etting plant supervisors s me — t times more important, individual workers to leave wri ten Bu o reports is a tough job . t merely saying a few w rds into a microphone makes it a simple matter . The same theory applies when key personnel are going on a vacation or a business trip which takes them out of the ” V “ otfice for an extended period of time . erbal jottings can o be recorded at the time a project is in the works , with instru tions left for when it is to be resumed again or when addi ni And ti onal defi te . action is needed at some date , when the of individual returns , he can get a complete progress report what took place while he was gone in the same method

3 2 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER W ’ d ” ith a tape recorder, it isn t even necessary to ictate f the . too t reports in many cases Far often, impor ant in orma “ ” tion gets garbled in translation by the salesman . With a recorder he can get the customer or prospect to record his otfi e comments directly for transmittal to the home c .

’ ’ Expens e Ac c o unf s Call reports aren t the salesman s only f or . use a recorder One large company, out for instance , with many salesmen working of the home office s ac , has found that it can work wonder with expense counts . Tape recorders had already been used successfully in many of its sales operations when one far- sighted company execu tive suggested the use of tape recorded expense accounts to T replace the standard written repo rts . aped expense reports A are now submitted by all salesmen on a weekly basis . careful analysis over a relatively short period of time confi rmed the It i — wisdom of this suggestion . disclosed a posit ve trend ex ’ penses had decreased approximately It s a bit hard to “ ” explain , but people just seem to bring their most honest side ’ o forward when they re talking into a microph ne .

’ Da ta Tr a ns mis s io n It isn t only salesmen and the sales Operation which benefits when a tape o for T f rec rder is used temporary records . ake the case o an eastern bank which wanted to streamline its record keeping activities . B ’ anking procedure , of course , dictates the necessity for t t n o keeping positive , de ailed records of every ra sacti n no mat ho o r T ter w small transitory . his frequently involves much paper work on records that are only temporary . To a m ke this task easier and more economical, the bank now keeps an increasing number of its temporary records on h r tapes . T e fi st step in this direction was with checks which c are transmitted every afternoon to a clearing house . On e the f no o . checks have cleared , the records are further value Keep ing written records involved no t only tedious hours of work U but also a waste of paper and supplies . sing tape recorders , " SO UN D" RECORDS 3 3 A the time as well as the cost has been materially reduced . clerk now merely reads the necessary information from each “ ” His check before it goes to the clearing house . vocal notes o 3 0 are rec rded on tapes , which are kept for days and then reused . Because of the speed and simplicity of making tape now recordings , the data kept is actually more detailed than l that which was written out under the o d system . Among other benefits invalu , the bank reports that the tapes have proven able in tracing lost checks . T here is no reason , of course , why such streamlined methods A need be limited to banks . lmost any business has similar Operations and can readily apply the tape recorder to cut f costs and reduce chances or error .

Order Filling While it would be impossible to describe even a small percentage of the applications of t for o a a ape recorder data transmissi n , a good general p plication which has uses ahn ost everywhere is order filling I by tape recording . t should immediately suggest tape recorder applications for most any business man . Take a typical case : A tape recording is made of a cus ’ m A u to er s verbal phone order . telephone pick p device can be attached to the phone and the caller leaves complete details ’ n It o tape . isn t even necessary to have someone who is well acquainted with technical terminology or the stock catalog ’ all of the customer s instructions are recorded just as they are The given . tape is sent to the stockroom where the order is filled The . same recording serves as instructions for the mail — e T o room and on to th accounting department . his meth d ff t for o ers far less oppor unity error than written orders , par ticularl y when it passes through several hands . Those who have used the tape recording order system re port that it has met with favorable customer acceptance giving him confidence that his instructions are reaching every one involved . One plus value is that it eliminates many cus tomer complaints that his order or instructions have been misinterpreted . 34 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

’ Of r - course , it isn t necessa y to limit tape recorded order

taking to direct contacts with customers . Many firms have

found it helpful to have their routemen , traveling salesmen , The etc . , record their orders rather than writing them out . big advantage here is the time which can be saved and the firm ease with which special instructions can be given . One even has its salesmen use portable tape recorders for on- the The spot orders from customers . salesman just opens up his tape recorder rather than an order pad and while the cus

tomer describes his wants , everything is being recorded on The tape . tape is played back so that the customer can check to see that everything is in order and then it is forwarded to the warehouse for prompt filling— no time delay for written

instructions .

Repo rts Probably the most natural of all forms of temporary “ ” R records for tape recording is the report . eports of all kinds — both lengthy and short— are handled simply and In n with dispatch by tape recordings . additio to the obvious

advantages of speed and economy, recorded reports help to eliminate chances for error since there are no “middl emen”

involved . N ot t r only can the tape recorder replace the ypew iter, pen or pencil for written reports , with many hours and dollars saved in the process — frequently far more than the cost of the recorder— but it can extend the value of reports that normally

would never otherwise be recorded in any form . Take just one simple example : The boss wants to know the advantages and disadvantages H of various methods of producing a particular item . e has to know the answers within a few hours and calls in his pro - on duction chief, who gives a good run down all of the possi biliti es C . omes time for an executive board meeting a couple of hours later and various executives raise important ques Th . e off tions production chief, meanwhile , has taken on an s If a signment out of the offi ce . the verbal report were tape ’ for recorded , it s immediately available analysis and comment and the necessary decisions can be made without costly delay . " SOUN D" RECORDS 35

Field Co nta c ts A tape recorder is als o an ideal medium to keep in touch with field salesmen or ’ It s branches in other cities . an ideal way to send detailed information both ways — frequently saving large sums of money o t in railr ad fares , long dis ance phone bills , lengthy dictation

. In o ti and transcription sessions , etc additi n to saving me and money, it is also much more personal than other forms of correspondence and permits the inclusion of many valuable ofI-hand remarks and comments which would normally be

omitted from wri tten reports .

” Exc ha ng e of Idea s Thi s is admittedly a catch-all cate ort t gory, but nonetheless , an imp an n re o e . Many important business developments have been the sult of two or more people just sitting down and discussing But things . , in many cases , such opportunities for an exchange of thoughts just never develop . Thoughts have a way of losing their clarity when put down “ ” — i in o in black and white but when recorded wh le the m od , they can be passed along to others for development . T i for x h s book, e ample , probably never would have been written except for the exchange of ideas between the cc o n auth rs o tape .

Employment Applic a tions When it is extremely difficult or alrnost impossible for a per sonnel manager and a job applicant to get together in per T son t . , a ape recording is frequently the next best answer his is particularly true when a number of difl erent applicants are being considered for the same job . A large chemical company, for example, was in need of l I q ua ifi ed personnel for a hi ghl y specialized job . nterviewing s ecifi c numerous applicants , to find the few who had the p

ualifi cati ons i . q desired , would have been quite time consum ng I An ad was placed in various newspapers . nterested applicants E were directed to telephone a private recording service . ach It individual dictated his qualifications over the phone . took only about five minutes to collect the ré sumé s of nine indi 3 6 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

In of of ob viduals . view the nature the j involved , normal interviewing techniques would have required a full day’s time

of a pers onnel man . There are many large companies who use fi eld recruiters

to search out qualifi ed personnel for jobs in the home office . R of t re ecordings heir interviews with various candidates , u to offi ce t rned the home , provide the personnel manager with much more between-the- lines information on which to base a

decision than he could get from a written report .

Dic ta tio n There is still room for much irnprovement in the “ ” average general use tape recorder when it comes

to dictation , but some models can be used quite successfully . Manufacturers of tape recorders are making great stri des at this writing to solve some of the basic problems in adapting f r i their recorders o general dictat on use . In the t diffi culties past, here have been two major in using tape recorders for dictation machines — ( l ) inserting recorded i tt tape into the mach nes , while a relatively simple ma er , was more difficult than setting up machines which use other re 2 - cording media and ( ) back tracking was a hand operation . The use of tape cartridges promises to solve the first of these problems and adaptation of foot pedals used for other types of i dictation mach nes may solve the second problem . The main advantage a tape recorder has over regular dic ’ deli e n tating machines is fi ty of sound . You ll g t o more letters “ M D r. addressed ear Knothead , when it should have been “ D M r Lo khead T . c . o ad ear here is , however, an ther major vantage— the same machine can be used for so many other pur poses .

S ec r ef M e eting s In every organization there comes a time when it is essential or desirable to hold “ F at a closed meeting on some particular topic . requently such times , the persons involved in the meeting would prefer ’ no But t t to include even a private secretary . it s impera ive A o of e . to have a rec rd what was discuss d gain , the tape The o o be recorder is the answer . c mplete pr ceedings can " SO UN D” RECORDS 37

the no it put on tape . When tape is longer needed can be no one o r erased and used again, with except the riginal pa ties involved in the meeting knowing what was said and by

Oflic ia l M es s a g es Probably nothing is accepted with as “ little enthusiasm as the annual progress ” “ ” ' I di ffi ult report or Chi istrnas message from the boss . t is c to make a quantity -produced letter seem pers onal to the ’ W s o t o recipients . hile a recorded me sage can t c mple ely ver i difficult c to come th s y , it does give the boss a hance include

a degree of warmth and enthusiasm . l nspec fi o n Another use of the tape recorder for temporary n For fi eld records is to serve as an i spector . checks on equipment such an application can be especially In . c important a typical ase , the man with a recorder sets up “ ” shop right at the installation and gets valuable information In t who or . from hose use service the equipment many cases , even the sounds of the equipment in operation can be impor A tant . good technician can frequently recognize faults in a f If t piece o equipment just by hearing it in operati on . tha technician is hundreds or thousands of miles from the scene of operation , the company well may be saved heavy travel o ti t o expenses and l st me by get ing the rec rding, analyzing the sounds and comments and sending corrective suggestions

or co . by wire, phone return tape re rding E on find ven if the technician is the spot, he will a recorder valuable to eliminate complicated note-taking and preparing written reports .

S EM I-PERMAN EN T RECO RDS

As e o in the cas of temporary rec rds , the tape recorder is particularly valuable for semi -permanent records because of to R for the economy fac r . ecords which must be kept only a few months or a year are ideal for tape because when they’re no longer needed the tape can be re-used at no additional

expense . 3 8 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

Telepho ne Co nvers a tio ns A typical example of preparing sound records on tape for semi permanent records is the recording of telephone conver ions h sat . T e practice of recording all long distance or over seas telephone conversations is becoming increasingly popular . W to ith a tape recorder take down every word of both voices , each indi vidual is left completely free from the distractions If that usually result from note taking . necessary , a written transcript can be prepared from the tape recording when the call ends but usually thi s is not necessary as one or two play The backs provide any information needed to take action . - t tape , however, remains as a semi permanent record , un il the project is completed or outdated . A u ct ally, a tape recorder can save many dollars in the f mechanics of some types o long distance calls . When it is to necessary transmit lengthy information over the phone , it - T can be pre recorded at a very slow speed . hen , when the phone line is open , the recording is played at several times the speed of the original recording and re-recorded at a similar f T speed on the other end o a line . o bring the recording down re— to an understandable level , the recording is played back In at the speed at which the original recording was made . for this way it is , example , possible to transmit an hour recording made on a 76 inches -per- second in only 735 minutes 5 by boosting the speed during transmittal to 1 ips . This method is frequently used to transmit lengthy messages overseas . Many radio programs are transmitted to foreign sta It of tions in this manner . , course , combines economy with a minimum chance of error and automatically provides a “ sound record of the material transmitted in this fashion . Be sure to check with your local telephone company when In ever you plan to tape record telephone conversations . most “ must T cases , a beep signal be used . his is a device which , “ ” i through regular beep noises , notif es the person on the other f It end o the line that you are recording his conversation . is riot enough just to have the approval of the person or persons

The ederal C — . C involved F ommunications ommission and , in “ — t . B most cases , s ate laws require the use of a beeper ecause

40 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

operations for a week or so just to get the sales staff together to pass out vital inf ormation . What would normally be pre sented to the group is tape recorded instead and the tapes field sent to the men in the . Recorded sales meetings usually start off with a presenta t o to offi cials who o e to i n by p sales , send their c mm nts inter Th ested . e parties for comment comments , in turn , are recorded on tape and sent back to the home office where they can be t T digested and dis ributed again by recording . his gives every one a chance to be heard— with thoroughly thought-out f -of- - o o t ts . answers, rather than a lot spur the m men commen Firs of ll T . t a here are several advantages to this technique , ’ W of i xe it s fast . hat might easily take weeks plann ng and e i cut on can be completed in a few days . The eco nomy is also T too it offi s field r r o . ce e e bvious hen, , reaches branch and p sentatives at their points of operation where they can call o files s t o o s for infom a up n their , as istan s and cl se c ntact vital tion . “ ” T e e t o ap record d sales mee ings can never replace live nes , but they can add a new dimens ion to the entire sales opera

A t : t tion . key point o remember be sure o give the person “ ” ’ n l i o the isten ng end a chance to participate . You ll have to apply much the same psychology used for any group meeting to keep the audience attentive and responsive— only it will have to be more obvious since distractions are frequent when onl y the ears are required for basic participation . Another point worth cons idering for companies who have salesmen on the road— particularly those who drive— is that recorded sales meetings can actually fill in otherwise dull and ’ - The i n non productive spots in the salesman s day . meet ngs ca r etw take place right in his car as he d ives b een calls , hitting “ him during working hours when he is most apt to be giving o full consideration to his j b .

Inter vie w Repo rts N o need to make written reports of interviews when a tape recorder is l — T i r s o o t . avai able the inte view, it elf, bec mes the rep r h s can " SO UN D" RECORDS 4 | be particularly valuable when the way in which questions are ans wered is important . e or s Fr quently sales , production merchandising decision must be based upon a careful analysis of information which i Th has been obtained over a long period of t me . e comments of everyone concerned with a product or service should be considered . ” Far too often the actual meat of such comments has a way of getting lost in the shuflle and some of the more i T current thoughts dominate all think ng on the subject . his is a time when tape recorded interviews can become vital to N o ho the success of the particular project . matter w long ago flavor they were recorded, the tapes can bring back the full of what was said and help to bring all valuable ideas into clear focus .

Invento r Re o rts I o o y p nventory rep rts , particularly th se office to tre sent from one another, But t e quently are slow and costly . here , again , the tape The o t corder has come to the rescue . clerk rec rds in o a microphone as he checks the stock— without eliminating val uable comments because they take too much time to write “ Ten z - I 5 1 - - 0 . 8 Z 1 down ( model widgets , catalog number three in o ld -style cartons one with a damaged Hamming cam seven widget tool kits The of c r tape , ourse, can be transcribed di ectly to what c t a for ever a counting system is used , with lit le ch nce error B of re and much time saved . ecause of the ease and speed o corded invent ries , it is frequently possible to make them at much more frequent intervals without any work stoppage or e i ne d for add tional pers onnel . N o matter what the business operation , tape recorders can Tak be a valuable tool when it comes to inventories . e the of S case railroads , for example . everal railroads are using tape c f s re orders to control the disposition o freight . Yardmen u ing a walkie -talkie relay the location and content of individual ffi E freight cars to a central o ce . ach message is tape recorded U and the spotter goes on to the next car . nder the previous 42 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

system , the information was relayed only once and errors were o l numerous . N w all information is recorded before any bil s As . t are pulled the tape is played back , with the opportuni y to repeat as frequently as necessary , each bill is pulled in f or . sequence , eliminating any chance error A mo difi cati on of this system can be applied where a run ning inventory must be maintained on a minute -to -minute basis . One important feature is that the original voice record is always available for back checking , helping to find errors quickly if they should develop .

Deliver y Co ntr o l Department stores have been saving money by eliminating paper work through the use of tape recordings of package delivery in i n A C O struct o s . olumbus , hio , department store , for ex

-b - ample, uses recorders to maintain a day y day record of a ) a departmental charge of every delivery; b ) requested time of delivery; c ) all parcel post and express shipments ; The and d ) delay of packages requiring repackaging . account ing department transcribes the information from the tape I M The i s ecifi ed directly to B cards . tapes are reta ned for a p period then reused .

Chec k-Ca s hing As an added safeguard against check

passers , currency exchanges and retail stores are making recordings of each check— cashing transac The e tion . p rson is asked to state his name , address and identifi cation O data . rganizations using this system report that it has resulted in a d efinite reduction in the passing of

I - - worthless checks . t seems that would b e phony check passers ’ o don t like the idea of leaving vocal finger prints n record . The recordings are saved until the checks have cleared then put back into circulation .

La b o r Rela tio ns In of cases critical labor negotiations , tape recordings of discussions between union and company representatives can be played for all plant employees to keep them posted on the status of negotia O S tions and without any pportunity for distorted views . uch " SO UN D" RECORDS 43 recordings are also a valuable record in case of later contro versy — and an opportunity to brief others on just what took place . Another interesting use of the tape recorder under similar R R circumstances is a technique developed by euben B . obert C P C r . o n son, J , president of the hampion aper Fiber mpa y, who relies on tape to bring management and labor together . ’ To translate the sterile words of Champion s annual stock holder report into something of signifi cance to interested R employees , obertson tape recorded a question and answer session between selected employee representatives and him h — T e . self . interview was presented to employees verbatim Champion workers got ans wers to questions of vital concern directly from their president— the general financial condition tu o of the company, prospects for fu re business , the p ssibility of t l a recession , job securi y, and many other topics not usua ly “ covered in written communications ori gi nating in the front ffice o .

” Lia is o n Spreading the word quickly and accurately can often spell the difference between success and fail ure of a special promotion campaign , a revised sales program , or any other business operation where communication of in formation is vital . The Baltimore Police Department has used tape recorders in a way that should provide plenty of food for thought for Th B com many businesses . e altimore police had a problem of municating information at least once each hour to about 500 f E di ferent call boxes spread thr oughout the city . ight central switchboards and 24 men were needed to keep up com muni atio ns 24 - E c during a hour period . very time a patrolman in a ll called , the operator had to repeat messages current at the time .

Then came tape recorders and a streamlined operation . N ow l when a patro man makes his hourly phone check , he hears a tape recording ranging from ten seconds to two min A utes in length . fter a short pause , the tape repeats itself and the patrolman can pick up any information he may have 44 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

r N e o m to r missed the fi st time . w inf r ation is added that al eady

on the tape and complete revisions are made hourly . In to o another instance, tape recorders are used rec rd all I . n i as incoming emergency messages th s c e , the tapes have proved valuable for rechecking original information and in “ ” fixin t infor g the blame in case a wrong address , inadequa e

t etc . . ma ion , , is given f Either o these systems can readily be applied to businesses . It can prove valuable where a large number of employees ’ must receive instructions frequently during a day s work T B I . schedule . t can save both time and money ake the alti ’ more situation— according to the superintendent of Baltimore s o of o for e p lice bureau information , the rec rders paid themselv s in a matter of weeks since it now takes only 12 men to do a 2 job tha t formerly required 4.

Ac c id ent Repo rts Tape recordings have come in mighty handy for industrial plants faced with T s safety problems . hey are being u ed to record accident reports . On-the- spot testimony of witnesses is often invaluable in determining the cause of accidents and the exact sequence t of events involved . Such timely and accurate tes imony is use ful in making claim adjustments and deciding upon any future ‘ action which the circumstances may dictate .

Co mpla int Ha ndling Handling of customer complaints has been greatly simplified by the use of I s f to com tape recorders . n tead o complaining in person a n plai t clerk , the customer merely pushes a button and talks The into a microphone . same technique , with minor varia

o . N ot tions , can be applied to telephone c mplaints only o of d es the use a tape recorder reduce personnel costs , but it assures relay of accurate repo rts to the people directly It concerned . has also been found that the use of recorders has “ ” P are a tendency to reduce crank complaints . eople , it seems , reluctant to go off the deep end when they know that a record is being made of what they say and they are more apt

to stick to facts . " SO UN D" RECORDS 45

PERM AN EN T RECORDS

Permanent records form the keystone of all business activi ties by providing the facts and reference data on whi ch to A base future plans and operation . ccuracy and comprehensive detail are all important— and tape recordings can qualify on

both counts .

Ind exing Before discussing actual examples of permanent c to one tape recorded re ords , it is well mention very important factor— perma nent record tapes are almost us e less unless they are supplemented by a good visua l index st m sy e . T i h s , of course, is true of almost any collection of permanent e records , but is even more important when it comes to tap s . While you can easily scan through visual records when trying f r to locate some elusive in ormation , scanning by ear th ough l large fi es of tape is next to impossible . N o on matter what kind of permanent record you put tape, ’ l h T you l want to ave a simple , yet fairly inclusive index . his , no t - - - i in way, detracts from the basic ime and money sav ng values of tape recorded records for such indexes seldom re f quir e any more than a capsule outline o tape content . There is no perfect indexing system which will fit every : application , but the following suggestions may prove helpful m U se ti e . 1 . as your basic element for location of material All you need to know is the speed at which the recording was made and the reel size used and it is a simple matter to locate Fo r - any portion of a recording . example , take a seven inch If reel of standard recording tape recorded at 735 ips . - B l o ne . fu ly recorded , it will contain half hour of recording reak down the material o n the tape by minutes and you will have

- 3 0 one 40 . minutes for indexing , each composed of feet of tape One i particular item might have been six m nutes in length , recorded from the eighth through the thir teenth minutes on

. T : the tape herefore , your index would probably show — — — -13 7lé . 8 Subject Reel N o . ips 46 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

2 It . is important to include complete recording informa i t tion such as the speed at wh ch the recording was made , ype of if t one tape used ( your organiza ion uses more than type ) , h o ne T t e . if tape is recorded in or both directions , etc his will save valuable time when replaying .

L b ox T 3 . abel both the reel of tape and the . apes have a of way always ending up in a different box , with plenty of On box confusion as the result . the it is well to index contents ’ of each reel— but don t count on this as your only index unless you have but a few reels on file .

’ 4 D of . on t be afraid to break reels tape down into smaller The units . added cost of storage space will soon be com n ed - n If nr pe sat for in man hour savi gs . you have several u e m lated subjects on a single reel of tape , cut the apart and A rewind them on empty reels . t the same time it is helpful A to combine related recordings on the same reels . word of ’ caution : if you ve made dual track recordings ( recorded in ’ both directions on the same tape ) , you ll destroy one of the r Y ou o recordings when cutting the tape apa t . can , of c urse, rerecord one of the tracks .

5 A for f . handy method separating dif erent portions of a tape and yet keep everything on a single reel is to insert It a length of paper leader tape between the sections . is easy to spot these dividers just by looking at a reel of tape ( they show up as a white line ) and you can wri te on the leaders to carry your indexing a step further .

’ D ha file of 6 . on t forget that w t may be a just a few reels o of t day, with the contents each individual reel easily T It membered , may grow like opsy . is better, right from the x start , to assume that you are setting up an inde system for I - a large library of tapes . ndex and cross index thoroughly and it will pay off in the long run .

‘ But just what kind of permanent tape recorded records are there to be indexed?

48 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

M e dic a l Re c o rd s Doctors have begun to keep a sound ” r libra y containing physiological data . Cardiac specialists are building tape files on each of their

T . patients . hey record and study heartbeats Druggists are using tape recordings to establish proof that a physician has given verbal authorization for the r efilling r The of prescriptions in certain catego ies . recording of the ’ f doctor s voice has been used in lieu o a written prescription . ’ Because of the tape recorder s ability to record low-volume o t s unds and amplify them considerably , hey are being used

diagnostically to listen for rhythmic breathi ng .

M ec ha nica l S o und Lib ra r y Garages and others who deal W ith machi nery are building i r o . T up l braries of engine machine trouble sounds hus , by comparing the sound of a troublesome engine or like machine o n file difficult with the sounds , the y can frequently be deter x mined without e tensive investigation . Libraries of this nature are particularly helpful for train ’ I s f o . t o co o ing purp ses impossible , urse , to describe s unds in words and pictures — yet sounds constitute one of the most important factors in many types of training and tape

libraries are bridging the gap .

Perf o rma nc e Chec ks Tape recorded mechanical sounds also can play a vital role in manu

facturin . T g ake , for example , the case of a major air condi tioner maker who is using tape recorders to check the oper o ating noise level f units rolling off its assembly line . This manufacturer discovered that a signifi cant sales factor in air conditioners purchased for homes and offices was the f volume o noise produced whi le the units were in operation . Tape recorders were put to use to detect noisy units in the ’ plant— before they could show up in a customer s home or ffi o ce with resultant dissatisfaction . R m o f file ecordings ade defective units are put on , where ’ they play an import ant role in the manufacturer s service oper fiel d ffi ul o . N ow d i c t s ation , when repairmen have y in diagn ing ”SO UN D" RECORDS 49

of the cause trouble in a balky machine , they record the B com sounds it makes and send the recording to the plant . y paring these tapes with those from the permanent tape library, plant personnel can usually diagnose the trouble quickly and send back an immediate report .

Effec tive Spee ches There are momentous events in the life o r Pres enta tio ns of every company regardless of size the dedication of a new plant or the R of . of opening a new store, for example ecordings the speeches at these events often make good fuel for future use t or as inspira ional motivational vehicles , as well as a historical record . Every company has one salesman who is head and shoulders “ ” c - A o H ow I Did It above his c workers . rec rding of a speech of his makes an excellent permanent case history for present and future use with other salesmen . A midwest insurance firm— the Combined Insurance Com panics of America — makes a regular practice of sending “ ” motivational recordings to all its offices throughout the coun A “ ” try . respected expert tells how he overca me a particular of e l type sales resistance, or how he xercises mental discip ine ffi s to keep hi mself at peak efficiency . Branch o ce get the tapes T f n free . hey have the option o returni g the tape within a certain period or keeping it and paying the home c ifi ce the f Th o price o the tape . e company received payment for alm st tapes in just three years!

J ob Des c riptio ns The practice of tape recording job de scriptions is becoming more and more It i v s prevalent . has been discovered that for certain ndi idual ob and certain jobs , a verbal j description and job analysis is n S more effective than o e that is written . ome employees can retain more by hearing what they are expe cted to do and how it they are to do it than they can by reading .

Ana lytic a l Reviews Probably even more important than the other types of permanent tape records already mentioned is the analytical review or critique . 50 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER There isn’t an individual or organization which can’ t readily o C i utilize its tape rec rder for this purpose . ase h stories in volving analytical reviews are far too numerous to single out more than a couple of general examples S for ou t r uppose, example , y have just comple ed a pa ticularly successful convention exhibit— or a particularly unsuccessful for In one . that matter the hotel room following the big event, the all with exhibit recreated and consigned to the movers , the M onday morning quarterbacks feel a compulsive urge to start Th i . e man talk ng gripes , the groans , the compliments and all ner of comments have a way of flowing forth with freshness and a to - the -point quality which can never again be recap ’ tured— unless e r they re r corded ight then and there . ’ A r n for xh year later, when it s time to prepa e agai an e ibit at the t o to ost the same show, ape rec rding can prove be the m i ff N o valuable element in getting th ngs o to a fast start . chance “ for -too - o N ow I e to the all c mmon, , what was it d cided change ” ’ the next time we did thi s? It s all down as part of the perma o nent rec rd . r All i f com O take the case of an indus try open house . k nd o “ ” mittees and individuals work long hours to work the bugs out of such an event but when the event is repeated some of o on the o are years later, many the best w rkers riginal event ’ “ ” no longer around— or if they are they ve forgotten the little l A of things that have a way of growing big quick y . series tape t of o recorded cri iques by all committees , c urse, can save time ,

money and effort and produce better results . “ A to S C S e pply the same technique a pring learance al , a

sales meeting, a promotion campaign , a party , a press confer ’ s i i o i or ence , a pecial ed t n of a publicat on even the year s I an i eco business . t c pay the ent re cost of a tape r rder many

times over . There are many other types of records that can be filed on t ho are tape . Bu the preceding examples of w tape recorders being used in business should provide a starting point for

~ working out your own applicati ons . CHAPTER 6

MARKETIN G ADVERTISING— SELLING— RETAILBUSIN ESS

WHILE TH E t office tape recorder is an excellen appliance , ” For it really co mes into its own i n the field . businessmen who field to already are using recorders on their trips , it is hard n imagine how they ever could get along without o e . Two of the major tape recorder advantages are important fi eld — l for recording portabi ity and versatility . T l oday, the businessman can buy a tape recorder with a most any desired degree of portability— from the size of a shaving to Of kit that of a large suitcase . course , the smaller the ma — t — it chine, the fewer qualities other than portabili y itself pos sesses but even the smallest machines can do many jobs better than the early models available a few years ago . The fi eld biggest attribute of the tape recorder in the , how On . e ever, is its versatility unit can take the place of several h persons and other machines . T e tape recorder becomes a sec retar te - - y , a p notch salesman , order taker, engineer, supervisor It and general handyman . can convert idle hours into pro ductive time and add a degree of effi ciency to many operations previously impossible . ield of o ex F uses a rec rder are legion , but the following S I 52 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER amples indicate the outstanding versatility of thi s new business “ For of handyman . purposes illustration the examples have been broken down into three broad , generalized categories R ne Sales Advertisin etail Busi ss . , g, and

SALES

S a les Co nf er enc es A sales conference is tantamount to a A in capital investment . lmost every It vestor keeps accurate records of his investments . s only log ad ical that managers , sales managers and anyone else con “ nected the t with sales campaigns , as well as ac ual nuts and ” of i bolts selling , should do the same w th his investment and

— too on . keep records , tape of f Many hours , sizeable amounts money and much e fort are L the prime ingredients of an effective sales conference . etting all this pass into limbo when the “ experts” stop talking and the

to . conference ends , amounts sheer waste ’ If e in it s a good sal s conference , the pep talks , strategy , f n . o formatio about competition , etc , are worthy being repeated — for or i either the same audience at a later date , for a d fferent audience located in another area . Tape recorded sales conferences can be sent to remote fi eld representatives or branch offices distant from the home offi ce in cases where a staff couldn’ t attend the original meeting either for lack of time or because of high travel expenses .

