Category Archives: Old Recordings Recovered

What’s On the Menu?

Emmet Robinson Speaks Posted on by

What’s On the Menu
at King Street Recording Company?

By Emmet Robinson

 

As I was heading down the street to the Post Office, a passerby stopped me and asked, “What do you do up there in your studio?”

Interesting question.

Returning from my errand, I got to thinking about an answer.

Over the course of an hour or so, I’d developed an interesting list. So, after many years of continuous evolution, based largely on client requests, this is what’s on the menu.

• Recording and production of acoustic (unplugged) music
Demos for singers, songwriters and musicians
Complete albums of either original or cover songs

• Recording and production of spoken word
Narration for educational and promotional video
Audio autobiographies – your life story
Podcasts
Audiobooks
Narration for TV commercials
Poetry
Voice recordings for meditation, relaxation and pain management
Pre-recorded eulogies

• Restoration of vintage materials, including
Open-reel and audiocassette tapes
Original disk recordings
Videotapes
Photographs, 35 mm slides, documents, letters, awards, etc.

• Repair of damaged audio and videotapes
Precision splicing
Replacement audio and videocassette shells

• Writing and editorial services
Articles
Books
Advertising materials for small business
Poetry
Song lyrics
Business presentations
Seminars and training programs
Speeches
Newsletters
Posters
Effective business card design

 • Instruction and personal coaching
Acoustic guitar 101
Where to place those stubborn fingers – and why

Vocal training for singers, narrators and speakers, including:
Breath control
Phrasing
Vocal accuracy
Vibrato
Range expansion
Tone and expression

Express Yourself!
How to become a writer

Presentation Skills
The power of the spoken word

Stagecraft 101
What to do after the announcer says your name

Career Change
Finding a new employer who deserves you.

 *  *  *

Well, that’s pretty much what goes on up here at “King Street Recording Company World Headquarters.” (Was that a little over the top?)

What’s next? I expect you to tell me. Everything listed above has been the result of someone’s inquiry or request. If you don’t see what you need here, please ask.

You just might get it!

Emmet Robinson
Chief Executive Poobah-in-Charge
King Street Recording Company World Headquarters (Oh, really?)
610-647-4341
kingstreetrecord@aol.com
emmetrobinson.com

Helping You Express Yourself More Effectively

Emmet Robinson Speaks Posted on by

Scribbles
Volume 7
By Emmet Robinson
Writer and Editor

Helping You Express Yourself More Effectively

emmetsemail@aol.com
610-647-4341

 

What’s New?

Al Bien, a Chester County musician known as an excellent songwriter, has written a beautiful, heartfelt poem in commemoration of the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. I was moved to tears by the skill with which he described our colorful history and the powerful impact left by Dr. King’s untiring efforts toward a more fair and just society. It had been a long time since I enjoyed an original poem so much.

So, naturally, I couldn’t leave well enough alone. I’m a compulsive editor.

Seeing a small opportunity to be helpful, I asked permission first, then offered a minor suggestion or two. Other than that, “Commemorating Martin Luther King Day” was as close to perfect as anything I’ve read lately. I look forward to his next work.

 A Fresh Start

I’ve been working with novelist Jimmy McCusker on his autobiography. All was going well until he decided that a fresh approach would be more effective.

It was.

Starting over in a different format, he was able to include much more detailed personal history in a bold, staccato style that makes the words jump off the pages.

In just over 100 pages he describes his beginnings, triumphs, disasters and lessons learned along the way. He does so with equal candor and clarity, evolving a personal philosophy that now serves him well – both personally and in his professional life.

His story will be one we can all learn from.

 Special Offer!

My newest book, Scribbles, is now available – and I’m excited!

Scribbles is a colorful collection of fascinating facts, outrageous opinions and entertaining stories, including:

• Harry’s Adventure, a heartwarming tale in which a lonely man finds true love by adopting a different attitude toward the social scene – watch for the surprise ending!

• Under the right circumstances, physical reality can become flexible. Read all about it in Revising History.

• Reborn Again is a love story based on the absolute ultimate in fresh starts.

Five other stories follow on unusual themes. All were intended to be short; only one of them is. Harry’s Adventure runs to 37 pages.

The stories are followed by 29 assorted articles and editorials on a wide variety of topics. Some are intended for business owners and managers, others range from health and fitness issues to the cost of living, societal issues, and a detailed explanation for the constant conflict in the world around us – including a solution.

