Market Focus: Crew Comms

CREW COMMS

An overview of some of the leading manufacturers and rental houses working within the crew comms market.

ICOM

Icom’s LTE radio system combines the best of cellular and two-way radio technology, providing high-quality, full duplex communications over pre-established cellular networks so users get licence-free business communication wherever they are in the UK.

The system does not require its own repeater or IP network, thus keeping costs low and flexibility high. Ideal for event companies that move from site to site continuously and don’t spend enough time in one place in order to need to invest in infrastructure. LTE is for people and companies who need radio communications, regardless of where they are.

The Icom LTE radio system operates over a private closed network using a high level of encryption on a cloud server, allowing private data and communications to be kept secure.

The system uses the IP501H handset, which is designed to be used in commercial environments where users need to talk to one or more parties straight away. There is no need to dial a number, as the user pushes to talk directly to the other person or people in the group. The handset is designed to withstand rough environments and meets tough IP67 waterproofing and dust-resistant standards.

The IP501H provides other features, like Emergency button, Man Down and Lone Worker function. These features are ideal for work environments where employees are working independently and need to be in contact constantly by voice or in case of emergency. With the audio quality and excellent noise-cancelling features on the Icom IP501H handset, audio can be heard in even the harshest of environments. www.icomuk.co.uk

PLIANT TECHNOLOGIES

Pliant Technologies’ CrewCom sets a new standard for wireless intercoms, as its innovative approach to professional wireless intercoms is designed to handle almost any application, from simple out-of-the-box solutions to large-scale designs for live sound, broadcast and industrial environments.

With CrewCom, production crews of all sizes now have communication solutions that can connect to more people in more places than ever before. Based on a decentralised network architecture, CrewCom provides more flexibility and resources where needed, without the limitations found in other systems.

The system’s advanced features offer the industry’s highest user counts, unparalleled range, and unprecedented scalability. Coupled with CrewCom, Pliant’s SmartBoom series of headsets feature exceptional audio quality, advanced features and design enhancements including the proven SmartBoom technology, which allows the adjustable microphone boom to act as an on/off switch for quick muting. CrewCom helps easily manage single-stage communications as well as multi-stage events that require roaming capabilities to many additional areas.

CrewCom’s unique conferencing system allows parties to speak to who they need to, when they need to, with remarkably effective RF coverage. CrewCom combines the intercom flexibility of a matrix with the simplicity of a party-line system in a wireless package, all without the cost or limitations of either system. CrewCom not only meets the demanding needs of professional live and theatre productions, but can also be used for school and local theatre communication needs.

CrewCom reduces the need for user training by offering the easiest system setup along with the most user-friendly radio pack on the market. The ease of reconfiguration for new shows is an additional benefit to deploying CrewCom.

The powerful, yet simple-to-use system also features superior voice quality and the industry’s smallest, fully featured professional radio packs. CrewCom is uniquely available in 900MHz and is ideal for overcoming communication challenges such as tough production environments, inconsistent coverage, and total user limits that many experience with traditional wireless intercom systems. www.plianttechnologies.com

RADIO ACTIVE DESIGN

Radio Active Design’s UV-1G wireless intercom is an analog system that operates primarily in the VHF realm, leaving valuable UHF spectrum open for other wireless systems. The six-channel unit operates in licenced bands and can be coordinated with other users, making it far more reliable than the DECT band equipment in the market.

Setup is quick and intuitive, allowing one person to set up a pair of antennas for a limitless number of beltpacks quickly. The hardware interface and software app are simple to use, making it extremely easy to change parameters of the pack, including radio frequencies, assignments and audio routing. The UV-1G features proprietary Enhanced Narrow Band technology, a unique amplitude modulation (AM) scheme that is 10 times more spectrally efficient than the current FM (frequency modulation) technology on the market.

This proprietary approach to AM makes the transmitter’s occupied bandwidth – a critical figure in wireless frequency coordination – more predictable.

As a result, the UV-1G offers RF channels possessing an occupied bandwidth of a mere 20kHz with the audio characteristics one would expect from a traditional FM system. Base linking affords matrix-like functionality, offering up to 20 wired intercom channels and 40 talk paths at the push of a button. Since its introduction in 2014, the UV-1G has been used on every large live event in the USA including Super Bowls, NBA All Star Games and music award shows.

The European market is ready for a wireless communications system that will resolve the problems of frequency congestion, setting up multiple antenna nodes and operating in DECT band. Radio Active Design is excited to present the UV-1G and all of the production benefits it offers to the European community. www.radioactiverf.com

TEAM AUDIO

Formed in 2012 by audio engineers Alison Dale and Mark Isbister, Team Audio has established itself as a key player in the hire of bespoke event communication solutions.

Working with a diverse range of clients across all sectors of the broadcast and live events markets, Team Audio has deployed communication systems on many different events, from major sports events such as European Rugby Cup Finals, to tours with Shawn Mendes and The Spice Girls and large events such as BBC Proms in the Park and Glastonbury Pyramid Stage.

Every event Team Audio looks after has a different set of requirements and the company stocks a diverse range of equipment, which enables it to tailor its systems to best serve each particular production.

Basic two-wire systems from Clear-Com and RTS, Green-Go IP-based intercom, fibre networks, VoIP phones, Riedel digital matrixes and panels

as well as the cutting-edge Riedel Bolero wireless system all have a role to play in creating a complete communications ecosystem – even the humble Motorola two-way radio gets in on the act.

Team Audio’s number one goal is to simplify the communication experience. There’s no need to juggle two-way radio earpieces and show comms headsets anymore – all the channels are within easy reach on an intercom panel.

