# Backstage Intercom Best Solution



## DSmith (Sep 20, 2019)

I have been doing some research on a backstage communication system and I was hoping to get some feedback. 

We are a small high school auditorium. We have recently purchased a Clear-Com wireless system (the Dx-210). This is good for the sound and lighting techs to to talk to the stage crew but we still don’t have a system for communication between actors backstage in the green room and dressing room to the booth. 

To solve this I was looking at a couple different options. 

We could get some clear com wall stations and mount them in the green room and dressing room. This way an actor could walk up to it and push the talk button and go through the clear com wireless. The only thing with this is that we would not be able to call a specific area backstage and have someone talk. Also everyone on the clear com would hear the conversation. 

My second idea, although I’m not sure how common it is, was to install a Cisco PBX phone system for use as an intercom. It would consist mostly older gear bought cheaply off eBay. We could have a phone in the booth and a couple backstage. Someone could walk up to a phone and dial an extension and the other end could pick up.

For a couple hundred bucks more I could get some wireless access points. We could get some wireless Cisco phones and connect them to the access points. That way a couple of the techs could always be reached. 

We are also looking at a backstage monitor system. I was looking at some sip paging interfaces to be able to page backstage from any of the phones. 

Which makes more sense to you? What do you use in your theatre? Any input would be appreciated. 

Thanks


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## macsound (Sep 20, 2019)

In some theatres I've worked in with poorly designed Clear Com systems, there would be wall panels in the dressing rooms but nothing in the hallways, bathrooms, kitchen area, shop or stairwells. 
To resolve this we put in a 70v sound system and a PTT microphone in the booth. Also piped a mic hung over the audience into it.


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## RonHebbard (Sep 20, 2019)

DSmith said:


> I have been doing some research on a backstage communication system and I was hoping to get some feedback.
> 
> We are a small high school auditorium. We have recently purchased a Clear-Com wireless system (the Dx-210). This is good for the sound and lighting techs to to talk to the stage crew but we still don’t have a system for communication between actors backstage in the green room and dressing room to the booth.
> 
> ...


*@DSmith* Hello; Two thoughts:
*1*; Keep the actors OFF the production's intercommunication system where they'll often talk between an AM's "Standby" and "Go!"
*2*; Casual banter between cues often includes negative comments regarding various performers' performances during any particular performance; some comments will be less than flattering and SHOULD definitely NOT be heard by those with sensitive personalities between scenes on stage in front of paying patrons.

Indeed, there are many valid reasons to keep your performers OFF your production intercom system.

I STRONGLY support having a 70 volt distributed speaker system covering everywhere / anywhere backstage personnel; acting, technical, care taking, security and management are likely to be during load ins, outs, cueing sessions, rehearsals and performances. Such systems should NOT be audible to patrons during performances but should cover: Stage door, green room, ALL backstage corridors, offices, shops, washrooms, storerooms, stairwells, maintenance shops, boiler rooms, EVERY WHERE any where any / all personnel are likely to be when performances are about to begin, entrances are missed, fires erupt, yada, yada.
All speakers should carry performance monitoring audio at levels adjustable locally by DURABLE 70 volt stepped, (as opposed to continuously variable) attenuators. Said attenuators should / must include by-pass relays momentarily by-passing ALL local attenuators whenever a Stage Manager activates their paging microphone's momentary 'press to page' switch. ALL pages will be heard at full level in ALL locations regardless of settings of any / local attenuators. including any attenuators dialed down to reduce, and / or totally turn off, performance monitoring audio.
Them's my thoughts and I stand by them. Kevlar undies securely in place: All comments welcomed.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard


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## microstar (Sep 20, 2019)

Ron has succinctly explained the standard method, although implemented in many instances without the added cost of the over-ride paging relay. Such a system does not address your need of the dressing rooms talking back to the SM. This portion is often done via a separate Clearcom channel to the SM so as to keep the actors out of the production channel(s).


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## RonHebbard (Sep 20, 2019)

microstar said:


> Ron has succinctly explained the standard method, although implemented in many instances without the added cost of the over-ride paging relay. Such a system does not address your need of the dressing rooms talking back to the SM. This portion is often done via a separate Clearcom channel to the SM so as to keep the actors out of the production channel(s).



