Tip for Eclipse HX: Beltpack Role in Eclipse ECS/EHX

Question: What is the purpose of a "Beltpack Role" in Eclipse ECS/EHX (CellCom/FreeSpeak Integra)?

Answer: Beltpack Roles define the beltpack the same way that a label defines a key on a panel. Assigning a role to a beltpack has the effect of creating a label for it that can be referenced by other devices in the system such as a panel. The Beltpack Roles screen is only available if an antenna or splitter card has been configured in the matrix.

To create and edit beltpack roles:

1. Select the Beltpack Roles entry in the Setup menu to display the beltpack roles editor. 
2. Next, select a port and click on the Type drop-down menu and select the entry "Beltpack Role". This adds a new role entry on the selected port. 
3. The Talk and Listen labels can be edited by placing the cursor in the box. Then, click to select the entry and edit the text.
4. To edit the description, position the cursor in the description box and select the text to edit.
5. Once the user has created a beltpack role, he or she can assign labels to the beltpack role from the panels menu in Eclipse ECS / EHX.
 
***Another way of looking at Beltpack Roles is similar to having different user logins for a PC. There is one hardware item, which is the beltpack, but you can create many roles (logins). Each role has different key assignments. The same beltpack can be logged into a separate role and get a distinct set of key assignments. This allows the same physical unit to be used by different operational groups (ex. lighting, sound, production...etc.) When you power up the beltpack, the user is shown a list of available roles and that individual can then scroll through the list to select the appropriate role.

Tip for HelixNet Partyline - Menu locking HelixNet Beltpacks

Question:  I'm using HelixNet Partyline at our theater and I want to keep users from accessing the local beltpack menus to make unauthorized changes. Is this possible?

Answer:  The beltpacks can be menu locked. You need to access this feature from the HelixNet base station.

1. Go to the Menu button and press it in to activate the displays in menu mode.
2. From the leftmost display menu, scroll to “Administration” and highlight.
3. Then, from the 2nd leftmost display menu, scroll to “Beltpacks” and highlight.
4. Next, from the 3rd leftmost display menu, scroll to “Menu Lock” and highlight.
5. Last of all, from the rightmost display menu, select “Lock All” and highlight.  Then press in the scroll knob associated with this display.

The beltpack menus should now be locked. When the user presses the menu button, the OLED display on the beltpack should say “LOCKED” in inverted highlighted text. To unlock the menus, (again you must do this from the base station), use the rightmost display menu and select “Unlock All”.

Note:  As currently set up in v 1.1 firmware, the user can either LOCK or UNLOCK all the beltpacks on the powerline string.  It is not possible to menu LOCK or UNLOCK specific beltpacks on the powerline at this time. 

Happy Holidays!

 

Our Clear-Com team would like to wish you a happy holiday season!

Icelandic Excitement

Photo Credit: wowiceland.co.uk

Iceland's largest media group, 365 Media, operates eight television channels, numerous radio stations and the country's largest newspaper. The company plans to switch fully to HD by 2014. As part of that upgrade, 365 Media has introduced its first HD truck on the island. Philip Stevens of TVB Europe takes a look at the system choices that the company has made. This includes the installation of Clear-Com systems.

Read the full article about its upgrade on p. 46-47 of the TVB Europe Oct. 2013 issue: Icelandic Excitement

2013 Highlights

2013 Highlights

New Products We've Delivered

• RS-700 Beltpacks   
• Eclipse HX-Delta
• HelixNet Partyline  
• Tempest Enhancements

Ways We've Grown

• New Sales Managers to support your business. 
• New Partners to provide you systems.
• Global Rental Group Partners for intercom rental options

New Happy Customers

• Unmanned Systems Group 
• SIS Live
• WFMZ-TV
• San Diego Opera
• Amtrak 
• Eastlink 

Tip for HME DX Series Base Stations

Question: How can I select a Spectrum Friendly mode option from the HME DX Series base station?

Answer: 
1. Hold down the CLR/BND or RESET REGISTRATION* button first, then press and hold down the REG or REGISTER BELTPACK* button until you see the letter "A", "L" or "H". 

2. Next, release both buttons and quickly press the CLR/BND or RESET REGISTRATION* to cycle through the "A", "L" or "H" options. 

3. Stop at your selection and wait for the LED display to go blank. You will see the LED display a lowercase "c" upon completion of the configuration of this feature. 

After this procedure is performed on all base stations, beltpacks and Communicators will need to be re-registered to the base.

