[Jambo_UK]

Hi Every1,

Just wanted to know what you think the best methods of communication are for a medium size school production are, I have heard the phases cans being used a lot can some1 explain to me what they are and how they work in simpleton language as I'm still learning the technician lingo.

We currently have nothing but I may have access to some radios, The budget for this is very low and I mean low £20 and under :< so I may result in searching ebay :<

Thanks for the help in advantage

from

Jambo

[gareth]

Cans is a 'slang' term for a ring intercom. Basically, it's a master power supply unit connected to a cable bus that runs around the theatre and has connections tapped off it at various places (usually 3-pin XLR - or 6-pin for two-channel). Into these are plugged (using ordinary mic cable) a belt pack, with an associated headset. As long as a particular haedset's mic is switched on at its beltpack, whatever that user says is heard by everyone else on the ring (each user having their own volume control governing the overall level of what they hear).

For examples of typical ring intercom equipment, go here for information on the TecPro range by Canford Audio - this is the kit that you'll find in a majority of UK theatres.

[Bryson]

See also here.

[tonymaslen]

Cans, of the metal verity you require two and a very long bit of string....drill a hole into the bottom of both Cans pull either end of the string through and tie a knot pull tight and speak!!!!

No in all seriousness "Cans" refers to the Talkback system, a pair of Cans being the Headphones....

Talkbacks comes in varying different forms from Wired to Wireless Radios and varying degrees of expense....

...look into hiring a Talkback system...talk nicely to your local hire place and see what they can dig out from there store room for as cheap as chips hire price and say you will give them some free Ad space in the shows program....

see what happens.

This post has been edited by tonymaslen: 16 March 2004 - 10:08 AM

[sam.henderson]

I would always choose cans as my first preferance becuase they are like a telephone; people can talk over each other and are not restricted like radios, however they can be a nightmare if the venue hasn't got a system already wired in so in this case I would use a good set of radios with headsets. Also you will never beable to get a full set of Tecpro cans with master unit and single muff headsets for under £20!!

It may be useful to get FOH some cheap and chirpy Radios as well

Sam

[robloxley]

For pretty cheap communication of another kind, what about knocking up some sort of cue-light system. You might even get it into your £20 budget depending what you can nab!

[Jambo_UK]

Thanks for all the advice, we have decided to borrow a couple of Cb from my school and six more leisure radios CB from my Scout Group that gives us in the region of about 10-12 radios,

Thanks for all the advice

from

Jambo

[Ike]

Be aware you (officially) need a licence to operate CB radios. This is, I think, available from the post office for a fee.

[Ellis]

Ike, on 20 Mar 2004, 02:19 AM, said:

Be aware you (officially) need a licence to operate CB radios. This is, I think, available from the post office for a fee.

Not quite, it is the owner who must licence CB equipment, as opposed to Amateur Radio, Marine etc where each operator must be licenced.

Regards

Ellis
G7SAI

[Ike]

Thanks for that, I cant say it's something I ever looked into.

Ike
2E1MIX

[Ian_P]

Quick question,

The forum seem to agree on cans being best, and I would like to rig up a 'cost effective' link between the SM and the lighting / sound control which is at the back of the audience, ie.not sound proof from them, and I wondered if anyone had rigged anything up using cheap components?

Eg, telephones with visual indicators?

[MikeR]

I may have missed the point, but having decided that cans are the best means of comms whats wrong with some lumps of mic cable from the sound desk / comms master station to the sm station? As I say Ive probably missed the point, if so I'll get back in my box

[Shaun Foster]

If your realy stuck, and you have spare channels and an aux send on your sound desk, wou can stick a set of cans and a mic at teh sm station and one in the box, make sure the mics are not routed into the mix and just put them into the auxes and stick some headphones on an aux send, I guess you would need a headphone amp to do it properly, but this worked fine for me as a very last minuit thing.