*@DSmith* and *@microstar* 
Here's a link to a stepped, rotary, 70 volt attenuator with a DC operated momentary bypass relay. Durable rotary stepped 70 volt attenuators used to be more plentiful from several reliable, established, manufacturers. In more recent years, cheap 'n cheerful imposters have flooded the market; they're a fraction of the cost but, trust me, THEY'RE NOT worth your time to install them. 
Prior to my retirement, the fellow I was free-lancing with purchased a sealed box of 100 70v rotary stepped attenuators with bypass relays and they were GARBAGE. We'd install and test them and everything tested flawlessly. We neatly applied masking tape to protect them from the spray painters. When we came back once the paint was dry, we removed the masking tape and everything was still operating flawlessly UNTIL we held an engraved, single gang, stainless cover in place and gently tightened the two, stainless, oval-head 6-32 machine screws to secure the pristine stainless cover in place. 
Oh silly us! Gently installing the single gang stainless cover was all it took to deflect the cheap 'n cheerful flexible molded plastic attenuators just enough to make them either intermittent or cease working completely. DO NOT waste your time and money purchasing and installing any of the cheap 'n cheerful plastic 70 volt stepped attenuators, with bypass relays or not. They're GARBAGE, don't do it; be kind to yourself and those following in your wake. 

Here's that link I mentioned 'way back up at the top. 
These attenuators are almost as well built as the older units, attenuators that routinely survived 20 years or more in decently busy road houses being cranked by all manner of end users and frequently being bashed by the enclosed and castered rolling costume crates being hastily rolled into dressing rooms by IA crew in a hurry to load in and / or out. 
The 35 watt model with bypass relay is very popular and well built. 
https://www.atlasied.com/volume-controls-and-cables-accessories-volume-controls-commercial
Consider the AT35-PA. Old school looks, with tried and true performance. 
@MNicolai Would you care to comment PLEASE! 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## gafftaper (Sep 21, 2019)

The DX210 is a two channel system. If the base station is in the booth you can get a two channel wired belt pack for the stage manager and then setup a wired point somewhere backstage on channel two. That way there is a way for backstage to communicate with the booth but only the stage manager will hear the calls so there won't be interruptions to everything. I installed a system like this in a previous theater. I used a Pro Intercom HH10B in the greenroom (It's like an old telephone). It needs to plug into a belt pack. This was all screwed onto a wall making it easy for someone to contact the booth. And for the Stage manager, I have used the Pro Intercom BP 2 a 2 channel beltpack. Note: Pro Intercom gear is fully compatible with Clear Com gear, generally cheaper and better built. I have a Clear Com system that came with my theater but when I need new headsets or belt packs I buy Pro Intercom. If you have any questions about Pro Intercom, start a private conversation with @Diana Mullis . 

And yes... a 70Volt system to send a copy of the audio backstage with a god mic from the booth to make general announcements. I like the AKG DST99 for this purpose.


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## DSmith (Sep 21, 2019)

Thanks for the replies so far everyone. 

I defiantly like the idea of a 70v system in all the backstage areas. The attenuator with a momentary bypass relay is also a great idea. I will defiantly do some more research into a system like this.

I defiantly agree that there needs to be separate Clear Com channels for the communication from the dressing rooms to the booth. Is Clear Com the only way that communication between back stage and the booth is normally achieved? Have you ever seen something like a phone system used?


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## microstar (Sep 21, 2019)

DSmith said:


> Thanks for the replies so far everyone.
> 
> I defiantly like the idea of a 70v system in all the backstage areas. The attenuator with a momentary bypass relay is also a great idea. I will defiantly do some more research into a system like this.
> 
> I defiantly agree that there needs to be separate Clear Com channels for the communication from the dressing rooms to the booth. Is Clear Com the only way that communication between back stage and the booth is normally achieved? Have you ever seen something like a phone system used?


I've seen a phone extensions between the booth and backstage before, especially in educational environments where they are part of the campus phone system, but they are not used for production communications and, you have to make sure the ringers are off during a show.


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## RonHebbard (Sep 21, 2019)

DSmith said:


> Thanks for the replies so far everyone.
> 
> I definitely like the idea of a 70v system in all the backstage areas. The attenuator with a momentary bypass relay is also a great idea. I will definitely do some more research into a system like this.
> 
> I definitely agree that there needs to be separate Clear Com channels for the communication from the dressing rooms to the booth. Is Clear Com the only way that communication between back stage and the booth is normally achieved? Have you ever seen something like a phone system used?


