Wireless communications between camera operator and sound operator

E

Ernest Becker

Member
We are a new (ie inexperienced and ignorant) event and wedding video company. We are fortunate to have a reasonably good equipment budget. We currently shoot with two FS700's.

One person has an audio field mixer/recorder (Sound Devices 664) with a boom mic and a few radio lavs. This person, obviously, wears a set of cans to monitor the boom/lav audio.

Another person, perhaps a couple hundred feet away at most, wears a set of cans to monitor the audio from the camera they are operating. The camera audio is needed only for syncing video and audio. Audio recorded on the camera is not used for the final project.

Question:

What equipment is needed to allow both people to monitor their respective audio sources, and at the same time, allow them to talk to each other via radio? Specific make/model recommendations would be appreciated. Again, we are neophytes, so please describe all components necessary for a working solution.

Thank you in advance.
 
I've never seen a purpose designed comms and monitoring system, and usually for custom projects like this people produce their own systems. The real issue here is that you need quality audio for the programme audio into the headsets, but need to mix with it comms audio - and this is the slightly tricky bit . You can of course use split monitor systems, and feed one ear with comms and the other ear with mono audio - and this is perhaps the simplest solution. Alternately with a field recorder that has 4 channels, and appropriate routing and monitoring you can route comms and the programme audio to the device and monitor both, but only record the programme audio. Getting the routing wrong, or just hitting the wrong button can cause a problem - the worst being you record the comms AND the programme - not good.

The comms system really needs to be duplex. Simplex or semi-duplex needs transmit switching which either means a PTT or box, neither being good. In the UK, I rather like the Canford Tecpro system - http://www.canford.co.uk/Products/27-401_TECPRO-TW401-WIRELESS-BELTPACK-Mk.2 which is expandable, and links to their wired versions. Clearcom do a very similar one, that no doubt people Stateside would be aware of.

If you want stereo programme audio and comms mixed together, with proper control, then these units and some custom electronics will do the trick, but I haven't seen any purpose designed kit to do exactly what you want off the shelf. To do this, you'd need a stereo mixer happy to take headphone level feeds, mix them, and then offer some switching facilities. With large format mixers, it's easy to interface, with comms being routable in a more comprehensive manner inside the desk. Portable field production mixers don't normally need comms circuits built in.

For what it's worth, a few obvious but often messed up ideas. Don't even consider walkie talkies, they have a habit of overpowering delicate and often poorly screened preamps, and have quite narrow band audio making listening tiring at high volumes. You can bodge a system with IEMs, but only for two people - however, it works quite nicely, but you still need to manage the blending of the comms and programme feeds.

If money isn't a problem, then I'd get a custom mixer made. Two inputs - one comms, one stereo audio, and then the ability to route maybe programme to both ears, program converted to mono to one ear, and comms to the other, and then an audio in and out to the comms wireless pack. One of these at the field mixer and the camera, and away you go.
 
Thank you TheDingo and especially paulears. We happen to have two sets of G3's not being used. We would like to try mounting a G3 transmitter and a receiver on the camera, connect the receiver to the left or right audio channel of the camera, monitor communications through that side of the headset, and monitor the event audio through the other side of the head set. Then do the same thing on the field mixer.

What headset (with a mic on gooseneck) would you recommend? We are partial to the Sennheiser product lineup but would like to hear any recommendations. Do these type of pro monitoring headsets typically have two 1/8" connectors?

Thanks again.

Many thanks again.
 
They only ones with twin 3.5mm plugs that I have seen are very cheap products http://cpc.farnell.com/koss-audio-video/cs-95/headsets-with-microphone-headphones/dp/AV07387?in_merch=Products%20From%20This%20Range like these. For real quality the price pops up quite a bit. The thing is that you need a stereo headset with mic to hear what is really going on, but if your camera is a shoulder worn type, then the right earpiece bangs the camera. Not a problem if it's in front. Otherwise, it means choosing between something like Beyer DT108/109 - These can have a variety of terminations, but splitting one cable into two is not that simple, and a bit of a bodge. There could be a pre-made one, but I've not seen one? Sennheiser wise, the[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]HMD26 range are based around the 25 headphones we often mention on the forum - the HMD is a dynamic, and the HMC a condenser. Price wise, however - wow!​
 
Again, many thanks to you paulears.

The Sennheiser site shows the HMD-26 and HMDC-26 headsets as having dynamic mics, while the HME-26 shows as using a condenser mic.

If I may ask, while I wait for my stack of audio engineering books to arrive in the mail: Does the fact that the G3 transmitter produces phantom power mean that I should (must?) use a condenser mic like the HME-26? Or can a dynamic mic (ie: presumably not requiring phantom power, but correct me if I'm wrong) be connected, without issue, to a phantom-powered line like the G3 transmitter?

Thank you again.
 
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