# is there a clear com manners/useage guide



## pounce (May 26, 2006)

hi there,

at our theatre, a 4000 seat union roadhouse, we often get clients who are inclined to hop on to the com. besides the fact that they can't call a show worth a crap, as the house sound engineer some of thier clear com practices are doubly annoying as the chatter, leaving mics on while setting down/picking up headsets, etc. are a real distraction. 

i haven't been able to find a good simple one page guide that could be posted for those clients bound and determined to hop on com. just getting them to cut the chatter, say things like "sound, cd track 17, GO!" would be a dream instead of what i get in my ear. 

i am pretty much probably stuck typing it out myself, but is there some clearcom usage and manners guide anywhere? i asked clearcom, and while they agreed it was a good idea to have something like that as a download on their site, they don't have anything like that. i learned about calling shows properly on the job long ago and haven't ever seen any training materials on it. for my purposes, it would have to be a simple one page sheet type thing posted for our guests. 

ps: i'm tempted to turn some of our belt packs into ptt only packs as these folks are also bad offenders of leaving the mic keyed on and then the clear com noise level gets unbearable with lots of extraneous noise and conversation getting on in. that's no good. i suppose i'm a clear com nazi in that regard, i just would greatly prefer things were done right. a properly called show without the chit chat is a beautiful thing. unfortunately, we get quite a few amateur things in here as well and that's when com gets ugly. 

if anyone knows of com use guides i'd love to either print that out, or at least use that as a basis for anything i'd type up.


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## RockLobsterNet (May 27, 2006)

I just want to know who thought it would be a good idea to have the guy who is making sure the house sounds right wear a headset. I hate those things. Honesly, I usually just have it very low and do the cues myself. Whoever calls the show trusts me enough that they usually leave it to me anyway. If all else fails, I find someone to be my assistant and listen for me. 

However, as I am now done with HS, I have sworn off theatre because I hate running sound for theatre. Music is way more fun.


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## pounce (May 27, 2006)

it isn't -terrible- if you are on a lightweight headset, but if they are chatty it gets real hard to do your job.


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## jbeutt (Jun 1, 2006)

This might not be entirely useful, but it's relevant anyway

http://www.ukslc.org/Technical_Articles/Theatre/Cans_Etiquette.html


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