 @DSmith and @microstar 
I too have seen wall phones installed as redundant backups for all essential production locations including the FOH manager's office, stage door and green room.
In the case of this particular installation (Stratford Shakespearean Festival's Main Stage) the wall mounted phone system was the ONLY intercom system to the Stage Door, Box Office and FOH Manager's Office. The four production intercom channels ( Cueing, LX, Sound and SM Private ) Did NOT appear in any non-production areas; Cueing and Sound were both available for the orchestra conductor in the orchestra loft, Cueing was in ALL production locations and the LX channel was duplicated in all production locations as a redundant backup for the Cueing channel. 
The SM Private channel was strictly limited to SM locations: SM booth, SM office, ASM back stage right, the two portable rehearsal table locations in the auditorium, one near the stage for preliminary rehearsals and the second further back for final rehearsals where a steady stream of calls would bother the cast and directors. 
The SM channel also appeared in the one and only rehearsal hall in those days. 
Stratford's wall phones DID NOT have ringers; instead, each phone was accompanied by two (redundant) wall mounted call lights, not quite Blaze-Ons but their 1960's telco equivalents. 

That was 1977. 

In more recent times, since the advent of ClearCom, ClearCom's HS6 handsets (with self-muting grip to speak momentary switches within their hand-grips) have become popular in FOH and non production locations. The HS6's are typically hung from convenient wall hanger mounts and connected via a 90 degree XLR4 to an MR102 or MR104 (forgive me if I'm mis-remembering the model numbers of the wall stations) ClearCom's HS6's were available in black, white and red with wall mounts to match. Ms. Mullis offers Pro Intercom's FULLY ClearCom compatible equivalents at appreciably more affordable prices. 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## Jay Ashworth (Sep 21, 2019)

I like the 70V override thing, Ron, but I've *never* seen it, anywhere...


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## RonHebbard (Sep 21, 2019)

Jay Ashworth said:


> I like the 70V override thing, Ron, but I've *never* seen it, anywhere...


 *@Jay Ashworth* Did you see the link to a range of durable 70 volt stepped attenuators with bypass relays CURRENTLY manufactured and marketed on your side of the walls? This evening I'll post another chapter touting the DURABILITY of attenuators from the early seventies and the less than desirable molded plastic offerings of today. 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## Jay Ashworth (Sep 21, 2019)

I read over the link, yeah, but since I've already got like 6 or 8 of them all around my theatre building, rewiring to get the priority signal would be a bitca.


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## RonHebbard (Sep 21, 2019)

Jay Ashworth said:


> I like the 70V override thing, Ron, but I've *never* seen it, anywhere...


 *@Jay Ashworth @DSmith* and *@microstar* 
Herewith, a chapter on the durability and quality of U.S. designed and manufactured 70 volt stepped attenuators with bypass relays from the early 1970's in comparison to the off-shore excrement of the past decade. 

In 1973, the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada built Hamilton Place housing its Great Hall and Studio Theatre. The structure began as a hole in the ground in 1972 and opened in September of 1973. The 70 volt attenuators would have been installed in July or August, 1973. 

The Great Hall housed 5 star dressing rooms, 14 dressing rooms for four to six performers plus two medium size rooms for 6 to 10 occupants and two larger rooms for 12 to 16 or 18 choristers and supernumeraries each. There were also two quick change rooms, four meeting rooms (two for meetings of a dozen or so seated and catered as required and two larger for meetings of forty or more each.) There were also a laundry room, carp's shop, props office and shop, LX office and shop, LX and SFX booths, an open mix position in the middle of the orchestra level seating, a sound rack room and repair shop under the house mixing position, a follow spot and projection suite of six more rooms plus a separate washroom for the spot op's and projectionists. Add stage door, coat check, FOH Manager's office, a First Aid room, a musician's room and several more store rooms and you had a fairly large 70 volt monitor / page system with stepped 70 volt by-passed attenuators in every room plus inside the loading docks and in the vending machine room. 
Over the decades, partitions were added, new little offices created, cheap 'n cheerful home hi-fi attenuators added and slowly what began as a top drawer installation had fallen into a sad state of well intentioned improvements. 

