September Tradeshow Wrap-Up

IBC (September 7-11, 2012 / Amsterdam, Netherlands)

IBC2012 was the largest IBC exhibition ever, with over 50,937 attendees from over 160 countries, including conference delegates, broadcast professionals and exhibitors. IBC provides an essential guide to the latest technologies, business models and innovations at the forefront of electronic media and entertainment.

Clear-Com (Stand 10.D29) demonstrated a wide array of new products including our Eclipse HX matrix intercom, Tempest2400 wireless system with Seamless Roaming and HelixNet Partyline intercom. 

Video:
Clear-Com at IBC 2012

Press Releases:
Clear-Com Introduces Eclipse HX at IBC 2012
Clear-Com Ships BroaMan’s DiViNe V3R-FX-ICOM-SDI to Broadcast Market at IBC 2012
Clear-Com Announces European Availability of HelixNet at IBC 2012
Clear-Com to Show Tempest®2400 Seamless Roaming and MasterBelt to the European Broadcast Market for the First Time at IBC 2012

PLASA (September 9-12, 2012 / London, United Kingdom)

PLASA is the largest international event for entertainment and installation technology professionals in the UK. It has been at the centre of the entertainment technology industry for 35 years and is the place to see new technology for live concerts & tours, theatres, nightclubs, permanent installations and leisure attractions.

Clear-Com (Stand 1.F29)) exhibited our new Eclipse V-Series rotary panels, Tempest2400 wireless system with Seamless Roaming, HelixNet Partyline intercom, and CC-300/CC-400 headsets. 

Press Releases:
Clear-Com Highlights CC-300 and CC-400 Headsets at PLASA 2012
Clear-Com Announces Worldwide Shipment of HelixNet Partyline at PLASA
PLASA 2012: Clear-Com showcases Tempest 2400

Medical Training is Going the Distance

The medical education program at Dalhousie University operates at five regional hospitals in Canada's Maritime Provinces region and 19 different locations at the university's two campuses. To take things even further, the university has acquired immersive educational videoconferencing to expand its medical education program. Crestron has provided the control automation solutions while Clear-Com has supplied Encore partyline intercoms for the upgrade.

Read the full article by Dan Daley in Sound and Communications: Medical Training is Going the Distance

Learn more about Crestron and Clear-Com's partnership: Crestron Selects Clear-Com for Integrated Intercom Automation

Tribute: Steve Sabol

"Tell me a fact, and I'll learn. Tell me a truth, and I'll believe. But tell me a story, and it will stay in my heart forever." ~ Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films

And for the last 50 years, telling a story is what Steve Sabol did best. He was the master of vision as he continuously stepped out of the box and created new ways to bring the realism of football to audiences across the nation. He wasn't afraid to break ground and take risks. He was the first to have players and coaches wear wireless microphones, the first to use slow-motion at ground level, the first to create montage editing in sports, the first to use reverse angle replays, the first to create sports folly films, and the first to create custom composed musical scores to sports films. He was the creative genius behind how we experience sports today. Winning over 40 Emmys for cinematography, editing, writing, directing and producing, the man was truly a legend.

NFL Films is a long-time customer of Clear-Com and we are proud that we were part of his remarkable impact in the media. The sports world lost a true visionary this week. We at Clear-Com are sending our condolences to the family and friends of Steve Sabol. May his spirit live on......



Photo Source: chicagonow.com

Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films

(October 2, 1942 - September 18, 2012)

Heart Walk

This past weekend, Clear-Com partnered with the American Heart Association by participating in the 2012 Bay Area Heart Walk at San Francisco, CA. The 5k walk raised funds to support heart disease and stroke research and education. Here are some of our photos from the event:

Clear-Com Wins WFX Award!

 

The WFX New Product Technology Awards, presented by Church Production Magazine, Worship Facilities Magazine and Worship Facility Designer Magazine is the most comprehensive Audio, Video, Lighting and New Media product awards in the house of worship market. Clear-Com's new HelixNet Partyline intercom won the New Product Technology Award in the Best Other Audio Products category. 

