AMSTERDAM—Professional wireless intercom solutions provider Pliant Technologies has announced that it will be showcasing its new CrewCom firmware and software update, v1.14 at IBC 2023 (Stand 10.C53). 

The latest update includes several enhancements to CrewCom’s extensive capabilities. These improvements include the support of two additional hardware devices, convenient new features and several key improvements to CrewWare control software to strengthen the user experience.

With the new v1.14 firmware update, CrewCom now supports the addition of the new IP-rated lineup of Radio Transceivers (RTs), and the current CrewCom CRP-12 series of Radio Packs (RPs). CrewWare v1.14 includes a unique UI display in the system diagram of CrewWare that automatically detects the new IP-rated RT hardware and shows when it is in use, as well as the indication of corresponding new model numbers in the detail and device list views, the company said.

“The ability to now chose from three unique Radio Packs with an existing CrewCom system adds a greater level of flexibility for existing and new customers,” said Gary Rosen, vice president of global sales for Pliant Technologies. “We look forward to sharing these important updates with this year’s IBC attendees.”

Specifically for the CRP-12 Radio Packs, (previously available only for the CB2 system), this new release also adds dual listen/single talk functionality, giving users the ability to simultaneously listen to two pre-selected conferences on a single volume belt pack while also allowing them to talk on either one of those conferences. Software UI additions and modifications have also been made to display the new Radio Pack support as well as to indicate dual listen/single talk capabilities, the company said. 

Using the new Ping Function feature, it is now possible to activate, from within the software, a device location function called Ping on both the RTs as well as the RPs. For the RT, when activating ping, both the top ping light and the mode LED on the bottom of the transceiver will blink to facilitate the location of a specific device. For the RP, when activated, ping will cause the backlight of the LCD display (or LEDs in the case of the CRP-12) to blink until deactivated by the operator. In order to facilitate the location of a specific RP or RT, ping indications remain latched on until the device has been found and the operator manually disables the function, Pliant Technologies reported. 

Additionally, the CrewWare system’s display of the Radio Transceiver now has the added ability to quickly see the status of each individual device’s antenna selection. It will now graphically indicate if it is in Dual (two antennas) or Single (Left or Right) modes.

The new CrewCom v1.14 firmware upgrade, which includes the new features and updates, is free of charge to all users and is available for direct download from the Pliant Technologies website.

More information about Pliant Technologies is available at www.plianttechnologies.com. 

Feature film and episodic TV productions are used to being on hiatus, but no one could have anticipated the level of work stoppage caused when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Productions are now resuming globally; however creative and technical professionals are returning to on-location sets that look and feel much different than they did before March 2020.

They’re also finding new uses for a familiar and proven tool. Full-duplex wireless intercom systems are helping to rewrite the script for safety, creativity and collaboration in today’s new production environment.

ON-SITE HEALTH COMPLIANCE

Crews still deal with traditional production headaches like deadline and budget pressures. Now, the need to mitigate COVID-related health and safety risks adds an entirely new set of challenges. Fewer personnel are allowed on sets.

Locations are implementing rigorous safety protocols including regular testing and daily temperature checks. On-site health compliance managers are becoming a regular presence. And just like in every other aspect of daily life, face masks are required with social distancing rules in place to limit large group gatherings.

Plus: Staying Safe On-Set

As a result, the side conversations and “huddle” discussions typically common on a set are no longer possible, or at least more difficult to conduct. Wireless intercoms are playing a larger role in providing a more nuanced and controlled way to communicate among teams.

The role of these systems has expanded from being an enabler of clear communications to an on-set problem-solver. Experienced pros now see them as critical for properly executing a creative vision and allowing collaboration to occur freely, while complementing or even integrating with more familiar comms technologies.

“Everybody on a film or TV set is used to walkie-talkies,” said Peter Schneider, vice president of Gotham Sound & Communications. “For all their benefits, they are still a blunt instrument. Only one person can talk at a time on a channel and the audio quality and feature sets are limited. Those limitations really rear their head when you add PPE and distancing, taking away the ability to walk up to a crew person and whisper in their ear about something you'd like to change before the next take. That’s been the driver for broader deployments of full duplex-style wireless partyline [PL] systems.”

