Clark,

I'm sure you're right that they're intended to be funny; they just grate on
my nerves after a while.  I'd prefer realistic sound effects (many of which
were recorded and played back live, or live-to-tape) like those that were
used on classic OTR comedy, variety, and drama shows.

Sammy Jones

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Clark Johnsen [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 1:32 PM
> Subject: Re: Recording Innovations
> 
> I believe the point of the sound effects production on PHC is not to be
> "realistic" -- who would really be fooled anyway? C'mon! -- but to
> amuse. If
> you've ever been in the audience, or watched a TV presentation, you'll
> see
> they have a great deal of fun with it. The rapport between Garrison and
> Tom/Keith is beautiful to behold.
> 
> What it harks back to, is not radio but the era when half the kids on
> the
> playground would be making such noises in joyous imitation of what they
> heard on the radio; it was, and is, a form of acting.
> 
> Use recordings? Lord, no, please! This is a totally live show and
> therein
> lies one of its pleasures.
> 
> By the way, it originates live from Tanglewood tomorrow. You can
> probably
> catch it on FM, or streaming. Here in Boston it may even be telecast.
> 
> clark
> On Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 12:28 AM, Sammy Jones
> <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
> 
> > Not to knock A Prairie Home Companion (which I love), but their sound
> > effects are more of a parody of classic era radio sound effects
> rather than
> > a true representation.  Generally I find the only effects which sound
> > realistic are the footsteps.  Everything else is made by either Tom
> Keith's
> > or Fred Newman's voices.  It's funny, but hardly realistic or
> > representative
> > of the best that OTR had to offer.  I often wish they would use real
> sound
> > effects (even recorded!); OTR comedy and variety shows (think Jack
> Benny)
> > always used real telephone rings and automobile sounds unless there
> was a
> > particular comic reason to do them unrealistically.
> >
> > A Prairie Home Companion's soundscapes can't hold a candle to modern
> BBC
> > Radio drama productions or the best of OTR.
> >
> > Sammy Jones
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Lou Judson [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > > Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 9:00 PM
> > > Subject: Re: Recording Innovations
> > >
> > > Prairie Home Companion is keeping this tradition alive - I got to
> sit
> > > onstage for one of their programs last year and their SFX guys are
> > > amazing - all live! They make phone calls sounds by talking into a
> > > paper cup...
> > >
> > > Other companies do it in various locations, too.
> > >
> > > <L>
> > > Lou Judson . Intuitive Audio
> > > 415-883-2689
> > >
> > >
> > > On Jun 24, 2009, at 5:14 PM, Tom Fine wrote:
> > >
> > > > The same can be said for the radio-drama sound guys of that era.
> > > > Material like the Lux Radio Theatre and the Mercury Theatre on
> the
> > > > Air/Campbell Playhouse often had complex SFX sequences and music
> as
> > > > well as multi-voiced dialog. Sterling's The Radio Manual lays out
> > > > CBS's custom mixing board for one of their large radio studios,
> > > > circa early 1940's. It was quite impressive. The amazing thing
> > > > about the radio guys is that this happened live over the air in
> > > > many cases, so not only did the sound elements need to go off at
> > > > the right time and flawlessly, the mix needed to be spot-on as
> well.
> > > >
> > > > -- Tom Fine
> >