Communication for live concert

[Peter Ralph]

that is very neat Matte – Radio shack (and others) also make cordless phones where you can add satellites to the main base unit – I wonder if you could use those?

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

Sure.

IF… you can turn on and use ALL of the satellites at the same time (like extension phones).

The cordless phones we use are various brands and are “multi-channel” types (10 channel is common).
They do not interfere with each other because they each will automatically locate and switch to a “clear” channel that is not already being used by the other cordless phones already “off-the-hook” in the same room.

You can use any telephone (having a headset option is, of course, the best idea) that can be connected and used with a standard telephone wall box.

No hocus-pocus high-tech going on here…
This whole telephone-as-intercom thing works just like picking up multiple extension phones in various parts of your house at the same time… everybody can talk freely with everybody else.

Its how I built my first communication rig in High School, for tech-intercoms at school plays.

Under “normal” shooting conditions, just about any phone has enough of volume.
But if you are shooting LOUD music concerts, you will want a headset phone that has a built-in amplifier and volume control.

[Tony]

Such a hassle to go thru for a simple solution.

Why not consider renting a low cost RTS wired intercom system.

A three camera system will require three headsets and beltpaks for the camera operator and a fourth for the director.

Beltpaks and headsets will cost you 15-20 apiece
Power supply and splitter will cost you another $20

Grand total 80-100 rate card minus the discount from the rental house.

It is so cheap to rent and only requires running the xlr cables to each camera.

Tony Salgado

Tony Salgado

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

[tony salgado] “Grand total 80-100 rate card minus the discount from the rental house.”

In missing my point, you’ve proved its real value!

(That’s how this thread got started.)

Many pros don’t want to “hassle” with gear that didn’t come from the big-boys’ shops, and that’s cool.

But lots of us who shoot with PD-150s (and the like) find that it can be advantageous (and s bit of fun) to be “creative” when it comes to production gear.

Of COURSE you can rent good com-gear. Maybe even for $80 to $100…

But you’d have to pay that EACH TIME you needed to rent this setup.

Over time, that adds up pretty fast if you do two, three, or more of these in a year.

My whole telephone-com set-up — to BUY — cost less than $100 for:
3 cordless phones ($8-10 each, used)
6 wired headset phones (new @ $5 each from Target), hundreds of feet of telephone “base” cables with plugs and “Y” adapters to jump them around (all from the DOLLAR store).

And a good-sized carry case/director’s base station (sturdy tool-box from Walmart) IN which I built the power supply (plus it stores many of the cables and several phones for toting to and from the events.

So, if I might need a two or three com-station set-up, (a two-cam “quickie”) I just throw this “telephone tool-box” in with the rest of the gear.

And now, its costs me “zero buckos” for my com-sets for all events for the next several years.

If you don’t think that’s a good deal, so be it.

[Peter Ralph]

I’m 100% with Matte on this one – even if you are in the city his solution is cost-effective in my book. I use an eartec system – in my mind even that is a much better deal than renting.

Here in Colorado there are no rental houses outside Denver. If I want to rent a set-up for a gig in Aspen it can involve a 5 hour hour drive to pick up the equipment, fedex charge to send it back, and 2-3 days rental.

[Tony]

Matte,

You failed to realize my point if indeed you don’t value your own personal time involved to gerry rig your home brewed intercom system.

Maybe $100 will break your bank but for real world jobs in which I deal with the amount spent on rental gear is worth it especially given the fact I can have program audio injected into the PL as well as having two separate channels for talkback.

I’am glad your MacGyver solution works great for you but for others renting higher end professional gear may be a viable alternative.

Tony Salgado

Tony Salgado

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

[tony salgado] “…if indeed you don’t value your own personal time involved to gerry rig your home brewed intercom system.

Maybe $100 will break your bank but for real world jobs in which I deal with the amount spent on rental gear is worth it especially given the fact I can have program audio injected into the PL as well as having two separate channels for talkback.

I’am glad your MacGyver solution works great for you but for others renting higher end professional gear may be a viable alternative.”

Real world jobs, my A$$!

I have been in the professional production and broadcasting business for decades.

As a (local and network) producer, director, camera operator, sound operator, lighting designer, stage manager, tech director, video engineer, tape operator, and editor, I have used dozens of “professional” com-systems in literally hundreds (thousands?) of events: sports, news, telethons, musicals, dramatic and dance programs, both recorded to tape and in live broadcasts.

I personally own a set of Clear-Com/RTS headsets, boxes, a base station, and hundreds of feet of XLR cables.

I also own a full set of professional “Star-set” and “operators headset” type communications devices.

I also own many wireless simplex-type communications units.

There have been many times over the years when the crew and I would hash over “why the heck the pro stuff costs SO MUCH for so little technology”.

I have built many low-cost solutions to high-dollar needs.

I had an especially good time (and not very MUCH time, either) putting together this little
“near-no-cost” telephone “headset” system, which works GREAT!
I thought it might benefit others to know how well it works for such a low dollar investment.

Please don’t think that a “gerry-rig” is not a suitable solution to a problem, even to a “professional”, especially if money is an issue.

I always assume there are others “lurking” who can pick up a few points here… But if saving a few bucks by collecting a few off-the-shelf parts and adapting them is “beneath your professional standards” then rent whatever you want.

From the OP:

[Kurt Schuette] “I do video for a live concert about once a year. It is a three camera shoot that I direct and switch. Does anybody have any suggestions for communication devices to use. I have been using FRS radios, which actually do the job, but it is only one way communication, and I have to push the button on my radio every couple minutes in order to continue broadcasting from my end, which is pretty annoying. Since I only do this once a year for a non-profit concert (I don’t get paid). I don’t want to spend a lot of money on a system. Is there any cheap system out there, or is there something that I can wire up myself that would work.”

As you can see, I was responding directly to this question.
My solution fits the situation exactly.

Tony, your last post was decidedly nasty.
If its beyond your tech skills or available time to build it, I’m sorry to have disturbed your professional sensibilities.

-MacGyver (and proud of it)

[Craig Burnett]

Matte,

I’ve used your system [I found a similar description on another site], but with 12 volts. Think I’ll get more volume with 24 volts? How about with 36 or 48?

The only problem I ever have with this system (I’m using it with Plantronics T100 belt-pack telephone headsets), is that the volume isn’t loud enough.

Oh, and sometimes the high frequency is a little muddy, and I pick up a little power supply hum. Any hints on those items?

Thanks for any help you can extend.

-Craig