The new working environment, while maybe unfamiliar at first, is getting an overall positive response. “It might take a little longer the first day as everybody gets used to a new system but it’s a great way of doing things,” said Technical Producer Brent Marchenski. “Be aware of how you relate and react with other people. It's common sense. Be safe.”

OPERATING GUIDELINES 

The industry at large has taken action, with one example being the concept of “Zoned Production” outlined in “The Safe Way Forward.” This set of operating guidelines developed by the Directors Guild of America, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is designed to safeguard everyone on-set by enforcing greater physical separation and reducing the density of crew members.

Efforts like this have led to the creation of intercom “pods,” where different departments of a production can have a common channel for all, as well as their own private channel. This allows them to maintain proper distance while still carrying on efficient communications on a more granular level—another area where wireless comms deliver. 

In addition to enabling full duplex and high-quality natural conversations, wireless PL systems allow for the flexible channel assignments needed to support these pods.

“Much of this push for wireless communications comes from the camera department,” Schneider added. “DPs may want to talk to lighting or talent one-on-one, or to their crew during or right after a shot. When everyone needs to do all this but can't be physically close, that's when a wireless PL system gets really interesting for facilitating all these different styles of communication.”

Using wireless PL not only leads to more targeted conversations, but they can also create production environments that are calmer, low-stress and more “chill,” words not typically used to describe a film or TV set.

“It’s made what is normally a ‘yell-y’ atmosphere very calm,” said John Kendrick, a veteran communications technician. “The same conversations are taking place, they’re just quieter and cooler. Everybody can talk in a normal voice as if they're standing next to somebody and I’ve seen crews experience less fatigue at the end of the day.”

That day can also end earlier as wireless PL contributes to a more efficient work process. Often, fewer cuts for technical reasons are needed since more people are talking through headsets on a private line to address an issue.

“I’ve seen this technology contribute to production wrapping an hour earlier each day,” said Kendrick. “ADs don’t have to change radio channels to call hair and makeup. Instead they just have a hair and makeup button. People aren’t getting stepped on or dealing with someone sitting on their radio and listening to them eat. All that goes away.”

While on-set personnel wrestle with their new routines, other people accustomed to being on site are adapting to their own new roles: remote worker. Varying COVID rules in different regions have made travel to and from a site more difficult, especially with quarantine periods required upon arrival.

This means many clients, producers, agents and even directors now are working remotely, but still need to interact and communicate with a production as if they’re on set.

“It's possible to make the electrical connections from Zoom to a walkie, but it's not exactly conducive to natural communication,” Schneider said. “But you can easily integrate Zoom into a comms system allowing people to talk naturally and seamlessly, as long as you manage the mix minus aspect. They can see things in real time, react verbally and join conversations—whether they're in the next room or 2,000 miles away.”

James Schaller is regional sales manager, Northeast USA for Clear-Com.

Petaluma, Calif. — Point Source Audio (PSA) announced that it has appointed China’s EAD and South Korea’s Capstone Pro to be distribution partners for its SERIES8 and EMBRACE™ microphones as well as its CM-i series of patented in-ear headsets. The appointments come on the back of an expansion effort in response to increased sales and product awareness outside of the USA for Point Source Audio. These partnerships further expand the company’s worldwide reach, which now includes international partners in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan Italy, Norway, Finland and France, among others.

“We’re excited to be working with both Capstone Pro and EAD,” said James Lamb, President of Point Source Audio. “The creative community in these regions is massive and our products fit their needs. Our goal is to continuously improve our customers’ experience around the world in every aspect and we are confident that our new partners will help achieve that.”

Integral to achieving this growth trajectory in the Asia Pacific region is also the appointment of AS Audio APAC Pte. Ltd. as the manufacturer’s representative in the territory. Based in Singapore, the company, led by Alex Schloesser, will support the Asia Pacific business and develop its distribution network. AS Audio will also handle all technical and sales support for Point Source Audio throughout the APAC region.

Schloesser comments, “Developing and growing the PSA business is a rewarding and enjoyable task. Wherever we take the products, they shine and stand their ground with the competition. I very much look forward to be taking PSA into APAC.”

