ProSoundWeb Community

Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => LAB: The Classic Live Audio Board => Topic started by: brian maddox on September 24, 2018, 04:08:26 PM

Title: "Stealth" Mic and Earpiece kit terminated for FreeSpeak II
Post by: brian maddox on September 24, 2018, 04:08:26 PM
I've got a client looking for a Stealth Kit like you see for radios that will mate directly and cleanly with their existing FreeSpeak II system beltpacks.  Sounds like PTT on the mic itself is not important.  They are fine using the PTT buttons on the Beltpack.  They just want the look of the squiggly earpiece along with a "lav" type element that they can clip on their collar.

Yes, i know i can build something like this. I'm just looking for someone else that already has at this point as i don't have the time or inclination to do it myself and the client wants it yesterday.

Thanks.
Title: Re: "Stealth" Mic and Earpiece kit terminated for FreeSpeak II
Post by: Mac Kerr on September 24, 2018, 07:39:45 PM
I've got a client looking for a Stealth Kit like you see for radios that will mate directly and cleanly with their existing FreeSpeak II system beltpacks.  Sounds like PTT on the mic itself is not important.  They are fine using the PTT buttons on the Beltpack.  They just want the look of the squiggly earpiece along with a "lav" type element that they can clip on their collar.

Yes, i know i can build something like this. I'm just looking for someone else that already has at this point as i don't have the time or inclination to do it myself and the client wants it yesterday.

Thanks.

Many of the crew of The Tonight Show have this, although they use custom mold IEM to listen.  The mics sound like total shit and are unreliable. I keep trying to get them to move to the Ultimate molds with the magnets to hold on the stealth boom mic. It sounds great on both ends and you can use the ears without the mic.

Mac

Ps WiFi is slow on gogoinflight...
Title: Re: "Stealth" Mic and Earpiece kit terminated for FreeSpeak II
Post by: brian maddox on September 25, 2018, 11:54:22 AM
Many of the crew of The Tonight Show have this, although they use custom mold IEM to listen.  The mics sound like total shit and are unreliable. I keep trying to get them to move to the Ultimate molds with the magnets to hold on the stealth boom mic. It sounds great on both ends and you can use the ears without the mic.

Mac

Yeah, when they said they wanted "stealth style mics" but no PTT switch [which generally makes people eat the mic when they grab it to talk] i was pretty skeptical that it would work.  We switched [largely] to Headset mics from Lavs a while ago for a reason after all.  And as Someone Here on the Forums is likely to point out, Loudest sound at the mic Wins.

Unfortunately, this feels like a client situation where we're going to have to give them what they ask for so they can come back in a few weeks and tell us it didn't work and then we can give them what they actually need.

Are the guys on the TS using something that they made in house?  And what kind of [probably terrible] lav element are they using?

Edit:  I did happen to remember that the FS Beltpacks have a 1/8" jack on them and got all excited that it might be a mini-headset connector, but alas it seem to just be a line input.  Which then begs the question.  What do you need a line input in a wireless Intercom Beltpack for?  Spotify during the show?
Title: Re: "Stealth" Mic and Earpiece kit terminated for FreeSpeak II
Post by: Magnus Högkvist on September 25, 2018, 12:15:30 PM
Edit:  I did happen to remember that the FS Beltpacks have a 1/8" jack on them and got all excited that it might be a mini-headset connector, but alas it seem to just be a line input.  Which then begs the question.  What do you need a line input in a wireless Intercom Beltpack for?  Spotify during the show?

It's for firmware update.
Title: Re: "Stealth" Mic and Earpiece kit terminated for FreeSpeak II
Post by: brian maddox on September 25, 2018, 12:52:39 PM
It's for firmware update.

I think that was true for the 600 series beltpacks.  The connector i'm speaking of on the FreeSpeak II beltpack is clearly labeled Line In and there is a volume control for it in the control panel of the Beltpack.
Title: Re: "Stealth" Mic and Earpiece kit terminated for FreeSpeak II
Post by: Magnus Högkvist on September 25, 2018, 02:24:16 PM
I think that was true for the 600 series beltpacks.  The connector i'm speaking of on the FreeSpeak II beltpack is clearly labeled Line In and there is a volume control for it in the control panel of the Beltpack.

Your right, was reading the manual wrong.... Our Packs don't have any Line In text on them though.
Title: Re: "Stealth" Mic and Earpiece kit terminated for FreeSpeak II
Post by: brian maddox on September 25, 2018, 04:25:38 PM
Your right, was reading the manual wrong.... Our Packs don't have any Line In text on them though.

Yeah, it feels like kinda an afterthought.?  I can see in the manual a reference to it and the pictogram has it labeled, but it's not labeled on the packs.
Title: Re: "Stealth" Mic and Earpiece kit terminated for FreeSpeak II
Post by: Pete Erskine on September 26, 2018, 10:31:49 AM
What do you need a line input in a wireless Intercom Beltpack for?  Spotify during the show?

I use it to plug in an ears monitor engineer mode pack so I can monitor all the ear channels
Title: Re: "Stealth" Mic and Earpiece kit terminated for FreeSpeak II
Post by: brian maddox on September 26, 2018, 12:52:59 PM
I use it to plug in an ears monitor engineer mode pack so I can monitor all the ear channels

That makes sense.  It would also be a handy way to add a Cue input from a console [using an IEM rig] and still remain on a FreeSpeak pack [with the 4 channels and all the nice goodies].

I'm assuming you don't have a super secret source/answer to my original question.  :)
Title: Re: "Stealth" Mic and Earpiece kit terminated for FreeSpeak II
Post by: Ryan Trefethen on October 03, 2018, 04:40:45 AM
I’ve used the line input, like Pete, for an IEM pack for confidence listen of a PFL console. But only when the Program Input of the Freespeak is being used for something else.

All of the small “hidden” headsets I’ve ever seen in live production sound terrible.  Only exception is the UE version with the magnetic boom mic that I’ve seen on TV Stage Managers, I believe last I checked they are around $750.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: "Stealth" Mic and Earpiece kit terminated for FreeSpeak II
Post by: Steve Anderson on October 04, 2018, 11:21:16 PM
All of the small “hidden” headsets I’ve ever seen in live production sound terrible.  Only exception is the UE version with the magnetic boom mic that I’ve seen on TV Stage Managers, I believe last I checked they are around $750.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Slight deviation from original question, but your comment sparked a memory of these https://www.sensaphonics.com/tc-1000-custom-intercom-earset
Anyone used them? Comments?
Title: Re: "Stealth" Mic and Earpiece kit terminated for FreeSpeak II
Post by: Ryan Trefethen on October 05, 2018, 12:21:24 AM
Ah yes. I feel like Pete E might have this rig.   Also a show caller I work with has this same setup. It’s an electret I believe and there is a small box you have to insert in some cases between your headset and the intercom if it doesn’t supply voltage.  So it’s a slightly cumbersome setup if you are looking for simplicity.  But she seems to like it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk