# conductor monitoring



## Dreadpoet (Oct 6, 2011)

I'm wanting to do video monitoring for offstage conducter and onstage actor. I am wanting to contract it out...but having a hard time wading through all of the anti-theft places to get what I want (someone who is successful at doing what I want for my purpose). I live close enough to the dallas fort worth area...if one would like to recommend a company or contractor I would love the input. If you would just like to throw your two cents in the pit for this area...I would love to hear that too.


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## Grog12 (Oct 6, 2011)

You don't nessecarily need anything fancy from closed circuit system. A theatre here in town uses an old handheld consumer camera with coax runs to a TV.


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## museav (Oct 7, 2011)

I agree with Grog12 that a typical stage video monitoring system need not be anything fancy, however the conductor aspect can throw a wrinkle in that as any latency introduced potentially affects timing. That can be a consideration with conductors and offstage choirs or orchestras, but I'm not clear enough on the application to assess if it might be a factor here.


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## Dreadpoet (Oct 7, 2011)

While I agree nothing fance is necessary, there is the issues with latency and this is not going to be a problem that goes away. Though I often conduct research to figure out how to do it myself and what to get...I just want to contract this out as I have enough on my plate at the moment.


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## Chris15 (Oct 7, 2011)

Let's not muck arolund here.
If you want the latency to be acceptable for codnuctor cam you have 2 options;
analogue camera - distribution amp (if needed) - CRT monitor
SDI camera - distribution amp (if needed) - OLED display.

This has been proven by people with far bigger budgets than yours. There is a possibility that the newest generation fast response LCDs when fed SDi might be acceptable, but it's untested.

I think you will find the number of companies who deal in video monitoring systems who don't look at you funny when you say SDI to be few...


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## kiwitechgirl (Oct 8, 2011)

Chris15 said:


> Let's not muck arolund here.
> If you want the latency to be acceptable for codnuctor cam you have 2 options;
> analogue camera - distribution amp (if needed) - CRT monitor
> 
> This has been proven by people with far bigger budgets than yours.



This is what's used all over the Sydney Opera House - I'm with Opera Australia (the primary tenant of the Opera Theatre) and all our conductor cam is done this way. Simple, latency not an issue, works perfectly (and it needs to for us!).


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## Chris15 (Oct 8, 2011)

Actually it's the House who have proven SDI and OLED works too - either with you guys or the SSO.


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## icewolf08 (Oct 9, 2011)

The video monitoring system that we use is all analog cameras with composite outputs that feed to RF modulators which are connected to coax that runs all over the building. This allows us to plug in any analog tv to almost any jack in the building and just change channels to get the video feed we need. We have a conductor cam on musicals, a full stage monitor, and an IR camera. We can put monitors anywhere backstage or in many of the production and design offices and you can get any of the show feeds. I have not noticed any latency in tour setup.


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## Dreadpoet (Oct 10, 2011)

why does one need crt for older analog tech and led for newer tech? I fear old tech as its begins to vanish from store shelves...also I would like to hang an led above house to not force actors to look down.


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## Chris15 (Oct 10, 2011)

Dreadpoet said:


> why does one need crt for older analog tech and led for newer tech?



How to explain this...
It's about how much delay the dispaly adds to the signal.
In the context of a digital display, say an LCD with an analog signal, it needs to take that signal and digitise it and process it before it can output it onto pixels. That adds time, ie. latency. In general the more expensive the display the faster it will be, but even broadcast grade LCDs aren't generally fast enough.

A CRT will track perfectly the camera's scanning of the field.
An OLED display can process the digital display fast enough for the delay to not be perceptible.


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## themuzicman (Oct 12, 2011)

The show I'm currently on has a conductor and FOH stage shot with video screens to both the SM, all the members of the orchestra (we remote some locations), and offstage mons for actors. I have 2 1x12 Distribution Amplifiers, camera input goes in to one, output upstairs gets sent into a cat5 balun, and is split out again at another DA which gets it to where it needs to be. It's a pretty simple setup once you figure out how signal is routed.


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