Using High End Technology to Create a Worshipful Environment

Photo Credit: cityofoviedo.net

First Baptist Oviedo's growing inventory of equipment and in-depth volunteer training has given the church a new opportunity to enhance its worship services for a congregation of 4,000 people. In addition to two Sunday services, the worship center also hosts concerts, conferences and special events. To coordinate these productions, the church relies on an array of the latest technologies, including Clear-Com's intercoms. 

Read the full story in TFWM: Using High End Technology to Create a Worshipful Environment

The St. Regis Saadiyat Integrated Audio-visually

Photo Credit: cntraveler.com

The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort is an award winning resort hotel on Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi that provides the ultimate luxury experience. Commissioned recently, the resort has an impressive blend of audio-visual technology, which was integrated by Genesis Integration. Included in its exhaustive list of equipment are Clear-Com's HelixNet Partyline and KB-701 remote speaker station. 

Read the full article about the installation on pages 46-49: The St. Regis Saadiyat Integrated Audio-visually

Getting Hip to the World of AoIP

Photo Credit: psneurope.com

"Audio-over-IP is not only becoming the basis for transmitting and distributing sound in a wide range of situations, it is bringing once disparate areas together," says Kevin Hilton of Pro Sound News Europe. He reports on how intercom companies have designed systems based on the AoIP format, such as Clear-Com Concert, an intercom-over-IP software solution. Read the full article on pages 28-29: Getting Hip to the World of AoIP

Logic Systems Employs HelixNet Partyline

 

Photo Credit: logicsound.com

Chip Self Photo Credit: Fohonline.com

 

Logic Systems, a 2013 Hometown Hero Regional Sound Honoree for the Midwest, has grown tremendously and expanded its inventory to include lots of new equipment, including Clear-Com's HelixNet Partyling intercom. Read more about the company's expansion and how Chip Self, President and Owner of Logic Systems, likes the HelixNet system: Logic Systems Sound & Lighting Employs HelixNet Partyline

Year Up Students Go Pro with Clear-Com on the Lennon Bus

Here is a glimpse of how the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus utilizes the Clear-Com HME DX210 wireless intercom during a recording session and music video filming with some members of the local Washington, D.C. area Year Up organization. Listen as Denzel, Chris and Justin tell about their experiences of being able to use Clear-Com in the studio.

Clear-Com Photo Contest

As part of Clear-Com’s 45 year anniversary, we introduced new beltpacks -- the RS-700 Series -- and created a limited supply of Special Edition RS-701 analog partyline beltpacks you can win in this photo contest. These Special Edition beltpacks feature a unique design, and the signature of Clear-Com’s Co-Founder and inventor of the first beltpack: Charlie Butten!

Use your imagination and take the most creative photo with a Clear-Com partyline beltpack in it! The beltpack in the image must still be working.

Feel free to be original – include yourself or your pet in the photo, take a photo of it during a production, or even make it a surprising or hilarious image! Upload your image to Clear-Com’s Facebook photo contest page or submit via Twitter using the hashtag "#clearcom". Don’t forget to include a thoughtful caption!

Share the image with as many of your friends as possible! Your friends can vote for your submission once a day.

Contest ends December 31, 2013. Two individuals will win a Special Edition RS-701 beltpack: 1. The person that has the photo with most votes 2. Clear-Com will pick the second winner. This will be the person that has the most creative photo according to the Clear-Com marketing team. The winners will be announced on or before January 31, 2014.

Please read the Official Rules. Enter contest here: Clear-Com Photo Contest

Fall 2013 Trade Show Wrap-Up

In September and October, we were quite busy at many different trade shows! Clear-Com exhibited at the 135th AES Convention, IBC, and ITC, not to mention our presence at the First Choice Marketing A/V Show, the Alliance Tech Expo, Rocky Mountain AVX, the Wisconsin Broadcasters Clinic, and the Broadcast and Technology Expo.

If you had missed any of them, check out some of our highlights below!

IBC (Sept. 13th-17th / Amsterdam) 

A total of 52,974 attendees – conference delegates, exhibition visitors, exhibitors and press –  from over 170 countries came together at IBC 2013 to share knowledge, conduct valuable business and set the industry agenda. The show provided nearly everything you may need to know about electronic media and the  entertainment industry. Perhaps you knew that already, but did you know that Clear-Com's partyline and matrix intercoms have been used for IBC TV News for years?

Also, while at the show, Clear-Com (Stand 10.D29) announced some new capabilities of the Eclipse HX as well as the latest enhancements to the Tempest2400. In fact, the new Tempest Line Extender won the “STAR” Award from the Editors of TV Technology Europe. 
 