Fast forward to the mid 1990's. A local IA AV contractor was contracted to overhaul the entire system, undo the "improvements", repair / replace all of the substandard wiring and replace any equipment that had out lived its usefulness. Greg Cross and I invested more than two weeks discovering and documenting all of the "improvements", listed all items in need of replacement, then less than a week reassembling and upgrading. In the end, our boss chose to replace every stepped attenuator in the building. Greg and I saved at least six of the original attenuators which were virtually new (all six from rooms where they'd received very little use) along with approximately six more of the originals still in extremely serviceable condition. 

*Cutting to the chase*: The best six of the 1973 original attenuators are still performing flawlessly in The Players' Guild Of Hamilton's 2.5 story plus basement plus addition at 80 Queen St. South in Hamilton, Ontario. The Players' Guild is an amateur group which began in the late 1800's and are still housed in the building in which they've been since the days of gas lighting in the early 1900's. 

*Honest!* Six of the original 1973 attenuators are still working flawlessly to this day. 

I don't believe any of the cheap 'n cheerful plastic jobbies from Taiwan and / or the Phillipines, which my boss installed in two other local venues in the early and mid 90's, are even in situ any longer, let alone still working to any degree whatsoever. 

To a large degree 'Buy once, Cry once' applies when it comes to stepped 70 volt attenuators, with bypass relays or not. 
The attenuators previously linked to a few postings back in this thread are about as good as stepped 70 volt attenuators get in terms of makes and models still being manufactured. 
I rest my case. *@MNicolai @Fme @Ancient Engineer* and *@TimMc* Care to comment*?*
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## BillConnerFASTC (Sep 21, 2019)

Priority page use to be the term but now all Google turns up is internet "page" stuff. I see them frequently and actually designed and installed one many years ago - 1980? - with switches so the SM could select which rooms his page was heard in.


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## dmx (Sep 21, 2019)

We often send a video feed backstage and place TV's wherever they are needed. The benefits of this include individual volume control per room / location and the added benefit of being able to see where we are in the show. Audio is fed from an open hanging mic onstage, and you could easily mix in a PTT from the SM to layer on top of the feed. Coax is about $65 per 1000 ft and super easy to install. A $25 RF modulator takes a feed from your stage camera and whatever audio you want to send.


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## RonHebbard (Sep 23, 2019)

BillConnerFASTC said:


> Priority page use to be the term but now all Google turns up is internet "page" stuff. I see them frequently and actually designed and installed one many years ago - 1980? - with switches so the SM could select which rooms his page was heard in.


*Priority Paging systems* are commonly heard in hospitals and airports. 
*In hospitals*; Pages on wards are often subservient to / over ridden by floor-wide pages which in turn are subservient to / over ridden by hospital wide pages for fire, power outages, missing patients, natural disasters, et al. 
*In airports*; Pages for a given boarding lounge / flight gate are often subservient to / over ridden by terminal wide pages which are often subservient to / over ridden by airport wide pages for missing persons, lost and found children, extreme weather, power outages, security threats, et al. 
*
Seventy volt attenuators with override relays* merely ensure pages come through at full level in spite of whatever level the attenuator has been dialed down to, including if / when turned down to zero output. 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## TimMc (Sep 23, 2019)

We had an opera client at our PAC when I was A1 for their show. Several complaints about "talent" not hearing pages. I kept turning up the green room/dressing room feed until it was audible on stage (yikes!!) from the adjacent green room.

I went down to back stage and found that the complaining "talent" had turned down their dressing room monitors and missed their call pages. I turned them back up, re-set the feed level to a more nominal setting. Next rehearsal, the same complaints. Told the SM over coms that if I came down and found the Alleged Talent had turned them down again that I'd charge the company $50 for each one I turned back up. It was BS, I had no authority to charge them anything - but it got the message across that if I had to leave the booth because the "talent was singing to their sphincters" I was gonna be an even crankier old guy. She sent the ASM to the dressing rooms and she turned the knobs back up.

I am now an absolute believer in overriding the DR volume controls with pages. I'm also a believer that opera singers should have their fingers amputated if they touch anything technical, but that's for another post.


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## RonHebbard (Sep 23, 2019)

TimMc said:


> We had an opera client at our PAC when I was A1 for their show. Several complaints about "talent" not hearing pages. I kept turning up the green room/dressing room feed until it was audible on stage (yikes!!) from the adjacent green room.
> 
> I went down to back stage and found that the complaining "talent" had turned down their dressing room monitors and missed their call pages. I turned them back up, re-set the feed level to a more nominal setting. Next rehearsal, the same complaints. Told the SM over coms that if I came down and found the Alleged Talent had turned them down again that I'd charge the company $50 for each one I turned back up. It was BS, I had no authority to charge them anything - but it got the message across that if I had to leave the booth because the "talent was singing to their sphincters" I was gonna be an even crankier old guy. She sent the ASM to the dressing rooms and she turned the knobs back up.
> 
> I am now an absolute believer in overriding the DR volume controls with pages. I'm also a believer that opera singers should have their fingers amputated if they touch anything technical, but that's for another post.