S a les Tra ining Someone once defined a salesman as : A Vermonter who can make a Virginian ad mit to having a Southern accent or a Virginian who can get a ‘ ’ Vermonter to acknowledge the r in hi s pronunciation of ( If you’re a salesman and you’ve never ’ — tried this don t; it can be disastrous to the ego . ) Too few people — salesmen included— realize that their voices and speaking mannerisms sound different to others than to ’ - o - - - - themselves . They work up a guaranteed t sell em not once ’ - It s but twice presentation . so lucid , logical and lachrymose ’ that the prospect can t help but succumb . M ARKETING 53

’ ’ i There s only one trouble; the prospect does n t . Someth ng is f inflecti on . V o wrong ery possibly it could be the tone voice , , word choice or some other similar factor . If that salesman would deliver his presentati on into a tape ’ as others hear him recorder and then listen to himself , he d r t probably be uncontrollably startled at what he hears . The fi s ti me many people try this they are firmly co nvinced that some U f thing is drastically wrong with the recorder . n ortunately this A l is not the case . tape recorder mirrors the actua ity of sounds d lit with amazing fi e y . Sales training sessions often use the device of having a trainee present his story to another trainee or to the instructor . W finishes hen he , his efforts are criticized and any faults O ’ pointed out . ften the speaker doesn t comprehend the corree A tions because he sounded different to himself . trainee can ’ hi ’ argue with his instructor s or s fellow sufferers comments . ’ ’ — i o It s . Tr t He can t argue with himself u tape . worth a test y ho on yourself or the men w work for you . Le re A . t nother twist is effective, too new salesmen hear a cordi ng made of a veteran in an actual selling situation— over coming objections , leading the customer into the right frame of mind , and closing a sale . For additional ideas and suggestions on using tape recorders C 0 1 . for sales training, refer to hapter

Ta ilo r e d S a les T here are times when , for reasons beyond ’ Pr es e nt a tio ns control , it isn t possible to make a personal W ’ presentation to a prospect . hat s usually done is to submit a written presentation with as many illustra

— — ti ons photographs or drawings as time and money permit . From there on the salesman has to take his chances with the recipient interpreting the literary and graphic efforts exactly

the way the originator intended to have them interpreted . Odds are that the man who receives the presentation has a — o If to be o r one . tape rec rder at least access to a tape is sent, la ed in con unction with the review o the resentation p y j f p , the ’ handicap of the salesman s absence is considerably reduced . The of presentation can be personalized by the use a casual , 54 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

’ conversational commentary on tape; by using the prospect s name; by including parenthetical inserti ons and appropriate “ T l t una anecdotes . his is an excel en way to approach the p ” l o proachab e sales pr spect.

’ M a rket Res ea rc h Here s one place where a tape recorder o I r can really hold the sp tlight . nte views ” “ or r ou oo to in depth , group exploration , whatever te m y ch se i of ti in call th s technique , is becoming as much an essen al advertising and sales as is the charcoal gray suit to M adis on

Avenue copywriters . ’ r The Fo interviews in depth you can t beat a tape recorder . ’ ’ - The interviewer s attention isn t distracted by note taki ng . ’ interviewee doesn t have to slow down or repeat so that some f e The inflections thing can be written on a piece o pap r . voice n The and reaction time can be accurately captured o tape . ’ ’ interviewer s memory doesn t have to work overtime to remem Z or ber whether it was Mrs . ilch Miss Klutz who made the par ti cular remark written on the back of the torn envelope clipped f to two di ferent data sheets . ’ And ot finished when you ve g the tape , it can be played back ’ f n r It or 100 or o e o . s once times ; person a large group true, the tape will have a number of unnecessary items on it— but it a ll of t exactl as the were also has the essen ial items , y y spoken, — if for transcription to paper a written transcription is desired . Another valuable asset of present-day reco rders is their abil “ ” A i t e s . ity to capture unrehearsed, candid comment h dden corder— concealed in an innocent looki ng brief case— is often the only solution to getti ng otherwise unobtainable information As o or r . from customers , pr spects competito s long as such ’ — t recordings aren t used for advertising purposes verba im , that is — or in some way which causes embarrassment to the persons s o who e remarks were secretly rec rded , the individual who f The use of made the recording is in no danger o lawsuit . common sense and good taste are usually sufficient guides in d etermining how these tapes and the information they contain

may be safely used . “ In many instances no special tricks are needed to obtain l h f o n market research data in the fi e d . T e majority o pe ple co

56 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

’ you want to use them for sales or advertising purposes you d “ ” better unsheath your microphone and have a release form U f fi nan i ll handy . nauthorized use o a voice can be just as c a y ’ disastrous as infringing a competitor s copyright or patent . Authorized tape interviews with your customers can serve you in two ways ; they can be used for verbatim inclusion in an advertising campaign or they can be used to discover where

your present tactics are succeeding or failing . ’ A for lso , if you re looking for new outlets your products , ’ sati sfi ed tellin of hi s satisfac there s nothing like a customer, g he too r tion , to convince someone that , , should ca ry your prod ’

uct or it . , , if he s already on your list , more of

S a l es To ol For . the salesman , the recorder is also a sales tool The same machine which he uses for dictation can be applied to the task of conveying vital information to

For t — . c prospects instance , te hnical mat ers particularly those

— D of a highly complex nature can be explained on tape . etailed information can be put on tape by technicians in the home ffi fi el Th o ce and transmitted to salesmen in the d . e salesman own s ecifi c adds his elaboration , usually tailored for a p indi to vidual , and sends or delivers the completed tape the pros

peet . Another technique is for the boss to direct his personal sales ifi h s ec c . T e pitch to a p prospect, via tape salesman delivers the

tape to the prospect and then adds the extra punch in person .

End -us e Repo rts The tape recorder also gives the company an opportunity to use its salesmen for extra duty — without adding a great deal of extra burden to om their regular work load . One of the best examples is the c

- el mon industry problem of getting end use reports from the fi d . Frequently no amount of coaxing can get the salesman to do a halfway - decent job of furnishing accurate information on how a company’ s products or services are being used by cus ‘ r The f t ome s . task o compiling and transcribing such informa tion often “ sells” the salesman into neglecting this important W a ob c to . , , task ith , tape recorder however such a j is redu ed a

relatively minor burden . M ARKETING 57

A five or ten- minute recording session with the customer will often provide vital information essential for sales planning , i W product analys s , advertising , etc . ith a recorder it is usually A possible to get such information directly . local contact is sent ffi H a set of questions from the home o ce . e records the cus ’ tomer s on- - of et answers the spot, with a minimum time and fort involved for all concerned .

ADVERTIS IN G

’ Id e a S es s io ns It s generally conceded that two heads are ’ bette r than one— unless they re attached to the N o on I . e same neck . deas beget ideas person has a monopoly One on ideas . individual can often come up with an idea that ’ T o ne is basically nothing short of phenomenal . here s only “ trouble; it needs development . Someone else in the same room often can provide just that development . “ A tape recorder runni ng at an idea session attended by ff or - department heads , the advertising sta , an agency client - The of conference , makes an ideal idea stimulator . thinking r It eve yone is consolidated in one neat package . is possible s ecific or final out of first that nothing p , concrete may come the — — the such session but with a tape to play over and over, odds are that a solution will ultimately develop from the spontane

— - ous . , off the cuff thinking of a combined group Tapes like these make excellent fuel for the ad manager or account executive who ’ s saddled with the chore of “ki cking around” the ideas discussed ( and cussed ) and coming up with a recommended program .

Br a ins to rming One type of idea session that is growing in popularity among members of the advertis ing profession is the brainst orming technique developed by A of B Th e B Durstine 81 O . lex Osborn atten , arton , sborn basic idea of this technique is to get a group of people together and try to come up with just as many solutions to a given problem as possible in a relatively short period of time . U for sing the brainstorming technique , it is not unusual a group o f admen to come up with 100 o r more specifi c ideas in 58 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

W of as little as half an hour . hile only a small portion the it ideas will actually prove to be practical in most cases , is important that they all be recorded for future consideration . “ ” D hot one uring a really brainstorming session , when idea quickly begets several others , it is common to have as many as

10 ideas suggested in a single minute . It is rather obvious that the tape recorder is the ideal tool To t for recording the ideas . have a secretary call a halt o the “ ” idea progression while she catches up only defeats the whole of The n h . o t e concept brainstorming tape recorder , other hand , never gets behind and thus can contribute a great deal to the of i success th s valuable idea technique .

’ Audifi o ns If you re producing a company movie , planning a of or series radio commercials , preparing a slide film-strip presentation or considering almost any type of audio ad i of n program wh ch necessitates the use an an ouncer, nar or o ou rator c mmentator, a tape recorder will help y bat o for the in picking the right v ice job . By having each prospect record a portion of your script you get two major bonus factors on your side immediately : 1 ) ’ You ll have a realistic sample of the way the voice will sound when it eventually comes out of the business end of a loud ’ “ ” 2 ot l — a o t speaker; and, ) you ve g potential a ibi copy c ncre e sample to present to your client or anyone in your organization who wants to d ouble check your choice of a voice to handle the job on which his money is being spent . ’ I find ncidentally, you ll that some voices which sound ideal ” ott- s mike will sound drastically different after electron tube , The s coils and resistors get through playing with them . rever e is also true .

Air Chec ks If ou the y foot bill for a radio program , or write o to the c py, or have almost anything do with ’ ’ t o not to the produc i n , you re human if you don t want hear it when zero hour comes and it hits the ether . Suppose you get called out of town on a business trip dur 1 f r W ing the period the show s due o release . ith a tape recorder M ARKETING 59

’ i S air for you won t have to miss t . omebody can do an check — off — ou you record the program right the air a tape, save it until your return and have it warmed up and ready for playing ffi e when you walk into the o c . Y ou Air h e o too . checks ave other value than g satisfaction , can replay a program or segment of it as many times as you — P wish for analysis purposes . ossibly the commercials should be rewritten , rearranged or used in a different sequence . Maybe you should ask the announcer to make some changes in hi s Air lot style of delivery . checks can answer a of questions like these .

Ea ves d ro pping This can get you into serious trouble with the Federal Communications Commission— ii ’ It ou you don t exercise good judgment . can also get y some “ ’ ” amazing and incredible horse s mouth information whi ch is ad n invaluable in planning an campaig , outlining a merchan dising program or writing ad copy . ’ U s ou won t Discretion is the watchword here . e it and y be sent to the Bastil le for invasion of privacy and you will get priceless information available in no other way . Y ou can buy battery Operated portables that look like a “ Y ou fit brief case . can also buy midgets which in your pocket, under your coatsleeve or anywhere else you personally prefer to conceal them . With these recorders you can get inf ormation from the man- or woman — who knows whatever it is you hap Th . e pen to want to know comments will be factual , candid a to o and valid , because unless you w nt the interviewee kn w ’ ’ find ut o o it . he s being recorded , he doesn t ever have to ab ut You can ask customers to tell you what they think about ou your product . You can ask dealers to tell y what success ’ In acts they re having selling it . this way you get the actual f ’ ’ ad ff o about an campaign s e ectiveness , a pr duct s customer ’ tu a n s acceptance, a dealer s atti de and y number of similar bit of o r information which you , your boss client might want to know . N aturally, if you ever decide to use the recordings outside ’ own o your organization , you d better g back to the source and 60 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

’ n get written permission o a release form . ( Often it s not as hard as you might think it would be . )

M ess a g e Repea ter Point- of—purchase advertisers can have l I a fie d day with this one . t so happens that one manufacturer markets a tape recorder under the “ T ’ ’ trade name Mes sage Repeater . hat s not what s being dis R ’ cussed at the moment . ight now we re talking about using a n t y tape recorder to repeat a message continually, intermi l tent . y , or periodically B s or y using electric eyes , special switche timing devices ou or -out y can make refrigerators , display cases , packages cut ” fi ures g talk to customers when they open a door, take down or For u a package step on a mat . holidays or special events yo can prepare tapes with musical selections interspersed with commercials and play them in stores , reception rooms , exhibit areas , etc .

You can prepare these tapes yourself, have them done com m rciall r e y o buy them from tape libraries . Machines are avail able which utilize a continuous loop of tape and play con tantl for s y until someone turns them off . Others play varying time periods up to two hours and then have to be stopped , rewound and started again . Message repeating uses for tape recorders are limited only ’ a . N o by the user s imagination ttempt is made here to exhaust , even remotely, the possibilities .

N e ws Rel ea s es This is one way to get your radio news copy aired exactly the way you write it— if the If station accepts it as news . not , you could always cut the length and have it aired as a straight commercial . U nless your ad staff comes equipped with a built-in Orson Wells or unless you go to the expense of hiring a professional announcer ) your batting average on this score will probably To be relatively low with stations in large metropolitan areas . be honest, your chances of a pick up increase directly with a decrease in station size . T his is in no sense a derogation of small stations , be they M ARKETING 6 I

It in large, medium or small towns . is only an acknowledgment L staft— rac of understandable fact . arge stations have a large p tically to the point of having an announcer in reserve for their . ’ reserve announcers . They don t need a recorded news release to fill out their air time and they’ d usually rather have their own — staff announcers handle the news unless , of course , you happen to have a news tape containing the voice of a high ranking Soviet Marshall endorsing your product because it guarantees everlasting international peace . S on maller stations , the other hand , thrive on local personali — T ties known or unknown . heir staff is usually small and every n R one o it overworked already . ecorded news releases of any quality at all stand an excellent chance of being used .

Po inf of Purc ha s e As implied in the section under Mes ” R re sage epeater, the use of tape As corders in this area is unlimited . recorders become smaller ' in size and cheaper, the potentialities will increase even At i further . the moment, manufacturers have developed the r recorders to a greater extent than owners have developed ideas el for their use in this fi d . A recording containing explanatory information about a new product would be particularly effective for use with an ani POP T n mated display . his is particularly true during the a ’ nouncement phase of a campaign because sales clerks wouldn t be too familiar with the product yet , and might overlook some Y ou . Y ou of its salient selling features know what they are . co uld see that they are put on tape and make sure the tape accompanies the display . U se of recordings to give an audible voice to introductory

tt - - o ers , two for one sales , improvements in an already estab ‘ lished of product , announcements newly discovered uses for a product, etc . , is an excellent technique for attracting a cus ’ o mer Th t s . e attention timing is right, too , because a waiting cash register is nearby . As previously mentioned , it is possible to set up recorders ’ so that they re unconsciously triggered off by the customer . T his adds even more impact . 62 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

Pres enta tio ns of Ca mpa ig ns Have you ever finished out lining an ad campaign to a or to or client your boss , sat down and waited expectantly ( “ ” o S o ? h pefully ) for someone to say, ounds great, g ahead “ I ou W 1 it s nstead , y heard , ell , like , but leave your pre ’ ’ entati on and I ll have the rest of the board read it and we ll let you know . ’ Y u ou f You re sunk . o know tha t y sold the man in front o ou ou y , primarily because y delivered your pitch in a style f o t t worthy o a Barrymore . N w he wants you o leave a wri ten All he of . t o presentation informati n is there , true, but none ti for or ex your personal enthusiasm , repeti on emphasis , the temporaneous ideas — which really sold the proposal— are on those typewritten pages . ’ T on of o hey would be tape , if you d made a recording y ur own office or r presentation , either back in your du ing the T ou actual presentation . hen y could leave the recording and o to offi ce i to g back your own , knowing that whoever l stened it would be influenced by the personality of the man who made t -to - r the presenta ion in an enthusiastic voice , using down ea th language .

Ra dio a nd TV Co mmerc ia ls A tape recorder can be a real work horse when applied to It the task of preparing radio and TV commercials . can be used both for preliminary work and in the preparation of finished commercials . In preparing finished commercials the tape recorder adds an lit A of flexibi r . element y often requi ed , but seldom available recent survey made by an advertising trade publicati on re vealed that tape recordings are widely accepted by radio sta tions as commercial copy . In o transcri s me quarters , tape recordings have replaced p tion discs as the medium for radio commercials and audio copy for can TV. One big advantage of tapes is that they be edited f r T r t - to include different copy o each market . his pe mi s tie ins t wi h special events , economical copy tests , price changes , use

of o etc . colloquial expressi ns common only to given markets ,

64 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER mechanical items being described helps the copy writer get a f thorough grasp o his subject .

St o ryb o a r d s If you haVe— or ever might— submit storyboards ff involving musical e ects , whistling cracker ’ C C boxes or symphonic soap , and your name isn t rosby , omo ’ o r S . inatra , you re a logical suspect for a tape recorder salesman Nothi ng can r uin a good presentation faster than a tone w deaf basso trying to histle , hum or yodel the lyrics and mel o dy of music which is essential to getting the full impact from A — i n storyboards . good way to dress up a presentation f it i volves singing commercials or other musical eHects— is to have a professional musician record what is needed o n a tape which can be played during the actual presentation .

W - hen used with well prepared storyboards , tape recorded sound effects not only make the presentation more polished , ” but frequently provide the finishing touch of realism which closes the sale .

Tes timo nia ls To keep up with the Joneses , you have to know W what the Joneses have . hen they talk, you o — listen , and then g out and buy the same thing only bigger , T ’ better and in a different color . hat s why testimonials are so An r effective . d here is another place where a tape reco der steals the spotlight . There are two main advantages to tape recording testi F monials . irst, the recorder itself is easy to transport from ’ i place to place; and , secondly , it s easy to el minate any unde

— sirable testimonials a pair of scissors will do the trick . U nless you use an extremely inferior recorder, the testi monials you get on tape will be of sufi cient broadcast quality T -film to use o n radio or TV . hey can also be used with slide

- presentations or in voice over motion picture narration .

Tra d e S ho w Exhib its At a trade show a tape recorder can be used as an integral part of an ex hibit or it can be used to record material which can later be used in advertising and sales . M ARKETING 65

As part of the exhibit , a recording can be used to explain It some interesting or complicated facts about your product . “ ” can be used to give a product vocal animation — like making a “ ” I refrigerator talk to a prospect when the door is opened . t films or can be used to add sound to movies , strip shadow

boxes containing color transparencies . r W It can also be used as a stenographer o file clerk . hen a busy salesman wants to make an explanatory note about a cus

tomer, a prospect or a competitor, he can put it on tape much

more quickly than he can write a detailed description . When

he plays the tape after the show, he gets an accurate and de ’ tailed ré sumé of the important events he didn t want to forget . Of course , the recorder can also be used for interviews and testimonials from any satisfi ed customers who stopped at your booth to give you or your product a pat on the back .

RETAIL BUS IN ESSES

Whi le the tape recorder performs somewhat in the role o f “ ” an equalizer in business — being a medium which is equally

- important to large national business and to the one man , small town retail establishment— in relative importance it is perhaps

the most valuable to the retailer . Most of the applications of a tape recorder in big business l can , with a imited degree of ingenuity , be applied on the But retail level . , for the retailer, there are many additional uses . One of the magics of the tape recorder is that it is a tool of f . o both the professional and the amateur You can , course , buy

- t the best console model recorders , install them in costly s udios . and hire a crew of professional recording technicians to operate Bu f them . t recordings o highly acceptable quality can be

- turned out on low cost machines , anywhere at any time , with the same person both twisting the knobs” and doing the talk m g . Retailers require instruments of versatility— and when it ” comes to putting a voice to their promotion programs , the h . T e can tape recorder is the answer same , single machine 66 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

f It n serve a multitude o purposes . can be a recorder at o e It fill moment and a public address system the next . can the store with Christmas music in December and announce

summer specials in July . As of n of co in other phases busi ess , applications tape re rders t T . o depend primarily upon the ingenui y of the retailer day, w - re ith the growing trend toward self service merchandising, tailers are constantly coming up with new applications — many of them designed to fill the gap left by the departin g sales

clerks . Following is a list of starting points — a few already-tried and- tested ideas which will suggest other methods for putting

the tape recorder to use in a retail business .

Rec or ded l n-S f o re Co mmer c ia ls Retailers who have tried u s i n g t a p e r e c o r d e d commercials to promote special products report unanimously

h - fir t at this method is a sure e sales booster . M any stores intersperse commercials with background music “ ” which is played through loudspeakers set up to fill the store U r ri with sound . sing continuous loop tape ca t dges , it is pos on sible just to turn the recorder when the store is opened, shut it off when the doors close for the night and let it run unat If are tended throughout the day . continuous loop cartridges o r an not handy , it takes nly one to th ee minutes to rewind

lf - hour or ha hour tape and start it playing again . The sound need not be loud enough to bother customers In just loud enough to be clearly audible and understandable . t o o most cases , the most important fac or is the pr per locati n of the speakers . Most recorders are set up so they can be con nected either directly to external speakers or to a regular pub If lic address system . the store is small enough , all that is required is the internal speaker of the recorder itself . “ ” In many cases the commercials need not be broadcast of the f - of throughout the entire store . One most e fective point “ ” sa le advertising techni ques is to hide a tape recorder or play It t back device within a merchandise display . can run con inu MARKETING 67

ousl or - ll y be activated by such devices as photo electric ce s ,

floor pads , etc . S H uch messages as , ere are those extra sweet and juicy California ( or Florida ) oranges you saw advertised at 25 0 a traffic dozen better take home a bagful, will prove a

stopper and a real sales booster .

Ra dio Co mmerc ia ls Many retailers have found that their best method for radio advertising is to ” give it a personal touch by delivering the commercials

themselves . Trips to the radio station are usually almost impossible for a busy retailer— particularly if frequent copy changes are re B Th . . e quired tape recorder is , of course , the answer y includ ing background noises the commercials take on a realistic touch

- seldom achieved in a sound proofed radio studio . O com ther retailers , with a natural flair for radio , produce l S p ete shows within their stores . ome conduct interviews with customers — and get very believable testimonials about the prod

O . In ucts or services . thers favor disc jockey type shows most

cases , the records are played directly from studio turntables ,

with talk , from tape recordings , added at the appropriate

spots .

The Invis ible S a les ma n I n many instances the tape re corder is an extremely effective “ ” ll -in fo u do fi r an absent salesman . Many times it can act ally T a better selling job than a live clerk . his is especially true when somewhat technical explanations are required or “heavy ” sell is necessary . Recordings can be used by themselves — the customer pushes a button or activates some other control mechanism — or they can supplement a live salesman’ s efforts by giving him “pro ” fessional support to help convince reluctant prospects . They can also be used to make the most of otherwise idle tini e such as to deliver a sales message to motorists at a gasoline fillin n station while the attendant is busy g the gas tank , clea ing il windows and checking the o . 68 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

S e mi-a uf o ma f ic Fulfi llme nt Retailers wishing to capitalize on after-closing sales are pick ing up additi onal revenue by installing coin - operated tape recorders . When the store closes for the evening the coin - operated

th E - recorder is set up in e doorway . vening window shoppers are invited— by strategically placed posters — to place their re order for any articles they see in the window display , by cording their desires on the machine in the doorway . The following morning the retailer fills the orders on the tape and sends the merchandise to each customer— along with The o the coin deposit used to operate the recorder . reason m st retailers use a coin - operated recorder is that it discourages pranksters from playing with the machine and filling the tape “ with fictitious orders .

Cus to mer Rea c tio n In H C . artford , onn , a retail appliance dealer was curious to know what his H e customers were thinking as they browsed through his store .

ofi - - reasoned that frank , the cuff comments from the customers would help him accurately select the type and quality of mer handise c they wanted . To get this information he installed concealed recorders at The key locations . recorders caught the comments made by customers and prospects as they inspected the various pieces f B o merchandise . y analyzing the comments over a period of

— rofit- — time , realistic and p making decisions could be made as to what items should be carried at all times .

There are countless other applications of tape recorders in “ I the broad fi eld of Marketing . t would be impossible to list them all because many of them are unique to a particular — The t dl operation large or small . percep ive reader undoubte y

— B realized this many pages ago . y now he probably has a men tal or tape recorded list of specifi c ideas that occurred to him

It . w hile he was reading . is hoped that such is the case CHAPTER 7

EM PLOY EE TRAIN ING

ON E OF TH E biggest problems facing any business organiza tion is training new employees and keeping veteran workers W abreast of new developments . hen all personnel are working office or in a single plant, store the problem is not nearly as acute as when they are operating in areas remote from the In otfice . f tr home both cases , however, to be e fective a aining program must be timely and comprehensive . Tape recordings fit well into any training program whether E it is local or national in scope . xcept in unusual instances they are easier to prepare than other types of training aids “ ” h And it which could get t e same results . the personalization contains makes a tape recording more palatable and easier for or in the listener to comprehend than written data , messages

structions .

B of ecause these facts , not only are both large and small

companies using tape recordings in their training programs , but many companies are using recordings as the focal point in A their overall program . lso , companies which had no formal i ’ ff train ng programs at all , because they felt they couldn t a ord

— on . the time and expense involved , now have them tape 69 70 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

Examples of the ki nd of training particularly adaptable to on tape are described the next few pages .

M emo riz e d U nif o r m All of midwestem in , agents a large S a les Pr es ent a tio ns surance company are required to use The identical sales presentations . presentations are prepared in the home offi ce in Chicago and they co ver every conceivable selling situation an agent will

. re meet Questions , answers and principles of strategy are ’ corded o n tape and mailed to every one of the company s fi A branch of ces . t regular intervals the branch managers as semble all th e salesmen under their jurisdiction and play the tapes .

Libr a ries of S uc c essf ul The same company maintains an S a les Ta lks extensive and growing library of “motivational” talks by respected authorities in all phases of sales . Whenever a new recording of 90 i one this type is made , copies are dubbed immed ately and ’ T tape is sent to each of the company s branch offi ces . hey are retained for a stipulated period and then returned to the home “ c ifice to be erased and used for the next message . fi l In Frequently e d personnel want to keep the recording . ' this case they merely pay the home otfice the price of the tape . The company reports that these tapes are highly effective in indoctrinating new employees in the fundamental principles of good selling .

S a les M eeting s The M ytinger Casselberry Company of Lo s Angeles has distributors selling

— — its product a food supplement throughout the country . Keep 1n to g this many individuals up date on product development, T sales techniques and company policy, is a major problem . hey solve the problem with tape recordings . The company does its own recording in a well- equipped - offi e T 3 50 audio visual department in its main c . here are top E ag ents located throughout the country . ach agent receives The of . one copy every recording the company makes agents ,

72 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

considerable amount of time will be saved for both individuals . ’ The o And instructor w n t have to repeat explanations so often . the trainee won ’ t have to lose time trying to remember what was said; he can play back the tape as many times as neces

sary .

Ta lk-And-Do Tra ining This technique is parti cularly eff ec

tive in training mechanics to install, i It service and repair mach nes and equipment . is ideal for use by companies who own and operate identical pieces of equip of or offi es ment in a number widely scattered plants branch c . The A principle is extremely simple . mechanic, who is an of expert on the particular piece equipment, tells what he is as i H e his doing he does t . times comments to match his move -b - ments so that they can be duplicated, step y step , by anyone

who listens to the recording . For on example , if instruction is being given setting up a of piece new machinery , the tape might sound something like “ thi s : The first thing to do is remove the cover plate from the T gear box . here is then a pause , just long enough for the lis “B tener to locate the gear box . efore you do , though , be sure A the safety bar is pushed up in the neutral position . nother fi rs . N ow tt t slight pause , remove the bo om left screw , so that the plate won’ t fall in and get caught between the motor shaft ” and the fan blades . When this kind of recording is played by a co mpetent me chanic who is already familiar with machines of the same gen l era type , he can physically follow every move made and ‘ W o described by the instructor . hen only a few men in the h me office t on have been rained a piece of new equipment, a talk and - do tape can save the expense and time involved in sending

them into the fi eld to train mechanics in branch organizations .