Watch video:


Catch up on the Clear-Com news from IBC:
Clear-Com Tempest Line Extender Wins “STAR” Award from Editors of TV Technology Europe
Clear-Com Delivers Major Updates to the Eclipse HX Matrix Intercom
HelixNet Partyline System with System Linking Launches at IBC 2013
Clear-Com Celebrates 45 Years of Intercom Innovation With the 700 Series Beltpack Release at IBC 2013 
Clear-Com Showcases ICON Solutions at IBC 201


135th AES Convention (Oct. 17th-20th / New York City, NY)
The AES Convention is the world’s largest gathering of audio professionals. They convened to discuss and explore the latest audio innovations through workshops, tutorials, technical papers, booth exhibits and product showcases. Clear-Com (Booth #3030) displayed its enhanced Eclipse HX Digital Matrix, HelixNet™ Partyline, RS-700 Series Analog Partyline Beltpacks, ICON Connectivity Solutions, and the Tempest® Wireless Intercoms.

Read the full press release: Clear-Com Showcases Latest Intercom Product Releases at the 135th International AES Convention

International Telemetering Conference (Oct. 21st-24th / Las Vegas, NV)

ITC is an annual forum and technical exhibition sponsored by the International Foundation for Telemetering (IFT). Clear-Com (Booth #428) demonstrated its latest intercom advancements for telemetry applications at the show.

Read the full press release: Clear-Com Showcases New Intercom Products at ITC 2013 

Putting Clear-Com's FreeSpeak through Its Paces at The Welsh National Opera

 

Photo Credit: orbitalsound.com

Photo Credit: orbitalsound.com

The Welsh National Opera (WNO) had taken delivery of its new Clear-Com FreeSpeak wireless intercom system and the Head of Lighting and Sound, Ian Jones, provides an update on how the system has been working. 

Read the full story here: Putting Clear-Com's FreeSpeak through Its Paces at The Welsh National Opera

Optocore and Clear-Com at the U.S. Open

Photo Credit: usopen.org

Optocore was chosen by Audio Incorporated to provide X6R-FX-INTERCOM devices for the communication systems, which included Clear-Com's Encore partyline, used during this year’s U.S. Open opening ceremonies held at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Read the full story on how and why the systems were used at the event: Optocore and Clear-Com at the U.S. Open 

Compact and bijou OB

Photo Credit: Broadcastengineering.com

Studiotech has built a new DSNG/OB vehicle to provide customers with hands-on experience in using a wide range of new technologies. Included in this new vehicle are Clear-Com's intercom systems. Read the full story on the purpose of this van and also find out what is installed inside it: Compact and bijou OB

From Stage to Your Stereo at the CBCMusica.ca Festival

Photo Credit: music.cbc.ca

Twelve bands lined up on two stages for a day of great music, sunshine and dancing as part of the inaugural CBCMusic.ca Festival in Toronto, Canada. CBC did a live stream of the event by videotaping all the content and airing it on radio and television as well as online as podcasts and streaming and downloadable content. To record the content, CBC had deployed its mobile recording trucks. Clear-Com's HME DX Series wireless intercoms were used by the Toronto CBC Sound Mobile crew for productions. Read the full story about CBC's broadcast production at the festival: From Stage To Your Stereo At The CBCMusica.ca Festival (pages 34-37)

Video: RS-701 Run Over By Jeep And Survives!

The new RS-701 analog partyline beltpack was run over by a Jeep and survived! These beltpacks "sound great and just won't break" as proven by Clear-Com Partner GerrAudio Distribution who created this video. Enjoy!

Easily Win New Beltpacks and an Intercom System for Your School!

Want to win your school five free Special Edition Beltpacks and an intercom system for improving production coordination and communication?

As part of Clear-Com’s 45 year anniversary, we are giving away a Clear-Com analog partyline main station and five Special Edition RS-701 single channel analog beltpacks! These Special Edition beltpacks have a unique design and the signature of Clear-Com’s Co-Founder, Charlie Butten!

Use your imagination and create a short video (60 seconds max) to show the world why your school deserves the prize. Upload your video to Clear-Com’s Facebook page and share your video with as many of your friends as possible! Your friends can vote for your video once a day.

The top three videos with the most votes will move on to the final round. Clear-Com will then review the three videos and determine the winner. Enthusiasm, originality, ingenuity and ultimately, the reason for why your school deserves to win will be taken into consideration when the video is being judged. 

Enter on our Clear-Com Facebook page: Your Voice, Your School Video Contest

ICON Application: Signal from Venue to Truck

Today's productions are becoming more complex as facilities need intercom connectivity between multiple locations. It is crucial that the production teams have a seamless connection, whether they are in the same building or in a different country. Clear-Com's ICON Connectivity Solutions help bridge the communication connections, regardless of distance, for any given situation.
 