Read the full story and learn how Clear-Com's HelixNet Partyline is particularly useful for the house of worship market:
Clear-Com Wins WFX Award

The Solution to Everything!

Have you checked out Clear-Com's Solution Finder? We have nearly 1,700 solutions to the most frequently asked intercom questions. This database is still growing rapidly. Check it out: Clear-Com Solutions Finder

Funny Sound Engineer Shirts

On Zazzle.com, we spotted some shirts that are perfect for all those sound engineers. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repurpose Old Phones as Intercoms (Video)

Over at Hack A Day, Caleb Kraft shares about how to repurpose old wired telephones into intercoms.

Best Mobile Phones of the Year

Before purchasing your next cellphone, read CNET's review of the best mobile phones of the year to make the best decision. Learn which ones are top-notched and what puts them on the list of the top five: Best Cell Phones

What is the Sound of Silence?

What does silence sound like? Well, Simon and Garfunkel wrote and sang a song about that. The song "The Sound of Silence" was featured on the album "Wednesday Morning, 3 am" and talks about man's lack of communication with his fellow man. It took Paul Simon half a year to write the lyrics. Although the album tanked initially, that song was reworked and eventually became a number one hit.

Ever Feel Invisible?

Photo Credit: mojo40.com

You're a Comms tech and you've just delivered a highly complex, temporary communications system which serves hundreds of users who have worked together to deliver a fabulous show. Everything worked – you anticipated every channel, group, and partyline, and not once did anyone utter the words, "I can't hear..." So why is it that while the Lighting Designer and Audio Director are being congratulated for their amazing work, it feels like your work has gone unnoticed? Well, to be blunt, it has, but not for long!

In our connected society, people understandably expect to be able to communicate with anyone, anywhere, and anytime without giving a single thought to what makes it all possible. If I can pick up my cell phone and contact someone on another continent, it stands to reason that talking to someone at the other end of the stadium should be no problem at all right? When your users put on a headset and are able to contact the people they need, you have simply met their expectations, not exceed it. However, if they can't talk to someone, it will be the end of the world!

This may seem unfair, but I think it makes those of us in communications a rare breed; we enjoy providing a service and a platform for others to stand on and deliver the audience facing parts of the show. We are typically a little –ok, maybe very geeky– and find ourselves providing Internet connection or helping others configure a printer. We meet almost everyone involved. Few departments are so interconnected, and in my opinion, so critical to the entire production as we are.

What about the future?  Are those working with Comms all doomed to forever provide talk paths in obscurity? I think not! As members of the Comms department, we already put infrastructure around the entire venue, linking every department to each other and increasingly, this infrastructure will be IP-based.  That makes us, my geeky brethren, well placed to move beyond voice to other traffic. Why not work on audio or vision tie lines, transport timecode or maybe just the Internet? With more and more devices gaining network connectivity, it seems only natural.

Indeed, it will require us to educate ourselves and our clients, and it will take time to earn the trust of those whose signals (data) you wish to carry, but I predict those old walls will start to come down as the Google Generation moves up in the industry ranks. This new generation will expect ubiquitous connectivity not just for voice, but for any signal.

So you may be invisible, but it’s just for now!

Paul Barrett        

Paul Barrett is a Communications Specialist with nearly 20 years of experience in systems consulting, design, implementation and installation for large-scale, prominent global events, including the 2012 London Olympics. He has a unique engineering background and is often classified as an out-of-the-box thinker and an elite engineer in the frontiers of communication.

Connect with Paul Barrett on LinkedIn, via email paul@pdb3.com.au, or through his company website www.pdb3.com.au.

Audio Systems Guide for Theater Performances

Photo Credit: fineartsassociation.org

Shure has an amazing Audio Systems Guide for Theatre Performances! The guide discusses everything about microphones including its design, selection and placement, frequency coordination and more. It also gives some input into intercoms, listening systems and personal monitor systems. Check out this helpful resource: Audio Systems Guide for Theatre Performances