(Reviews are available at www.emmetrobinson.com)

At 543 pages, Scribbles is my most ambitious effort – at least so far.
It’s listed online at $35.99, and that leads me to my Special Offer:
For the first ten people to order directly from me: pay only $29.95, including tax, postage and handling. The autograph is free.
Payment by Cash or Personal Check.
How would you like your copy autographed?
Questions? Call me at 610-647-4341.

Expanding

Emmet Robinson Speaks Posted on by

AUDIBILITIES

By Emmet Robinson

King Street Recording Company

Professional Audio Services for Any Purpose You Can Think Of

 Video, Photo and Editorial Too!

Quality Professional Services Since 1967

15 East King Street, Malvern, PA  19355-0402

Volume 85, Fall, 2023           610-647-4341          www.kingstreetrecording.com            kingstreetrecord@aol.com

      Blog: www.emmetrobinson.com/wp/

https://emmetrobinson.com/Reading-Room/

Expanding

Over the last fifty years this business has taken many forms. My first efforts were in recording live events as they happened. Most were coffeehouse, club and concert performances including the Academy of Music in Philly and Lincoln Center in NYC.

Then a small studio made more controlled recordings possible. A move to a larger facility allowed producing demos and albums for groups.

Expanding still further allowed video production plus restoring and preserving vintage videotapes, photos and documents.

For example, I just finished restoring an original 50-year-old audiocassette of an enjoyable combination of music and conversation. There were some technical problems.

• An intermittent microphone connection had left gaps in the audio. Sometimes the music would come from the left speaker; sometimes from the right – once in a while, both.

• The recording levels would vary suddenly.

In addition, the client wanted all of the conversation edited out – but without affecting the music.

With a little effort it all worked out well and the order was completed and delivered to the client on CD and flash drive.

Okay, moving along . . .

While this type of work has been both interesting and enjoyable, I find I’m developing a strong interest in two other creative activities.

First: I’ve been writing for publication since the 1970s, and truly love working with words. In addition to my own creative efforts, I’ve been having a wonderful time reviewing the work of other writers and suggesting those minor revisions that add impact, color, clarity and organization to their creative efforts. I’ve been trusted to tinker with materials ranging from a business card (really!) to a full-length novel (Jim McCusker’s The Edge) and everything in between.  This is my idea of a really good time!

If I can help you with something, you’ll let me know, won’t you?

Details are available at www.emmetrobinson.com.

 

Second: Audio books are becoming increasingly popular. One reason, of course, is that they allow you to be more efficient. You can listen while you’re doing something else. Narrating audio books – and other materials – is a particular pleasure for me because it allows using the acting skills acquired over a lifetime in the performing arts. I can’t just say the words; the words must have impact and meaning – I have to make it real!

Charging a flat rate per page, I can take my time and record passages as many times as I want to in order to get the most effective reading.

I also enjoy creating narrative tracks for educational and promotional video where the same principle applies: believability.

For samples, go to www.emmetrobinson.com.

 

Oh – did I mention that all the usual services will continue as … um, usual?

 

From a business card to a novel to an audio book or training program, let me know how I can help you!

Emmet

emmetsemail@aol.com

610-647-4341

Say Cheese!

Emmet Robinson Speaks Posted on by

AUDIBILITIES
By Emmet Robinson

King Street Recording Company

Professional Audio Services for Any Purpose You Can Think Of
 Video, Photo and Editorial Too!
Quality Professional Services Since 1967
15 East King Street, Malvern, PA  19355-0402

Volume 84, Spring, 2023        610-647-4341          www.kingstreetrecording.com            kingstreetrecord@aol.com
      Blog: www.emmetrobinson.com/wp/
https://emmetrobinson.com/Reading-Room/

Say Cheese!
When you think about the photos you may have accumulated – that is, actual pictures printed on paper rather than images on your smartphone – do you ever wonder how the photographic process began?
After hundreds of years of experimentation and advances in optics and chemistry, the first recognizable photograph was created by Frenchman Nicéphore Niépce in 1822. His View from the Window at Le Gras has survived all these years, and may be seen online. At that time he called his process “heliography.” The more familiar term, “photography, ” meaning “drawing with light” was coined in 1839 by British Scientist Sir John Herschel.
In 1829 Niépce formed a partnership with Louis Daguerre. When Niépce died, Daguerre continued to develop the photographic process with ideas of his own. The result was an improved image he called, appropriately enough, Daguerreotypes. Although an improvement, they were difficult to make. By 1860 daguerreotypes had been superseded by newer, less expensive processes.

Continue reading →

You Asked For It!