Durable STEPPED 70.7 volt attenuators with bypass relays are THE *ONLY* way to fly. I concur with your amputation thoughts. 

In larger installations with multiple venues sharing a common bank of dressing rooms, there's a need to be able to prioritize pages by occupants. 
If / when the residents of a given dressing room are in the cast of a studio production, they should only hear facility wide pages and pages related to their own production. Similarly if the occupants are in a main-stage production, they should only hear facility wide pages and pages related to main-stage productions. If / when a facility houses three or four venues, similar guidelines apply. If the producing organization is spread across town with several buildings each housing multiple performance and rehearsal spaces, the system just keeps on growing and growing. (Durable stepped attenuators, each equipped with bypass relays are STILL the *ONLY* way to fly.)
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## macsound (Sep 23, 2019)

Something I learned from situations like Tim's is buildout. 
One dressing room had a single clearcom station on the wall with volume control. 
Second dressing room had 2 overhead 70v speakers.

Dressing room 1 always missed their cue because the wall panel was always turned down. Dressing room 2 never did because they didn't have volume control.

But the issue wasn't that the actors were stupid, its that in order for the back of Dressing room 1 to hear any cues, the two actors doing their makeup in front of the wall panel had to go deaf. This led the actors in the back of the room to turn it up the panel and the front of the room turn it down because they couldn't hear themselves think. 

Dressing room 2 had well placed speakers that were able to be run at reasonable volumes but everyone could still hear the music and the pages.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Sep 23, 2019)

this: https://www.atlasied.com/at10-pa


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## RonHebbard (Sep 23, 2019)

BillConnerFASTC said:


> this: https://www.atlasied.com/at10-pa


Note the relays are SPDT. If / when desired, it's possible to wire two attenuators in series with one (or one group of) speaker to effectively achieve a lower confidence level while paging. Normally, if you have paging a speaker in close proximity to a paging mic, the mic may cause feedback during paging due to its local speakers 's attenuator being bypassed to full level for the duration of a page. In systems with multiple page mics in various locations, having the local attenuator dip the level below feedback is desirable so a person paging can hear not only their own page, but can also be aware of any other users trampling over their page and thus needing to repeat their page. 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## BillConnerFASTC (Sep 23, 2019)

Just pointing out it calls itself priority paging. That's all. And multiple paging mics seems like potential chaos. I my one and only system I had one, which with switch panel allowed shutting off local priority page feature.


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## RonHebbard (Sep 23, 2019)

BillConnerFASTC said:


> Just pointing out it calls itself priority paging. That's all. And multiple paging mics seems like potential chaos. In my one and only system I had one, which with switch panel allowed shutting off local priority page feature.


In larger installations you may have three or more rehearsal halls, each with its own paging mic. SM's paging from within rehearsals often are working as unobtrusively as possible and thus rarely have a an active paging speaker within earshot. Multiple paging mics are fairly common in SM offices, SM booths, back stage ASM's and temporary tables within audience areas during rehearsals and LX cueing sessions. 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## BillConnerFASTC (Sep 23, 2019)

Not in the typical high school, like the original poster was asking about. Over 35,000 high school theatres, and less than 1000 professional. Just trying to keep big picture in mind.


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## RonHebbard (Sep 24, 2019)

BillConnerFASTC said:


> Just pointing out it calls itself priority paging. That's all. And multiple paging mics seems like potential chaos. In my one and only system I had one, which with a switch panel allowed shutting off the local priority page feature.


A down-side to having a manual switch to disable the local speaker while paging is you need to remember to re-enable the local speaker once you've completed your page. If you don't re-enable the local speaker, the next time someone else in the building makes a page, people in the vicinity of the speaker you've muted miss the page. Using two attenuators as previously described to provide a 'dim' or 'confidence' level while paging automates the function and eliminates any problems associated with unintentionally leaving the speaker muted. 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## BillConnerFASTC (Sep 24, 2019)

But it also allows you to mute a space that at times you don't want pages in.