S elf-eva lua fio n Speech plays an all -important part in The every phase of business activity . use ’ of a tape recorder to improve one s speaking abili ty can b enefit

1 3 oth the top executive and the man who sells behind a counter . There is no better preparati on for any type of public speak EM PLO YEE TRAININ G 73 ing than making a tape recording and then playing it back for

- S self analysis . peech defects can be easily detected and cor d Inflection modifi ed recte . and emphasis can be changed or for additional impact . Pronunciations can be checked . “ ” Th The same principle applies to a pat sales pitch . e main danger in using a memorized sales talk is that it frequently — D sounds memorized lifeless . elivering the presentation to a tape recorder provides an excellent opportunity for immediate f evaluation o how your voice sounds to others . A rac long these lines , some companies have adopted the p f for T o tice o using this technique training new salesmen . w men are involved , one being the customer and the other the Th diffi cult salesman . e customer makes things as as possible for the salesman , using every possible excuse for not buying W what is being offered . hen the tape is played back the new salesman has a chance to hear how well he met and overcame objections or where he faltered in the face of opposition .

Orienta tion of N ew Emplo y ees Many companies hold orientation lectures for The r all new employees . primary pu pose is to acquaint them with company history and general facts of operational policy . Putting s ome of this material on tape can be of benefit to both the company and the new employee : the person who would normally give the lectures can remain on hi s regular job and the new employees can listen to the recordings at any time fi which ts into their schedule . T his method insures that everyone hears the same facts , T no of presented the same way . here are problems a disinter ested lecturer who only hits the hi gh spots because he feels ’ tired or because the audience doesn t happen to inspire him at ’ L to the moment . ikewise , the company doesn t have worry “ ” about any deviations from the party line , due to the extrovert who manages to ad lib a 10-minute lecture into a half-hour

extravaganza . ’ Here s a typical case of a tape recorder used for employee A L orientation . bbott aboratories , the pharmaceutical products l ffi ult u N C I l . di c manufact rer of orth hicago , , solved a new em 74 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER ployee briefing problem by using a slide projector— tape re corder combinati on . Abbott is in a position similar to quite a few firms which ” ’ The sell to someone other than the end consumer . company s e s advertising is dir cted at doctors , hospitals and druggist and C . o t o is seldom seen by the layman nsequen ly, new pers nnel i o o usually know little or noth ng about the c mpany , its pr ducts B and its industry status . ecause of the broad scope of the ’ A o o on for bb tt operations , plant tours couldn t be c unted orientation purposes but the company was convinced that a comprehensive orientation program would be mutually valu l able to employees and itse f . The - — a 3 0- answer was an audio visual presentation minute , “ ” 82- o of o t slide armchair t ur the rganization, wi h the com n The - t mentary o tape . slide lecture was designed o show what o o r an an , n an a the c mp y is d d es a d simult eously. demonst te the ’ of It the importance the company s products . also illustrates benefits of working for Abbott and puts across the need for

on o . conscientious, careful work the part of each empl yee Training ta pes are also extremely valuable for veteran em l e — If e o p oy es as refresher training . the s ssi ns are technical in nature , the veteran employee can refresh his memory about ’ some points he s forgotten or on which he never was quite If o . s clear it is a sales training se si n , the listener hears once “ ” o r c o t again the school s lution to pa ti ular pr blems , coun er arguments , etc . One obvious advantage to training tapes is the fact that they “ ” can easily be sent to branch locations — where over - all com pany training is frequently by -passed or completely over ll identi oo . W t a l ked ith ape recordings , employees can receive cal training .

“ Pers o na l Eva lua tio n This is quite similar to self-evalua ” H t e . ion discuss d previously ere , how t ever, the evalua ion might be made by someone other than the i individual who made the record ng . A large Chicago company has a nation-wide network of ’ salesmen selling the company s services throughout the country . EM PLO YEE TRAININ G 75

M any of the agents have never had previous sales experience The out of r of any kind . independent salesmen work cent ally c offices of li i lo ated branch , each which has been supp ed w th - U a company owned tape recorder . pon joining the company ’ each man is informed of the company s comprehensive job One of valua assistance program . facet the program is the e f tion o individual selling techniques .

N ew salesmen record themselves giving a sales presentation . It may be one that is totally unsuccessful or one that is effec The so . i tive, but not outstandingly record ng may either be a simulated encounter or an actual sales attempt with a prospect ’ who didn t buy . The first type of recording is done either in the branch office ’ n ffi For or ow o ce . the salesman s home, using the machine recording the actual sales attempt the home otfice sends the salesman a miniature recorder which may be used without ’ Th to the customer s knowledge . e recordings are returned the home office where they are evaluated in detail by various ex F : perts in different departments . actors checked include organ iz ation of the presentation ; speech peculiarities ; vocabulary; Th n t . e o s yle of delivery, etc a alysis covers both g od and bad “ ” W anal si features and explains why in all cases . hen the y completed it is recorded and sent back to the individual in volved .

Telepho ne S olic ita tio ns Organizations which use tele phones for sales solicitation have found tape recorders particularly valuable in correcting bad habits individual solicitors may have developed . After sitting at a phone day after day and using a standard “ ” iz ed pitch , there is a natural tendency for the solicitor to fall into a delivery or speech pattern which sounds just the

— . W on way he feels bored hen he hears himself tape , followed immediately by someone who points out specific factors that or f to are good , bad indi ferent, it is much easier for a solicitor recognize the necessity for corrective action . This same system also is effective for improving the perform f ance o receptionists and switchboard operators . 76 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

A t o c ually , the tape recorder can bec me a valuable part of any training program — as a replacement for other types of audio presentations used previously o r as a completely new element . What gives the tape recorder a distinct advantage is the fact that the same instrument which can be used for so many purposes can be applied to the training program , elim 1nating the need for expensive equipment which may be used f i of but in requently, and wh ch requires the services some spe i ll c a y trained person to operate it . CHAPTER 8

AU DIO AN D VISUAL PRESENTATIO NS

WHEN Y OU simultaneous l stimulate the ear and the eye , y, “ ” “ - The a nd you have an audio visual presentation . term audio ” visual is used to describe a presentation designed to appeal

either or the not e . to the eye ear, but n cessarily simultaneously “ ” For o instance, a chart w uld be a visual presentation ; a tape “ A or film recording would be an audio presentation . slide tri to of o of s p , shown the accompaniment s und some sort , “ ” - would be an audio visual presentation . Business and industry are invading deeper and deeper into a province that in past years belonged almost exclusively to academic institutions — audio -visual ( and audi o and visual ) “ For A education . many years merican colleges and universities have successfully used the combination of sound and sight for U . c training purposes ntil relatively re ently, businessmen seemed to regard this as a technique valuable only in formal education . h T e complexities of modern business have changed all this . “ T The re ake a case in point . primary purpose of a business ” A o port is to communicate something . t p level executive needs many different reports on widely varied but related topics to “ R make decisions based on the big picture . egardless of his 77 78 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

n the t t innate intelligence and i tense desire , fact remains ha there is a definite limit on the number of facts anyone can on Add to absorb and act in a given time . this the problem ’ that today s top management must concern itself more closely than ever before with the details of signifi cant activi ties and

- The f developments in every department . sum total o these facts makes it imperative that management have more informa — in tion a form that is easily and rapidly comprehensible .

- The swing is toward audio visual presentations . Various companies have adopted different methods for consolidating important facts into an up-to -date visual or audio -visual pres entati on that can be reviewed by one individual or a number f The L S Co o persons simultaneously . ukens teel mpany created “ ” what it called a M arket Facts Board — an eight by eleven foot panel which holds about 60 charts containing information f o interest to its sales management . The Admiral Corporation in Chi cago set aside a special “ ” In room called the Sales Intelligence Room . addition to charts and graphs the room contains chairs and tables for con t At - erences . regularly scheduled sessions , audio visual aids are to to officers on o o used brief p company the ec nomic outl ok ,

t . production , sales and inventory rends ’ G S C t on col U . S S . teel s eneral ales ommit ee relies heavily ’ ored slides in the reports it presents to the company s top The management . reason given is that, because detail is min imiz ed of , slides can double the impact a presentation by com bining visual and aural reception of the important highlights

- of interest to top echelon executives .

TECHN IQU ES

S o und -s lid e Pr es e nta tio ns

Co sts a nd M a teria ls For less than $20 you can make a full

-film 15 color, sound presentation from minutes to a half hour long! To present the complete show H y ou need only seven items . ere they are 1 ) Tape recorder and microphone

80 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

T synchronize the narration with each slide . hese are especially valuable when one person is making a presentation whi ch includes slides on which he wishes to use a pointer to pick out s ecific It p elements in the picture . saves him from having to o bring along some ne to run the projector while he illustrates , or t t o else sprin back and for h from the pr jector to the screen .

Typica l Applica tio ns The reason slide presentations have been given considerable attention is that there are so many jobs they can do so well at such low F or cost . example , they can be used to sell products or services train salesmen teach workers how to operate machinery and equipment illustrate the advantages of a new product describe new techniques for doing a job “animate statistics explain why something was or should be done support a particular course of action change opinions generate attitudes and countless variations and improvisations implied in each of these uses .

Case Histo ries Here is how some companies are using Public Rela tio ns tape recordings in their audio -visual pres n i n e tat o s right now . The Atlas Fish Emulsion Fertilizer Company in San Fran cisco decided that amateur gardeners needed special cultiva The 80- tion as customers . co mpany produced a minute pack aged lecture consisting of 86 Kodachrome slides with a tape “T B T . The t commentary lecture , en itled uberous egonias at heir ” B who est, is available free to garden clubs guarantee a min Th e imum attendance of 50 people . clubs provide the slide

— projector, screen and tape recorder and after seeing the

for A . presentation , customers tlas The Alexander Film Company in Colorado Springs keeps its B of doors open to visitors who want to see the plant . ecause AUDIO AN D VISUAL PRESENTATIONS 8 I the number of people involved ( an estimated every summer ) there was a problem of greeting visitors and getting them organized the minute they entered the reception room . The problem was solved through the use of a life - size photo of the company president and a concealed tape recorder using a continuous tape . “ ’ The in picture talks ( the president s voice ) to all visitors , welcoming them and providing a brief introduction to the T i organization . h s keeps the visitors busy until a guide takes over to begin the tour .

Case Histo ries Other companies have carried the Alex Pla nf To urs ander program one step further; they sub i te st tu tape recorders for plant guides . Recorders using continuous tapes are located at strategic T points throughout the plant . hey are turned on and off either by means of a switch concealed in a floor mat or an electric A . s eye visitors enter the plant a tape recording greets them , briefly outlines what they will see and then gives them direc tions to get to the fi rst stop ; At every point on the tour a recorder explains to the visitor what he is seeing and then finishes by directing hi m to the S — next location . elf conducted tours save money for the com ’ for T pany and time the visitor . here s no waiting for scheduled tours . Visitors can start a tour whenever they arrive .

Ca se Histo ries An exhibit that explains itself is much xhi it At E b s more effective than one that is static .

conventions , sales displays , in company “ or museums , in the plant itself, tape recorded narrations are being used effectively to explain what the exhibit is , what it ho i w . T does , and why alk ng exhibits , in addition to being a “ o stopper, release salesmen or bo th attendants to write orders and talk to customers or prospects .

Po inf -of-Purc ha s e Ad vertis ing This was mentioned earlier the in book , but it bears The repetition . impact of any good visual advertisement can 82 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

’ be increased by the use of sound to direct a customer s atten i tion to t .

S a mple S a les Pr es ent a tio ns Recordings of a star sales

man making his pitch , used flannel in conjunction with easels , boards , flip flops , etc . , are

an ideal and economical method of training other salesmen ,

dealers and demonstrators spread throughout the country .

Do -H-Y o urs elf Ins truc tio ns M anufacturers of machinery which is assembled by the purchaser have found that tape recorded assembly instructions are sometimes more effective and easy to comprehend than the

standard , written instructions . A modifi cation of this method is being used by plants faced with the problem of introducing new products over wide areas E in a short time . xplanatory tape recordings are made to or accompany complicated diagrams , illustrations charts sent fi el to company representatives in the d .

M o tio n Pic ture Pr es e nta tio ns

Pro blems An economical way to put sound on film is to use T efinite a tape recorder . here is a d problem in keep

ing the sound synchronized with the pictures , but in many

cases this problem is overcome by careful script writing . fi nished of Frankly, the pictures , regardless of the skill the H recordist and the script writer , will probably not be olly ” - l s T be o fi m . w od quality hey can , however, more than ade P films of hi quate for training or sales purposes . roducing t s

t . quali y is not easy, but it can be done

M echa nics U accuratel of sing a stopwatch, y time the length n P each scene in the fi ished picture . repare a sequence outline containing a short description of each scene’ s content and make a note of the length after each written de i . W scription hen writing the narrat on , make each section of narration a minimum of one second shorter than the scene it AUDIO AN D VISUAL PRESENTATIONS 83

Tr describ accompanies . y to avoid narration to action ing each step of an operation at the exact time it takes place W fi nished on the screen . hen the script is , project the picture and make the recording as you watch the screen . U nless the recorder— even an expensive one— is specially or constructed adapted for motion picture narration , it may 0 5 0 vary as much as 1 or 1 seconds in a 8 minute recording . A 3 0 film e actl This can be disastrous . minute will clock x y

The . 80 minutes every time it is projected . problem is obvious There are three ways the problem of synchronization can be “ ” solved without resorting to a loose script : use of a syn chroniz ing attachment on the recorder; use of a specially ro ector designed recorder; and , use of a motion picture p j -in which has a built facility for magnetic recording . fi r Of st . the three , the method is the least expensive Methods two and three are recommended if the film is to be used for If external sales or public relations purposes . the production is for your own employees it is much more economical to use

. W the system described in detail , above ith care and a little practice you should be able to do a highly satisfactory job n lm o all but the most complicated fi . CHAPTER 9

G EN ERAL BUSIN ESS US ES

I N to the previously-discussed broad categories of for no l uses tape recorders , there is end to other app ica T u tions . his is true because in many instances a partic lar busi “ ness is a law unto itself . Only the individual who personally conducts that business can be fully aware of its specific prob lems , challenges and opportunities . When organizing the material to be included in this book the authors faced the practical necessity of arbitrarily includ l i n It ing certain uses in the various basic c assifi cat o s . was recognized that there are many instances of overlapping usages H f r . o and closely interrelated applications owever, purposes of clarity it was still essential that certain techniques be s i r assigned to a pec fic catego y . To do this it was necessary o o s ecific to mit fr m the individual chapters , p examples that of or were a borderline fringe nature . But ou find in this chapter y will a number of miscellaneous , generally unrelated uses which have already been proved in I — practice . t is this very fact the success and effectiveness of the various applications — which demanded their inclusion in th e book . li t total Once again , the st tha follows is not offered as the 84 GENERAL BUSINESS USES 85

— r know — o n . I of all conceivable even all uses nstead, it includes ’ si nifi cant - ‘ only what the writers consider the more g , idea stim l in u t As . a g applications and case histories . with the other a ch pters in this book, the pages that follow should be used ” an and considered as idea springboard .

“ ” Authors Many writers use tape recorders to talk rather of than write their manuscripts . Much the work on this book, for instance, was produced in just this manner . One o f the major advantages of this method is that you k — — T can tal faster much faster than you can write . his means ’ “ ” ’ h n i s r ot . A d t that ideas can be ecorded while they re , quite natural to keep your thoughts on the subject while you’re talking— which is not necessarily the case when your hands for get into the act writing or typing . The case of this book gives further evidence to the value of E f r of the use a tape recorder for writers . xcept o brief intervals the co - authors were physically separated by many

— C I . B miles from alifornia to llinois y using tape recordings , “ ” o however, it was relatively simple to get t gether in collabora I “ . n s tion on material addition , outside expert contributed — f ou ta e. I of much valuable assistance p , however, the sharing ideas had required lengthy written letters — or expensive cross country travel— it would have been almost impossible to pro duce the manuscript . ‘ Overcoming the obstacles of physical distances is by no means the only advantage a tape recorder brings to the author . In writing the life story of a famous actress for a popular

- national weekly magazine , a well known feature writer relied The heavily on tape recordings for the gathering of his data . It actress is a notoriously busy and active person . was virtually impossible to fi nd a time when she could drop all other activi P ties to stay in one place for several lengthy interviews . art of the problems were solved when the author drafted a com prehensive list of questions and delivered them and a tape ’ recorder In to the actress apartment . a relatively short period own of time, and at her convenience , she was able to record I n n the information needed by the author . this particular i 86 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

miles of e stance, literally recording tap were used in assem finished o n ac bling the story, because c u tless friends and “ q uaintances of theactress were similarly interviewed to pro “ ” vide background and atmosphere material . Writers have also made particularly good use of tape re

corders installed in their car . Several leading free lance writ ers who tr avel regularly to get their story material have learned to dictate their articles as they drive between assign T fi r ments . his constitutes the st draft and revisions are made as the material is played back whenever the writer gets to his f typewriter . Some o the top business writers report that they have become so adept at this technique that they just send the tapes to a secretary who transcribes the story and sends

it off to the editor . One big advantage to this method of preparing material is

that you can get at it while it is completely fresh in your mind . N o need to search through piles of notes to try to bring back a thought that would have been quickly remembered an hour or r but i of two after an inte view, wh ch gets lost in a haze u thoughts as time runs o . One writer records all interviews — including his thoughts on — on H e to presentation of the article the spot . then listens t r these tapes two or three imes , inse ts a fresh tape in the

recorder and begins dictating his story . A oum alist— nother j who travels over miles each year, preparing articles for top consumer and business publications — W keeps his recorder humming almost constantly . hen he H re o o . e calls on a story s urce , his tape recorder g es along cords the entire interview and plays it back so that the person T being interviewed can check all the facts for accuracy . his eliminates the possibility of any subsequent claims of misrep n n rese tatio or inaccuracies in quotations . ’ This writer has his car s power converted for 110-volt oper He ation . plugs in the recorder as soon as he gets back into H e fi rst the car to drive to the next story location . plays back t he interview to make sure that all of the facts are clearly in ” T mind . hen he switches the recorder over to record and

88 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

mals— birds — and consequently seems appropriate for inclusion

at thi s point . A short time ago the city offi cials and residents of the Dis trict of Columbia became quite upset about the uninhibited and somewhat messy— deportment of vast numbers of starlings

C. The m who had immigrated to D . birds were aking their — — D B home and other things all over the istrict uilding , located traffi cked at a heavily intersection in downtown Washington . Commuters waiting on the sidewalk below frequently suffered ni l almost as much as the building . It was defi te y a messy affair . All attempts to evict the starlings by conventional methods

. A to were unsuccessful bird lover came the rescue , by dis closing a startling fact; starlings could not endure the sounds A f of other starlings shrieking in fear . recording o frightened h m starlings was made immediately . T e results were im ediate

and gratifying . When the recording was played the previously unevictable — , feathered tenants made a hasty departure and ’ didn t return .

M o o d M us ic P f roviding background music in of ices , indus

t . trial plan s , restaurants , etc , is simple and S extremely economical through the use of a tape recorder . ince

the average recorder is already its own public address system , it is merely a matter of connecting the recorder to extension

— A. or for to P. speakers extensive installations , the regular - o n no system . Music pre recorded tape is w readily available

at a reasonable cost . A in E Ill photography store lgin , uses tape recordings for a double-barreled purpose— to create a pleasant atmosphere in the store and to advertise the tape recorders offered for

sale . Once or twice a week the owner takes a recorder home and The re records popular records played on his phonograph . on corder is taken back to the store the next day, placed a prominent counter and played continually throughout the day . ’ The volume is kept low enough so that it doesn t constitute r t to an annoying dist ac ion customers and clerks , but high GENERAL BUSINESS USES 89 T enough to attract attention . his same technique is being used by many larger organizations to provide music in lunch ffi es o c . rooms , reception , etc I n Ar V -in re lington , irginia , a drive restaurant uses tape The -in corded music to entertain customers in their cars . drive has combination speaker- transmitters — similar in appearance to the speakers found at outdoor movie theatres — which car cus tomers use to place their orders . Music from the tape recorder is played through the speakers continually , except when the customer pushes a button to transmit his order to the kitchen .

Ai -ho me Wo rk The standardization of tape recorders has proved a big assist to the at-home ld H work fie . ousewives who were once secretaries are now transcribing tape recorded dictation in their homes for busi ’ nessmen who don t have their own secretaries or need addi i n l t o a help . W l t of hi e regular dicta ion machines can , course , be used , there has always been the problem of lack of standardization f o o . T t such equipment hus , it formerly was necessary locate an at-home worker who had matching equipment to the dicta In w tion machine . addition , few house ives were in the position to purchase a single - use machine for this purpose alone— par ti cularly at prices that frequently ran from two to five times the cost of a versatile tape recorder .

Lib ra r y Res e a r c h The problem of making extensive notes in libraries has long been a headache for D e many researchers . ictating desired material into a tape r sim lifi s A corder p e the matter greatly . lmost all libraries have facilities where material can be recorded without disturbing readers . U se of a tape recorder for library research has two main — B advantages speed and simplicity . oth advantages result in - For better note ta ki ng . even the professional researcher there - of is a tendency toward over abbreviation data , both in the o n To n tes actually made and in the words put o paper . save time and effort the natural impulse is to omit as much writing 90 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

“ as possible, and commit to memory as much as possible . Trouble begms when the researcher leaves the library and re hi Hi turns to s desk . s memory stubbornly refuses to commit ’ what it should and the hieroglyphics on paper don t lend them r selves to ready t anslation . T ape recorders eliminate both problems . Quotes can be B read directly from the text . ecause this is so fast and easy, the researcher isn’ t faced with the problem of verbally abbrevi “ ” ” ating Constantinople into Cnstpl — as he probably would

on . As have done paper, much to his later regret a result, the

notes on tape are complete , accurate and comprehensible .

Ass embly Ins tr uc tio ns M achinery that must be assembled by the purchaser is often sent out

' f r i h o m w t . in kit , assembly instructions on a tape recording This can be particularly important in the case of equipment whi ch has custom - built features — because it tends to eliminate the unintentional damage which might result when someone who is familiar with similar but not identical equipment at I tempts to use conventional assembly procedures . ndividuals whose past experience makes them feel infallibly competent or to assemble , operate repair any equipment generally used field in their particular , are more likely to review tape recorded instructions than they are to read an instruction manual or letter . Tape-recorded instructions of a technical or mechanical nature can by no means be considered as an all -inclusive replacement for standard technical or service manuals on r complicated machinery and equipment . Schematics and wi ’ to re ing diagrams , for instance, don t lend themselves tape ’

o . But production on today s standard rec rders , tape still has a o valuable place as a supplement to a comprehensive , c stly W i o r modifications printed manual . hen m nor changes are made in a basic machine , changes in instructions can be han A dled and transmitted simply and economically o n tape . number of large machinery and equipment manufacturers are s hi of u ing t s method today, to save the cost reprinting and revising costly manuals when changes are of a minor nature .

92 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

can disrupt an entire organization by shattering employee m morale and breeding an at osphere of suspicion and distrust . Regardless of how hard he tries no employer will perma uently be able to conceal from hi s employees the fact that If hidden recorders are in use in the plant . the candid informa tion obtained from the hidden recorders is used to the overall benefi t of ni it the orga zation and everyone in , the employer is If using this technique wisely . the recordings are used as “evidence” to “trap” a disgruntled employee the employer is A di s inviting personnel problems in king size packages . gruntled employee and a disloyal employee are by no means The necessarily the same . disgruntled employee may feel as he

does because of a management policy which needs changing . An astute employer might well profit considerably by taking on comments of remedial action the a disgruntled employee , f instead o on the employee himself . If hidden recorders are to be used for cloak and dagger to investigative purposes , it would be well check with legal counsel before using the recordings ofli cially— and sometimes n fli i ll — P u o c a y as the basis for disciplinary action . rofessional “ troublemakers are usually quite conversant with the law , and will take full advantage of possible loopholes which could con l ceivab y turn the tables on you .

Inf e r na l N e ws Repo rting A large manufacturing com pany uses a combination of the telephone and a tape recorder to disseminate important news

to employees . M essages are recorded on tape and played into the main T . o plant telephone system hear the message , the employee ffi t dials a special number on his o ce or sh0 p phone . Thir y calls can be handled simultaneously and an automatic counter re “ The cords each call . company has found this method of pass ” ing the word to be extremely effective internal public rela t ions .

P A. A mo difi cation of this technique is to use existing . facili “ ” f for . D o ties scheduled broadcasts uring rest periods , change

i . sh fts , lunch periods , etc , internal and external news is broad GENERAL BUSIN ESS USES 93

An f cast throughout the plant . advantage o this system is that an item considered to be of vital importance can be transmitted to all employees simultaneously . Material can be prepared in on for s ecifi ed advance and recorded tape release at a future , p

Repea t ed Phone M ess a g es One of the first appli cations of magnetic recording re peated phone messages — is still one of the most popular uses f e o a . Th a tape recorder, with m ny variations being used today of most common , course, is to offer time and weather informa tion when a special number is dialed . Newspapers who offer of special sports information , likewise , record scores ball games on tape and this information is played automatically to those who dial a special number . One of the most clever adaptations of this technique was D W C. . To the idea of a ashington , . , radio station announce a new program to radio time buyers in New York advertising “ ” “ agencies , the station sent secret messages with a Mailed in s rk The in the Pentagon po trna . letter inside said that the “ ” ’ formation was so hot that it couldn t be sent through the mails but that those interested could get all of the details i by dial ng a special number . Few could resist the temptation to learn what the secret T I was all about . hey dialed the special number . nto their ears poured a special tape recording giving all the details about the new program . M ost telephone companies are able to arrange

- similar set ups .

S a f et Wa rnin s T y g ape recorders , activated by foot pres

sure pads or photo electric cells , are being used by an increasing number of business organizations f to warn employers o danger zones . I n one plant where highly volatile chemicals are used a tape “ ” C fill recorder carries a no smoking warning . hemicals the l air with invisible odorless gases . Natura ly everyone working in the area is aware of the danger and observes the no smoking H regulation . owever, the automatically triggered tape recorder 94 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER serves as a highly effective warning for visitors or employees from other departments who enter the premises and are un f aware o the danger . T for t here is room humor, even in the grim business of safe y In uf warnings . a plant where man acturing processes and mate rials made smoking not disastrous but undesirable from the fire- o hazard standp int, employees had a favorite spot to hide ” I to sneak a smoke . t was decided that something should be A t . done about the situa ion hidden recorder, automatically o t triggered , was the answer . Just ab u the time the unsuspect “ first ing employee inhaled his drag , a reproachful , injured , “ ” “ ’ e o Aw M ac ou disappoint d v ice would say, , , y know you re ” no t supposed to smoke in here . Any day now some enterprising pers onnel manager will

on . carry this one step further, and use it dilatory workers ’ Every five minutes a tape recorder in the women s rest room “ ’ H ho ho back will break out with the song, eigh , heigh , , it s to work we go or a concealed recorder behind the drinking “ o So I fountain will periodically s und off, , men , there was , flat ’ 2 D n on 0 000 . o t o to my back at feet g back work yet, let me ni h r fi s my sto y .

