Talk Back Systems

Talk Back Systems were touched on by Dave Allen and others in his recent "Understanding Radio Mics" article. Our theatre currently uses some UHF CB radios with headsets, sometimes with mixed results. Accidentally locking mics open, interference from outside public users, time delays in signal transmission, loose connections... the list goes on. A wired in system would be a great alternative. Unfortunately from what i have seen the commercially available ones are a little out of our reach for what i consider a basic set-up, 3 maybe 4 headsets in a small theatre. 2 either side of stage, 1 possibly 2 for the Bio Box. I have often thought about designing and building a set-up based on an old amplifier. I'm an electrician with an interest in electronics and can visualize a simple design. But would it work? Is it possible and has anyone built their own wired in Talk Back system?

A thing that Don brought up is the 'FOH Clearance', which nearly always in most comeatre, never seems to do normally as part of the performance. Invariably it is anything from someone waving a signals to start the show, from the house or the SM Going Up by the clock. Which also brings up another topic of does your SM call the Light & Audio cues or leave it up to the bio box to initiate them? I have seen a lot of productions where the SM is really the pseudo prompt/props & the lighting techie calling the show, as a normal situation. It's not a question of demarcation but more a lack of show control. Invariably the techie has done only the Tech &/or Dress rehearsal, while the SM has been with the show from the beginning of rehearsals - possibly. Are we diminishing the SM's job & dumping it on the techie. Or is it the SM has become superseded & only an after thought? Or one of the "Sorry you didn't get the part - so how about being the Stage Manager" cancellation prises. I believe it is more the latter in most cases, where by the Director takes over the SM role during rehearsals, and gawd forbid also for the show. I agree with the audio tech being able to hear the performance, but most tend to wear a half set of cans & at least have a stage monitoring relay speaker in the bio box. Which is not hard to rig up cheaply, as some venues it is in possibly to hear dialogue on stage from the box.

TOI TOI TOI CHOOKAS

[May you always play to a full house] Hear the lights & see the sounds.

A thingthat Don brought up

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