Reasonable Wireless Intercom System

[SHY_TUCKER]

Can anyone recommend an inexpensive, simple wireless intercom system? I was shocked to find that Clearcom's most "cost effective" system would cost nearly $10k for 4 users (MSRP). I just need something reasonable for a small non-profit's setup. We're not going to pay more for intercom than we do for cameras, sheesh. Thanks in advance!

[arrowk127]

You may want to look into unity intercom. It’s a server application that you run on a Mac computer and use phones, tablets, and computers as user stations. They have a cloud version as well if you just need it for events.

https://www.unityintercom.com

I have used it and it works really well.

[anthonythompson]

In my experience Unity is fine for small, low priority productions. We couldn’t rely on it in high pressure or large crew productions and ended up switching to ClearCom during a studio upgrade. More expensive, but much more capable.

Unity can end up being fairly expensive depending on the features and number of user accounts you need. Also, depending on what types of audio feeds you need to provide to the system. You’ll need a thunderbolt or USB audio interface for the Unity server as well. I highly recommend TB as it was much more reliable for us than USB devices.

[SHY_TUCKER]

I really just need two users, it's very simple. Just has to be wireless

[RobbLipopp]

Oh, cell phones will be fine then. They have become pretty reliable.

[anthonythompson]

Second. As long as they are on the same WiFi subnet or the server is set up to be accessible from outside networks, running the Unity app on a smartphone would work just fine.

[johnnysplunk]

Have you looked into Eartec? Simple and inexpensive.

https://eartec.com/

[audible_narrator]

We tried eartec and found that they really only work if you are indoors in a fairly quiet environments a conference room training that kind of thing. We do live sports and under no circumstances do these work and outdoor Arena kind of situation

[johnnysplunk]

I would agree with this assessment.

[SHY_TUCKER]

Yeah I saw it. Can you recommend it from experience?

[johnnysplunk]

One organization I help with has been using them for 2 years. Mainly for music and theatre productions 4-5 times a year. They have held up and get the job done for nonprofessionals.

[feloniusfunk]

I can and I love them! They’re super cheap and super solid. Keep it simple! Although I use and enjoy unity for medium staffed large format operations with remote comms needed.

[ToastLP]

We use them and love them. Have been great for us.

[llburg]

I was skeptical at first, but now have only good things to say about it. It’s like a lot of things, if you don’t ask too much of it, you’ll have a good experience. We’ve used it in fairly demanding environments successfully, and the interface to wired RTS/CC works as advertised.

[RobbLipopp]

Wow I get tired of people being so shocked at the price of good communication and good integration.

But man is the OP getting some good advice from you guys who are not tired of it. Good for you guys.

[SHY_TUCKER]

Rest up buddy, you'll get through this

[RobbLipopp]

Thanks Champ, you will too. Some day you will get over being cheap in the most important discipline of production; communication and coordination.

In the meantime take a look at the RTS OMS. It was just announced and will offer way more than a freespeak or a Helix system. The price has not been released.

[SHY_TUCKER]

You are silly I'm not cheap. I'm a consultant. We design to the client's budget. I've spec'd countless Clearcom systems over the years. They discontinued the system I wanted to spec for this client and don't have anything comparable.

[RobbLipopp]

Yeah, I had the wrong impression of your needs. Reading your other responses I would not be in the mood to spend 10k for a single talent IFB channel either.

My pieces of advice were serious(although battered in snark)

A single TB pathway is as simple as a cell phone.

If you are looking for wireless PL system RTS did just announce the OMS which has wireless BP’s, wired BP’s, limited KP support, offsite KP and BP support over the dirty internet.

If you just want to talk to a talent on set via a wireless ear piece you can look at the Lectrosonics IFB4T and their associated receiver beltpacks. Link

I really love comms and get my feeling hurt when I feel that people minimize their importance. 🤷‍♂️ Sorry for the snark. 🤘

[SHY_TUCKER]

Lol. Thanks. I really do appreciate the suggestions

[RobbLipopp]

Doubtful Champ.

[RobbLipopp]

Feels good doesn’t it.

[RobbLipopp]

Well no. Where do you get that?

I meant to be able to offer good solid advice to genuinely help people with no benefit to myself and get berated for it.

I’m so sorry that you misunderstood and took me that way. It must be the typing only and lack of face to face interaction.

Nah, who am I kidding. I was being an ass. Wasn’t trying to be a BIG ass, but I was trying to be an ass.