Emmet Robinson Speaks Posted on by

AUDIBILITIES
King Street Recording Company

Professional Audio Services for Any Purpose You Can Think Of
 Video and Photo Too!
Quality Professional Services Since 1967
15 East King Street, Post Office Box 402 Malvern, PA  19355-0402

Volume 83, Winter, 2023     610-647-4341         
www.kingstreetrecording.com            kingstreetrecord@aol.com
      Blog: www.emmetrobinson.com/wp/

You Asked For It!
In the business world, being a “One-Trick Pony” can be risky, and diversification becomes necessary for continued growth. Sometimes that happens as a natural process of evolution. When someone asks me, “What do you do at your studio?” my usual answer is, “What do you want?”
• The business started in 1967 as a location recording service for musicians, capturing their performances “live” as they happened.
• Then, when someone asked about an actual studio, I had to create one.
• Requests for recording larger groups led to moving to larger quarters.
• When someone asked about a video interview with a parent, lights, camera and tripod were added.
• An advertising executive heard me emceeing at a club, liked my voice, and asked me to narrate the script for a radio commercial.

Continue reading →

Last Call!

Emmet Robinson Speaks Posted on by

King Street Recording Company
610-647-4341   kingstreetrecord@aol.com
 Last Call!

Friday, November 25th, will be last call
for placing Holiday orders.
To order a gift for a friend or loved one,
please do so on or before November 25th.

Current Services Include:
 
• Restoration and preservation of vintage materials, including
Open-reel, cassette and micro cassette tapes
Original disk recordings
Videotapes
Photographs, 35 mm slides, documents, letters, awards, etc.

• Repair of damaged audio and videotapes
Precision splicing
Replacement audio and videocassette shells

Continue reading →

First and Best

Emmet Robinson Speaks Posted on by

AUDIBILITIES
King Street Recording Company

Professional Audio Services for Any Purpose You Can Think Of – Video and Photo Too!
Quality Professional Services Since 1967
15 East King Street, Post Office Box 402 Malvern, PA  19355-0402

Volume 82, Spring, 2022           610-647-4341          www.kingstreetrecording.com            kingstreetrecord@aol.com
      Blog: www.emmetrobinson.com/wp/

First and Best

The first and best musical instrument is the human voice. No other instrument can approach the flexibility, nuance and range of emotional expression of a voice raised in song. Singing, in fact, may predate language.

Musical Forms
Before the development of singing, there were no melodies – there were no musical instruments to create them with! So, singing must have begun with simple chants. Over the millennia, the chants naturally developed into primitive songs with words and simple, repeatable melodies. As language grew in sophistication and religious practices began to develop, special songs were created for religious ceremonies. In time, basic folksongs gradually emerged. These served both as a form of entertainment and a means of disseminating the events of the times. Now, after thousands of years, musical forms for voice range from Gregorian chants of the 9th and 10th centuries to grand opera – and everything in between.

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Your Mother’s Voice

Emmet Robinson Speaks Posted on by

How many pictures do you have of your mom, dad, family members, friends and other important people in your life? The photos may preserve what these special people look like, but what do they sound like? Their voices may exist only in the form of old sound recordings tucked away in a carton, closet or desk drawer.

Chances are your photos are protected in some way. But what will happen to those old records and tapes?

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GRAND RE-OPENING!

Emmet Robinson Speaks Posted on by

AUDIBILITIES

King Street Recording Company

Professional Audio Services for Any Purpose You Can Think Of –

 Video and Photo Too!

Quality Professional Services Since 1967

15 East King Street, Post Office Box 402 Malvern, PA  19355-0402

Volume 81, Spring, 2022           610-647-4341          www.kingstreetrecording.com            kingstreetrecord@aol.com

      Blog: www.emmetrobinson.com/wp/

GRAND RE-OPENING!

After a two-year break from live recording, musicians, singers and voice actors are welcome in the studio once again – vaccinated and masked, of course!

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How to Live Forever

Emmet Robinson Speaks Posted on by

How to Live Forever
In the Hearts and Minds
of your Family and Friends

Here’s something to think about . . .
   You’re having an interesting life ­­– from earliest childhood until now. You’ve had a remarkable range of experiences – both the good kind and the regular kind.
   Over your lifetime, you’ve known unbridled joy and devastating loss. There are personal and professional accomplishments you can look back on with pride. You can also recall tragic mistakes that taught you valuable life lessons. All of your experiences combine to make a fascinating story that can both inform and entertain those who know and care about you.

Continue reading →