ALAMEDA, Calif.—Mobile live production solutions provider Ross Production Services (RPS) has standardized on Clear-Com intercom systems across its fleet of mobile units, flypacks and production control rooms to support complex live production workflows.
RPS supports a wide range of productions, including sports broadcasts, entertainment concerts, rodeos, esports, political debates and corporate events. To meet the demands of these diverse environments, the company relies on a fully integrated Clear-Com ecosystem that spans headquarters facilities, production trucks and remote user workflows.
“Every show has Clear-Com involved, from party lines to point-to-point communication and IFB connectivity,” said Lance Bracale, RPS director of broadcast engineering. “Any time you step into an RPS mobile unit or control room, you will be using a Clear-Com panel.”
RPS has deployed a comprehensive Clear-Com infrastructure throughout its operations, including Eclipse Omega and Delta digital matrix frames, IrisX user panels, Agent-IC mobile app, LQ Series IP interfaces and FreeSpeak wireless intercom systems. The systems are integrated into Ross Ultrix routing environments and configured to support both local and remote productions.
According to Bracale, Clear-Com’s flexibility and hybrid workflow capabilities were major factors in the company’s decision to standardize on the platform.
“One of the biggest things is deploying two-wire comms in the field over network using the LQ interfaces, while also being able to add four-wire connectivity when needed,” said Bracale. “Agent-IC has also been incredibly valuable for at-home users and as a fail-safe option for remote connectivity.”
RPS engineers and audio teams also benefit from the usability of Clear-Com’s EHX configuration software.
“The ease of the EHX software has made it simple for engineers and A1s to program and control intercom workflows,” Bracale said. “The Go LIVE functionality makes changes instantaneously without needing to push a full configuration, and Supervisor Mode gives engineers visibility into what users are hearing and selecting in real time.”
RPS has expanded its use of Clear-Com’s wireless solutions, transitioning from standalone FreeSpeak systems to IP-based wireless deployments using E-IPA cards and FreeSpeak Icon beltpacks.
“We are slowly upgrading to IP antennas connected directly to the E-IPA cards along with the new Icon beltpacks to save time during setup and simplify deployment,” Bracale said.
The company has also leveraged remote panel connectivity and Agent-IC clients to support distributed production teams, allowing users working from home to connect directly into production environments as though they were onsite.
More information is available on the Clear-Com and RPS websites.
