VOICE COMMUNICATIONS
50 AUDITORIA 2019 VOLUME ONE
INVEST IN TRAINING
Despite its crucial role in modern productions,
some students lack in-depth experience of
intercom technology.
“Students graduate without knowing much
about intercom, because a lot of their schools
have basic pre-installed systems,” comments
Kenneth Goodwin.
Jason Crystal is starting to see digital and IP
acumen grow: “Students are starting to learn
newer systems. The older analog systems are not
really future-proof. When institutional theaters or
university theaters come around on their budget
cycles, and it is time to upgrade, rather than buy
new analog equipment, it makes complete sense
to buy newer systems.”
IP-based systems are fully customizable in
terms of user layout. “So if you have someone
operating the intercom who might be used to an
older system, you can typically make it look that
way – or at least feel familiar,” adds Crystal.
Stage managers can utilize intercom work groups
to make on-the-fly changes and clarify possible
misunderstandings preemptively, before sharing
with other departments.
Every second matters
As shows double-down on the razzle dazzle,
intercoms have become the backbone of crew
communications. That’s why Goodwin builds
various failsafes into his systems. “We put
intercoms on an uninterruptible power supply
– a UPS,” he says.
With this safeguard, if there were power issues
in the building, the stage manager or pointperson
calling the show would have time to share
critical safety information.
“Even if power goes out, and we have an actor
who may be near an open pit in the stage, or
flying around in a harness with wires, the UPS
offers five extra minutes to get them safely down
and offstage, or to direct people to the fire exit
in case the building was on fire,” says Goodwin.
In an emergency, every second matters.
There’s no room for latency and no space for
dropped words. The IP-driven approach can
also eliminate buzz and hum.
As live performances continue to level up in
scale and complexity, offering hands-on intercom
training and supporting the migration to IP can
be worthwhile pursuits for manufacturers and
industry organizations. n
www.clearcom.com
digital audio clarity, and can be managed on the
venue’s IT infrastructure. Technicians can also
leverage the solution to create isolated channels
for separate conversations, with the flexibility to
reach anyone on the system at any time.
The shift to IP would also save space. “One
road case of Cat 5 cables can do what five cases
of regular analog cable can do,” says Goodwin.
“We’d save space and weight on the truck. We’d
save time. That’s ultimately where we are trying
to cut costs.”
Clear-Com says a spool of Cat 5 cable is
relatively cheap compared with XLR and other
connectors, but in terms of training, Ethernetdriven
systems might be time-consuming for
those without the requisite network experience.
Easy to learn
However, users tend to pick up IP-based systems
quite quickly. Jason Crystal, a sound designer,
engineer and programmer who has served as the
associate sound designer for the renowned
production of Hamilton, shared his perspective:
“If there is a learning curve, it often is not steep
for the end user,” he explains. “IP intercom
operation can be seamless.”
Technically demanding musicals can benefit
from using network-based intercom systems
during setup and rehearsals as well as live
performances. Everyone behind the scenes needs
tools to help make their work more efficient,
and IP-based intercom systems allow for the
creation of private channels when needed.
Above: The Han Show in
China requires 632 intercom
positions; Clear-Com systems
including HelixNet and
FreeSpeak II are used to keep
the artists, acrobats and divers
safe during the live show
/www.clearcom.com