Vo ic e S ug g es tio n Bo x In s ome factories a tape recorder has been used as an effective sub sti f r o o tute o the conventi nal suggestion b x . Instead of writing out suggestions and dropping them in tt the box, the employee merely pushes a bu on which activates a tape recorder and then dictates his suggestion into a micro A fir o . st phone fter the few days , practical j kers and pranksters have relieved themselves of the urge to wisecrack insensible inanities and even unattended , unmonitored recorders are used only for bona fide suggesti ons . The quality as well of the quantity of good suggestions usually increases when a recorder is used to replace the reg “ ’ ” “ ’ ” o r i ular box . Many employees who either can t don t l ke to ro write, have excellent ideas concerning the manufacturing , p For duction or admini stration done in their departments . real

96 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

D fi rm expenses . espite a belief in the value the conventions all of had for the individual salesman , the costs of bringing its fi nall key agents to each convention y became prohibitive . Ou an experimental basis the company sound technician was ” given the assignment to cover a complete convention on tape . All the major speeches were recorded . Many of the panel dis ussion o n c s were also put tape . When the convention ended

the technician edited his tapes into one consolidated package . A three - day convention was telescoped into roughly four hours “ ” of e — a ll f tap recording four hours o which were solid meat . “ ” When the tapes were dupli cated and sent on a round robin basis to the fi eld representatives the results were amazing and “ ” the individual reception of the canned convention was in Th offi o credible . e home ce received requests fr m men who wanted to keep the tapes , permanently, even if they had to pay for them . Today it is possible to employ special companies who make of or a business recording conventions , sound technicians on R s the company payroll can be given the assignment . egardles of which method of convention coverage is decided upon , two factors are basic to the ultimate success of the coverage . S trangely enough , they have practically nothing to do with the t of ac ual mechanics of recording , although, course , the tapes must be of sufii cient audio fidelity to make speeches intel i l gible . The two important factors are : 1 ) intelligent editing of the distribution t original tapes ; and, effective of the edi ed tapes l to company personnel in the fie d . ll A of Conventions usua y last at least two days . lot tape can W run past the recording head in that time . ith due respect to not ever thin both convention speakers and delegates , y g uttered from the platform or floor can honestly and realistically be l f The c assifi ed as priceless pearls o wisdom . edited tapes should contain absolutely no hint of filibustering or the other inanities that occasionally creep into convention dissertations . W e x hen the dited tapes have been thoroughly e purgated , sufficient copies should be duplicated so that all interested em ployees can hear them within a reasonable time period . N oth GENERAL BUSINESS USES 97

’ ing can get quite so stale as last year s convention heard by otfi Dr G n the branch ce staff in East y ulch ext year .

Ho me Dic ta tion N ot every businessman has the perspicac ity ( or the muscle power ) to carry a dic ever U tating machine home with him y night . nfortunately it is invariably the night he leaves the machine at the offi ce that the answer to a previously insoluble problem or just the right ” B reply to a controversial letter pops into mind . y morning, ’ back at the offi ce— and the dictating machine — it s popped out agam . The solution would have been a tape recorder at home— to ifi e e match the one at the c c . F w businessmen can force them selves to sit down and write sudden inspirations on paper after ’ E they ve been home an hour or two . ven fewer are successful “ ” t in convincing their wives to take a letter . Bu it is a simple o matter to turn on the rec rder, push the button and start talk “ ” L o . hot ing ittle time is consumed, almost no eff rt , and the

— idea is permanently captured W hile it is still sizzling . At the otfice the next morning it is a simple matter for Miss office ear Jones to put the tape on the recorder, plug in the phone and start typing . H o to t one at aving a tape rec rder at home , ma ch the the offi ce m first , is not nearly as extravagant as it might see at In i ' thought . the f rst place , it will be used for many purposes other than recording dictation important projects such as “ ” k off or recording the children , ta ing programs the radio , livening up a house party by making secret recordings of un See C An o . d suspecting guests ( hapter then , on the m re ’ one practical side , it probably won t cost you cent; either the company will pay for it or else it will wind up on your expense account .

S o und Tr uc ks All good po liticians can attest to the func tional effi cacy of a tape recorder installed in a sound truck . While the politician is busy making a pers onal TV o r rr appearance on a radio show, the sound truck can ca y his message— in hi s own voice— down the streets and into the “ ” o r i fr nt yard of eve y house in his d strict . 98 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

The conventional businessman can makegood use of tape

o o too . R o s rec rdings in s und trucks , etail st res can use the e “ ” o m bile broadcasting systems to advertise storewide specials , E r re cleara nce sales and other important events . nte prising “ ” tailers have made arrangements to sponsor community l n r s . N o e o events , uch as football and baseball games atural y “ two commercials find their way into the sound track of the general comments emanating from the speaker horns on the Th - truck . e commercials are pre recorded and given to the for t s or owner of the truck, playing ei her at stipulated interval at the discretion of whoever is handling the mi crophone inside

the truck .

S o und Effec ts There are times when certain sounds are unique to a product o r a process of manu F facture . requently these sounds can be used quite effectively h o . W in radio , television or motion picture advertising y g to the expense of having an outside agency come into your sh0 p to on own ? get something you can get yourself , your tape recorder R m di i ecently, a co pany which operates ven ng mach nes to wanted include in a training movie it was making , the sound of a coin dropping through the coin mechanism in a Th vending machine . is sound is unique and would be recog niz ed instantly by anyone who works with vending machines

even if no machine were visible when he heard the sound . The problem was solved merely by taking a tape recorder into ’ o the c mpany s repair shop , dropping a coin into the mechanism

and recordi ng the results . Of o t c urse , there are times when sound effec s can be simu l In t artifi cia . o lated by devices fact, there are ac ually ccasions “ ” ’ when they should be— because the real s ounds don t sound ’ But o must authentic . , if y u ve got a sound effect that be used “ ” as is a tape recorder will get it for you nine times out of ten .

M echa nic a l Perf o rma nc e Eva lua tio n Binaural tape re cordi ngs combined with high speed cinematography are being used by a leading

“ automobile manufacturer to make laboratory evaluations of

IOO HOW TO USE A ‘ TAPE RECORDER

For many an idea man , the tape recorder has proven to be I the answer . deas can be recorded as fast as you can talk much faster than moving a pen over a note pad even if ’ you re a shorthand whiz . One businessman , who claims that he i gets his most brill ant ideas while shaving , has installed a tape recorder in his bathroom and talks his head off while dragging hi H a razor across s stubborn stubble . e probably gets plenty “ ” of o unintelligible w rds and a few ouches , but he swears that ff the idea has paid o in his business . The of or most popular use a tape recorder as a mem y master, B however, is in the automobile . ack in the days when old Dobbin could do most of the thinking while traveling from

place to place , it was a simple matter to read or jot down notes ’ ffi . But tra c while enroute with today s and high speeds , hands o and eyes are needed t preserve life and limb . A tape recorder with either a microphone or foot pedal

- — otI ou switch utilizes about the only faculty left the mouth . ’ It s a simple matter to set the tape to moving and record ideas which can be transcribed by a secretary or played back for It further consideration later in the day . may take a few days to get adjusted to the not-too -difli cult requirements of this type of o recording, but th se who use it regularly report that it soon

becomes simple and practical . The tape recorder in the car als o provides an excellent op ort unit to of s p y review recorded minutes busines meetings , ’ l i fin s s a esmen s o br e . rep rts , technical g , etc Recently an organization in California started a program of providing doctors with tape recorded digests of medical articles ” which they can review as they drive between calls — about “ ” - the only free time in their ever busy schedule . There are few tips we can offer on the mechanics of using a tape recorder as a memory master— except to caution you not I to become discouraged at the outset . t takes some time to get used to talking aloud to yourself— and even more time to get the knack of organizing your thoughts for storing on a roll of ‘ fi rst . As tape we said in an earlier chapter, however, the very letter you dictated was by no means the easiest letter you ever “ ” A . s wrote in everything else worth while, persistence pays GENERAL BUSIN ESS USES IOI off i with big d vidends , and learning to use a tape recorder as a

' memory mastei is no exception to the rule .

Entert a inme nt While Tra veling The tape recorder even provides a medium of entertainment for those who travel— either for business or “ re- pleasure . P recorded programs can be packed in the suit case or briefcase and played back to fill otherwise idle and bor r ing moments spent in motel o hotel rooms . “ ” Pre- recording can be done either by you or by the com If panies whi ch specialize in the production of such tapes . you do it yourself you spend nothing but your time and the cost of h If o - l t e . u tape y buy a pre recorded tape you , of course , wi l “ ” spend more money for your entertainment . One distinct advantage to using your own recorder and ’ tapes for entertainment while traveling is that it doesn t cost ’ It s n s you a quarter every ti me you want music . ot o much the ou know quarter, but when you use your own machine, y the ’ “ ” instrument isn t going to run o ut of time right in the middle “ ’ o of the program , as so frequently happens when y u re listen ing to the radio or watching a TV program on coin - operated machines in a motel or hotel . ide a Exc ha ng e A Lo s Angeles organization involved in an extensive direct selling operation uses tape recorded idea sessions for turning good ideas into better ones and for finding the loopholes in basic sales ideas of dubious value . Being national in scope the company has strategically lo c ated offi ces N e ro branch throughout the country . w sales or p motional ideas are recorded by the originator ( not always the home office ) and sent to other branches for evaluation and comment . This system offers dual b enefits : 1 ) from a recording sent by a group in the southeast, a group in the northeastern part of the U nited States may learn somethi ng of value which it can apply to its own sales efforts ; 2 ) the group which receives the recording may have previously tried the same or a similar

CHAPTER 1 0

NON -BUSIN ESS US ES FOR THE TAPE RECORDER

WHILE THI S book is intended as a guide to the applications o of the tape recorder as a modern business machine , it w uld be “ ” - an oversight not to include a brief list of non business uses . V o i r ery frequently, the same rec rder wh ch pe forms daily mir otfice or finds o acles in the , factory store its way into the h me at night for double duty . A ctually, there have probably been far more home uses de veloped for the versatile tape rec order than business applica I tions . t has become a popular medium of entertainment a device for training children a helpful tool a way to o record for posterity sounds which, unless rec rded , are lost forever . The fact that almost any member of the family can operate and use a tape recorder has become one of its primary selling T - points . his has brought a many sided effort in the develop of ment home uses .

PARTY GAM ES Party occasions are when the tape recorder in the home N really comes into its own . ever before has there been avail | 07 IOB HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

“ able a tool so useful as a cornerstone for interesting and um usual party features . The tape recorder takes over where the once -popular home

o . For m vies or stereopticon slides left off , unlike these previ ousl y popular devices , the tape recorder presents an excellent opportunity for the guests to actually participate in all phases f o an entertainment activity . N 0 list could possibly record all of the many new and excit ing party games whi ch have been developed by the proud f Th owners o tape recorders . e list we present here can serve only as a starting point from which readers can develop their o n w favorite party uses for their recorder . of One note caution should be sounded immediately, how The e ever . tape recorder can b come the demon which home movies and the stereopticon once became if it is forced on To ff . e guests at every occasion be most ective , it should be used sparingly— and preferably in a new and different way each time . ” “ i f M Being new and d f erent can also be a handicap . any an otherwise pleasant evening of fun has been ruined by the for failure of the host to allow adequate preparation . What seems like an excellent idea at the moment of conception often And t . falls flat when put to ac ual test , if that actual test is d r o after frien s have cong egated , it can be the sp iler of the ’ ” It s o entire party. just like the old days when the home m vie bug forced everyone into the darkened parlor and then found ’ that the projector wasn t working or that all of the films needed to be spliced or rewound . A o of fi ctually, tape recorder miscues can be even m re a asco since the guests are called upon not only to act as an audience out - ( with home movies , when the lights are , a non snorer too o could get away with a quick snooze if things got b ring ) , h “ ” but as part of t e cast as well . P erhaps this general checklist, although not applicable to every party game or stunt, can serve as a guide to help prevent a fouled —up evening due to recorder failures :

”0 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

of so to from one part the room to another, the best test is have everything in the same position as will be used during the T 1 if party . hen try it out using different vo ce levels and , pos of who sible, different voices of the same types as those guests O ’ i will participate in the game . nce you ve determ ned the proper levels , it is best to mark them on the recorder with a grease pencil or a piece of paper Scotch -taped around the re cording volume control knob . 5 N eed s ecial s ou d e ects? If s . n o p ff , they should all be tried out in advance and the equipment placed in a location where it can be quickly obtained when required . N ow , some games

' Wha t s Tha t S o und ? One of the best— and most simple methods to get started using your tape recorder as a source of party entertainment is a guessing S game built around common sounds . trangely enough , when there is nothing visual to go with a particular sound— even though you may hear it every day — it is frequently difficult to determine just what it is . T of his game , course , requires some preparation in advance , lo f - The first but not a t o time consuming effort . best idea is to f Be r t make a list o sounds to be guessed . su e o include both easy -to - guess and hard - to - guess sounds to make sure that every guest is able to come up with some answers — but not all of them . Without too much effort you should be able to line up at least 20 or 3 0 different sounds which can be recorded easily . D ’ on t try to include too many different sounds in a single game , or however, your guests will have forgotten their thoughts in determining the source of the sounds before you have an oppor tunity to play back the recording and check their answers . For i of answering , each guest should be g ven a slip paper ’ with a number for each sound and don t forget to have plenty of pencils or pens available for those who come without T their own . hen , as each sound is played , the guests write on down their guesses as to what it is their slips of paper . N ON -BUSINESS USES FOR THE TAPE RECORDER I I I

When recording the sounds it will help if you preface each “ ”

o h T i I s S N . rec rding wit something like, h s ound umber One Then be sure to record enough of the sound to make sure every o it If t guest has a go d opportunity to hear . necessary , repea it If ou i o three or four times . y have t me, and are clever en ugh , you may want to add a few clues to help identify the sound

too too . but, of course, not many to make it easy “ ” If you want to keep the game o u schedule you can ins ert a blank space on the tape of any determined length before T o introducing and playing the next sound . wenty sec nds is ’ first about the minimum time for guessing, although if it s the time the game has been played it may easily take a minute per guess . Here are a few suggesti ons for easy-to-record sounds

Dialing a telephone Striking a wooden match U ncorking a bottle An egg beater whipping cream ShutHing cards The buzz of a TV set warming up An egg frying Blowing up and busting a paper bag ’ A baby s rattle Turning the pages of a newspaper A running shower The fi z z of an Alka-Seltzer An electri c fan A ping-pong ball bouncing on the floor Switching on a li ght The click of a camera shutter U nlocking a door A toilet flushing ( always good for a laugh ) Sawing woo d Pounding a nail with a hammer Pouring liquid Washing a pan with a Chore Girl Sharpening a knife Water boiling Brushing teeth Vacuum cleaner

S in finitel o uch a list can go on de y . Just l ok around and ’ nd I n f fi . t ot o to you ll many additions is necessary , course , t limit yourself o sounds found around the house . You can move outside with the tape recorder and find a whole new

area of possibilities . One interesting variation is to record common sounds around town — and here the possibilities get

really endless . I I 2 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

M us ic a l Q uiz There are several different kinds of musical quizzes which can be played with a tape of recorder . Most them follow the same basic pattern as “ ’ VVhat s That Sound? Guests are given numbered slips of paper and then asked to identify porti ons of musical selec Th e ti ons . e key to th success of such games is to record jus t for o it enough of a number the guests to rec gnize , but not If enough to completely identify it . the recording has a vocal on it the - o o o s of , the best bet is to record only non v cal p rti n the record . To get your musical selections you can use your own record or o o di or Be to collection rec rd fr m the ra o TV . sure write ’ down an exact description of the selection so that you ll have f the right answers the night o the party . Probably the most popular musical quiz is to use portions of popular numbers that were Hit Parade favorites in years past but be sure not to go back beyond the memory of the youngest It ho member of the party . will be surprising w familiar the melody of most numbers will be— and how hard it is to remem ber the title . You can add variety to this game by asking guests to name In o f the or . u o band vocalist such cases y can include , course , vocal portions of a recording . Sometimes it is helpful to offer “ ” some hints as to the identity of the person or group to be guessed . For o o o many gr ups , classical music is a m re appr priate choice . Selected portions of symphonic and operatic records I im are . t are taped , using passages that typical or familiar is portant, however, to avoid dead giveaways such as the opening ’ f B if h S v o t . notes eethoven s F ymphony Ob iously, classical music quizzes should be limited to groups where all guests are acquainted with music of this nature- and in such cases certain passages are far too obvious to make the guessing

m There are still other variations on this theme . Some of the include asking the guests to name the year in which a tune was popular the stage musical or movie from which a num

“4 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER have him or her make a recording in a disguised voice— giving r If o . to a few clues as to who he she is possible , it is best make this recording before the party so no guests have an oppor nit find tu y to out who is making the recording . As i soon as the guests have all assembled , play the record ng and announce that a prize will be given at the end of the identifi es In party to the person who the mystery person . order to o make a guess , the guests will have to mix and ask s me — be questions and , as a result, should get to know each other If “ ” . to fore the evening is over you want speed up the mixing, ou of — u to o y can , course , set a time limit but be s re all w enough time for each guest to make the rounds . Ask the guests to write down their guesses on pieces of paper — of Th own . e o including, course , their names mystery pers n

to e . W will, of course , have to pretend mak a guess hen all in off r guesses are , replay the recording and read all the answe s “ ” before identifying the mystery voice . B ne Y u etter be prepared for more than o correct answer . o can award duplicate prizes or have the mystery guest draw a h A t winner from those w o guessed correctly . nother me hod of winner selecti on is to indicate the time when each guess is in— or in The turned the order in which they are turned . win n firs r o e t . ner, then , is the who made the co rect guess

Hidden M ike Probably the oldest of tape recorder party “ ” games is the most simple of all . Just hide a o to t on micr phone close a spot where guests congregate , urn f T the recorder and let it play the role o an eavesdr opper . his is usually good for plenty of laughs — particularly in groups where a recorder is still a novelty . ” To One big problem in such a stunt is dead air . overcome this it is often practical to have a conversation pepper-upper He who knows about the recording and keeps things rolling . ’ of o should, course, never let on that there s a micr phone pres ent,but in certain cases he can fill the dual role of censor to make sure that any off- color or p articularly embarrassing re marks are not played back . Another method of control is to have someone in another N ON -BUSIN ESS USES FOR THE TAPE RECORDER I I5 room listening to the recording as it is made— either with ear “ lo T phones or the speaker at a w volume . his recording engi ” neer can start and stop the recorder to eliminate dead spots no - If or remarks that are t suitable for play back . more than “ one microphone is available , this engineer can shift from one — A mike to another often with various humorous results . mixing panel is desirable , but good results can sometimes be obtained one ne by merely unplugging mike and plugging in another o . The hidden mike stunt should only be used with a group that already is acquainted— and which has a good sense of “ ” One — humor . sour apple can spoil such a stunt and the party with it .

’ G o ss ip Here s a quickie that takes a minimum of prepara tion yet can provide lots of laughs and gives

everyone a chance to participate . t - o Did You start with a ypical back fence g ssip item like , ’ you hear that Mable Applegait s mother has ki cked her young ’ ” est son out of the house because he won t lo ok f for a job? Y ou whi sper this piece of gossip— or anything else yo u think oi — to i to the person next to you , who in turn wh spers it another u g est . A microphone can be passed from guest to guest as the tale makes the rounds so that the actual passing of gossip can be ’ or i recorded , if th s isn t practical , each guest can imme diately go to a stationary microphone ( located where others won’t hear what is being recorded ) and repeat what has been on told to him before passing the gossip to another guest . As soon as the last guest has recorded hi s version of the T story, have him repeat it to the group . hen play the recording ’ n l back . You ll be amazed at the fi a version of the original story — and listening to the changes as they took place provides a lot i of enterta nment .

It Ta pe 0 S to ry This game has many variations . can be played by as few as two peo ple or a large ’

I ol fireside . group . t brings the d story teller s art up to date One of the most common varieties is to select a theme for ”6 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

The firs the story and decide upon an opening episode . t nar of rator goes out the room and records this episode , adding a “ ” n H e chapter of his ow . stops his narration in the middle of a sentence and tells the next narrator only the recorded part of this last sentence as a clue to what he has said . Each guest tapes an additional chapter” in this fashion and the last nar T rator records a conclusion . hen the story is played back for the amusement of all .

not M - Secrecy is absolutely necessary . any party goers like to join in recording a story made up on the spot as the mike is U passed from guest to guest around a circle . sually each story teller adds an episode and tries to make it tough for the next ff in line to take up where he left o . “ ” In Tape a Story games it is usually best to decide upon a theme or conclusion to the story before turning on the re T corder . his helps to keep things running smoothly . T ’ . P here s no need to stick to prose , however oetry can be on he composed the spot in t same manner .

Add a Line A sli ghtly different version of the story-telling game is to start with all but the conclusion of a l i immer ck or . E story, , poem , song , a simple statement ach guest then reads the part already composed and adds his own end ’ The ing . recording should be done where others won t hear The t t of what is said . varie y in conclusions will provide plen y entertainment when played back to the entire group .

Thespia ns AH All sorts of radio - style acting can become

party entertainment with a tape recorder .

— The Y ou can start with any kind of script or no script at all . game can be serious or all in fun— and either way can make a tape recorder well worth its cost.

Probably the most fun is to make up a play as you go along .

Thi s usually starts by havi ng everyone suggest a character . These characters are then written on slips o f paper and each Th - guest draws for a part . e mix ups in casting which result can add a note of fun before the recording actually begins .

”8 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

’ s If microphone about them elves than a large group . you re the ou collector type, y can build up an interesting guest album by saving these recordings . There are many other ways to use interviews as party enter n tai ment . One good method is to take a specific question serious or silly— and then get the views of each guest on the S subject . uch interviews can be conducted either before the E entire group or in private . ven if the group has heard all the ’ answers while they re being recorded , the playback is always good entertainment— and lots of fun if replayed at a subse ' quent party with the same guests .

’ S c a ve ng er Hunts Here s a game that is growing in popu larit It y by leaps and bounds . requires at least two tape recorders — preferably portables with a self contained power source . Party guests are divided into teams — the number of teams of o E depending upon the number rec rders available . ach team f t is given a similar list o sounds to be recorded and a time limi . ’ n From that point they re o their own . In making the list of sounds to be recorded be sure to avoid sounds which can easily be imitated and beware of anyone who has access to a s ound effects library . ’ There s practically no end to the sounds which can be listed . For example : Train whistle Fire engine or ambulance siren Dog’ s bark Cash register ringing up sale Someone who speaks Chi nese A talking parrot or parrakeet Cat’s meow A bird call ’ A horse s neigh An airplane take - oif Church bells or clock Ship ’s whistle or horn Telephone coin box registering deposit of a quarter N ON -BUSIN ESS USES FOR THE TAPE RECORDER ”9

Someone playing a specific tune on a tuba Train announcement in a railr oad station Screech of brakes Voice of some specific person Jack-hammer breaking concrete Policeman’s whistle Whirr of a dentist’s drill An outboard motor in use ’ It s obvious that there are hundreds of s ounds which can be i P added to th s list . oints should be awarded for each sound diffi cult In depending upon how it is to obtain . making up the list it is best to include more sounds than can possibly be T t recorded in the time allowed . his will force the teams o try to arrange their schedules to the best advantage and help pre vent two or more teams showing up at the same spot at the same time . One important word of warning : be sure that some member of each team is fully acquainted with the mechanics of operat ing a tape recorder and be sure that he is given a briefing on s eci a the p fic t pe recorder he or she will use . It often adds interest to the recordings if the team is re “ ” quired to add a recorded note after each sound has been n recorded , telling how and where it was obtai ed . If i too th s game is involved , there are many simple varia Th f t f com it . e o o o tions of easiest, course , is make up a list ’ O : mon household sounds . ther ideas a list of individuals

o . voices ; musical selections ; s und effects , etc

Ta pe Ro ule tt e A tape recorder can prove to be a good sub The to stitute for a roulette wheel . idea is — not record a series of numbers on the tape in numerical order, but scrambled up . The tape is then played at fast forward or It fast rewind speeds and suddenly stopped . is then played The first forward at the normal speed . full number heard is

. Or the winning number , to add more suspense , it can be the o r second, third fourth number heard . In for making the recording this game , it is important to allow from two to five seconds between numbers so that there IZO HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

o If will be no questi n as to the winner . the numbers are re t corded too closely together, it is possible to hear the ail end of one m nu ber and then , immediately, another complete num In o h ber . such a case it is ften hard to determine w o should P “ ” f . o win roper spacing numbers eliminates this . T of i his same technique can , course , be appl ed to any game B for n which requires a drawing . ingo , i stance , can be played T by reco rdi ng the numbers . here will likely be some repetition “ ” of numbers , but it is a simple matter to select a new number by letting the tape run forward until a previously unselected number is heard .

FiH-ih the Bla nks Here is another quiz game which takes “ on added sparkle when played with a

— tape recorder . Questions are recorded in advance just like the musical selections in one of the musical quizzes men ti oned The earlier . guests then put down the answers on a slip of paper after listening to a playback of each question . With the recorder it is possible to introduce more variety i . e a into a quiz than is normally possible Musical sel ctions ,

o . to mous quotations , identifying s unds , etc , can be used add variety . One of the best ideas is to give incomplete statements and fill As ou have the guests in the missing words . an example , y - T can record the vocal from a well known song . hen select ’ It s certain words and erase just this portion of the tape . now “ ” up to those playing the game to fill in the erased words . The ou more dramatic y can make the quiz , the more valuable

be . Y ou a tape recorder can can pretend , for instance , that you are a newscaster describing important events from his Y ou tory . treat the subject just as though you were on the scene— leaving out only the names of the person or people ’

T for . involved . hat s the guests to guess Y ou for Th t . is same twis can be used in many ways can , another example , describe famous cities as though you were on the spot or you can pretend that you are conducting interviews with famous personali ties . “ ” Most of these things would be pretty diffi cult to do live

IZZ HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

games and try to visualize how a tape recorder can be used for ’

it . o r at how i o Y u ll be su prised many appl cati ns there are .

TAPE R ECO R DE R HOBBIES

A to t tape recorder can be a wonderful asset many hobbyis s . Some of the more obvious hobby uses include the recording of

etc . bird calls , jazz , folk songs , A l for ctually, tape recording itse f has become a hobby many . Sometimes it is tape recording alone and for others it is as f A o t . o a part other elec ronics hobbies tape rec rder, for ex “ ” fo li F o r fide t . or ample , is c nsidered a must the high y fan “ ” the so - called ham radioman , a tape recorder is another piece o of gear to add new dimensi ns to his favorite pastime . Other hobbyists can make good use of tape recordings to “ ” exchange sound letters with hobby information minutes of club meetings and talks by guest speakers sound to go

with pictures . . etc . For o the the photographer, a tape rec rder presents ideal method for adding sound to his pictures — either stills or motion pictures . For or to of the stamp coin collec r, the magic tape helps save time and trouble in communicating with other collectors H e l hr his t . o at distan points can quick y g t ough duplicates , “ ” for t example , listing them on ape and arrange swaps with h fellow collectors w o answer by return tape . Bird watchers can swap the calls of native birds with their contemporaries in other areas . “ " ” A L o . t iars clubs can well , the idea is obvi us ape recorder can expand the horizons of any hobbyi st . But to t of o o the housands p pular h bbies , the tape recorder has added some new ones :

“ Ta pe Club s These clubs are composed of both the real tape ” bugs and just plain owners of tape recordings who like to get together and discuss tape recording and do interesting or unusual things with their recorders . N ON -BUSINESS USES FOR THE TAPE RECORDER I23

Activities of the various maj or tape clubs are reported tre quently in Tape Recording magazine ( published by M ooney Ro P c t o Inc S n P wan ubli a i ns , ever a ark,

Reco rded Auto g ra phs The old autograph book is giving way to the portable tape recorder with which the autograph hound captures words spoken by hi C s o . o fre friends , acquaintances and favorite her es llectors “ ” re- quently swap word autographs by recording .

S o und Hunting Another hobby which has developed as tape recorders have become more popular is the o i of s— not artifi cial o but c llect ng sound just s und effects , “ ” o on the o filed a the real thing, rec rded sp t and , sh red and

t o or tr s . raded like stamps , c ins ading card

Dis c uss ion b y M a il Still another application of the tape recorder in the hobby field is the de velo men s re t p t of tape di cussion groups . Many people a aking pet subjects and discussing them with others at distant points

o . E in t o ts by tape rec rdings ach person , urn , adds his c mmen to it o t ot a tape and sends al ng o an her .

Reco rded Histo ry A particularly fas cinating tape recorder “ ” o U hobby is collecting hist ry . sually The the collector records news reports from radio broadcasts . l rs l tapes are edited and fi ed according to subj ects . Othe wil t s in r i record ac ual event thei l ves .

