If you're interested in hearing a different version of Houdini's voice, you can watch the new video I just posted on YouTube: http://youtu.be/Z1aEXyHSa7s (about 3½ minutes). The video includes two audio clippings from two of the wax cylinders Houdini made in 1914 as well as a bit of history behind the recordings.

Very cool. Thank you for sharing this!

Great work, Tom.

Thanks, guys!

Cool!

Thank you for sharing that!


Joe Libby
San Antonio, TX

Wow! That was great.

Thanks much.

Ron

That was amazing. Thank you for the post.

Thanks

Steven

You did an outsatnding job producing that Video/Recording. My hat is off to you !
Rennie

Only word to describe it: Incredible!

I have 3 credits in sound engendering so I can tell everyone why he sounded like that.

The tempo and pacing of the speech was adopted by performers in that day, not just Houdini.
The way he spoke for the record was the way he spoke on stage.

Listen to a recording of other early performers that didn't have sound reinforcement systems and most of them adopted the same affectation. Rudy Vallee also made his voice a semi statacco as well.

Here's the explanation; it takes approximately 50 feet to create feedback, or in the case of a non-reinforced sound a bounce back. That means, if the performer was to speak without breaks, and at a normal speed (by today's standards) that the sound would bounce off the rear wall and conflict with the new sound emanating from the stage. (The audience would be hearing two different words at the same time) Performers, polititions and other public figures that gave speeches to crowds, needed to break-up the sentences so people could grasp the majority of what they said. (I seem to remember hearing a few words of a speech by Teddy Roosevelt, in class, that had the same cadence and same value.

Today, with microphones amplifiers and computer engineered systems, you can hear one person speaking, in a stadium of thousands.
The speakers furthest to the performer will play as soon as the power allows while the speakers closest are on a short delay. That's why today's performer wears those custom fitted earpieces so they can hear a pre-recorded beat and stay on time. Without hearing the base or the lower track playing in your ears you might get confused because you would sing a note and not hear it, over the speakers, for roughly half a second. Imagine an entire band playing off-tempo.

I found myself using the same proceedure once when booked for a classroom of kids but the entire school was invited into the gym and the bleachers were on both sides (me in the center). So I broke my words at consonants so everyone could hear better. Unfortunately I had to cut 1/3 of the show because it took do long to do the patter.

Today, most newscasters use the consonant- break, along with a heightened awareness tone to keep you listening. This is the modern equivalent of controlling your attention.

Don't blame me for how they sound, they learn it in journalism school.
Aside from the technical, it's still cool to hear it.

Thank you Jay! That was a great explication of the management of sound and delivery for speakers and performers. In a larger auditorium, Houdini's slow, staccato delivery would sound appropriate, but here on the recording, it's almost eerie.

I seem to remember Houdini says in one of his books that when he first appeared in the UK (doing his "King of Cards" act) a reviewer described him as "the over-enunciating American."

Thanks so much .. I'm just beginning my study of Houdini!!!

Most excellent, thank you for sharing!


Brian