Point Source Audio is a manufacturer of specialty sub-miniature body-worn style microphones and patented lavalier mounting systems specifically designed for theatre applications. The company creates value-added solutions through intelligent designs, driven by market demand — examples include their IP 57 rated waterproof models and unique headsets which retain the position of the microphone capsule regardless of performer activity.

About EAD
Established in 1997, Guangzhou Donghui Digital Technology Development Co, Ltd is a professional audio and video integrator and distribution company. The company is headquartered in Hong Kong with branches in Guangzhou and Beijing. For more information, visit their website at www.ead.cn.

About Capstone Pro
CAPSTONE PRO, led by founders Kevin Kim and Jesse Park, both veterans of the professional audio industry, was established in 2018. The company distributes pro audio brands including Point Source Audio throughout Korea. For more information visit their website at www.capstonepro.co.kr.

About Point Source Audio
Point Source Audio (@PSA_audio) manufactures and distributes worldwide their SERIES8, EMBRACE, and CONFIDENCE collection of miniature microphones—a unique line of headset, earworn and earmounted microphones known for their robust bendable boom and waterproof features. The company also holds two patents for the EMBRACE concealable microphone as well as the patent for the world’s first modular in-ear comms headset that is supporting the hearing health for audio, lighting and camera techs using headsets everywhere from sports to space. Founded in 2004, Point Source Audio is headquartered in Petaluma, Calif. For more information call (415) 226-1122 or visit www.point-sourceaudio.com. Follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PSA_audio.

BURBANK, Calif.—Riedel Communications will be on the NAB Show New York exhibit floor demonstrating Bolero, a six-channel, DECT-based wireless intercom system in the license-free 1.9 GHz frequency range. Bolero is now available as a standalone wireless solution or it can be fully Artist-integrated using a standards-based AES67 IP network.

Decentralized antennas connect to AES67 switches and then to Riedel’s Artist digital matrix intercom frames equipped with AES67 client cards, which create an integrated point-to-point intercom ecosystem with roaming capabilities. By using multiple AES67 switch cascades, Bolero can accommodate large areas and long distances. To the system, the beltpacks look like Riedel Artist panels but are wireless, which the company says provide interoperability, programmability, flexibility and user mobility. A reprogrammable FPGA future-proofs Bolero antennas by permitting upgrades for future networks.

Bolero uses a high-clarity 7 kHz voice codec to provide both higher speech intelligibility and more efficient use of RF spectrum. The company reports the codec has excellent latency characteristics providing lip sync-free communications, while offering processing efficiency, providing outstanding beltpack battery life, and saving DSP processing power for other functions. The codec produces audio clarity scores

Riedel will be on the show floor in booth N545.

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LOS ANGELES—At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, at the end of February, T-Mobile announced that it plans to build out its 5G services in 30 major U.S. cities this year, including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Las Vegas. While the “Un-carrier” — as the company likes to refer to itself — was not specific about what frequency spectrum those services will use, wireless microphone, in-ear and communications equipment users are already on notice that they may have to vacate the 600 MHz band sooner than the FCC’s post-incentive auction TV station repack schedule would suggest.

T-Mobile acquired 31 MHz of the 600 MHz spectrum licenses made available by the FCC’s Incentive Auction, which ended in April 2017, spending nearly $8 billion. The carrier sought the spectrum because it allows it to “cover every single American with low-band spectrum, which travels twice as far and is four times better in buildings than mid-band spectrum.”

The company has built out its new 600 MHz services quickly, lighting up its first site, in Cheyenne, Wy., in August 2017. By the end of 2017 the carrier had expanded its coverage in what is known in the telecom industry as Band 71 into 26 more U.S. counties.

T-MOBILE OUT IN FRONT

T-Mobile kicked off 2018 with an announcement that its 600 MHz services had been extended to 586 cities and towns in 28 states. The carrier also announced during MWC that it has expanded into 90 more towns and cities across 26 states, including major population centers such as San Jose, Calif., Jacksonville, Fla., Seattle. Louisville, Ky. and Tucson and Mesa, Ariz.

T-Mobile was not alone in acquiring 600 MHz spectrum in the auction, of course, but thus far it is the only carrier to deploy new low-band spectrum services. While the carrier’s initial focus was on building out its Band 71 infrastructure for rural populations, affecting relatively few broadcasters, professional audio companies and other operators, its more recent announcements — and actions — have now put wireless mic users in urban areas on notice.