“ ” Ra dio Quite similar to Recorded History is the collecti on of f o s So ist col any kind o radio br adcast . me hobby s “ ” lect only an individual series of programs ; others just radio n in ge eral . B of the t of the o i ecause rela ive newness rec rder, its appl ca s o o e U o tion as a h bby t ol have y t to be fully explored . nd ubt e el dly it will continue to become more important in this fi d . HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

BU ILDIN G TAPE ALBU M S

The tape recorder really assumes a role of importance for “ the owner when applied to the task of producing tape al S on . B bums uch albums can take many forms . asically, they “ ” “ ” o are the sound counterpart of the visual phot graph album . And , just like a photograph album , they can cover many sub e j cts . As of a matter fact, tape albums frequently become a supple

— ment to photograph collections or vice versa . Sound is meant “ to go with the sight and can certainly help to recapture fond mem n o es . It would be impossible to catalog all of the potential uses P for a tape recorder in producing sound albums . robably the best way to visualize the possibilities is to go thr ough your own photo collection and figure out those pictures which would mean so much more if they were accompanied by a tape “ ” I n i o n H recording . the prev ous section obbies , several possi biliti e s were mentioned . To help explain the potential of this application for tape r one t — a recorde s , consider just possibili y sound album of your V r on o next vacation . acation t ips take a new dimensi n with the addition of a tape recorder— either coupled with a camera A ( motion picture or still ) or by itself . complete sound record of the vacation can be accomplished with less effort than tak ing pictures . In most cases , the best job can be accomplished with a port Th f r t . o able uni with its own power supply is , cou se, enables you to record things beyond the reach of electrical power . Ho i e i wever, interest ng tape r cordings can be made w th any ’ f If i s r t o . t t ype unit a vaca ion trip by automobile, an inve ter unit in the car can provide a recording studio that follows wherever you go . The first time around will probably produce the same type of results which the camera bug gets on his first vacation trip — tu of i o with a camera too many pic res , many wh ch w uld be l 26 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

’ Don t try to produce the finished recording until you have Th all of the tapes recorded . e last thi ng reco rded may be the ll best of a . “ Save the narrative links — the words which will tie the — t o If ou whole story together un il all editing has been d ne . y tr to t ou o ou to y add hese comments as y g along , y are likely find that the album becomes far too long . Keep a complete record— including actual recording time oi everything put on tape and be sure to mark all reels n ifi n with adequate ide t catio . If t s the recordings are to be linked with pho ograph , edit your picture collection fi rst and then add the sound to go with

it . Y ou t i may wan to revise the whole thing several t mes , but in the long run you will find that the pictures available will “ ” se t the pace . ’ Don t give up if your first stab at a recorded vacation al ’ o ho bum is a failure . Y u ll be surprised at how s oon you learn w “ ” o he o f t work t bugs ut o the operation . While we have suggested that you look to your photograph ’

o . collection for basic ideas for tape albums , d n t stop there M any people obtain a great deal of pleasure from recordings that have nothing to do with pictures . ” For ou t i o t t example , y migh l ke to rec rd a hough a day keep a diary on tape develop a collection of your favorite - - or records on a few , easy to play tape recordings ( , as some ’ t of o have done, make a ape album your friends fav rite rec

The . ords ) . possibilities are endless

THE TAPE R ECO RDE R AS A HO U S E HOLD TOOL

’ Only one s own imagination sets a practical limit to the co untless uses to whi ch a tape recorder can be put as a valu It oo able household tool . can jog the memory, s the jangled r nerves , supervise housekeepers , baby sitters and t adesmen, serve as a baby alarm and even cut the cost of the monthly phone bill . Consider the use of a tape recorder as an aura! blackboard or o - old o n te pad , replacing the kitchen blackboard as the h me ’ It t o oo t s t message center . s hard o verl k a has ily cribbled no e N ON -BUSINESS USES FOR THE TAPE RECORDER I27

r ord d n A o when its been ec e o the tape machi ne . family so n develops the habit of checking the recorder regularly when o ’ they co me h me and nobody else is in the house . Where s i — or Dad— or M om— o r S o Jun or , did usie receive a ph ne call while she was at the store? A flick of a switch can answer ’ n these questions if they re o tape . Odds are the information will be more detailed than it would have been in written form — W M off and usually much more decipherable . hen other goes o i u shopping bef re the k ds ret rn home from school , she can

. Or leave full instructions , if a bridge game might extend o F o thr ugh supper time , Mama can give ather the sad w rd via tape before she leaves — along with instructions on what shelf to check in the refrigerator . When it comes to getting through s ome of the monotonous o of the o ch res day, a tape recorder can g far toward making the load bearable and , possibly, even a bit pleasant . Music can ’ make your mood! Y ou choose the mood you want— or don t — e want and music can help you t your desire . This fact has . g been proven by no less a group of experts than the staff of the undatio n of e Add to Founda Music Research Fo N w York . the ’ tion s findings the discoveries made by an eminent psychologist musician who heads the music department at one of the na ’ o tion s leading universities , and you have a virtual catal gued “ ” recipe book of literal mood music you can store on tape for t If t r ir use when the situa ion warrants . you awaken i ed and ritable o tr to finale of the Wil in the m rnings , y listening the liam T ll verture F S e O . ollow that by a couple of ousa marches Stars and Stripes Forever and the Was hington Post M arch and you should be ( accordi ng to psychological tests ) well on the way toward a pleasant disposition for the remainder of the ’ If r day . you re nervous o jittery when you come home from “ ” ’ of work , skip to the portion your mood tape where you ve Rha sod in Blue o Claire de previously recorded p y , foll wed by Lune fi r M o nli ht So The and the st movement of the o g nata . ’ fact is — and it s a proven fact— music can have a therapeutic The value . mechanics of the therapy are considerably simpli fied for if the music is put on tape and kept , ready immediate use . W o - s o e ith a tape rec rder, the weight con ci us housewif no I28 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

’ longer has to plan her entire day s schedule around the “L W ” a m . W D r on i adies , atch Your eight and iet prog am , wh ch the expert describes various exercises and then calls cadence h for their execution . S e can record several of the programs on — o - — tape descripti ns and cadence counts , both and have them for tt ready use earlier or later in the day, at a time which be er coincides with her preferred schedule . Recorders are excellent tools for establishing a schedule or M ’ to . On om D conveying instructions others , too and ad s night u for o t r tt . Dur , complete inst uctions can be left the baby si er M om ing the day, when will be gone at the time the plumber difficulties e arrives , she can recite the to the tape record r and the plumber can get the full story o n which faucet is dripping or which drain is plugged and what the family would like to have done about the trouble . Obviously the same technique is applicable to instructions for the once - a -week maid or any other individuals who would normally work under the super f - vision o an at home housewife . C i t t o heck ng on infan s is another capabili y of a tape rec rder, ’ ! D - and it isn t even necessary to use tape uring nap time , a mother can go about her business in other parts of the house and still hear every whimper or sound coming from the nurs h : The ery . T e method is simple recorder is placed just outside o t the ro m , wi h the mike plugged in and placed inside the r nursery next to the crib . With the volume cont ol turned up i am lifi ed h gh, any sound the baby makes will be p considerably o b s so that mother, in a distant r om , can come running if she ear an unusual noise . One thr ifty family in the East has used their recorder to economize on the phone bills which usually mount up during “ ” to of holidays , when they call home the rest their family, “ Th com which happens to be on the West Coast . e calls are a ” t P0 muni y project, with everyone from p to the family parrakeet Six t o participating in the conversation . minu es t tal was the h B i r t e . maximum time allotted for call efore call ng , eve yone “ ” — The had their say ou tape . total recording was timed and “ ” revisions were made in the pat speeches to allow time for The s answers and comments from the other end . sy tem worked

I3O HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

— E near the organ will also be needed . xclusive of the time it to the takes set up the mikes and recorder before the wedding, recording session tends to run about 45 minutes — the length of The l the average ceremony . recordings usual y begin with the chiming of church bells or the organ music played while guests It . U are being seated ends with the recessional music . sually the quality of the overall recording is considerably enhanced Th by editing . e editing may be simply the deletion of any “ extraneous noises o r it may involve the addition of post of recorded commentary which includes names the bridal pair, cos their parents , the minister and soloist and describes the

tumes -b - of the bridal party, and the step y step progress of

events . Church sermons are another example of a special event E many tape recorder owners have successfully recorded . aster C r reli i and h istmas sermons , as well as the sermons of other g ous holidays make excellent inspirational records to add to ’ f In one s permanent collection o tape recordings . addition to o i r their obvious h me use in the relig ous education of child en , “ ” such recordings make excellent program material for semi A i r of re social meetings of church organizations . l bra y such cordings is also excellent for use in remote communities where r And in either there is no church o no regular minister . in ’ o ext vol stances where a minister s work l ad is remely heavy , unteer workers can help him service his congregation by taking ‘ the recordings into the home oi shut -ins who otherwise would “ not be able to get to church . “ ” Another example of a typical special event which lends The itself to tape recording is the home musicale . advent of “ ” hi-fi recording systems has considerably increased general f ‘‘ ” interest in classical music . Many in ormal clubs have been formed for the purpos e of spending an evening once or twice a “ U month to listen to a home concert . sually some member of “ ” the group acts as narrator and provides program notes for W ta on the selections played . hen the desired commen ry is tape i t tends to be more succinct and well organized than when “ ” A some member of the group does it live . nother advantage of having the entire musical on tape is that it can be retained N ON -BUSIN ESS USES FOR THE TAPE RECORDER | 3 |

for future use— with the preparation and effort being expended

o o . only nce, at the time the riginal recording was made

RECORDIN GS OF AN D FOR THE CHILDREN

“ Recordings of this type might be considered a M emory ” T A S . lbum in ound hey can also be quite utilitarian , depend ’ in D - g on how and when they are used . addy s tape recorded “ bed -time story will make interesting listeni ng 20 years from

— - now for D ad . Mom and , as well as the then grown offspring “ So - - f of O will birthday parties , brother and sister di ferences pin ” “ ” ion S S a of Bo or G S , unday chool or tions , recitals y irl cout

o . mott es , etc W of the ct to ith children , probably one most pra ical uses i wh ch the home tape recorder has been put, is to help solve f A f s o . o problem discipline playback a childish tantrum , for A t o example , can often work wonders on the errant child . na i n ally known magazine photographer and his wife rely heavily

on recorded sound to solve a sound problem . One evening “ ” when their two small youngsters began mixing it up ver of the bally, their parents unobtrusively made a tape recording W r entire event . hen the tu moil subsided the two boys were T called to the living room and exposed to the recording . heir - o shouts and crys , accusations and .counter accusati ns suddenly u f — materialized o t o nowhere nowhere except the recorder . The is first boys l tened , in bewilderment, then in amazement ( amazed at the silliness of what they heard ) and finally in T to amusement . hey had never realized how they sounded T finall o the re others . hey y began t laugh at themselves and T os cording was turned off . hat tape is considered a valuable p

. W session henever the boys begin to show storm signals , some n n Th e o o e in the family quickly turns o the tape recorder . b ys stop to listen— and laugh— and the storm subsides even before Fo r on it starts . practical reasons that particular tape is left i the re the recorder, ready for mmediate playback , whenever ’ ur M om Dad corder isn t in use for some other p pose . and t fi hts report hat innumerable incipient g have been stopped, simply by the flick of a switch . I32 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

The bed -time story is another area in which the tape re

. of i corder does an admirable job Many a parent, weary read ng Goldilocks and the Three Bears for the umpteenth time , has of A f found the magic the tape recorder a godsend . variety o ’ the child s favorites can be put on a single tape— ready for im mediate recitation whether o r not Dad or M om feel capable of ’ fulfillin - g Johnny s bed time demands . B ed - time tapes are also mighty handy for evenings when the - B - number one story teller is absent . aby sitters have found such tapes an invaluable aid when they undertake the sometimes monumental chore of getting the pride of the family firmly finall — An and y tucked into bed . d even when the chief story teller will be on hand at zero hour a tape recorder is still an asset— particularly for the narrator who fabricates hi s or her - A own tailor made epics . fter a responsive chord has been of r or struck with a certain type sto y character , the parent can compose additional episodes at leisure— without facing the “ ” problem of having to draw the next sentence out of the air

while young Janie o r Johnny wait with bated breath .

Birthday parties are another natural for the tape reco rder . “ ” The unique din of assorted small fry singing happy birthday o r discussing the relative merits and demerits of this party as n — compared with the o e last week at Mrs . Jones house where the cake had green frosting— may be trying on the ears at the

. or t t time Five, ten twen y years la er it will be a priceless treas

ure in s ound . N ot o t or nly that, but it is an unimagina ive unresponsive ’ or P Mama apa who , having a tape recorder, doesn t begin to record the career of hi s child on tape — from the first lusty yell

in the hospital crib to graduation day at college . Tape captures all these s ounds perfectly— and preserves them intact with um

changing fidelity through the years . T to l li ape recorders can do much, also , faci itate and simp fy “ ” the process of home education . Spelling lessons and vocab

ulary improvement can become games to be enjoyed , rather t han chores to be endured by the junior members of the family . For of o r example , one the parents can record a favorite poem t out o or s ory , leaving vari us words phrases and pausing long

I34 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

o o i ro gr up or an instrumental ensemble, a tape rec rd ng can p “ ” for t s vide the missing members his individual prac ice session . Another use for the tape recorder is in the field of music For i appreciation . those who wish to become famil ar with the of o names composers , perf rmers and arias , as well as with the melody itself, a prepared commentary can be added to a tape r f B containing a numbe o varied selections . efore each selection i of the narration can spec fy the name the work , the composer, the artist and possibly some of the interesting background in

t . T formation associated with the particular composi ion hen , in t of of o the fu ure , instead listening to a stack disc rec rdings o n played a record changer, and speculating as to whether the third record is an excerpt from M ada me Butterfly or La Boheme s ecifies , there will be no doubt; the commentary p what is about to be heard , before the music comes off the tape . Speech correction is another training area in which the tape W M om or Dad recorder stands out in home use . hen is called on to make a speech at o ne of their clubs or for some local i organizat on , a few rehearsals for the tape recorder will serve - confidence to strengthen personal self , delivery, style and ver P of bal composition . oor language habits pronunciation and diction become obvious immediately when listening to a play A back . lso, the speech can be timed accurately, and lengthened o r shortened to meet the requirements of the occasion . Foreign language study has been simplifi ed considerably by It o the tape recorder . is a recognized fact that c nstant usage is of l essential to the maintenance faci ity in a foreign language . When only one person in a household is studying the language “ ” A the need for a conversationalist is all the more acute . tape dm recorder can serve a irably as a substitute . Vocabulary les r n sons can be recorded and then c itically analyzed o playback . A E o n series of nglish words can be put the tape , with pauses between each word , and the student can listen to a playback and supply the foreign language translation for each word dur ing the periods of silence . Oral reading in the foreign language to can also be recorded , develop the facility in pronunciation n and phrasing which cannot be obtained by silent reading . A other study aid available in many cities is the foreign language N ON -BUSINESS USES FOR THE TAPE RECORDER l 35 T broadcast programs of local radio stations . hese broadcasts can be tape recorded and played repeatedly while the student o analyzes the idiomatic sentence structure and pronunciati ns . Devotees of folk and squar e dancing have discovered that the tape recorder is an invaluable tool with which to teach new I groups the intricacies of various dance steps . nstructions or dance calls are tape recorded along with the appropriate music and then the instructor is free to participate in the actual execu f o t . tion the various dances , along with those he is ins ructing “ ” ’ A ualifi ed lso , for instance , if an expert , q caller can t be pres ent at a square dance meeting , his taped calls will allow the session to proceed without him and the participants will still nefi have the be t of proper and effective instructions . A group of law students in a western university relied on a “ tape recorder for their note taker . Five students comprised In e the group . turn they each took written not s on assigned ‘ The one oo lectures . who t k the notes then made a tape record f On desi ing o the lecture as he recalled it from his notes . a g mated evening the group met together and listened to all of the recordings and then discussed and analyzed what they had ’ The to just heard . recordings served jog each individual s memory on some point that may or may not have been on the th h a i to e t e . t pe, and th s was relayed others in group Just prior to o examination time the rec rdings were reviewed again , leav ing the students thoroughly prepared for the examination . These few illustrati ons serve only to indicate the extremely of wide range uses the tape recorder has as a training device . Any limitations it may have are probably not mechanical but ’ on r rather those based the user s personal imagination o desires .

CHAPTER I I

HOW TO SELECT A TAPE RECORDER

BU Y IN G A TAPE recorder is like buying a set of engravings for printing— you want to buy the kind that can perform up to ns a set of predetermined specifi cati o . You don ’t buy zinc photoengraving plate when you want two

n . B million pri ted impressions y the same token , if you require “ ” ’ a studio -quality tape recording you shouldn t expect to get it with a recorder in the “zinc class you ’ll have to move up into

N . the copper and electro bracket . aturally the price is higher ’ W or hether you re buying art work , paper stock printing , ’ ifi ti ns A each job has a set of minimum spec ca o . fter you ve analyzed the specifi cations on any job the rest is easy— you fig ure out what qualities and characteristics are implied in the s ecificati ons ou t p , then y make a selec ion . ’ For tape recorders we can t codify your individual needs and : H s ecific ations desires owever, we can provide a set of p show “ ing characteristics which are musts for various uses of a re T ’ f o a . corder . hat s the purpose the accompanying ch rt ’ If — — i you re an audio engineer, the chart and this chapter The probably not for you . chart lists the factors which are most signifi cant to most people who buy or plan to buy a portable

. N o tape recorder table models , consoles or special purpose l 39 l4o HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER machines are covered . This chapter is not intended to be a d efinitive treatise on the care and feeding of tape recorders in I general . nstead it is designed to give the interested layman an idea of how to spend his money wisely when he buys a re corder for business or pleasure purposes . I ’ ncidentally, don t try to buy a recorder that matches the ’ S — chart from top to bottom . uch a machine just doesn t exist at “ ” he least not as of this writing . T chart lists a hypothetical ideal of recorder embodying the best features a number of machines . ’ If o ne o n fi rst like this is ever put the market, we ll be the very i one to run down to the nearest appliance store to purchase t . Let’ s analyze the kind of recorder that would elicit such an enthusiastic reaction .

“k Ta p e Spee ds Tape speed is important for two primary — l reasons operating economy and fide ity . M ost machines now on the market give you a choice of two 135 35 8% 735 735 consecutive speeds and , and and or O and 15 ips inches per second ) . bviously you can record for a ” longer period on a 7 reel ( 1200 feet of standard tape ) at a H 3 % 735 . speed of ips than you can at ips owever, at slower fidelit f speeds , y su fers due to a limited frequency range ( the overall range of cycles per second of faithfully reproduced sound ) . M achines Operating at 3 35 ips are usually adequate to cover A 735 the frequency range of the human voice . t speeds of and 15 the range is extended and music can be satisfactorily re T ’ corded . hat s why an ideal machine would cover the speeds ’ shown on the chart : You d save on tape for voice recordings and yet still have the higher frequency response of the higher

— speeds available ii and when you needed them . If of re economy operation is your main interest, pick a — If fideli u 835. t corder in the lower speeds p to y is important, ’ you re stuck with a higher speed machine .

Fr e q ue nc y Respo ns e Tape speed is not the only factor af

teeting fidelity or frequency response . The Other factors are mentioned below . frequency responses l For a compact definition of all technical terms used in thi s and fo - low n c a t rs see Glossar a s 193 209 . i g h p e , y, p ge

I42 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER for each operating speed shown on the chart are above what ’ fi nd o n - you d most medium or low priced machines . On - 8% 735 ou a two speed machine , operating at and y should definitely expect the low -speed range to be no less than 70 to 7500 cps ( cycles per second ) , however, because the range of the 100 8000 If average adult male voice is roughly to cycles . ’ a recorder has what you want in other respects , there s no point in quibbling over a loss of 500 cycles at the upper end of the band . At of 735 65 a speed , machines with less than to cps

- ought to have some other worth while compensatory factors . W 15 hen it comes to a speed of ips , the range should cover from 50 to if you plan to use your recordings for profes sion l R a vera a . e purposes ( oughly, the g human ear is capable of hearing tones from 3 0 to cps . )

’ “ S o und Tr a c k The chart isn t hedging when it specifies Dual ” nd or I a ! Single Track . t would be nice to have such a recorder because there are advantages and disadvan tages to both . Dual track recordings save tape — yo u get twice the recording ou H time y do from single track . owever, if you want to edit the tape ( cut portions of it out and splice together what is ’ left ) there s one thing to remember : when you cut o ut sections o n T i of e track you are doing the same to the other . h s means that your fi rst recording will sound beautiful on playback— but have you got troubles when you try to play back the second track! “ ” Ou single track recordings the signal ( strength of mag ” netiz ation for a given length of tape ) is stronger than on dual T o f track . his is basically a function the total area of a sound ’ track being recorded at any given instant . Obviously there s

— more area being recorded on a full track than on a half track . If signal strength is all - important you want a single track re W not corder . here signal strength is paramount, but you still

- i want to edit tape, buy a dual track mach ne . You can always record only one track and leave the other blank . HOW TO SELECT A TAPE RECORDER l43

N umb er of Hea d s The majority of lower and medium priced machines use two heads — one for - U tu re erase and the other for record playback . nfor nately the quirements for optimum recording performance are not the fo r As same as those optimum playback performance . a result,

- dual purpose heads can only be a compromise . N aturally this d li f If affects the fi e ty o both record and playback . maximum fidelity is essential you need a recorder with three separate — f or . heads one each erase , record and playback Heads that are adjustable— for alignment purposes — are If hi ghly desirable . the recording or playback head is not to of fidelit absolutely perpendicular the direction tape travel , y In - n suffers . a broad sense , a mis alig ed head is similar to tun w n n Th ing bet ee two stations o a radio . e most noticeable effect of poor ly aligned heads is a loss of high frequencies . “ ” Heads of the plug-in type are not only advantageous from the alignment standpoint, but they also allow the same ma chine to be used for either dual or single track recordings depending on which heads are installed for the particular re It ou cording . should be pointed t that it takes both skill and ’ patience to align heads — even the plug-in type— so you shouldn t buy a recorder with this feature, intending to change heads eac h time you make a recording .

A-B S witc h This is not usually found on medium and low For priced recorders . high quality recordings “ ” An A- B S this control is extremely advantageous . witch allows random switching from the record head input to the playback out ut In head p , during a recording . this way the operator can use a set of earphones to check the quality of his recording f A against the quality o the original sound . switch of this type is only found on recorders having separate record and play back heads .

“ Rec o rding Level Indic a to r This is another term for Vol I ume indicator . t indicates the level at which a recording is being made . Today there are three general types of level indicators in “ use : single bulb ( whi ch may be either a neon bulb or a magic I44 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER eye dual bulbs ( neon ) and meters which measure current fl ow.

F or high quality recordings a meter is almost imperative . Dual bulbs — one which flickers almost continually and the other which lights when the level is set too high— run a poor

second to a meter. A single bulb is the least accurate and most

unsatisfactory . F t ideli y is , once again , the main reason to be interested in “ ” n If the type of level indicator o your recorder . you overload a tape record at too high a volume level ) you run the risk of 1 ) magnetizing the recording head ; 2 ) increasing the noise level of the tape; 3 ) reducing the effective frequency response of 4 difi cult the recorder; and , ) making it extremely to erase An n f the tape satisfactorily . y o e o these conditions is enough finishe T col to make you unhappy with the d recording . aken lectivel — y you may as well not have made the recording at all . A meter minimizes the chances of overloading a tape be cause it offers a more accurate measurement than bulb -type A in indicators . meter is also particularly helpful when it is convenient— o r for some reason impossible — to monitor ( listen A to ) the original sound while it is being recorded . lso , when recording something cold — without previous rehearsal— and the probable dynamic range ( ratio between the softest and

loudest sounds ) is unknown and unpredictable , a meter makes

it easier to get a satisfactory recording .

Eq ua liz a tio n Co ntr ols Y ou would probably recogn ize these immediately by the common “ ’ — 7 T name tone controls . hese controls either boost or decrease D n of or . o the intensity low, middle high tones epending the circuit design they can function only during playback or on

both recording and playback . A single tone control usually does one thing— cuts oil ( elim T ro inates ) high frequencies fed into the m echanism . his p “ ” W o duc es what is called a fake bass . hen a rec rder has both treble and bass equalizers it is possible to correct c ertain de fi ciencies in the recording system and to increase the signal - to noise ratio .

I46 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

U nless the recorder is designed to compensate for any fluctu ations of the pbwer input ( AC voltage or batteries ) the tape T speed will vary . his can happen during a record ing or during T . I a playback ape speed will vary in either case . t would ac cordingly take either longer or shorter than 3 0 minutes to play o n 3 0- T back what is a minute tape . his can be disastrous if the recording is to be used as a synchr onized sound track of a S motion picture . cenes will change but the narration will roll

merrily along at its own pace . For this kind of work you need a recorder with accuracy ’ e 30 that won t vary mor than three seconds , maximum , in min “ ” T he utes . hen sure to write loose narration for individual scenes .

" S elec tio n Lo c a to r T P I his is also called a rogram ndicator, I ” or an ndex Counter . Almost every recorder on the market has some type of lo h h t : i T e . T 1 cator . similarity stops there e basic ypes are ) l nes on marked the metal, underneath the reels , to indicate elapsed time intervals; 2 ) radio dial - type pointers which also indicate 3 elapsed time; ) mechanical counters , similar to an automobile i 4 mileage gauge, wh ch measure footage ; and , ) mechanical counters which measure minutes and seconds .

A locator is a virtual necessity if much editing is to be done . With a locator it is possible to find any desired section of the

f . tape , just by noting the readings for each di ferent section Type three is preferred because it is both accurate and mod T erately priced . ype four is needed only for motion picture T o ne work . ypes and two are the least desirable because they are least accurate .

Rewind a nd Fa s t Fo rwa r d Ra tio Even if a recorder is used strictly for pleas ure , there will be times when you want to get to a spot in the ’ R middle or at the other end of the tape . That s what the ewind

- and Fast Forward controls are for . For use in business it will frequently be desirable to play HOW TO SELECT A TAPE RECORDER | 47

’ It s to e only selected portions of a complete tape . annoying hav The re to wait long periods between these sections . point to member is that the hi gher the rewind ratio the shorter the e ifi T e t s c c . time delay be ween p selections oday, any machin f 0 o 1 defini el n with a ratio o less than 1 t is t y o the slow side . A variable speed control is in the lux ury clas s for non-pro In fessionals but in the essential class for professionals . editing a tape it is usually necessary to seesaw back and forth from - F-F one end of the reel to the other . With a variable speed and B it is possible to slow down at intervals to spot check the t i content of any given portion of tape, un il the desired sect on is located . I o n ncidentally, this facility is only valuable a recorder in which the tape remains in contact with the playback head so n In that the sound can be mo itored . some machines the tape is F-F or R disengaged from the heads during ; consequently, no sound can be heard .

Aut oma tic Ta pe Cut-Ott When the tape reaches the end of the reel— or if it breaks — some Thi recorders shut off automatically . s feature is usually found on the higher priced models , although it is becoming more on - common the new medium priced units .

M oto rs An absolutely constant speed of tape travel is one of d l the factors afi ecti ng fi e ity . When tape speed varies — — t T even slightly sound quali y is changed . his shows up as “ ” “ ” Wow of . i wow and flutter is a slow, unstead ness sound volume and pitch , similar to what you hear when a record Fla tter n eadi rotates at varying speeds on a turntable . is an u st u t the ness of so nd volume and pi ch , usually noticeable in hi her Th e r g frequency ranges . variations result from sho t, of rapid changes tape speed . Separate motors for the capstan ( the component which r - off -u l d ives the tape ) , the take ( feed ) reel and the take p ree , reduce the possibility of wow and flutter to a minimum . They ” also minimize tape spill ( tape continuing to unwin d even I48 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER after the capstan stops driving it ) and tape breakage due to jerkiness .

- Multi motor machines are usually in the high priced ranges .

Co ntro ls P - or - o ush button push key controls , such as th se ” shown on the accompanying sketch of a typical - o o n present day portable , are bec ming more prevalent the T newer machines . hey simplify recorder operation . T t — here are two basic ypes mechanical and electrical . The Th mechanical buttons work by pressure . e electrical type actu On ate a solenoid . a smaller scale , the difference between the two types is the same as the difi erence between one car with power steering and the other without . Provision for remote control is another feature to look for If ’ when buying a recorder . you ve ever tried to transcribe from ’ a tape to a typewritten page you ll appreciate the value of a A remote control . ccessory foot pedals and similar devices to start and stop the recorder simplify the job immensely . N ot too many machines incorporate thi s feature either as of In standard or with the use an accessory . choosing between t two otherwise comparable machines , prime considera ion ’ The should go to the machine with remote control . recorder s ili flexib ty is considerably increased .

Editing K ey There are times when a tape is perfect from

— start to finish except for one very short spot . ’ for T That s what the editing key is . here are also times when ’ it s desirable to suspend recording for an instant and then con ’ An i T . i t nue . hat s another use for this valuable control ed ting key allows these operations to be accomplished without leav “ ” ing a sound blip on the tape— which is what would usually happen if the recorder were turned on and off for the same purpose .

Editing Fa c ility Most non - professional recorders shield the erase and record playback heads beneath A t i . an a tract ve cover plate lso , the heads are usually arranged T for maximum simplifi cati on of tape threading . his is a bless

| 50 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

Output J a c ks Almost all medium and low-priced recorders have at least one output jack— for an external R speaker . ecorders with additional output jacks offer increased flexi ilit It operational b y . is desirable to have outputs for an am lifi er external p and for earphones , as well as for a speaker . o n Once again , these are usually found only higher priced units .