Here's a real life example of where ICON can help:

A Clear-Com user asks, "I need to send audio and intercom signals from my venue to a recording truck in the parking lot. How do I make that happen?"

Optocore Interfaces

Answer: You can use Optocore interfaces and run these signals over a fiber connection from your venue to the truck. 


The advantages of using Optocore are that:
1. It is a one duplex fiber connection.
2. It's a secure connection.
3. It works well over long distances.
4. It's clean--in that the signal is nor converted or decoded in the transfer process.

To learn more about ICON products, visit: http://www.clearcom.com/product/icon

ICON Solution Based on VoICE2

VoICE2

VoICE2 is a 1RU, four-channel Ethernet/IP interface for extending intercom audio communications to remote sites over IP networks (LAN, WAN, Internet).

Check out our ICON solution based on VoICE2:

Benefits

• Designed for ease of setup
• Four channels of panel or four-wire over Ethernet/IP
• Automatic network bandwidth detecting CODEC's
• Selection of CODECs with varying audio qualities
• Low latency over LAN and WAN system

Learn more about ICON Solutions: Connectivity Solutions for Voice Communication Systems

Application Video: Performing Arts Center

This video demonstrates how the Eclipse HX-Delta matrix intercom and Tempest2400 wireless system are being employed for productions at a performing arts center.
 
 

Clear-Com Gear in Action in John Lennon Bus at IBC

Photo Credit: europe.lennonbus.org

Photo Credit: IBC.org

IBC 2013 will be hosting the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus at Congress Square. It is one of Europe's highest-profile outreach projects and has been following in the tracks of its successful 16-year old counterpart in the US. Make sure to walk inside the bus to see if you can spot the Clear-Com intercoms that are used by the production team and students!

For more information, visit http://europe.lennonbus.org/

RS-701 Beltpack Gets Run Over by a Truck and STILL Works Great!

Photo Credit: Gerr.com

GerrAudio, our Clear-Com Partner in Canada, decided to show its customers just how tough the RS-701 analog partyline beltpack is when the company decided to drive a truck over it. Even after that encounter, the RS-701 beltpack still worked superbly!

For the full story, check out GerrAudio's blog post here: GerrAudio debuts NEW ClearCom RS-701 Beltpack at CITT Calgary 2013

GerrAudio Distribution Inc.
PO Box 427, 2611 Development Drive, Unit 8
Brockville, ON - K6V 5V6
Direct Phone: 613 342 6999
Direct Fax: 613 342 8499
Toll-Free Phone: +1 888 462 8346 / +1 888 GO-AUDIO
Toll-Free Fax: +1 888 329 4377 / +1 888 FAX-GERR
General inquiries:  info@gerr.com
www.gerr.com

August 2013 Trade Show Wrap-Up!

Alliance Annual Meeting & Tech Expo

Here are some key highlights from our trade shows in August!

Alliance Annual Meeting and Tech Expo (August 12 -13, 2013, Chicago, IL)

Alliance Productions hosted the Alliance Annual Meeting and Tech Expo. The event brought together the leading mobile TV equipment companies with the latest gear. Clear-Com demonstrated its EclipseHX-Delta matrix intercom, V-Series panels, wireless intercoms and more at the show.

  

AUVSI Unmanned Systems 2013 (August 12 -15, 2013, Washington, D.C.)

AUVSI Unmanned Systems 2013 is the largest international unmanned systems conference. This year, 8,000 attendees from over 40 countries attended the show. Clear-Com highlighted many of its new products at booth #2806 as well as announced it exclusive equipment trade-in promotion.

Press Releases

Clear-Com® Announces Equipment Trade-In Promotion at AUVSI 2013

Clear-Com® Introduces Eclipse HX-Delta at AUVSI 2013

Clear-Com® Showcases Next Generation 700 Series Analog Beltpacks at AUVSI 2013

Clear-Com® Presents Upgrade to Its Tempest Digital Wireless Intercoms at AUVSI 2013

Clear-Com® Demonstrates HelixNet™ Partyline System Linking Capability at AUVSI 2013

BIRTV (August 21-24, 2013, Beijing, China)

Clear-Com Booth at BIRTV 2013

Beijing International Radio, TV & Film Equipment Exhibition (BIRTV) is the most influential exhibition in the broadcasting industry in Asia with over 50,000 attendees each year. It was a great success for Clear-Com (Booth #8A10)! Many people gathered to get a demo of our new RS-701 beltpacks, FreeSpeak wireless intercom, Tempest2400 wireless intercom and  Eclipse HX-Delta matrix system.  

Here are some photos of the Clear-Com team, customers, Partners and our booth from BIRTV:

See more images here: Clear-Com at BIRTV 2013