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Considering the financial returns, the initial outlay is not too great, and any one with a slight mechanical knowledge, or a knowledge of music, can become adept at turning out consistently good recordings. I advise the purchase of a portable type recorder, with playback. The cost varies from $250 to $350. The Presto Model K or the Wilcox Gay are excellent machines. The purchase of a good crystal microphone, blank discs, cutting needles, playback needles, and a few accessories will run the total cost to as much as $450; but don't let it scare you. Within a few weeks you can get it all back.

It is possible to save from $100 to $200 by purchasing second hand equipment. However, recorders are hard to locate, especially in sparsely populated areas, and there are only two ways that I know of to run them down. Possibly the best place to start a search is at a local dealer who sells recording blanks. He would be the most apt to know which of his customers are willing to sell their units. Another possible method would be to visit schools of music, voice, elocution, dramatic arts, or public speaking. These schools usually use recordings as a means of instruction for their students, and may have a second hand unit they are willing to sell.

Now we come to the problem of how you are going to know whether or not a second hand machine is in good condition. Probably the best way is to ask your dealer if he will help you. However, if this is not practicable, you can test the unit this way. First of all, cut a record, using both voice and music. A musical program over the radio is good enough for the music. If you have never heard your own voice on a record don't use that as a criterion. Your voice never sounds the same to you as it does to others and you might think the recorder is in bad condition. After you have cut the record, play it back on the same machine. Now compare the quality with that of a commercial record. It should have a quality as good as or better than the commercial type. The reason for this lies in the fact that commercial records are stampings made of a harder material. than the acetate of non-professional discs. Therefore, there should be less surface noise, e.g., the noise of the needle scratching along the surface of the record, than is present on a commercial record.

Next, check for any wavering of tone in the record. If the record seems to waver from true pitch and then return on key, it is a sign that the friction drive that spins the turntable is slipping. This is a minor defect and as a rule can be repaired reasonably. Check the speed of the turntable also. A fairly accurate way is to place a chalk mark on the edge of the turntable and an index mark below it on the stationary part of the recorder. With the aid of a stop watch, count the revolutions of the turntable for one minute, or better still, for three of four minutes and then figure the average turns per minute. This should be very close to 78 R.P.M. As a rule the microphone can be attached to the recorder to act as a public address system by utilizing the power system of the recorder. Test this also by checking against any static or vibration and for tone quality. With these tests, you should be able to judge whether or not you are getting a good buy. If you are still in doubt, have the tubes checked. Changing a tube is inexpensive and can make all the difference in the world between a good and a bad recording.

If there is a dealer in your town, he will be glad to give you pointers in operating the recorder. The companies which manufacture the machines will also supply you with instruction books. After that all you need is a little practice.

WHEN I first purchased my recorder it was only with the intention of making records of my small orchestra, and to copy favorite programs from the radio. However, it wasn't long before several neighbors heard of my hobby and they came to me, offering to pay if I would make a record of them or their children, playing musical instruments or reciting poetry. Soon, I was swamped with persons asking me to make records and it was then that I thought of making a business of it. Examining the facts, I found several interesting reasons why this might be profitable.

Every person, young or old, who has a talent for playing a musical instrument, or for singing or telling stories has the desire to make a record of his talents. However, in Chicago, where I lived at the time (I now live in Memphis, Tennessee), there were only three or four studios where this could be done. These studios were set up for professionals, and contained the usual draperies and heavy rugs for acoustical purposes, and an imposing engineers booth with a large glass panel, and red and green lights over the door to tell you when you were on the record. This alone is enough to scare away any amateur musician. Add to this an impersonal engineer whose only interest is getting the job done, plus the high cost of making the record due to overhead and expensive equipment, and you will understand why only a few of the brave ever have recordings made of themselves.

I reasoned that if I could bring my recorder into the home of the amateur, he would be more at ease and with a little aid from me would be able to make at better recording than if he were in a large studio scared to death of his surroundings.

MY REASONING proved correct as you will soon see. There are several ways to develop this hobby into a booming business, I will tell you of my methods and perhaps you can think of other methods for yourself.

First of all, I visited several music schools and several private teachers of musical instruments, voice and elocution. I told them of my proposed business and offered to give them each a free recording of themselves in return for a list of their pupils. Most of them accepted my offer, and armed with a list of over a hundred music students, I began to canvas their homes. In the case of children, I talked to parents about preserving the early talents of their offspring as they would a photograph. I also reminded them that records could be sent as greeting cards to commemorate birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. Even people with no phonograph of their own purchased records. It was seldom that I didn't come away with an appointment to record one or two members of the family. As a rule, I would have the person recording announce the selection he was about to sing or play, and perhaps there would be a few words to Grandma or Uncle Bill for whom the record was being made. It is a surprising fact that soon every member of the family wanted to know how he would sound on a record and I found it necessary to write a three-minute script in which I could have several members of the family answer questions asked by the head of the family. Where I originally intended to make one record, I usually ended up making two or three.