Spea kers Some recorders — particularly those in the profes ’ sion l — -i a class don t have built n speakers . Others to m o the o t have multiple speakers , usually i pr ve s und quali y f o the playback . Ideally speaking it would be convenient to have some sort of speaker even on high - quality machi nes designed primarily for n m lifi r Th neces use with an exter al a p e . is would eliminate the sity for having to carry two units around— a recorder and a am lifi er separate p . B on s t two ased pre en practice, a recorder with speakers usually has one for the middle and bas s frequencies and the ’ for If o to other exclusively highs . you don t want to g the ro or of am lifi er t uble expense buying an external p and speaker , one be sure the recorder you select has at least , and preferably r -in two o three built speakers .

Am lifi ers E - s am p xcept on higher priced machine , the same lifier for — p is used everything record , playback T a - and inputs . his is the same problem as dual purpose head ’ o for both record and playback . Optimum perf rmance can t be - m lifi er S - - obtained with one multi purpose a p . ignal to noise ratio If suffers . everything else is equal , pick the recorder with sep m er arate a plifi s .

Po wer Output Basically this is an index of the capabiliti es ’ of a recorder s playback amplifi er system . Th e power output is important if the recorder is to be used by itself for public address purposes or for playback to large An f fi r o groups . y output o ve watts o ab ve is considered highly “ adequate for most general uses : five watts is enough power to

fill an auditorium capable of holding from 200 to 400 people . HOW TO SELECT A TAPE RECORDER I5 l

Oper a ting St a b ility Quality recorders can function contin uously for amazingly long periods of i nifi n f fi eli t If time with no s g ca t loss o d y . you want a recorder capable of sustained operation under critical performance con di tions 12 , it should be able to operate for at least hours with si nifi cant B out g change in gain or distortion . y no means are i f all recorders built to stand up under th s kind o an ordeal . ’ There s no point in waiting until a convention or trade show to

discover this fact about a recorder that is part of your exhibit . k As about it when you buy the recorder .

Public Addr es s Fa c ility Some recorders are designed to function as public address units as

well as straight recorders . This is an excellent capability to The -in have available in the machine you buy . size of the built or t speaker, facili y to use an external speaker , and the power A output of your recorder are the basic factors to consider .

A. recorder which can double as a P. unit is a wise investment s e ificati ons if it meets all your other p c .

Po wer Req uir e me nts The ideal recorder would be capable of both AO and battery operation — if W fi eld nothing else suffered as a result . hen used in the there would be no worry about a power source and when used in an tfi e o c e . S o , the batt ries could be conserved everal rec rders are i n c o AO . H available wh h operate both and battery owever, at this writing there are none which also incorporate many of the l other high y desirable features previously described .

Weig ht From a production standpoint it is probably a phys ical impossibility to design a recorder to meet the “ ” specifi cations of our ideal recorder and hold its weight to 3 0 W e of pounds . said at the outset , however, that we knew no fill machine which could the bill in all respects . W si nifi cant o eight is , nevertheless , a g considerati n in select fi el H t on ing a recorder if it is to be used for d work . ave pi y fi ld T r rt -five the man who gets the e assignment . hirty o thi y ’ ’ pounds doesn t sound like much— unless you ve been the one ISZ HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER who of office If had to carry it in and out buildings all day . a recorder is being bought for the prime purpose of using it in field one 20 80- o — ii s of the , buy in the to p und class the re t the ifi ti ons spec ca meet your requirements .

Pric e N early everyone would probably like to drive a Cadil Th - r . e lac fact remains , a lower p ice car will do most ’ of C - the things a adillac will, even though it s at a less luxurious h fo level . T e same holds true r recorders : it would be nice to - c of us have a studio quality re order, but not all really need So t that much quality . , pick a price range wi hin the budget, then compare the specifi cations of the vari ous machines in the same bracket . 0 fl

T here are recorders which have additional , desirable fea ’ T t o . ures we haven t c vered here are also special purpose units , such as dictating machines , tape players , message repeaters ,

h . etc . , w ich have not been included Our discussion has been “ ” limited to the general-type po rtable machi nes because we f felt these would be o most interest to our readers . In neither this nor in other chapters have we striven to present a technical treatise for the audio engineer or other pro f ssion l fi el f I e a s in the d o audio recording . nstead we have tried only to provide an adequate index and guide which will enable the interested layman to select and buy a portable tape re corder whi ch meets his personal specifications as to perfo ance , capabilities and price . l 54 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

co r t o The elements to be nt olled when opera ing a rec rder . “ or controls will either be knobs , buttons keys . 1 ) Power to the recorder 2 ) Tape speed 3 ) Recording level ( volume ) 4 ) Playback level 5 ) Magnetizing the tape ( recording ) 6 ) Playing the tape ( playback ) 7 ) Tone quality of playback 8 ) Rewindin g the tape 9 ) Winding the tape forward ( without playing it ) P o rofessional rec rders frequently have a separate knob , or o In switch, button key to contr l each element individually . one two o of fact, in at least case contr ls will be used instead just one; separate bass and treble controls will be used to re “ ” S ee 44 . place the single tone control . ( page 1 for reasons ) On non -professional recorders you may find only three dif ferent controls to do all nine jobs !This is because each one is o D designed so that it incorp rates several functions . espite this ’ fact you ll have no trouble deciding what to push, pull, twist or and turn , because instructions are lettered above !or below each control .

Thr ea din the Ta e H ou mani ulat g p owever, before y start p co ou ing ntrols , y want to put a tape n The first re o the recorder . consideration is whether your “ ” ” On corder is designed to use an A Wind or B Wind tape . “ ” A Wind tape the shiny surface of the tape faces the edges of B ” Th . e the reel Wind is the reverse . great majority of tape “ ” E s used today is A Wind . ither wind may be u ed interchange on l ably any machine, however, mere y by giving the tape a - r half twist as it is th eaded through the erase , record and play back section .

Threading tape ( loading it ) on a recorder is quite simple . Many of today’ s recorders feature slot threading” which is exactly what the name implies . You merely place a full reel of of tape on the feed spindle , pull eighteen inches or so tape the ~ reel -u from , attach the loose end to the take p reel and HOW TO OPERATE A TAPE RECORDER

If ’ drop the free tape into the slot . the tape you re trying to use ’ is wound incorrectly for your recorder you ll find out immedi ’ ’ E or ff ately . ither it won t record at all you ll get the same e ect ’ R ’ as when there s a loose tube in a radio . ecorders which don t use “slot” ( also called “straight line” ) threading still won’ t be d l A iffi cu t to operate . little common sense plus a glance at the various directional arrows or instructions printed on the re r corder, show immediately how to th ead the tape . On r conventional recorders , tape th eading is so simple that l diffi ul H c t . even sma l children can do it without y owever, some manufacturers have carried the simplification even further and “ ” The in packaged the tape in a cartridge . only threading volved is in inserting the cartridge into a receptacle on the r on recorder and tu ning the machine . L disad ike everything else , there are both advantages and E vantages to the presently available cartridges . diting the t or difficult incon cartridge tape is either an impossibili y a , nien T not ve t process . his means that tape in cartridges is ideal for use in recording anything which will require editing to

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VOl U M ! LI V“ m ac a w : ON -OFF TONS CONT!“

l OUDS Pi h l l l IS6 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

” f r ifi o s ec c . A make it satisfactory a p purpose lso , standard recorders are not usually designed to accommodate a cartridge for or recording playback . On the of r r x t for credit side the ledger, ca t idges are e cellen any recordings which are of a strictly temporary nature and no — Car which require editing such as dictation of letters . tridges are also useful in recording anything that is to be kept for i permanently and in its entirety , example, a h gh level group f x - i In o top e ecutives at a policy mak ng meeting . addition to the speed with which a cartridge may be ins erted or removed f o of from a recorder , it o fers the additi nal advantage being its o n for w protective and storage case the tape inside . With the amazingly rapid progress being made thr oughout the entire tape recorder industry it is a virtual certainty that the existing disadvantages will soon be overcome and the ad For vantages extended much further. this reason , cartridges will probably play a much more significant role in the future than they do at present . An even more recent innovation in the same general area is “ ” - r Th the self th eading magazine of tape . e magazines require ” no to threading, but a special tape player is needed utilize The is the models presently available . magazine inserted in the “ ” W the player and the switch turned to the play position . hen “ ” to tape ends , the switch is turned the eject position and the o magazine pops out . N rewinding is involved because the tape l T - r is sp iced into a continuous loop . hese self th eading reels open new vistas of tape application for sales demonstrations , “ automobile dictation and countless other fi elds in which loop ” tape and automatic operation are advantageous . ’ f r H So much o the specialized tape threading systems . ere s ” “ ” what happens to standard tape threaded on conventional recorders . To -u tr get from the feed reel to the take p reel , tape avels “ ” past what amounts to three separate magnetic heads — an The erase head , a record head and a playback head . erase l T head a ways comes first . his is the reason you can eliminate ’ - It s mistakes by re recording right over the unwanted section .

IS8 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

’ Oi o o i all the c ntr ls mentioned , if there s one wh ch should be ’ “ ” more thoroughly understood than the others , it s the volume

control .

Vo lume Co ntro l Except on studio - type professional record ers the same volume control usually con U nles ou record trols both recording and playback volume . s y ’ with the volume contro l s et correctly there s nothing you ca n do la ter to et hi h ua lit s ound 0 o tha t ta n la b k g g q y 1? f pe o p y ac . The signifi cance of thi s fact is completely relative; if the fidel ’ ity of the sound you re recording is important in playback , then so is your handling of the volume control at the time you ’ If fidelit of riti make the recording . the y recorder sound isn t c ’ “ ” cal — and you re just interested in intelligible sounds coming off the tape o n playback— then your adjustments of the volume ’ control aren t overly critical . I nterestingly enough , a tape recorder is on your side ' ’ r Ou whether you re a critical listener o not . a comparative basis you ’ll get much better sound from a tape than you would from a disc or wir e recorder with the volume too high or too

low .

As in mentioned the previous chapter, every tape recorder

' -in The has some kind of built volume indicator . indicator may ’ r t H of be a single o double bulb or a me er . ere s a general rule thumb to follow if your recorder has a bulb - type indicator

a single bulb should flash on and oil throughout a recording . f I it stays lit continually your recording level is much too high . ’ If In it doesn t light at all the level is too low . either case ’ “ you ll have trouble on playback . Magic Eye bulbs should “ If close and open continually . they close and stay closed,

I u . . f tu turn down the volume they never close , rn it p

Dual type bulbs provide greater control with less skill . One n W light should remain o at all times . hen the second bulb ’ lights it s time to readjust the volume control . N one of the bulb - type volume indicators light up during ’ f r i T o t . p layback . here s no need Your ear is the best judge in this case because you know how loud or soft you want the

playback . HOW TO OPERATE A TAPE RECORDER IS9

- f T Meter type level indicators are entirely di ferent . hey are the most accurate type— if you know how to use them cor re l l i on ct y . Most meters wi l continue function ng both record Th ing and playback . e needle will fluctuate up and down as or out A long as sound is coming in of the recorder . s long as ’ the fluctuations take place within the right range there s noth ’ Don t ing to worry about . keep spinning the volume control ’ It s in an effort to keep the needle absolutely steady . not sup For posed to be steady . detailed instructions , consult the instruction manual received with your recorder . On out that subject, this is a good place to point that manu facturers supply an instruction manual with their recorders for E a good reason . ach recorder has Operating and functional characteristics which make it unique . Manufacturers are proud of this fact and consider that these particular characteristics R make their machines worth buying . ead the manual thor ‘ ’ oughly— then keep it around for future reference — and you ll be much more satisfied with the performance of the machine you

own .

’ Input a nd Outp ut J a c ks U p to this point we haven t men ti oned anything about the vari ’ ous input and output jacks you ll find on your recorder . There — o on will be at least three jacks tw input and e output . When you unpacked your machine there was probably a i At f microphone with t . the end o the microphone cord there U fit is a male plug . nfortunately this plug will probably into n If more than o e of the female jacks o n the recorder . you plug the w one of mike into the rong jack, two things will happen; ’ either you ll get no recording at all or else one you wished you hadnt . “ “ n - An O e R or R P . jack will be labeled adio , adio hono “ ” “ T other one will be labeled Mike or Microphone . hey mean B what they say . ecause of an electronic phenomenon called impeda nc e the circuitry behind each female jack is slightly different . A r or microphone has a ce tain impedance , so does a radio

t The o . phonograph ou put . tw are not necessarily the same I6O HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER When you connect two circuits of matchi ng impedance ( insert

a plug into a jack ) the results are rewarding . When imped ances are mismatched all sorts of things happen; none of them The are good . reasons are technical and involved but in a sense you have the same type of problem you get by connect o - to ne- The ing a tw inch garden hose a o inch hose . amount “ ” of water that is right for the two -inch hose is not right for Th i nifi n . e s ca t re the smaller one , and vice versa g point to member is that it is essential to insert the right plug into the

appropriate jack . If you should ever want to use a microphone other than the one o t ou , o received with y ur! recorder be sure test it before y D f iff begin the actual recording . i ferent microphones have d er

ent impedances . Most microphones that come with semi -professional or “ home -type recorders have what is classifi ed as high imped ” P o o ance . rofessional micr phones are usually designed to p “ ” erate low at impedance , but can be adjusted for higher An h e impedances . y microphone you use must match t imped ’ R ance of your recorder s microphone input circuit . ( emember

the hoses ) . I n all probability, the microphone you receive will be a ’ D ou be crystal microphone . on t feel that y have to hold it C tween your teeth to get sound through it . rystal mikes are

- - i . e o u very sensitive ( . they have tremendous s und pick p capa ili F r b ties ) . o voice recording try to keep the microphone at 2 least 1 inches from your mouth . When possible have the mike or sitting on a table something else that is solid , instead of Tr holding it in your hand . y to position the mike so that you ’ can keep the recorder s volume control somewhere around its middle setti ng— and still get the required reactions from the in ica or volume d t . ’ Turn oil re Here s another tip on using a microphone . the ’ - If ou corder s built in speaker before you start recording . y ’ ’ “ F don t, you re likely to get feedback . eedback can be de “ — i S . e . cribed as an electrical sound circle , sound goes into a out of mike , works its way to the speaker, comes the speaker eedb ack and goes back into the mike . F announces its presence

I62 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

There is frequently more to consider in determining when where t repairs are needed than there is in o have them done . ’ “ ’ ” For r that reason we ll discuss the where s fi st . A tape recorder is not the same thing as a radio — despite the “ ” -in fact that many home recorders have built radios . Without detracting in the least from the skills and abilities of the aver not one age radio repair technician , he is necessarily the best B to overhaul your recorder . asically, the electronic principles of f But a recorder are the same as those o a radio . a recorder has a number of components never found in any self-respecting “ ” T . s t fl wireless hese include such part as caps ans , pulleys , y

wheels , magnets , etc . When the mechanical components of a recorder are not ’ re functioning correctly, the world s most thorough electronic not - pair job will put the recorder back into A 1 condition . R unf or eputable , competent radio technicians know this , but ’ tunate many of them don t have the training necessary to do i S anything about t . pecial training and skills are needed to do v on For a comprehensi e repair job a tape recorder . this reason “ all the major recorder manufacturers establish authorized t The service stations throughout the coun ry . manufacturers strongly recomm end that you have their equipment serviced S i no only at these stations . trangely enough th s is t a diabolical scheme on their part to snare you into a type of financial slavery where you buy only their products and patronize only

fellow members of an insidious conspiracy . There are important functional and design differences not or TV only between a radio set and a tape recorder, but also n ’ between recorders made by differe t manufacturers . You don t buy a new Jaguar and then take it to a motor boat agency for E h . repairs . T e same principle applies to tape recorders ach manufacturer authorizes” a repair station to represent the company only after the technicians have either been specially trained by the factory or have adequately proven by demon stration that they are competent in the repair of that particular ’ manufacturer s product . ” Some recorder repair stations will be authorized by more i — own than one manufacturer, wh le others either through their HOW TO OPERATE A TAPE RECORDER | 63

’ choosing or because o f manufacturer s restrictions — will handle e i In only on make of mach ne . either case your recorder will be Th safe in their hands . e problem of locating such service sta The tions is no problem at all . majority of big manuf acturers publish a list of such stations and either include it with the original instruction material which accompanies the new re or corder else they will readily send it on a request from you . If ’ ’ you don t have such a list, and you re interested in continued r two top pe formance from your recorder, it is well worth a f cent postcard and a moment of your time to send or one . Recognizing when your recorder needs service is — or can be

— di£ficult . Much of the problem is of a personal nature and If rests directly with you . your recorder is used primarily for professional or semi -professional purposes your daily use of it will qualify you to detect its servicing needs much sooner and more accurately than if you use it only periodically for strictly personal purposes . ’ The type of repairs we re considering at this point are not “ ’ ” “ ’ the obvious ones such as a unit that won t play or won t ” ’ ” ’ n n record or o e o which the tape won t move . We re talking about the servicing that is needed when the tape speed varies ” s lightly ( causing an impaired frequency response or wow “ ” and flutter ) or when the slit in the playback or record head s n get wor . If your use of the recorder demands that it deliver maximum defi ciencies of performance in all respects , at all times , this i nifi n It type are s g ca t . is to your advantage to detect them as l soon as possible and have them corrected immediate y . One way to insure maximum performance and long life of the recorder is to have it serviced periodically on a regular schedule , just as you have your car serviced every so often . The instr uctions which came with the recorder probably con o n tain a recommended service schedule , based the number F of t of hours of operation . ollowing this schedule preven ive maintenance will help considerably in eliminating the repairs w ( and high costs ) involved in a sudden major breakdo n . N o specifi cations for recommended servicings are included here because di fferent manufacturers make different recom I64 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

’ mend i n n i A at o s for their ow mach nes . lthough we can t tell you tt exactly when to have your recorder serviced , we can o er sug gestions for testing it to determine if servicing is needed and

to detect wear . The fi rst and least expensive - and leas t accurate— method is on T to play on your machine a tape made another machine . his sort of test can be relied on only for the detection of the most Th ’ obvious of defects . e reason is that you can t be positive that Y o the test recorder is in perfect condition itself . u may have

experienced an example of this yourself . You put a tape which ’ on o sounds perfect your recorder on s meone else s machine . ’ “ ” It doesn t sound right; the brilliance of the original tone is f The mi ht lacking or the volume seems to luctuate . trouble g

— not be with your machine but with the test recorder instead . An extremely critical relationship exists between the record

ing and playback head and the tape which rolls past the head . C on onsequently, unless the relationship is absolutely identical both the test machine and the one on which the tape was origi on nally recorded , any given tape will be distorted one ma The chine or the other . remedy, of course, is to make certain

that the head alignment and , actually, a number of other ele ments ) of the playback machine is identical to that of the on machine which the tape was recorded . So of , if it is a matter dire necessity , and you have no other on an alternative, test the tapes made on a suspect recorder

other o ne that is fairly certain of being in perfect condition . And of , a point to remember is that the newness a machine is not necessarily an absolute guarantee that everything is per

fectl o . y adjusted , although the odds are go d that it is A much better method of “home testing” a recorder is to use

- I pre recorded tapes made especially for this purpose . t is pos “ ” sible to buy a test tape which tests a recorder for such ele

ments as wow and flutter, head azimuth alignment, frequency

to o i . response , signal n ise rat o , signal level and tape speed Periodic playing of such tapes on your recorder will notify you immediately of any decrease in performance standards . The last method of testing a recorder actually amounts to a I minor servicing by a professional technician . nstead of having

CHAPTER 13

ACCESSORIES AN D HOW TO USE THEM

ACCES SORIES F OR use with tape recorders are about as numer o u D S s as spots on a pedigreed almatian . ome accessories will d efinitely increase the flexibility of your recorder and improve t of the quali y o f the end product . Others fall into the class “ At nice to have if you can afford them . the moment , acces sories are appearing on the market almost as fast as a linotyper th can set e type to describe them . ’ The list in this chapter doesn t include every last accessory ’ on available today s market, but it does contain those which we beli eve would be of practical value to the businessman Who uses his recorder for business purposes .

M ic ropho nes Auxiliary microphones— with the right imped o l — in ance for y ur recorder, natural y greatly ’ For or t . crease the recorder s utili y example , in lecturing when to or ever the speaker needs or desires move around , lapel A chest microphones are ideal . dditional microphones and a mixer ( see below ) also allow the simultaneous recording— on the same tape at the same time— of sound from several differ eh t sources . There are six basic types of microphones 166 ACCESSORIES AN D HOW TO USE THEM | 67 1 ) crystal 2 ) variable reluctance 3 ) ceramic 4 ) dynamic 5 ) ribbon— also called velocity 6 ) condenser Today most non-professional recorders come equipped with a crystal , variable reluctance or ceramic microphone . Basically a mike is nothing more than a device to convert and transfer one type of power to another type— acoustic S f power to electrical power . ound is actually a series o waves of inten air, moving at different frequencies and with different A sities . microphone reacts to these air waves and , in the proc f o . ess , produces electrical energy in the form voltage Crysta l microphones generate this voltage because the sound T waves deform the molecular structure of a crystal . hese mikes have a general frequency range of about 100 to 8000 cycles per — f T second the range o the human voice . hey are actually more “sensitive” ( can pick up weaker sounds at greater distances ) “ ” than most so-called professional microphones whi ch cost much more money . ’ Crystal mikes have their drawbacks : they re easily damaged by heat— 122 degrees F is enough to do permanent damage ; humidity changes their frequency characteristics ( so you ’ ” should never blow into a crystal mike to see if it s on -just flick your fingers over the face of it or tap on it gently ) ; their frequency response is relatively inconsistent; and, of course , ’ — o they re relatively susceptible to shock for pr of, just try drop ping one on the floor in the shipping department . Varia ble reluctance micropho nes convert sound waves into voltage through the movement of an armature in a magnetic T i fi eld created by a coil of wire which is carrying a current . h s type of mike has a slightly narrower frequency range than a crystal mike , but its frequency response ( the upper and lower frequencies it will register ) is more consistent . This type of mike is not affected by temperature or humidity ’ not ( but it s still a good idea to blow into them ) , can with stand considerable shock and— because of a peculiar physical l 68 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

phenomenon— gives the illusion of a better low frequency

resp onse . Cera mic microphones are a relatively new entry in the field of T home recorders . heir frequency range is in the same gen t eral bracket as a crys al mike, but reduced at the high end . They are not as sensitive as either the crystal or the variable reluctance mikes but are relatively rugged and insensitive to i t humid ty or tempera ure . Dyna mic micropho nes generate a voltage as a result of a conductor ( a current-carrying coil of wire ) moving in a mag fi eld M t i netic . ikes of h s type are u sed in professional and - T o semi professional work . hey are rugged in c nstruction and f design and not adversely a fected by temperature or humidi ty . An average frequency range for this type of mike would be in of 60 t the order o cycles per second . Ribbon ( velocity) micropho nes operate on an entirely differ i The ff ent principle than the m kes previously described . di er ence in the pressure of the sound waves on either side of the r to t o tri ribbon causes the ibbon vibra e, pr ducing an elec cal

M ikes of this type are definitely in the professional class T r and so is their price . heir recording characte istics are superb — frequency ranges from 80 to well above cycles per

- second are common for better quality ribbon microphones . Al though this mike is not affected by temperature or humidity it is extremely vulnerable to damage by shock or wind— breath or o ir o i ik definitel ing , sneezing c ughing d ectly int th s m e is y not advised . Condens er microphones function on the same principle that The i r allows you to get di fferent stations on a radio . d aph agm o o is moved back and f rth by the s und waves , changing the t o s i electrical characteris ics of the c nden er, thereby generat ng In t i t of is the necessary current . general , h s ype mike in the same class as a dynamic microphone . Before leaving the subject of microphones as an acces sory ’ fo r t : your recorder, one more fact should be men ioned there s no point in buying a mike whi ch can out-perform your re ’ Y ou t ut R s R o M -T corder . couldn p a oll oyce m tor in a odel

I7O HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

' M icrophone extens ion ca bles are desirable for the same rea so o x s o The n ns as power c rd e ten i ns . cable o the mike which came with your recorder will probably be anywhere from four If “ ” to six feet long . you plan to record roving interviews or ’ the i of -s o e proceed ngs a large cale c nference , you ll either hav to o xt t o s have a microph ne e ension cable, addi ional microph ne — x to o t — or o t and mike mi ers g wi h them ask pe ple o shout . M i x the ke e tension cables are simplest solution . Once again the maximum length of the extension is impor t— for so i to not the e as tan and rea ns wh ch are similar , but sam to the o The l those relative p wer cord extensions . similarity ies in the fact that too-long an extension results in undesirable ’

o . In s ou o t o s or c nsequences thi case , however, y d n bl w fuse fires ou Th start ; y merely end up with distorted s ound . e blame for the distortion can be laid right in the lap of a previously

— described electronic bugaboo impedance . Any wire used to conduct electrical currents has a certain ’ nt of tr t t re o i amou elec ical resis ance, and when hey c nduct ng B of u ctri t . o ele ci y, all wires have impedance ecause its f ncti n, ’ the impedance of a power cord isn t important but its resist h of e is . T e e The o th ance reverse is true a mik cable . l nger o i mike cable the more tr uble there is w th impedance . Twenty-five feet is a safe maximum length for a mike exten sion cable when that mike is used with the av erage portable ir tape recorder . With this length as a maximum you are v tually - W sure of trouble free operation . ith cables over this length Th of you may possibly be headed for troubles . e circuitry your Oi o is s to recorder is the key factor . c urse , it po sible make modifi cations in the circuitry— or to use special devices in the — o S modifica mike cable itself to overc me the problems . uch tions are relatively techni cal in nature and would involve com l x Co s ou co it abso t o . p icated e plana i ns n equently, if y nsider lutel to - t y imperative use a super king size mike cable ex ension, the best course of action would be to consult an audi o technician . “ ’ M icrophone cable extensions don t look anything like a In first con power cord extension . the place they are usually “ ” nected e to so t t n o dir ctly the mike plug, hat the ex e si n is ACCESSORIES AN D HOW TO USE THEM l 7 |

In actually the cable itself . the second place , mike cables are

much smaller in diameter than a power cord . Once again it is recommended that you go the limit if you decide to buy an — n extension get o e that is 25 feet long . Cables for microphones are of two basic types — single

- — conductor and double conductor . N aturally as in every other ins tance where there is more than one method or item avail — two o o able to do the same job there are , equally v cal , scho ls of C thought as to which is best . old facts are that either type The - will do the job adequately . single conductor cable has a single strand of wire encased in a special covering of insula Th “ ” tion . e insulation contains the other wire needed to com l The - p ete an electrical circuit . two conductor cable has the same physical appearance as the common ordinary wires used fix r on home lighting tu es . The type of cable you choose for your mike extension is not ou t — it important, as long as y remember one salien point must “ ” ’ be microphone cable; ordinary wire won t do .

Reels Reels are listed here as an accessory because if a tape recorder is ever used for any purpose other than fun one t and foolishness , more than emp y reel is an absolute t necessi y . Without at least a few empty reels on hand it is almost im A f i . i possible to edit a tape once a record ng is completed lso , only part of a reel is used for a recording that is to be saved for to any length of time, it is sheer waste leave the unused ff . It o tape on the original reel can be cut , wound onto an x au iliary reel and kept ready for use on some other project . Th ’ Reels come in assorted sizes and materials . ere s a purpose W and use for each . hen you bought your recorder you prob ably received one empty reel— either a fi ve or seven -inch plas “ ” bu ti c . It t reel is almost impossible to wear out a plastic reel ,

you can ruin one , by exposure to high temperatures or by step i H t — ping on t . igh tempera ures such as direct sunlight stream ing in through the rear window of an automobile— can warp a

plastic reel . If A badly warped reel may cause recording troubles . it | 72 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

“ or binds during winding unwinding , there will be undue ten ’ n The uffi ien sion o the tape . stress probably won t be s c t to cause tape breakage, but it could cause distortion of sound by causing an unsteadiness of tape movement past the recording r o playback head . Reels are available in sizes anywhere from three inches in on to The s ecifi c five diameter up p sizes are three , four, , 5 ” e - - - U 1 t n a rt . 03 s seven , and half and fou een inches p to the reel A o . The are plastic . b ve that size they are usually aluminum maj ority of readers will seldom use the 1035 and 14 inch reels as they are intended specifically for profes sional use on record ers designed to acco mmodate them . “ ” These professional reels usually carry an N ARTB identi n T i ficati o . his means not only that they are d fferent in design i o but and construct n from the smaller , plastic reels , also that they conform to certain standard specifi cations established by ati onal A of R T B the N ssociation adio and elevision roadcasters . B of t N ABTB i not ecause their construc ion , an reel and hub w ll fit on the average portable unless some type of adapter is used to accommodate the special reel . The number of feet of tape which any given reel will ao commodate is based solely on the thickness of the tape itself . The number of minutes of playing time tha t can be obtained from a given length of tape is based solely on the speed at o The o s tio which tape passes through the rec rder . f llowing ec n contains a further explanation of these facts and a chart show t fit on t as the ing how many fee will a par icular reel, well as playing time of that reel at various tape speeds .

