In Broadcast - December 2017 - 38

38

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 7 - Issue 12 | December 2017

InTech

Intercoms and Talkbacks

Riedel Communications' Bolero
is an expandable, full-roaming, DECTbased intercom in the license-free
1.9GHz frequency range. Integrated
into Riedel's Artist digital matrix
intercom platform, Bolero can
be used as a wireless beltpack,
wireless keypanel or a mobile radio
transmitter. Decentralised antennas
connect to AES67 switches and then
to Artist frames equipped with AES67
client cards. The beltpacks support
Bluetooth 4.1, allowing either a
Bluetooth headset or a mobile phone
to be connected. When a mobile phone
is connected, the beltpack can act like
a car's 'hands-free' phone setup so
users can receive calls on their phone
and talk/listen via their beltpack
headset. Users can also connect a call
into the intercom matrix, eliminating

Riedel's Bolero DECT-based intercom

the need for a telephone hybrid. The
beltpack itself features six buttons for
each of the six intercom channels, plus
a separate reply button accessing the
most recent channel that called.
RTS' beltpack models BP-4000
(single-channel) and BP-5000 (dualchannel) allow users to cover larger
distances without requiring additional
equipment such as repeaters. They
are available with four-pin or fivepin XLR headset connectors allowing
support of dynamic as well electret
headset
microphones.
Reduced
current draw allows up to 40 beltpacks
to be operated from a single power
supply. Once plugged in, the beltpack
recognises the wiring scheme and
configures the unit for Audiocom,
RTS or Clear-Com format. The setup
of the beltpacks is simplified by voice
guidance, short prompts helping the
user navigate through the menu
options, eliminating the need to
configure internal jumpers or
switches. The devices can be
easily reset to factory defaults
by activating one of the menu
items - a handy and practical
feature especially for rental houses.
Firmware updates can be carried out
via the devices' USB ports without the

need to open the units. An enhanced
talk button control now offers the
choice between always on, always
off or switching. In addition to a
blinking incoming call lamp as visual
feedback, the BP-5000 two-channel
beltpack from RTS provides the user
with immediate haptic feedback of an
incoming call using a vibration alert.
This feature helps avoid missing calls
when talking on another channel or
when the incoming call lamp needs to
be switched off during a production.
The remote mic-kill function allows any
user to send an inaudible microphonekill signal which instantly mutes every
beltpack mic in the party line.
Sonifex has introduced a new
range of audio-over-IP talkback/
listening/paging intercoms which use
Ravenna/AES67. The first intercom
to be released is the AVN-TB10AR, a
10 button, 10 station device. Comms
can be made as a talk action, a listen
action or a duplex talk/listen action
to/from each station. RGB LEDs in the

cont'd...

key-cap buttons show which action is
being used, a callback button displays
when a recipient is unavailable to
receive a call, together with a callback
list on the front panel display. The
stations can be anywhere on the AoIP
network with auto-discovery of new
stations. Each unit has both four-wire
and AoIP connectivity. Other features
include echo cancellation, built-in
microphone with automatic gain
control) and 48kHz sampling rate.
Zaxcom's new ZMT3 miniature
transmitter allows up to ten channels
of wireless digital intercom in 1MHz
of spectrum bandwidth. Measuring
56x41x14mm and weighing 62g, it
can transmit encrypted audio using
Zaxcom's MARF format which can be
converted to WAV or MP3. A removable
microSD card captures files as a
backup or as a standalone recorder.
Zaxcom's 2.4-GHz RF network allows
users to control settings such as gain,
frequency channel selection and
output levels remotely.

Sonifex Ravenna-based AVN-TB10AR intercom

Clear-Com IP-Capable Solutions
W

ith the growing acceptance
and adoption of IP networks
across broadcast facilities, nearly all
elements of the broadcast workflow are
harnessing this technology to create
better connectivity and communication
with lower costs.
Clear-Com has been at the forefront
of development in IP-capable intercom
solutions for several years, creating
an inter-connected set of audio
devices that improve and extend
communication networks.
Earlier
this
year,
Clear-Com
presented the newly-improved LQ
Series devices, which cost-effectively
extend existing intercom systems
and/or connect with Clear-Com or
third-party intercom and four-wire
audio devices at a single location
or multiple remote locations over
an IT infrastructure, breaking down
geographic barriers for production
teams to communicate with each
other. The most recent firmware
update further brings IP
capabilities to analogue and
digital partyline intercom
users, allowing them to

connect remote users who are
running Clear-Com's Agent-IC
mobile client app on their iOS
or Android smart telephones
and tablets.
Available
as
a
free
download at the iTunes Store
and Google Play, the Agent-IC
app effectively turns these
everyday mobile devices
into fully-featured mobile
intercom client panels that
can connect users from virtually
anywhere in the world over IP network
infrastructures, without compromising
on audio quality. Any production user
on the main intercom system can
instantly connect with other intercom
users on Clear-Com's Agent-IC mobile
app for monitoring the intercom,
receiving IFB feeds, or
working remotely.

Clear-Com Agent-IC app

The latest LQ Series firmware also
enables Clear-Com's Eclipse-HX digital
intercom system to support VoIP
telephony via SIP (Session Initiation
Protocol), offering cost-effective and
direct telephone communication. LQ
Series IP interfaces are able to support
up to eight telephone
interfaces each.

This allows intercom users to
make direct telephone calls over
connected
SIP-based
phone
systems. A mix of both
functions
(intercom
and
SIP telephony) can also be
deployed on each LQ Series IP
interface.
The combination of LQ Series
IP interfaces and Agent-IC
apps with any intercom system
makes it possible for any
production to extend full-duplex
communications to its production
crew across the world quickly and
affordably.
At a time when budgets are tight
and
remote
productions
are
increasing in popularity, the LQ
Series of IP interfaces is a
welcome intercom solution for
broadcasters everywhere.

Improved: LQ Series devices
http://www.inbroadcast.com https://youtu.be/yah89mmOzCw http://www.sonifex.co.uk/avn/avn-tb10ar.shtml http://www.clearcom.com/product/ip-communications/agent-ic-mobile-app/agent-ic-mobile-app http://www.clearcom.com/product/icon-solutions/lq-series
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Broadcast - December 2017