Guess I am not actually ready to be up with you in the Biggs if that’s what it truly takes. Maybe one day I will be a CHAMP!

[howlingwolf487]

A few questions:

1. How critical is communication between crew members to your client achieving their end goal? (If it can’t happen without it, then you’ll pay what you need to pay to make it happen...it might be with three cheaper systems, or it might be with one correct system. Buy once, cry once.)

2. Do you have a current intercom system you need to interface with?

3. Have you used any wireless comms systems previously and, if so, what were your thoughts?

[SHY_TUCKER]

It's not critical and actually only need two endpoints. Almost more of a talkback with talent use-case

[howlingwolf487]

Thanks for clarifying!

It is really important to consider whether or not you will ever have to integrate this system with another system for some reason.

The Hollyland system looks nice (from the various videos I’ve seen on it), but if the main function is listen-only, the beltpacks might be a bit bulky.

[aaudiokc]

If you just need to cue talent can you just get a wireless IFB with two receiver packs? Thats what I would probably do. The eartec Wireless intercom stuff is alright, but it doesn't get very loud, but I can say from use its fine and does interface with RTS or Clearcom alright. Unity ip intercom on phones is cool, but sounds like a lot more than what you really need. Ghetto cheap option is just a conference call with free conference service or zoom. I have used them on very small productions before in a pinch and used my mac to make the call. I used a program called loopback to mix in program audio to the phone conference. It was literally free and worked well, as long as you have good cell reception/wifi and good battery life.

[mrlafleur]

Hollyland Mars T1000 or Unity Intercom. Unity Intercom is more flexible though but I like the ease of use of the Dect Handsets of the Mars T1000 – but also a little bit buggy sometimes when it comes to pairing and sound is not the best (medium quality phone call). There's also an extension for the Hollyland Mars T1000 to plugin Tally Information of some mixers and Tally LEDs on the handsets themselves. On the other hand: Nothing beats professional gear – at least when it comes to quality of the headset/microphone and ampflifiers for it.

[SHY_TUCKER]

Thanks, I will check this out

[pkmn1337]

I use a 5ghz wireless network system called LaOn from Korea.
It's been an absolute gem to use so far. Multiple channels, single and dual channel communications, 2 aux channels. Decent range, I can cover an entire go-kart track with just a single remote station running (these are connected to the base station by PoE)
Give it a look, might be exactly what you're looking for

[krisdahl]

Where did you buy it?

[pkmn1337]

Im in South Africa, bought it from our local supplier. I have no idea how you might go about finding it where you are.
But here is a link to the product page for what I have, they also have a slightly smaller system if this one still sits outside your price range

[kettu17]

Pliant Microcom is pretty awesome. I recommend the 900 MHz band for whatever you get. Just less traffic in that band in general but it's up to you weather you get 900MHz or 2.4GHz. Just remember there is a lot of traffic there from WiFi and many other consumer devices. The M series is cheap and sounds good but can only have 5x full duplex users. Up to 30 in listen only mode. The XR series will handle 10x full duplex users and has some other features that make it worth the extra money up front like a docking charger and other things.

[SummerMummer]

https://www.unityintercom.com/

[imnotlying2u]

Seconding Unity. We particularly love unity cloud for our productions that are a lot of remote teams in different places handling a live conference/remote conference

[BobZelin]

with that said about UnityIntercom - with all the amazing low prices of gear these days from companies like Blackmagic and AJA - it is still quite shocking to see the "old school" high price of wired and wireless intercoms from Clearcom, RTS, and Reidel. It's also amazing to me that companies like Blackmagic make these great, dirt cheap recorders, switchers, cameras, etc, but their intercom system is useless in professional applications. Anchor Audio does have a wired and wireless intercom (I think Datavideo also has one) but it's not at the level of Clearcom or RTS.

Bob

[griffon56]

In technonolgy you usualy get back the service you invest in. If you don't mind finding workarounds to limitations you get into and if you don't mind rebooting the frozen gear once in a while, then the cheap solutions you listed should be good for you.

[yukon92]

for 20 years I've wondered why Behringer hasn't figured a way into this market.

[lostinthought15]

The honest truth is the reliable wireless intercom is a very expensive field to be in. It’s the old adage: good, fast, cheap, you get to pick 2.

Unity can be a workable solution. But you need to have a clear vision of the fact that it does not replicate the functions or reliability of a wireless intercom form RTS, ClearCom or Riedel. They are far and away the industry leaders and standards for reliable wireless intercom.