Rec o rding Ta pe For the user there are six basic characteris tics of recording tape which are signifi cant 1 ) type of base 2 ) base thickness 3 ) length 4 ) wind 5 ) width 6 ) color

ACCESSORIES AN D HOW TO USE THEM I7S sources of supply for that particular type and length of tape either didn’ t exist or were unknown to the authors at the time of i this writ ng .

Wind Tapes are wound either with the coated side toward

the center or the coated side out . When the coated side “ is toward the center of the reel the tape is said to be an A ” “ n T wi d wind rhymes with kind tape . ape with the “ B - A- coated side facing outward is wind tape . wind tape is the type in most general use today . E of on ither type wind can be used any machine, merely by v - gi ing the tape a half twist as it is threaded over the heads .

Width U - ntil very recently, all tape was one quarter of an ow i inch wide . N it is possible to buy tape that s an T on eighth of an inch wide . his tape will operate many half track and all full track recorders without any special auxiliary I ’ . ts equipment main advantage is , of course, you don t waste any tape recorded on a dual track machine if you record only n o e track so that the tape may be edited . The main advantage — other than tape economy— of this nar f A row tape is conservation o storage space . disadvantage is that editing becomes somewhat of a chore for the individual who has more than his normal share of thumbs on each hand . “ ” See 189 T S for ( page , the section headed ape litter additional n r i fo mation . )

Co lo r Recording tapes are now available in a number of D f - different colors . i ferent colored tapes can be used for coding various recordings as to the speed at whi ch they were recorded, whether they are full or half track , etc .

Splic ing a nd Editing Ta pe For anyone who uses a tape re corder for business or profes sional purposes , splicing tape is almost as essential as a microphone . This tape is coated with a hard adhesive which won’t ooze For i or or slip under normal tension . ed ting repairing torn I76 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

Editing ta pe is a ve ry simple o pe ra tio n— but do ing it w N o pro pe rly ill help to elimina te po te ntial he a da c he s . Spe cia l eq uipme nt— o the r tha n a pai r o f sc isso rs a nd a ' ' ro o f s ic n t — i n c ss r H r s ho w it s do ne ll pl i g a pe s e e a y . e e I er a the two nds to be s ic ed ma kin sure ( ) Ov l p e pl . g that the sa m s d o f th t is fa c n u n bo th nds e i e e a pe i g p o e .

Ho din the ta i r b tw n the thumb a nd a i n er l g pe f mly e ee f g . ° c ut bo th nds s mu ta n o us t 6 n Th s e limi e i l e ly a a 0 a g le . ( i

na t s d t c t o n o i o n r c e e e i f S pl c e e o rding . ) 2 La the two nds o n a n ha rd smo o th surfa c e a nd ( ) y e y . ma nipulate until the two dia g o na l c uts fit to g ethe r with ‘ the unc o a te d s d The unc o ated s d is shin n i e up. ( i e y o t t a s c a ta n o n a r ta . pl i pe . p pe pe )

I78 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

i tape it is essent al . Ordinary cellophane tape should never be used as a substitute because it will eventually leave a residue of um on of g deposited the recording head the machine . A well -made splice is almost impossible to detect when it A passes over the playback head of a recorder . p oorly made identifies splice itself by a noise which sounds like a thump . A splice is a good one when the two ends of tape are joined ab so lutel or y perfectly , with neither any overlap any gaps . Over G laps of tape will cause the thump mentioned above . aps between the ends of a spliced section will cause a period of absolute silence for the interval of time it takes for the poor r splice to pass the recording o playback head . H ’ the . On ere s how to splice a tear in tape a flat surface , twist both ends of the tape so that the coated side is toward U se of o the table . the middle finger each hand to guide the tw er ect t pieces into p f contac and alignment, touching each other ‘

at ever not . Wh y point but overlapping en this is done , use the index finger of one hand to hold the opposite piece of tape s m nd from the one being held by the middle finger of the a e ha . T - of hen , with your now free hand , tear a piece splicing tape oil the special dispenser on which it is wound , and place the tape over the center of the juncture of the two sections of re W cording tape . ith your free hand , gently press the splicing tape into full and complete contact with all of the recording tape it will cover before removing the hand which is holding Wh i the two pieces in contact . en the splicing tape is f rmly in place you can remove the hand which was holding the tape on “ he off the flat surface . T spliced recording tape is then peeled the flat surface by gently pulling one end first upward and

of . then straight backward , along the length the recording tape The job is fi nished when you take a scissors and snip off any of the splicing tape which protrudes — and some should be pro

— tr udin . g, up to this point over the edges of the recording tape W s li htl hen doing the cutting , always cut g y into the recording tape itself so that the finished splice will be s omewhat nar i rower than the tape on either side of t . The The procedure is much the same in general editing . main difference is that scissors are used to cut the edges to be ACCESSORIES AN D HOW TO USE THEM l 79

The o joined . tw pieces to be spliced should be placed directly on top of one another and overlapped about an inch or an - - - W cu f a . t t o inch and half ith the scissors , bo h pieces tape si n o l — f x 4 F o multa e us y at an angle o appro imately 5 degrees . r m h on is t is point , the splicing procedure identical to the one described above . The accompanying di agrams and sketches serve as further r of of the n o s illust ations the actual mechanics splici g pr ce s . W tt of ith practice , good splices can be made in a ma er sec ’ ’ nd D r o s . on t be discouraged if your fi st few splices don t turn ou o A i i out the way y feel they sh uld . fter a l ttle pract ce they i — w ll be perfect every time . The accessories discussed up to this point were considered to be of such vital importance that they were listed in that The o t o — not o order . following items are imp r ant t o but t the h o t e . S o i on the ao same degree as preceding , fr m th s point , cessories al ha betical to are arranged in p sequence , aid the

o to do so . reader in locating them rapidly, sh uld he desire

Amplifi ers An amplifier is an electronic unit which works in conjunction with but in addition to any internal m lifi er a o . P p your rec rder may have ractical , adequate ampli 2 0 M s fiers are available in a 0 to 3 dollar price bracket . odel “ designed for the carriage trade carry price tags with three Th - o . e digits before the decimal p int economy minded, handy man type of individual can save money and have fun by pur “ ” m lifi er The chasing a kit and building his own a p . best place to look for amplifi ers or kits is an electronic supply house or a ” “hi 11 music center . Auxiliary amplifi ers are essential if you want to power the large speakers needed when you play tapes for public address ’ r t t pu poses . You merely connect the recorder s speaker ou pu to am lifier i t to P the p input, wh ch, in turn, is connec ed the ublic

Address speakers .

Boxes Whenever recordings are made in quantity there will In always be cases where only part of a reel is used . stead of leaving long sections of unrecorded tape on a reel it l 80 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

is common practice to remove the excess footage and wind it T on . s for another reel his make the tape ready instant use . ’ U i o so t t ntil used , th s tape should be kept in b xes ha it doesn t or get lost damaged .

Bulk Era s ers If or to time quantity are fac rs in tape usage , I f a bulk eraser is a necessity . nstead o run “ ” ning a tape through a recorder with the selector in the erase “ ” the one position , a bulk eraser is used to clear entire reel in operation requiring only 25 to 80 seconds !U sing a recorder to erase a 1200 foot tape would require at least 15 minutes !

“ Clo c k Timers Operating on the same principle as a clock ” tt re radio , these timers turn an una ended on off ecifi c t T rti r corder and at a sp ime . hey are pa cula ly use “ ” ful for playing a pre -recorded message ( commercial or other wise ) at an appropriate time— a good example being an “ ” employee information program piped into the lunchroom at o n on .

Colo re d Rec o r d in Ta e T o briefl g p his was touched up n y , on co earlier, in the section re rd n To r 1 . o g tape code identify various recordings , many business organizations using large quantities of tape are resorting to o i of 735 colored tape . One color indicates a rec rd ng speed A f inches per second ; another color indicates 834 ips . di ferent s i o color would indicate full track recording , wh le still an ther d n e — i e tifi s dual track . Another method of using colored tape is to use different

the of on e . . colors to classify type content the tape; g , green tape would contain motivational messages for branch sales t o t o ti o men; blue tapes would con ain price or pr duc inf rma n ,

etc .

Co ntinuo us Pla yb a c ks Attachments which repeat-play a tape over and over are useful in

- - A point of purchase advertising o r internal public relations . number of different devices are available which allow either

ISZ HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

tape , you can sleep and still listen to music , T ’ musings or messages from the boss . his isn t as facetious as it sounds ; a growing group of advocates — both formal academi cians and personnel managers responsible for training— is using fo r T this technique training purposes . hey claim that learning processes are speeded up when the subconscious mind is in of complete control the thought processes . A d — wor of warning before buying any of these earphones , ’ “ ” W make sure they re right for your recorder . hat makes them “ ” it im eda n e ? c . right You guessed , p r Here are some practical uses of ea phones . Secretaries can

use them when transcribing dictation from tape in an office . ’ The recorder s speaker can be turned off and the secretary will h h then be the only one to hear the tape . T e advantage is o vi ous ; no one else in the vicinity will be disturbed by the ’ oil sounds coming the tape , and the secretary won t be dis tracted by the sounds around her because all she will hear is

what is being piped directly into her ear . di Earphones are also useful during the making of a recor ng . They provide the operator with an immediate check of what is ’ actually going on the tape ; he doesn t have to wait until the recording session ends to discover any defects or malfunction

ing of his equipment .

Fo o t S witc h N ot all recorders are designed to operate from F r o . o a fo t control those which are, a foot switch to start and stop the recorder further increases its oper flexi ili F r of b t . o ating y instance , transcription data from tape to the typewritten page becomes easier because the typists f hands are left completely free or typing .

Hea d Dema netiz er S t g trangely enough , magne ic recording not heads should , themselves , be mag do netiz ed . T r heir pu pose is to the magnetizing, not become U magnetized . nfortunately , after a certain amount of use , In o o h eads will become permanently magnetized . this c nditi n

they affect the fidelity and quality of sound . Professional recordists demagnetize recording heads after ACCESSORIES AN D HOW TO USE THEM I83

f F every four to eight hours o use . or general recording it is h not necessary to demagnetize the head this often . T e demag netiz ing can be done when the recorder is taken in for its o servicin W fideli t peri dic gs . here y of sound is of utmost impor t tance, however, the heads should be demagne ized before the recording begins .

” Invert er T a his device , also called a converter, ch nges bat tery current and voltage to household current and W ou 100 - voltage . ith it y can operate a volt tape recorder in If your car , boat or airplane . you decide to install an inverter of e in any these vehicles , but prefer to operate your r corder ffi ’ o ce . only in the or at home , you still haven t lost any money An inverter can also be used to power such useful implements ri t as vacuum cleaners , elect c comptometers , lights , elec ric shavers and electric drills .

La b elin Ta e As s g p the name implies , labeling tape is u ed to indicate and identif y the content of a I - n n- i . t t o e recorded tape is a pressure sensi ive , magnet c tap on or which can be written with pencil, pen , ball point pen It t filin f typewriter . grea ly facilitates g when a large quantity o N ot for on o or tape is involved . only is it good use the b xes r but ca tons which hold recorded tapes , small strips of it can be on if t rt used the reels themselves , to locate and ident y the s a and end of particular segments of a complete recording .

M a ilin Ca rto ns T t r cor g hese specially cons ructed , st ong , s ote t rugated, reusable cardboard case pr c C tapes sent through the mails . ompanies which have an organ iz ed tape program involving the scheduled mailing of tapes to agents throughout the country, use these boxes to protect the reels from damage and to speed up the packaging and wrap ping procedure .

M ixer An electronic mixer is a device containing a number of f one Its o di ferent input jacks and output. purp se is to co mbine the separate inputs into a consolidated output . IS4 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

’ Here s an example : suppose you wanted to make a recording of the sounds being picked up by three microphones being operated simultaneously . Such a situation might arise at a con m of The ference or meeting involving a large nu ber people . to o one group is large for everyone to gather around mike, so more than one mike must be used . The oittput from each mike is plugged into a separate input mi er Th jack on the x . e mixer then combines each separate in combined out ut put into one p , which is then fed into the tape T an f recorder . his means that anything going into y o the a n t on If two microphones at y ime , will end up tape . people ’ di erent i talk into fl microphones at the same t me , they ll be If talking at the same time on the tape . one person is speaking ’ on more loudly than the other, that s the way it will sound tape — unless On x the mixer is adjusted accordingly . many mi ers A f there is a volume control for each input jack . djustment o this control can quiet down a loud voice or increase the volume of a quiet voice . The use of a mix er is not restricted to microphone inputs A x alone . mi er may be used to combine a microphone input In with a phonograph or radio input , also . other words , the of mix f function a mixer is to different sounds , from di ferent on sources , into one source which is then recorded tape . “ ” am lifi ers c Mixers , like p , can be pur hased either ready made r S fit o in kit form . ome would in your pocket; others would

- ffi P just barely fit on top of an executive size o ce desk . rices start in the three to four- dollar range and then move up into

- l sifi i n A c as cat o . the two and three digit quite versatile , ade - t for 80 quate , good quali y mixer can be purchased between of m or and 40 dollars . One this type will acco modate four more different inputs and provide near- professional quality For use the x the and operating convenience . average mi ers in

- 10 to 15 dollar bracket are more than acceptable .

Pa t c h Co r ds These are cords with a plug at both ends or a plug on one end and alligator clips on the T are one other . hey used to convey electronic signals from

I86 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

r the n s is o eral te ms , even at risk of i curring ome d pleasure fr m hi - i fi enthusiasts and aud o engineers . “ ” The majority of home and semi -professional tape recorders i -in T t have bu lt speakers . hese speakers are usually no adequate f r x A o t . of playing apes for e tremely large groups lso , because space and price limitations they are usually not what could be “ ” fidelit T considered a high y speaker . his is where the external auxiliary speaker enters the picture . In x r are o to selecting an au ilia y speaker, here the fact rs be considered : 1 ) Basic type— permanent magnetic or electro-dynamic 2 ) Durability 8 ) Siz e and weight 4 ) Output wattage 5 ) Price d — m e a nce An i d . , oh, yes p

Typ e A permanent magnetic speaker is so named because its

o t . A main comp nent is a real, metal , permanent magne ” voice coil wrapped around part of the magn et is responsible for the unit being able to convert an electrical current into an In o o of audible sound . its simplest f rm , this is the sum t tal a An - dif permanent magnet speaker . electro dynamic speaker fers from the permanent magnetic speaker in that it does not I of r contain a metal magnet . nstead it utilizes a coil wi e connected to a steady source of d1rect current— to perform the n function of a metal mag et . For the average user it will make no difference whether he buys a P M ( permanent magnetic ) speaker or an E-D ( electr o T E D t out dynamic ) . hose who belong to the school poin that any permanent magnet deteriorates in time and therefore the T speaker will gradually get weaker . hey also mention that if a ’ very loud sound is desired , the permanent magnet can t create P-M a magnetic fi eld strong enough to produce that sound . devotees claim that these factors are not signifi cant in many instances and that other advantages compensate for what de i n i For of o fic e c es there are . most readers this bo k the decision of which type of speaker he should buy is the same type he ACCESSORIES AN D HOW TO USE THEM 187

would make in deciding whether to buy a red Ford or a green Chevrolet; both cars will provide hi ghly satisfactory transpor ’ ’ It — tati on. s the same with the Speakers both types will deliver

good service .

’ “ Dura bility Again it s a case of six of one and a half dozen of A another . magnet will lose its magnetism if

it . Ho or is jarred or hit hard enough wever, if you jarred hit ’ an E-D speaker as hard as you d have to hi t a P-M speaker to it E D ’ If damage , the speaker wouldn t be worth much either . of i o either the two have a sl ght edge over the other, the hon rs o to P-M would probably g the .

Siz e a nd Wei ht fo - -M S r i . 2 e . 1 P g ize size, , a inch com i 12- E-D pared with a sim lar inch , the - T electro dynamic speaker will be slightly heavier . his becomes a consideration primarily when the speaker will be used as a office or portable unit, and carried back and forth from the f studio to various di ferent locations . When you buy a speaker you don ’ t necessarily get one that is baffle For w t mounted in a or carrying case . jobs here por a bilit o il y is a consideration , keep l oking unt you find a case or b atfle r that is not only convenient to car y but light in weight .

O utp ut Wa tta g e The design and physical siz e of a speaker is the determining factor in the maximum M u volume of sound it can handle satisfactorily . an facturers “ ” The lis t the maximum watts for each of their speakers . rat tt 12- ings range from a fraction of a wa upward , with a watt output being a mighty healthy capacity for an auxiliary A 12 speaker . nytime you need more power than watts you are ” getting out of the class of speakers and into the class of horns “ ” “ ” in and projectors , which are the speakers usually used A of . s baseball parks , fairs , circuses , etc an idea what you could expect to be able to accomplish with a speaker of a given t five fill wattage , remember hat watts is enough power to an audi torium which has a capacity of from 200 to 400 people . I88 HOW TO USE A AP RECORDER T E .

’ Pric e If ou o y plan to buy a speaker on price alone , y u ll In probably take home a permanent magnetic speaker . P-M general , with speakers of the same size and wattage the will be slightly cheaper . ’ A final word : don t forget to check the impedance rating of any auxiliary speaker you plan to buy for use W ith your re ’ The in ut corder . speaker s p impedance must match the re ’ ’ ’ out u If corder s p t impedance . it doesn t you ve wasted some not money, because it just will work satisfactorily with your — one the recorder unless or other, the speaker or the recorder, m ifi d is od e .

S lic in Bl o c k As i o p g mentioned previously, in the sect n on

- not ditfi splicing tape , noise free splices are cult to make if the correct procedure is followed and the person f doing the splicing has a minimum amount o manual dexterity . A or sim lifies plastic metal splicing block , however , p the oper d finitel ation considerably and e y cuts down the time involved . The block is grooved in such a way that tape alignment and w positioning is assured ith practically no effort .

S ta nds Desk or floor microphone stands increase the opera tional flexibility of any mike and tend to improve the of finished W l quality the recording . hen recording a sma l group of people it is undesirable for o ne person to hold the “ ” mike and try to aim it in the right direction at the right time . If or the a desk floor stand is used , the mike can be located in

- best all around position for the group as a whole .

Sto ra g e Alb ums These albums facilitate storage and filing A of problems . number individual boxes of on or tapes the same general subject, theme project, are The catalogued and then stored in a group in these albums . l albums fit easily on book shelves or in fi e cabinets .

Stora e Ca binets If g available shelf space is limited , many business organizations prefer to buy in of expensive storage cabinets for their storage albums , instead

I9O HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

n t re s o s s -to- o r tio s a alig men , f quency re p n e, ignal n ise a , ign l G f r e n t e . See o r o d finitio of ter s or level and ape sp ed ( l ssa y m , r t o s t rs efer o previ u chap e . )

Timer a nd Lea der Ta pe Thi s special tape is spli ced right t e or in o a recorded tap , at the i or of W beg nning end an edited tape . hen used at the begin or of the ning end a tape , the timer and leader tape serves “ ” l on lm W same purpose as the eader motion picture fi . hen used within a completed tape , its purpose is to separate individ ual sections of the recording or to provide accurately measured r s f s pe iod o ilence .

Tra c k M a teria liz er Being able to see the actual sound track on a recorded tape has definite A i e on at t . s advantages imes fluid available which, when coat d

s tr the . T is a recorded tape, make the sound ack visible to eye h is useful both in editing a tape and in aligning the record and playback heads of the recorder itself .

For information about other available accessories and their t the ro uses , it is suggested tha reader consult a local elect nic o s or l or out supply h u e, a camera app iance store , other retail lets handling recorders and tape in volume . A P P E N D I !

GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERM S

l94 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

“ s of ing jaws which look similar to the jaw an alligator . T r a : hey, are used to make temporary elect ic l connections

e . . of g , from the speaker leads to the phono input a recorder, r when making an elect onic pickup . Amplifier— An electronic device used to increase the strength f n An a lifier n o an electronic sig al . internal mp is o e contained An am lifi er within the recorder . external p is housed in a ’ separate case and must be co nnected to the recorder s cir i r f cu t y by means o a patch cord . Wind ( sounds like bind ) — A tape wound on the reel in such a way that the dull ( coated ) side is toward the hub of - f - o A . the reel . Most present day tapes are the wind type “ ” S B -W ome recorders are designed to use a ind tape, but will easily accommodate an A-wind tape merely by giving the tape a half twist before threading it past the recording

head . Audio Frequenc ies — Sound waves having a frequency falling within the range which can be heard by the average human h s 3 0 ear . Most aut oritie set this range between and

cycles per second . Audio-Vis ua l— The of combined , simultaneous use audible and to i visible stimuli teach , instruct, convey informat on or enter A i for or tain . tape recorded narrat on color slides motion

pictures would be examples . “ ” B Wind— Tape wound with the dull s ide facing away from I A-W the hub of the reel . t can be converted to ind tape merely by giving the tape a half twist as it comes off the

reel . Bias — An alternating current fed into the recording circuit to eliminate distortion of the sound signal which the recording Th of head impresses on the tape . e frequency this current should be much higher than the maximum frequency the h tape will reproduce wit ease , otherwise the bias current will result in an audible noise” being heard from the unrecorded f portions o a tape . Binaura l— This is an adjective which implies the simultaneous “ B use of both ears to hear in perspective . inaural sound is GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS I9S

“ ” analogous to stereographic photographs : there is depth “l and ocation of the sound as well as volume . Bina ural Recorder— A tape recorder which does for the ears I what a stereo camera does for the eyes . t makes possible “ ” S aural depth of perception . uch recorders have two separate or E recording channels systems . ach system is a complete l own recording unit within itse f, containing its microphone , am lifi er To p , recording and playback heads and earphones .

make recordings , both systems are used simultaneously with the sounds from the respective systems being impressed on n T ' two parallel sound tracks o a single tape . rue binaural one playback is accomplished by using headphones , with phone connected to one track and the other phone connected

to the second track . Bulk Eras er— An alternating current device which creates a strong magnetic field that erases an entire reel of magnetic A tape almost instantaneously . bulk eraser eliminates the t of necessi y running a tape through the recorder, with the “ ” volume ~control on at zero and the record switch , to erase

the tape completely . Clock Timer— A to device , similar a clock radio , which can be used to turn an unattended recorder on and oil at a

s ecifi c . p , predetermined time Ca stan— The p shaft which rotates as it presses against the tape , pulling it past the recording and playback head at a constant

speed . — A for Cycles Per Second Abbrevi ated cps . unit measuring f It b e the frequency o alternating current . the frequency is tween 3 0 and cps the average human ear will hear “ sound . Continuous Pla ybac ks — Devices which will repeat-play the T same tape or portion of tape over and over again . hese n on oil devices are tur ed and by such means as electric eyes ,

automatic timers , switches , etc . “ ” — An Decibel A db . bbreviated arbitrary unit of measure , which applies to sound in the same way that a degree A Fahrenheit is a measure of relative heat intensity . change I96 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

in sound intensity ( volume ) of one db is the smallest change n a hutnan ear ca detect . Distortion— Any difference between the original sound and the o - reproduced sound . N present day recorders are completely of i o the of free internally generated distort n , but design hi gher- quality machines minimizes distorti on below the f i nifi an R f o s c ce . o point g egardless the quality of a recorder, o however, it cannot c mpensate for defects in other elements i st — i wh ch make up the complete sy em m crophone , external m lifi er a p and external speaker . “ ” Dua l Track Recorder— A - t i s lso called a half track recorder, h is a machine with a recording head which magnetizes only one- o A ne t . o half the t tal width of the tape , at one ime fter “ ” side of the tape is completely recorded the reel can then be tur ned over and recorded from beginning to end again “ ”

on . o ro the second track Obvi usly, a dual track recorder p vides twice o di t , the rec r ng and playing ime than will a single n track recorder o the same size tape . ” Dub in — So or Th the o b g metimes called dub dupe . is is pr c ess of copying a given recording by playing the tape on one machine while using a second machi ne to record the output

of the first machine . Dynamic Range— The difference between the s oftest and the loudest sounds a tape recorder can reproduce within pre r e determined limits of acceptable disto ti on . Th dynamic ’ range is usually measured in db s and expressed as a rati o .

— T Earphones These are also called headphones . hey corre s ond to t so t fit com p minia ure speakers , designed tha they ’ r T fo tabl on or the . y , in near wearer s ears here are many “ ” i o o o d fferent types ins far as style is c ncerned, ranging fr m “ ” - o See the ear muff type to the steth scope variety . ( page

Editin — S o of t or g electing certain p rtions a ape recording, of of f a number di ferent tape recordings , then splicing them

together in some organized sequence . El ectroma gnetism— Magnetism created by means of electrical A f of phenomena . coil o wire is wound around a core metal

— — usually iron and electrical current is sent through the wire .

I98 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

on a tape recorder does this automatically to any sound pre vi ousl on y recorded the tape, just before the tape reaches the “ record head . Eras e H ead— The electromag net the tape passes fi rst as it un s -u wind from the feed to the take p reel . Equaliz ation— Intentional electronic modifi cati on of the fre quencies which make up the original sound fed into the in h put of a recording system . T e same process can be applied t off T o recorded sounds coming a tape on playback . his is one of : r fre example equalization du ing recording , the high “ ” q uencies of a given sound are electronically exaggerated

before they are impressed on the tape ; during playback, they “ ” I . n are electronically subdued practice , equalization can or be applied to the low , middle high tones of a recording , or either during recording playback or both . N ormally a compensation of this type is automatic because of the design f T defi ien o the circuitry in a recorder . his serves to correct c cies in the recording system itself and increase the signal -to

noise ratio of the recorder . Extension Cords — A uxiliary, insulated electrical cords used either to carry 1 10-volt power to a remote recorder or to increase the distance any given microphone may be moved “ n about and still remain plugged i . “ ” Fader ( See A-B Switch ) — Also a multiple -unit volume con for of o trol used the purpose all wing a gradual changeover, m one or to fro microphone other sound input another, with

out an abrupt or noticeable cessation o f sound . “ F a k— T eedb c An electrical sound circle . echnically it is a transfer of electrical energy from any given point in a sound An system back to a preceding point in the same system . ex be : i ample would sound going into a microphone , work ng out its way to the speaker, coming of the speaker and then eedback going back into the microphone . F is generally i It h ghly undesirable . announces its presence by making a f out o . loud , high squeal come a speaker Fid elity — The degree of absolute and total uniformity and con formity with which the reproduced sound matches the orig

inal sound fed into a recording system . G LOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERM S I99

Fla t Respons e— Th e reproduction of all tones — low or high— in e to their proper proportion with resp ct original volume, rela A n t . ive intensity , etc sou d system capable of doing this is “ ” said to have a flat response . When data is cited relative to i the response capabil ties of a given recorder, it is usually given in a manner such as this essentially flat re u o r one db r 40 spo se, plus minus , f om to cycles per

second . Flutter— An of unsteadiness recorded sound volume and pitch , t I no present in the original sound . t is usually noticeable in T f the higher frequency ranges . his is a form o distortion . The — variations result from short , rapid and possibly minute — changes in the speed at which the tape moves past the re r cording o playback head . F oot Switch— An on external switch a recorder, operated by re foot pressure , which can be used to start and stop the

co rder. Frequenc y— The number of times per second a wave of elec l One trica energy such as a sound wave ) completes a cycle . example of a typical cycle would be z a wave starting at a to x zero reference point, rising its ma imum amplitude l ne ative ( height ) , returning to zero , fal ing to its maximum g o height ( depth ) in the opposite direction , and returning t Th f the zero point . e number o times a given wave does this

in a given second is the frequency of that wave . Frequenc y Ra nge— The over- all range between the highest and lowest frequencies a reoorder is capable of reproducing with eli fid ty at a usable or acceptable volume . Fre uenc Res ons e— A the q y p rating , usually in form of a curve t plot ed on a graph , which illustrates how well a recorder handles the various frequencies constituting an original input ’ to the recorder s circuitry . Ga in— The ratio between the level of an input and the level of I the corresponding output of the sound system . t is usually ’ The f expressed in db s . gain o a given recorder is primarily f i m lifi er a function o its nternal a p . Cain can be increased by of am lifi er means an external p , used in conjunction with the

recorder . 200 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

— The Gap hAlso called slit . minute distance between the mag f o . The netic poles the erase , recording and playback heads width of the gap in a playback ( reproducing ) head is a ’ critical factor in the recorder s frequency response , because The it controls the high frequency response . recording head H is not quite so critical in the same respect . owever, making a recording with the volume control set to o high causes dis tortion by increasing the effective width of the recording Ga head gap , thereby impairing frequency response . p is P - measured in mils . resent day portable recorders may have 1 35 head gaps ranging from mil down to mil .