The carrier’s swift rollout of Band 71 services has put wireless audio equipment operators in “phase zero” of the TV station frequency repack. That term was coined by Karl Voss, Lead Frequency Coordinator for the NFL, for those impacted ahead of the FCC’s planned 10-phase repack schedule.

The potential impact on wireless mic users should not be underestimated. Licensed and unlicensed wireless audio equipment operators must vacate frequency spectrum in the 600 MHz band as soon as any of the new licensees announce an intention to begin using it, whether for testing or full-time services.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Band 71 uplink and downlink spectrum is in 5 MHz blocks to either side of the duplex gap, so does not conveniently line up with 6 MHz-wide TV channels. Per 47 U.S. Code § 503, the FCC may impose a fine of "$10,000 per violation or per day of a continuing violation and $75,000 per any single act or failure to act" on anyone who continues to operate in the relevant spectrum.

According to James Stoffo, founder of wireless comms provider Radio Active Designs, “I’ve done my last show using equipment that operates above 608 MHz, except for the 653-663 MHz duplex gap. If there are no DTV stations in the duplex gap, then we can be assured that those frequencies will remain clean for wireless system usage, as long as the special restrictions for that band are met, until we get a better sense for the RF out of band emissions by the adjacent LTE downlink and uplink.”

If T-Mobile wants to fire up services in an area it can, provided the company sends advance notification to protected users — but wireless mic operators are considered secondary users and are not protected. Happily, the company is bending over backwards to be a good spectrum neighbor, but it can only do so much.

At the DTV Audio Group’s Spectrum Workshop at the SVG Summit in New York in December, Dan Wilson, senior manager spectrum engineering for T-Mobile, encouraged wireless mic operators to visit the carrier’s dedicated website, where it posts updates to the list of new Band 71 sites. The carrier has been notifying its “significant email distribution list” of wireless mic users whenever it updates that list, said Wilson, who is encouraging those not on the list to contact the company. T-Mobile is also working with the SBE and NFL frequency coordinators and, less successfully, with tech companies such as Microsoft and Google and the white space database companies, he reported.

AHEAD OF THE FCC TIMETABLE

Tests conducted by T-Mobile have revealed several scenarios in which the carrier’s equipment and wireless mics can interfere with each other, Wilson reported. In the uplink spectrum, the wireless mic will cause interference to the T-Mobile base station. In a venue, a wireless handset could cause interference to a wireless microphone receiver.

In the downlink spectrum, wireless mic interference directly into handsets is a concern, he said. The downlink base station into the wireless receiver is also a concern.

Each downlink receiver is 40W plus the antenna gain, he noted. Anyone doing frequency scans will immediately see T-Mobile’s downlink, which is active 24/7, he said, but handset use will depend on customers in the venue.

Wireless mic operators should not assume that the TV station repack will follow the FCC’s timetable, said Wilson. “We are working with stations to move them earlier than the 10-phase plan.”

T-Mobile previously announced that it had partnered with Fox Television Stations to assist in repacking its 600 MHz spectrum. The carrier has also partnered with PBS and America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) to assist rural translators in the move to new airwaves, clearing the spectrum for its Band 71 services.

As part of the Fox agreement, WWOR-TV in New Jersey will repack in early 2018, more than one year sooner than the originally scheduled FCC deadline of August 2019. According to Wilson, T-Mobile won licenses to 622–632 MHz in the downlink spectrum (663-673 MHz in the uplink block) in the New York metro area and will begin services in Manhattan in Q3 2018 after assisting WWOR to relocate.

Wireless audio equipment operators in New York City will be affected if they are using those uplink block frequencies but will initially not see a lot of uplink activity since there are currently only two 600 MHz handsets on the market, he said. However, Wilson added, T-Mobile plans to launch more than a dozen new 600 MHz-capable smartphones in 2018.

In short, wireless mic users can’t rely on the FCC’s projected 39-month transition plan to replace affected equipment with gear compliant with the new rules. The bottom line? Start budgeting for replacement equipment and begin replacing that equipment now.