The record is complete as soon as the recording is finished and can be left right then. However, if extra copies are wanted you will have to take the record home and make copies of the master, as it is called. This process is called dubbing. It will be necessary to use another phonograph in conjunction with the recorder in order to do this. Two wires connected to the voice coil of the phonograph speaker are then connected to the cutting head of the recorder. The record is played on the phonograph and cut on the recorder simultaneously. A little practice will be required to be able to start the record and lower the cutting head at the right time, but the result can be a fine record as good as the original.

Prices can range from $2 to $3 for recording two sides of an eight-inch record and slightly less for copies.

One of the problems of recording is the timing of records. Record blanks are purchased in six-, eight- or twelve-inch diameters. They play for two, three, and five minutes respectively, at the standard speed of seventy-eight revolutions per minute. It is necessary to go through the number to be recorded first and time it to the required length. A sweep second hand wrist watch or a chronograph is excellent for this purpose and gives the operator a professional look. There are several grades of blanks. I have found the best to be a metal blank with a coating of acetate. This type can be played a hundred times or more without fading, if a reasonable amount of care is used. Advise the customer always to use a good needle and not to play the record on the old fashioned mechanical phonograph. The weight of the needle on the record is too great.

NOW LET us look for other ways to make our hobby pay. High school choruses, glee clubs, and choirs are a fine place to start. I visited my high school at the time our 300-voice choir was rehearsing for the annual recital. I asked the conductor if he would like to make a record which I would donate to the school library, and of course he was willing. I made the record and played it back to the choir. In no time, I had orders for over a hundred copies. The same can be done at rehearsals of church choirs. I always make it a habit to donate a record to the church and to donate ten per cent of any profits to the church. By reading church news you will be able to find out on which night the choir meets to rehearse.

I have even recorded wedding ceremonies. First, I did this only for a few friends, but soon news of this got around and I was besieged with requests to record weddings. This sometimes results in quite a bit of difficulty, and because of it a higher price is warranted. First, you must obtain permission of the minister who will perform the ceremony. Some ministers will not allow it, but if they do, you will have to attend one of the wedding rehearsals to learn the procedure of the ceremony. It is best to use a twelve-inch record for the recording. The ceremony itself lasts much longer than the five minutes the record will allow, but you can arrange for the minister to give you a signal when the actual vows will be taken; then you can start the recording and it will usually come out all right.

At the beginning of the ceremony I usually try to record some of the music and the processional, and then have the record turned over to start the actual ceremony. This record is not as good as most recordings because the microphone has to be placed where it doesn't attract attention, and as a rule the principals are standing quite far away from it. Sometimes a plant can be placed near the altar and the microphone can be hidden in the plant. Be sure that the mike is placed so that it will be covering all three of the principals so that you can get all the voices. A record of a wedding loses its interest if all that can be heard is the minister and not the couple accepting the vows. As I have stated, the trouble encountered warrants the extra charge. I usually charge from $10 to $15 for a twelve-inch record. It is also a good idea to appear at a reception with your equipment so that you can play back the record for the guests, deliver the record and, incidentally, pass out a few business cards; and above all, do not forget the orchestra. They might want a few records made for audition purposes.

WHEN YOU get more adept at making good recordings, there is another way to cash in on your hobby. If there are night clubs and hotels in your vicinity, watch the local papers for the arrival of new orchestras. Then contact the leader of the orchestra and tell him you can make an air check of his band, if it has any radio outlet. Sometimes an orchestra sounds fine from the stand but if the microphone is in the wrong position when it is broadcasting, or if the acoustics are not good, the band will sound terrible when it comes over the radio. In making an air check, you simply sit at home and make a record of the orchestra as it comes over the radio. Then you deliver it to the orchestra leader so that he can listen to it and make any necessary corrections. Prices for an air check vary with the job. Large orchestras at the finer hotels pay more than a four-piece band at an outlying cabaret. A good rule of thumb to use in charging for air checks, is to charge $1 for each man in the band with a minimum of $5 and a maximum of $10 plus an additional $2 if the band is playing at a cabaret, $3 if at a large night club and $5 if the program originates from a hotel.