— h H ead T e electromagnet across which the tape is drawn . The record head magnetizes the tape in a pattern which matches Th r r duc the sounds of the original input . e playback ( ep o ing ) head reacts to the magnetic pattern in such a way that

recorded sounds are reproduced . Most portable recorders

- use a combination record playback head , with the function of the head at any given instant being determined by a switch which introduces the necessary changes into the cir Th cuitry controlling the head . e erase head removes any h magnetic pattern on a recorded tape . T e record head puts a “ ” The pattern on the tape . playback head reads whatever n magnetic sound pattern may be o the tape . H ead D ema netiz er— A o g small electr magnet , usually operating

oil 1 10- volt alternating current , which removes magnetism The dema which has accumulated within the head itself . g netiz er does its job in much the same way as an erase head removes the magnetic pattern which represents sound on a

recorded tape . High Fidelity— A term generally applied to th e entire system ( or sometimes the respective components ) of an audio record It ing or playback system . implies the ability of a system to reproduce a given range of audio frequencies with an ab so 1 1 f It lute m n mum o distortion . has become common practice “ to classify an audio system of any type as high fidelity when it is capable of faithfully reproducing frequencies ‘ ranging from 20 to cycles per second . Impeda nc e— A form of opposition to the flow of a varying elec

202 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

” terms , level is simply the intermediate point between sound wave amplitude extremes o n either side of an arbi trar In y reference point . recording this refers primarily to “ ” of Th extremes in volume original sound . e ideal level at which to make a reco rding is the point at which the loudest sounds are not overamplifi ed to the point where distortion results : neither are they und eramplifi ed so tha t they cannot be played back at desired volume without turning the vol ume control up so high that distortion is generated within “ ” See R L l the recorder itself . ( also ecording eve ) Level I nd icator— A device which indicates the level at which bein ma I s de . t a recording is g , provides a warning again t “ over-recording ( overamplificatio n and consequent disto r f - The tion o the incoming signal ) or under recording . indica “ ” tor one l or may be of several types neon bu b ; magic eye ; , “ U ” V ( volume unit ) meter . ine— A o L cord , cable or other conductor used t transmit elec ri l t ca power or electronic signals . Line Cord— A two -wire cord which terminates in a two - prong In r plug . general use it refers to the elect ical conductor which connects electrical o r electronic equipment to the of 1 0 source 1 volt power . M ag netic Tape— A plastic or paper tape which has been

coated with a layer of magnetizable iron oxide particles . M icrophone — A device which converts and transfers o ne type of power to another type — acoustic power to electrical T power . echnically this consists of converting sound waves

‘ e into corresponding audi o frequency electrical energy . R ardl ess t g of ype , all microphones operate on the same basic principle : some sort of flexible diaphr agm moves in accord ance with sound wave variations : this movement results in a minute voltage which is then fed to an amplifi er which “boosts” the electrical energy to the point where it is useable See within the remammg circuits of the sound system . ( pages 166 M ixer— A device designed to combine a number of separate

electrical inputs into a consolidated electrical output . Mix

— ers are basically of two types mechanical and electronic . G LOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERM S 203

Mechanical mixers are considerably less expensive than the L fl xi o . i t e ble cheapest electr nic mixers ikew se, hey are less in i F r li . o their capabi t es example , under normal circumstances it is not possible to use a mechanical mixer to combine the respective inputs from a crystal microphone and a dynamic

microphone . Such a combination of inputs would be possible x with most electronic mi ers . M onitor— To listen by means of earphones or a special speaker to what is being recorded at the time a recording is in

progress . M otor Board— That part of a tape reco rder on which are mounted those parts other than the strictly electronic com on nts m lifi er e a s . T l p , such as p , loudspeakers , etc his is a so “ ” On sometimes called the tape transport mechanism . the : motor board are mounted the motor or motors , reels , heads

and controls . ut ut— Th li A O p e electrical energy coming out of an amp fi er . ’ recorder s output is normally fed into a loudspeaker, either r am directly, or after having been sent th ough an external e f m l ti n plifi r unit or additional a p ifi ca o . Oxide— Microscopically small particles of ferric oxide dis

persed in a liquid binder and coated on a tape backing . “ ” These oxides are magnetically hard — meaning that once n mag etized , they remain in that state permanently unless demagnetized by subsequent exposure to a strong magnetic ld fie . Patch Cord— A short cord with a plug at both ends or a plug P on one end and alligator clips on the other . atch cords are used to convey electronic signals from one circuit o r physi

— - T 110 o . cal unit to another . hey are not used for v lt current “ ” Playback H ead — The electromagnet which reads the sound i In impulses magnetized o n the tape being dr awn past t. most medium and low-priced portable recorders the play

back head is physically combined with the recording head . The functional interchange between its operation as a play back head and its operation as a recording head is accom pli shed by a change in the circuitry controlling the head at The accom a given instant . change in circuitry is usually 204 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

li shed P p by means of a mechanical switch . rofessional and semi -professional recorders usually contain a separate play t back head and a separate recording head, in addi ion to a In separate erase head . all cases the erase head will be sepa

- rate from the recording playback head . Plug — A connecting device used for making instantly remova to or ble connections a corresponding jack similar outlet . Pol ester Film— P film for The y lastic backing magnetic tape . magnetizable oxide is coated on polyester film instead of on P acetate . olyester tape is considered to have excellent strength characteristics and high resistance to humidity

changes . Power Amplifier— An electronic device which boosts the in coming electrical input to the point where it will operate a

loudspeaker .

Power ord — The - C Sometimes called line cord . two wire cord which is used to connect the tape recorder to the source of

- 1 10 A. O. volt current . Pre-amplifier— An amplifi er designed to boost extremely weak electrical inputs to the point where they are useable by the m lifi e a r . N power p ormally the output from a microphone ,

magnetic playback head or a phonograph pickup , would be fed fi rst to a pre - amplifier before being fed into the power m lifier S a p which drives the speaker . ome tape recorders use a circuit design which combines the pre - amp and the power

am lifi er . O p thers , usually the more expensive models , utilize

- lifi er W - am lifier a separate pre amp . hen a separate pre p is

. The used it will usually contain an equalization circuit . equalization circuit minimizes the electronic distortion which would otherwise result as a consequence of the origi “ ” on nal input being worked by an additional , individual

electronic component . Pressure Pads — Spring- mounted felt pads which hold the mag

netic tape in close contact with the heads on some recorders . “ ” “ — A Pressure Roller Also called capstan idler or puck . rub

- l d i ber , spring pressure rol er which hol s the magnetic tape tightly against the capstan to insure constant tape speed and

prevent slippage .

206 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

Recording N ois e— N oise generated electronically or otherwise by the components of the recorder ( or over-all sound sys A tem ) itself . poorly erased tape can also be the source of The recording noise . noise takes many forms : it may be “ ” is hum or either a h s , slight popping . Reel Adapter— A device which fits o n a recorder in such a man “ ” ner that reels of larger size than normal can be used on An e : f that machine . example would b a set o adapters which allow a 10- inch reel to be used on a recorder designed to accommodate a maximum - size reel of seven inches in di

ameter . Remo te Control- A device which allows the recorder to be

- operated by means other than the self contained knobs , dials An and switches . example would be a foot pedal which controls the starting and stopping of the tape transport

mechanism . Self-powered Recorder— A tape recorder which contains a -in The built power supply . power supply might be either a combination of wet and dry batteries or dry batteries used

- in conjunction with a spring driven motor . S elector— A mechanical , electronic or electrical device used to make connections to any one of a number of electrical

circuits .

Si na l~to ~ N ois e Ratio — The f nu g di ference between the loudest , distorted tone recorded and reproduced and the noise gen erated within and by the various compo nents which make

up the complete recording network or system . “ ” — A Single Track Recorder Also called a full track recorder . recorder with a recording head which magnetizes the full - T width of 35 inch tape . here are a few machines which mag netiz e only a portion of the full width— that portion being a track which extends slightly above and slightly below an imaginary line running lengthwise down the middle of the e tap . Slit— Also The called gap . minute distance between the mag See netic poles of the erase , recording and playback heads . ( , CC ” GaPo G LOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERM S 207

Sound — The vibration of some element, physical or otherwise , A at a rate which can be heard by human ears . nything The which possesses the ability to vibrate will carry sound .

resulting travelling vibrations are called sound waves . Splicing Blo ek— A plastic or metal device designed to facilitate rapid and simple tape alignment and positioning so that tape f can be spliced with minimum e fort and maximum precision . In necessi addition to conventional splicing blocks , which

tate the use of splicing tape , there are also thermal splicers ,

which make splices by means of heat and pressure . S licin Ta e— A - - p g p pressure sensitive , non magnetic tape used “ ” It for splicing magnetic tape . has a hard adhesive which w “ ill not ooze , thereby eliminating the possibility of gum ming up the recording head or causing adjacent layers of C neve wound tape to stick together . ellophane tape should r

be used to make Splices . Tape Guides — Grooved pins of no n-magnetic material mounted f T at either side o the recording head assembly . heir func tion is to position the magnetic tape on the head as it is

being recorded or played . Tape Loop— A piece of magnetic tape with the ends spliced U together to form an endless loop . sing a loop it is possible to play back a recorded message repetitively without rewind

ing the tape . Tape Slitter— A device which slices one roll of 35-inch magnetic 5 f - Th n tape into two rolls o 3 inch tape . e desig of some record ers permits the installation of the slitter right on the machine itself and the slitting is accomplished merely by running a

- reel of tape from the feed reel to the take up reel . Tape Speed — Speed at which tape moves past the recording or playback head when the control switch is in the “record” or “ ” S playback position . tandard speeds for portable recorders 5 ro are 3 % inches per second ( abbreviated ips ) and 73 ips . P fessional and semi -professional recorders usually operate at

15 ips and even 30 ips . Most newer portable recorders are “ ” dual speed — which means they can operate at one of two f e on i di ferent spe ds , depending the position ng of a selector 208 HOW TO USE A TAPE RECORDER

. S switch, lever or knob low tape speeds are acceptable when tape economy is of paramount importance o r where fidelity f T of sound is o no consequence . here are recorders available A which operate at speeds as low as ips . s a general fidelit rule , the faster the tape speed , the better is the y of the finished T 3 recording . ape recorded at 34ips will be raised one 7 5 C octave in pitch when played back at 3 ips . utting speed in

half lowers tone by one octave . Telepho ne Pickup— A device which is used in combination with a telephone receiver to pick up both voices during a t n conversation so hat they may be recorded o tape . Tes t Tape— A pre - recorded tape containing sounds and signals wow which will test a recorder for such items as and flutter ,

-to - head alignment, frequency response , signal noise ratio , T signal level and tape speed . hese tapes are recorded under rigidly controlled conditions and provide the owner of a “ ” recorder with a simplifi ed method of detecting troubles

before they assume major proportions . Threading Slot— Slot in recording head assembly cover plate into which the tape is slipped when threading the reels for f use o the recorder . Timer and L eader Ta e— S non- p trong , magnetic tape which can be spliced to either end of a tape to prevent damage or of It breaking off the magnetic tape ends . serves the same ” n It purpose as leader o motion picture film . can also be used within” a complete recording to separate various seg ments o r individual sections or to provide accurately meas r u ed periods of silence . Tone Control— The knob which varies the bass or treble tones ! ’ whi ch the recorder s amplifi er allows to reach the speaker in

varying degrees of intensity . Trac k M ateria liz er— A fluid which, when applied to a recorded T to . tape , makes the sound track visible the eye his is use ful both in editing and in aligning the record and playback f heads o the recorder itself . VU M eter— An instrument calibrated to indicate the power ” “ V level of an audio frequency in volume units . olume units

IN DE!

B l 3 8 A eep signa , B - S . . 1 1 A B w 143 , J , s itch, egun B o E 1 1 2 o o 78 C , , 1 Abb tt Lab ratories , ing r sby nterprises Bo 179 44 e , Accident reports , x s B i n 57 at 1 16 , Acting ( parties ) , ra nstormi g - - Briefin s 3 0 A 1 16 g , Add Line ( game ) , - B u l Co 8 1 1 15 57 65 Deve me , Advertising, , r sh op nt B lk 1 8 i , 0 Advert sing agencies . u erasers B 15 l o 28 u e c mmu c , c ient communicati ns , sin ss o ni ation 28 Bu e ec presentations , sin ss r ords 45 k 58 pe m e , Air chec s , r an nt c 3 6 l 124-126 e e mee , A bums , tape , s r t tings - , 87 l Film Co . 80 em pe m e A exander , s i r an nt 2 , 9 B Co . 12 emp y American roadcasting , t orar l E Co . 1 1 12 Ampex ectric , , C Am lifiers 150 179 p , , ll o 8 1 Ca rep rts , l l w 49 Ana ytica revie s , 62 Campaign presentations , l 43 Annua reports , Camras 1 1 12 , Marvin, , R r 8 1 1 Armour esea ch Institute , , o 54 59 68 9 1 Candid rec rding , , , , , S l o 9 10 1 1 Army igna C rps , , , 1 14 l n u 90 Assemb y i str ctions, ol R o 12 Capit ec rds , At- o w k 89 h me or , 155 Cartridge , tape , l E l l z At as Fish mu sion Ferti i er o Case histories , rec rded 80 Co . , x 81 e hibits , - l r 16 Audio visua prog ams , l 81 p ant tours , 58 Auditions , li l o 80 ’ pub c re ati ns, h of 85 Aut ors use recorders , a l o u Co . 48 Ch mpi n P p Paper , o 123 Autographs , rec rded , k 42 Chec cashing , l o in 3 1 u m b e , ec , A to o i r rding Checklists 109 party games , B io 125 vacat n trips , B k on 128 l of 18 1 abies , chec ing , Chi dren , recording , B l o l t 43 13 0 a tim re Po ice Dep , Church, B k o 3 2 l k 180 an rec rds , C oc timers , I ’ f Am 4 B 182 o ns . . o 9 edtime stories , C mbined Co s 2 I2 IN DE!

o la a l 44 En n o 29 3 4 3 7 C mp int h nd ing , gi eering rep rts , , , on w 5 5 E a C sumer intervie s , ntert inment o l k 1 80 a t a e 1 07 - 122 C ntinuous p aybac , p r y g m s , o ol 148 153 157 w l t a l 10 1 C ntr s , , , hi e r ve ing, A- B w 143 E al o ol 144 s itch , qu izati n contr s , ke 148 E editing y , xhibits l r l 148 a o 8 1 e ect ica , c se hist ries , al a o 144 c 5 0 equ iz ti n ; ritiques , o o w 182 E n 3 2 f t s itch , xpe se accounts , a al 148 E o o 169 mech nic , xtensi n c rds , o l l o rec rding eve indicat r, F 143 1 , 58 a use o in 87 l l 146 F rming, of rec rders , se ection ocator, Fast o wa 146 lu 158 f r rd , ratio , vo me , al o o n o o of 95 Feder C mmunicati ns Com Conve ti ns , rec rding , o 3 8 Cords missi n , a k 1 60 n o 169 Feedb c , exte si n , Fidelit 14 1 a 1 84 y , p tch , ill- in - the- l k 120 o o o 47 F b an s ( game ) C urtro m rep rting , Fo o t w 1 82 49 s itch , Critiques , Fo rei n la 1 84 o B 1 1 12 g nguage study , Cr sby , ing , , Fre uenc on 140 q y resp se , D G

a n 12 1 1 3 5 Ga 107 - 122 D nci g , , mes , party , a a a o 3 2 G 48 D t tr nsmissi n , arages , al n w 55 G al El Co 27 De er i tervie s , ener ectric l 1 45 G 1 15 Decibe , ossip ( game ) , l o ol 42 D , e ivery c ntr H a a 1 82 Dem gnetizer , he d , H a 143 w 54 e ds , Depth intervie s , a 1 82 a o 86 89 97 dem gnetizer, Dict ti n , , , o of 156 4 5 positi n , Disc recorders , , H o o f a o 8 - 13 s l 18 1 ist ry t pe rec rding , Di cip ine , H 123 - it- ou l o istory , recorded , Do y rse f instructi ns , H o 122 - 123 48 bbies , Druggists , Ho o 97 me dictati n , Ho old o ol o for useh t , rec rder , 126- 129 Ea o n 1 81 rph es , Ea s o 59 68 9 1 I ve dr pping , , , E n a l 148 a an 3 5 1 0 1 diti g f ci ity , Ide exch ge , , E n k e 148 d a o 57 diti g y , I e sessi ns , E a on o 13 2 a 1 59 160 170 182 duc ti , h me , Imped nce , , , , , El c o c d k 1 85 188 e tr ni ( irect) pic up, E lo n a l 85 o an oi mp yme t pp ications , Imp rt t meetings , records , End - o 56 47 use rep rts ,

2 I4 INDE! Presentations 62 l R 8 , Nava esearch Laboratory , campaign ’ l 4 N ew Y k W l 9 , 9 or or d s Fair, genera o o u w le 60 , 82 Ne s re ases , m ti n pict re l 58 ws o 92 , , 70 , 82 Ne rep rting , sa es 1 2 l 95 , 5 Noise eva uation , Price k 146 , 13 5 Program indicator, Note ta ing “ (see also Selection Loca tor”) 0 l d l 15 1 179 Pub ic ad ress faci ity , , Official 87 48 l l h i messages , , Pub ic re ations , case istor es , O 50 80 pen house critiques , O 1 53 -176 peration, 6 economy oi, l of 5 simp icity , l 15 1 stabi ity, l O fillin 3 3 68 ( , 1 12 rder g , , musica game ) voca1 ame 1 13 Or of new l ee ( ) , ientation emp oy s , g 78 O k 150 1 59 utput jac s , , R O k 16 1 utput spea er , R l 62 67 adio commercia s , , R o of adio pr grams , recording , P 128 l B ll 1 1 R l Pa mer, i , ai roads l l 1 1 ll i Pa mer Fi ms , contro ing disposit on of E o of 1900 8 4 1 Paris xp sition , freight, 0 - 2 l R 1 1 1 7 1 2 R Co . Party games , anger, ichard N i 182 R Parties , record ng oi, ecording 1 6 1 1 84 l 2 1 Patch cord, , practica tips , k 48 o o 157 Performance chec s , pr cess descripti n , l l 74 172 Persona eva uation , tape , 13 R l l 143 Picture recording , ecording eve indicator, , l 81 158 P ant tours , case histories , l k R l 17 1 P aybac ee s , o 180 185 c ntinuous , adapters for, l i 2 1 N ARTB 172 practica t ps , , l l 145 172 se ective istening during , size , , 2 1 w 17 1 arped , -of— 60 61 66 R 63 Point purchase , , , , eference data , 67 81 R l 56 , e ease forms , l 48 R 1 6 1 Po ice , epairs , l l i 8 1 64 Pou sen , V adim r , tests for necessity oi, ‘ w o 150 w 1 63 Po er utput, hen to do , ow 15 1 w et 161 P er requirements , here to g , 169 R 98 extension cords , epeated phone messages , IN DE! ZI5

R o S k 150-1 85 ep rts pea ers , ll 3 1 l t 187 ca , durabi i y, 56 l o 1 86 187 end use , e ectr dynamic, , l 3 4 irn edance 1 88 genera , p , R w w 146 k 161 e ind fast for ard ratio, jac s for, w 1 87 output attage , 186 S permanent magnetic, , 1 87 S w 93 fe y g , a t arnin s of 1 88 price , S l e 52 a es conferenc s , 8: w 187 size eight, S l 3 9 70 a es meetings , , 186 type , i 50 cr tiques , S al o of 129 peci events , rec rding , S l o 53 70 82 e p e e , , , S 49 a s r s ntati ns peeches , S l lk l 70 S 13 4 a es ta ibraries , peech correction , “ ” S l ol 56 S ll S ll a es to , pi (see Tape pi ) S l 52 70 S l 175 a es training , , p icing , lo k 1 88 Salesmen b c , ll 3 1 S o e ca reports , t rag l 1 88 e o 3 2 bum , expens acc unts , a s 1 88 field 3 5 c b e , contacts , a in ts S o oa 64 ak 3 4 yb , t ing orders , t r rds S l 102 S 1 1 8 ubjective ana ysis , cavenger hunts , S o 94 S 3 6 uggesti n systems , ecret meetings , S l o l 146 e ecti n ocator, T “ ( see also Program Indica ” Tape tor ) cut-off 147 automatic , S l - l 72 e f ev u , i k e 173 a ation base th c n ss , S l o 173 equentia rec rding adapter, base type , 149 t 155 156 car ridge , , S o 1 80 olo of 175 180 erm ns , c r , , S ll 47 of 175 ervice ca s , editing , l l 188 S l 145 be g, igna , a in l 190 S l- - 145 eader, igna to noise ratio , l of 1 73 S l 3 8 ength , igna s , beep, l - e f e g m g e , So 98 s thr adin a azin und effects , 156 S 123 ound hunting, l 1 89 s itter, So c o 15 27-50 und re rds , , 141 speed , 45 -50 permanent , ll 147 spi , - 3 7 -44 semi permanent, S l 175 p icing oi, 28-3 7 temporary , 1 89 test , So - l o 78 u e e e , 154 nd s id pr s ntati ns threading oi, S o k 142 190 und trac , timer, al 190 w 175 materi izer, idth oi, S o r k 97 w of 175 und t uc s , ind , INDE!

Tape-A- Story game ) 1 15 Tape recorder ( Continued ) l 1 24- 1 26 n 1 7 Tape a bums , tech iques of using , a l 1 22 of 1 5 16 T pe c ubs , uses , , a o l 6 T pe rec rder, characteristics , versati ity , 140 a o l 1 19 T pe r u ette ( game ) , A- B w 143 Tele ra hones 8 s itch , g p , am lifiers 15 0 l o icku 189 p , Te eph ne p cut- off 147 l automatic tape , Te ephone recor ings l -in i 149 o 3 8 bui t m xer, conversati ns , o ol 148 128 c ntr s , home , a l 148 l al 88 editing f ci ity , eg restrictions , ke 148 83 editing y , orders , ual o l 144 93 eq izati n contro s , repeated messages , n o 140 l o 75 freque cy resp nse , so icitati ns , a of 143 l o o l 62 he ds , number , Te evisi n c mmercia s , - o 149 o l 64 high speed start st p, Testim nia s , n k 149 a 154 i put jac s , Thre ding , tape , o 147 a 155 mot rs , c rtridge , l 15 1 l 156 operating stabi ity , se f, a k 150 l 154 output j c s , s ot , w 150 l 155 po er output , straight ine , w 15 1 o o 9 1 po er requirements , Time and m ti n studies , 152 145 price , Timing accuracy , l l 15 1 k l 190 pub ic address faci ity , Trac materia izer , o l l ow 64 8 1 rec rding eve indicator, Trade sh exhibits , , 143 16 Training , l 145 13 3 ree size , home , w 8: w l 52 70 re ind fast for ard ratio , sa es , , 146 124 Trips , vacation, l o l 146 se ecti n ocator, sequential recording adap U 149 , 78 tor l Co . U . 8 . S tee , l-to - 145 igna noise ratio , o r k 142 s und t ac , V k 150 spea ers , 124 140 Vacation trips , tape speeds , l ol 158 a 145 Vo ume contr , timing ccuracy , ol 158 159 w 15 1 V ume indicator, , eight, o Tape rec rder W e oi 6 convenienc , ow 47 lo o f 8 W , deve pment , ater and p er 129 o o of 6 W , ec n my , eddings 15 1 flexibilit 5 W , y , eight ’ o oi 5 W h S ? peration , hat s T at ound i of 16 1 1 10 repa rs , 4 5 o fidelit 4 W o , , s und y , ire rec rders

AN AD M AN AD LIBS ON TV

by Bo b Fo rema n

ic Pr s d nt a nd Dir cto r EBOO Inc . V e e i e e , ,

Pungen t commen taries on th e television in

d us tr t c c e c l y , adver ising agen ies , omm r ia s , spon s d c e ch c l ors , au ien e res ar , and more , ompi ed from

’ M r w l - c l S o ns o r . Foreman s ide y read o umn in p “ z e W l no t h o w to k th e Maga in . hi e a boo in t c c l i t d u to k e l e hni a sense , ad s p a e n ana ysis of t he prob lems o f t his lus ty medium for en tertain t t t men , informa ion and adver ising . 1 ll t t 2 x . 9 pages , i us ra ed

THE TELEVISION COM M ERCIAL

by Ha rry Wa yne M cM a ho n

c P s d nt M cCo nn-Er ks n In r c o c . Vi e e i e , i ,

“ T he ou ts tand ing book dealing wi th all phases o f tel d t B etw its c evision a ver ising . een overs t h d c o f l ct is a horoug is ussion p anning , produ ion I t t d w o c t l and reception . ge s o n t basi essen ia s su ch as evaluation of differen t techniq ues and c t — Ad ver tis in i ct . R e u rem en s os fa ors g q t . 1 2 e x 1 0 ll t t 9 pag s , 9 i us ra ions .

AU DIO CON TROL HAN DBOOK fo r Ra dio a nd TV Bro a d ca s ting b Ro b rt Orin e l y e S . g

Bro a dca st En in r Vo ic o f Ame rica g ee , e

let t t t et - t ch c l t Comp e, au hori a ive , y non e ni a , his book covers a ll phases of hand ling aud io in broad c t I cl ll as ing . n udes fu y illustra ted sec tions on disc a n d t c t e d ape re ording and ap e i ting . 1 60 x 1 1 ll t t pages , 3 i us ra ions . D I CK H ODGSON H AY B U LLEN . J

CK H ODG SON g o t an early star t in th e co m mu n ica tio n ar ts fi eld wh 1 h e e n i hin h is o wn n ew e in h is o e o n o f B eck 4 , b ga publ s g spap r h m t w r i e n n . a nd h i in h l inc A r u e een c t e t e ie e e e . g , M has b a v f d v r s g ad N o t D k o t St te Sc o o l o f Sci ence he wo k e in e e o r h a a a h , has r d as a pr t r , r p r io o ce an d nn o nce co lle e' instr uc to r an d ic e io m pr du r a u r , g publ r lat ns ’ u ch r H i e o f M . o dgso n s jo urn alis tic e x perience was o b tain ed dur ng s r s o f c ti e t in the in e Co o f w ic h e is n o w o in a v du y M ar rps , h h a Maj r

r I n 1 0 — h i T v . h i and e es . 2 e e e e f t e ne Co R o 95 5 , s rv d as h ad o M ar rps ad io n Sec tio n wh er e h e was pr o d ucer ian d an no u ncer o f s everal week ly rk o w a nd o n e o c tio n o f ine Co ec iti ad sh s , als ha dl d pr du Mar rps r ru ng n t i g ma er als . r H h ic in i . o o n i n in C o o ne A e ti in Pu ic io n I c . dgs j d dv r s g bl at s , ag tak e o n th e jo b o f plann ing a n ewpublic a tio n — Adver tis ing R equ n ts e in m n in e i to n ti l 1 w en h e was a o in , s rv g as a ag g d r u l J u y 955 h pp his pr esen t po s t o f ex ec u tive e dito r o f bo th Adver tis ing R eq uir em e I n d us tr ia l M a r k etin H e is o m tr uc to r in ine b lic io n e g . als s bus ss pu at and layo ut at th e U niversi ty o f Chicag o an d l ec tur es a t N o r thwest iver i t s y .

AY B U L LEN n i e f Ch ic o o l o n o n i tic J , a at v o ag , als has a g j ur al s and p i n A f Occi en t l Co e e h e e t o c o n . e o r la s ba kgr u d graduat d a ll g , has b blic el tio n i ec to o f th e P en P o e e e l e o f r a s d r r asad a layh us , g n ra manag r ’ in e L ea th er n eck z in e a n d o n el e e o c ti e e ic , In r s M ag a , r as fr m a v s rv e ng direc to r of th e V end Film D ivisio n o f Au to m a tic M erchandising C l is n hi A C in in th e in e Co R e e e M r . B e C c o . t y , ag ap a Mar rps s rv , ul n n in i e o o f B u lM ar c Fe t e in San Cl em e te Ca l . ag g d r ct r a ur s n ,

C O M M U N I C A T I O N

STlN GS HOU SE, PU BLISHERS