This has proved incredibly popular with immersive theatre productions where show comms and audience management are key to the whole experience. A single cue can be given to stewards and production staff with one key on the panel. With its various client cards, the flexibility of the artist system combined with the various programming options (including director software) makes for a unique integrated approach to show and event comms.

The Bolero Wireless system has taken this approach to the next level, enabling Team Audio to deliver the same integrated experience to mobile users. With key event radio channels and show production comms on a single belt pack, one set of noise-cancelling cans facilitates clear and precise mission-critical communications, whatever the event. www.teamaudio.net

CREW COMMS

At IBC2019 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications previewed two new apps for its 1200-Series SmartPanels. The Control Panel App enables industry partners to utilise the SmartPanel as a user interface for control, monitoring and automation solutions, while the Audio Monitoring App lets users monitor up to 16 ST 2110-30 (AES67) channels simultaneously.

With the Control Panel App, third-party control, monitoring and automation systems can now leverage the power of the RSP- 1232HL’s highly intuitive user interface. Users can trigger actions in third-party systems and get visual feedback on configuration status and changes via the SmartPanel’s screens and LEDs. For this initiative, Riedel has teamed up with several industry control and automation vendors, including Atos, Axon, Broadcast Solutions, Lawo, Skyline and Pebble Beach Systems.

“The app offers several advantages to a proprietary control solution. Most importantly, its NMOS underpinnings allow a third-party system to discover all of the panel’s control elements automatically and assign any desired functionality,” said Marco Muckenhaupt, Senior Product Manager, Riedel Communications. “We are thrilled to have the support of some of the key vendors in the industry and it’s great to see manufacturers working hand in hand to deliver real benefits to users across platforms.”

Leveraging the dual-ported stereo speakers on the 1200-Series panels, the Audio Monitoring App allows users to monitor audio easily, for confidence and quality, while performing typical intercom workflows simultaneously via the Intercom App. Users can select up to 16 mono AES67 channels in parallel from a total of 128 channels and organise them swiftly within the app‘s intuitive browser-based configuration tool.

“Many conversations have shown us how challenging it can be to integrate intercom, control and audio monitoring at the same positions in narrow-space environments,” commented Muckenhaupt. “With our SmartPanel concept, we allow customers to react to those needs quickly and flexibly – all with the same hardware.” www.riedel.net

CLEAR-COM

With its roots in live performance and centuries of combined real-world experience among its staff, Clear-Com knows and understands the challenges of live performances. Be it in theatres, performance centres, stadiums, festivals or awards ceremonies, Clear-Com’s solutions ensure the dependable and coordinated communications that are a critical success factor for any production.

Clear-Com intercom systems have graced the stages of thousands of performance venues and music tours around the world. The HelixNet Digital Partyline system is highly scalable and offers exceptional audio performance over IP, plus greater user control and more I/O ports via the LQ Series IP interfaces.

The award-winning FreeSpeak II digital wireless system has, time and again, proven itself to event production teams around the world with its reliable RF connection, 2.4GHz and 1.9GHz frequency options and overall superior performance, making it the de facto standard for live production communication; and the recent addition of the ground-breaking FreeSpeak Edge to the family adds even more advanced capabilities, harnessing the power and scalability of the 5GHz band and AES67 connectivity.

The Agent-IC mobile app opens things up even further for productions split across wide areas; Agent-IC effectively turns iOS and Android mobile devices into control panels, connecting securely across multiple IP networks over 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi. Thanks to Clear-Com’s global presence and its ability to support systems worldwide, the likes of multi-awardwinning musical phenomenon Hamilton is able to rely on an end-to-end Clear-Com IP-based intercom system for all of its permanent global theatre installations and touring productions, while Ed Sheeran’s mammoth ÷ (Divide) 2018 global tour was supported throughout by a Clear-Com digital wireless intercom solution.

Clear-Com delivers a host of product lines that interconnect to provide an effective and trusted communications infrastructure. www.clearcom.com

SURFHIRE

Led by Simon Hodge, Surfhire provides technicians and customised, mission-critical comms equipment and extensive networking systems for a growing number of artists, such as Robbie Williams, Kasabian, Drake and Take That, as well as televised events, including the UK Athletics.

The company recently provided a comprehensive comms package for Hugh Jackman’s The Man. The Music. The Show. tour, which comprised a Mark 5 Print Pod-based IT system for the backstage area and Hytera UK pro mobile comms radios for the entire production. Hodge also oversaw global RF licensing, ensuring that once the tour left the UK, RF frequencies were show-ready, resulting in zero interruption.

A truly global tour, the radios had 19 territorial frequency zones, which had to be licensed – in some cases nine months ahead. The tour also carried a matrix comms system based around a 32-port RTS Zeus matrix, DKP16CLD panels which performed show calls into mobile users and a distributed backstage speaker system for artist show calls.

Surfhire was recently acquired by Britannia Row Productions, having enjoyed a close working relationship with the legendary audio rental house for more than 10 years.

Commenting on the purchase, Hodge stated: “I’ve been growing Surfhire for over a decade and, following several conversations with the team at Brit Row about where I wanted to take the company in the future, it became apparent there was an opportunity to expand our activities on a global scale.

“Having visited Brit Row’s parent company, Clair Global, at its Pennsylvania HQ, the magnitude of their operation made joining this pioneering group of audio specialists a simple decision. Surfhire now has the resources to be able to service clients in most territories, with local support and expertise. As growing demand for complex comms packages reaches all manner of events, this is a comforting thought.” www.surfhire.net