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## stagemanager1 (Sep 25, 2019)

You have a wealth of great information here, and I do not disagree with any of it. A good 70v system is essential.

I am a freelance A1/A2, and I will share with you a neat "trick" I employ on one particular amateur variety show.

Since the house has a good sound system with plenty of monitor channels and mic inputs- I am able to run one monitor backstage. I also set up a mic on a stand next to that monitor, plus a mic on a boom at FOH (the stage manager sits next to me in the booth, and calls the show and starts tracks). We can call cues on that backstage monitor from our FOH mic for actors who are standing by. I set up a small speaker on my desk and have that backstage mic routed directly to my speaker. If someone needs to talk to me or the sm - step up and talk. I turn it down low so you have to get on the mic for me to hear it - but I do not hear the room noise on my speaker. This is an always on system, and I control the volumes of both speakers. It works great for that show. I learned the trick from one of my gurus.


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## Ben Stiegler (Sep 25, 2019)

In case the idea hasn't died on the vine yet ... I do not recommend using IP phones over WiFi for anything ... but especially cues and life safety. If you manage to get it working today, next month you'll be chasing ghosts when the 100 member chorus hits the dressing room with their phones all seeking WiFi signal. I learned this the hard way when I set up the largest outdoor event I'd ever A1d for relying on wireless link to my tablets from console at Stage L edge for FOH mixing ... then lost control when the crowds of phone carrying attendees poured in. Saved the day by running 300' of cat5 at the last minute and moving my console's access point to under the FOH riser.

I've also sold and supported IP telephony since 2001. Believe me, you don't want to do this on WiFi. Even if the WiFi worked flawlessly, you need to locally power each IP phone. How easy is it to unplug, lose, or damage a wall wort transformer?

What might work tho is taking a look at IP paging / intercom stations running on POE. You still need to cable but centrally powered from Ethernet switches (with UPS). These can solve the problem of priority volume override, too, in software.


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## RonHebbard (Sep 25, 2019)

stagemanager1 said:


> You have a wealth of great information here, and I do not disagree with any of it. A good 70v system is essential.
> 
> I am a freelance A1/A2, and I will share with you a neat "trick" I employ on one particular amateur variety show.
> 
> Since the house has a good sound system with plenty of monitor channels and mic inputs- I am able to run one monitor backstage. I also set up a mic on a stand next to that monitor, plus a mic on a boom at FOH (the stage manager sits next to me in the booth, and calls the show and starts tracks). We can call cues on that backstage monitor from our FOH mic for actors who are standing by. I set up a small speaker on my desk and have that backstage mic routed directly to my speaker. If someone needs to talk to me or the sm - step up and talk. I turn it down low so you have to get on the mic for me to hear it - but I do not hear the room noise on my speaker. This is an always on system, and I control the volumes of both speakers. It works great for that show. I learned the trick from one of my gurus.


 @stagemanager1 Further to the "wealth of info' "
*1*; Realize I'm writing of HISTORY. I'm referencing how the Stratfordshakespearean Festival's 70 volt Monitor / Page system was when I took over as IA Sound Head in their Main Stage thrust stage venue in 1977. I'm CERTAIN their monitor / page systems have changed several times over. I last worked in Stratford in 1998 when I set-up and operated their analog multi-track studio in the basement of their Avon theatre prosc' venue.
Back to the Festival Theatres' Monitor / Page system in 1977.
Far USR back stage was the SM's office, home to 1 PSM, 4 or 5 SM's, 6 or 8 ASM's and 1 PA. (These were their official Equity titles.)
Each production in the rotating rep' typically had one SM in the SM booth high up in the ceiling on the rear center-line. In 1977, the patrons wrapped 220 degrees around the thrust stage.
Each production had a "desk" ASM who lived at the USR SM desk immediately outside the SM office. This ASM called all pre-show announcements, along with warnings for every scene change, end of acts, end of intervals, etcetera. The desk ASM also called warnings for every actor who'd been off stage for several scenes to ensure they'd be standing by where and when they needed to be for their next entrance. They'd also mention what character a 'spear-chucker' was about to portray on their next entrance.
A second ASM known as the Props ASM also worked back stage ensuring all props were lined up in order wherever actors next needed them.
The SM up in the ceiling booth dealt with calling all cues and operating all cue lights. Many locations had two differently colored cue lights: Red for actors; Green for musicians. Every cue light housed a redundant pair of incandescent lamps. Equity members acted. AF of M members blew horns, bugles, and beat drums.

*2*; Back to the "desk" ASM. On the wall immediately in front of and above their head was the heart of the Monitor / Page system.
The rack housed two butch 70 volt amplifiers and one tiny 5 or 10 watt amp.
Across the bottom 4 RU, conveniently within reach, were two rows of 5 position lever switches. There was a lever switch for every major group of paging speakers and a few switches dedicated to only one speaker.
Each switch could be set to any of 5 positions: Monitor with Page over-ride. Monitor only with zero interruptions. Pages only. Off. Emergency calling with talk-back.
One of the butch amplifiers fed uninterrupted performance monitor audio to the Monitor Only bus.
The second butch amplifier fed monitor with page over-ride to the the Monitor with Page bus.
Whenever a page was initiated, a relay connected the Page Only bus to this second amplifier for the duration of the page.
The tiny 5 or 10 watt amplifier allowed the "Desk" ASM to call directly to a monitor speaker or group of speakers.
This amplifier also permitted the "Desk" ASM to activate another momentary switch and listen to the selected speaker or group of speakers.
The intercom function was most commonly employed to ensure actors were standing by in the two vomitory entrances house right and house left. The Monitor / Page speakers in the vomitory's were down a ramp and around a 180 degree turn, thus virtually impossible to be heard by patrons.

Gotta go, it's lunch time here and my alarm is calling me.

*@stagemanager1
EDIT*: To mention limiters.
Stratford was Stratford and somewhat "different" than most of our producing theatres. When I began in March 1977, the Monitor / Page limiter was an Eventide Omnipressor. I was told the Omnipressor had been purchased in a hurry when their original limiter had to be returned to its manufacturer for service. Months later a package arrived containing the original monitor / page compressor / limiter. Imagine my surprise upon finding a mint UREI 1176LN Blackface! I thought it a bit excessive but out came the Omnipressor and in went the 1176. The "emergency replacement" Omnipressor found a happy home in a rack up in my sound booth where it easily fulfilled my processing needs producing SFX and music recordings.

Stratford was Stratford and operated at a somewhat unique budget level. While many theatres' were getting along with Sony and Tascam 1/4" recorders, Stratford was running 1/4" and 1/2" Scully 2 tracks and 4 tracks; not 1/4 tracks but 1/4" half track stereo decks and 1/2" four track quad decks. Eventually, the Avon upgraded to full bore Studers and, after my time, the Festival Main stage upgraded to MCI's.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard


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## Dan Fischer (Sep 26, 2019)

+1 on everything Ron Hebbard said re: intercom. I also suggest a simple FOH camera with a video feed sent to a dressing room or any overflow room. We split the FOH camera feed from or SM station and feed it to those screens and it works great!


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## RonHebbard (Sep 26, 2019)

Dan Fischer said:


> +1 on everything Ron Hebbard said re: intercom. I also suggest a simple FOH camera with a video feed sent to a dressing room or any overflow room. We split the FOH camera feed from our SM station and fed it to those screens and it works great!


 * @Dan Fischer* Even better if / when it's IR sensitive and your stage is flooded with IR so SM's and understudies can see clearly in black outs eliminating LX cues being called while the "dead body" is frantically galloping towards their exit. 
Revealing the "dead 82 year old body(s)" miraculously springing to life and racing out of character for an exit is somewhat contrary to the suspension of DIS belief. 
In many ways, composite video sans digital delays were easier to implement. Progress is NOT necessarily always an improvement. 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard


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## BillConnerFASTC (Sep 26, 2019)

High school understudies? Anyone doing this?


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## TimMc (Sep 27, 2019)

BillConnerFASTC said:


> High school understudies? Anyone doing this?


When you have lots of students and few roles...


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## macsound (Sep 27, 2019)

BillConnerFASTC said:


> High school understudies? Anyone doing this?


Just in general?
In youth productions before I've worked with double cast more often that understudies. So then both get the opportunity to perform.


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## Pip (Sep 29, 2019)

Jay Ashworth said:


> I like the 70V override thing, Ron, but I've *never* seen it, anywhere...


Huh. Never thought to check and see if my attenuators are relayed... 

*makes mental note to test*

Thanks for all the great posts here y’all. 

Cheers

Pip


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