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good ifb solutions out there?


martijn scholte

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For client monitors? or sound crew?

For client monitors I use Sennheiser 300 IEM's. Clients like how much better they sound than Comteks. I like how much they cost, they run on AA batteries for at few days(!), and they seem to be pretty resilient to drops and scuffs so far. Also, with the battery door closed, there's 1 control that the person can use, and they can't be accidentally knocked off the desired freq. by pressing the volume knob (Lectro IFB). I don't love the belt clips, so for ease of use, I replaced a few of them with these:

http://www.niteize.com/products/hipclip

For crew I either use another 300 IEM on a different frequency, or sometimes Zaxcom ERX.

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I use Sennheiser 300 IEMs for Video Village and Lectrosonics IFB for my Boom Op and Sound Utility. I prefer the Sennheisers over Comteks but that's just my opinion. I have not had one client complain about them. They actually like them.

Now if its a Reality show/Run and Gun and they want IFB I use my Lectorosonics because those will uphold a lot better out in the field because on those type of shows IFB's can sometime get dropped(I always hope they don't though) and the build quality is better.

Hope that helps.

Nicole

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Another vote for sennheiser g3 or g2. I have two g2 IEM receivers and they worked flawlessly for me the past 5 years or so. Near to everlasting on just two AA's. Cheap, and if I need more I can drop by almost every music store around the corner to pick up an extra one. I'm on the verge of buying a zaxcom nomad, but I think I will stay with the G2/3's for iFB since the range of zax's 2.4 ghz doesn't hold up that much as 'normal' UHF.The other day I had a shoot in a music recording studio for a doc. Director had to wait outside not to be on the frame constantly. He was on floor up and not directly above us, but thanks to the range of the G2 he could come in and out when was appropriate, and he didn't noticed any drop outs or whatsoever.

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For the people down on the Comteks - What channel number are you using? It does matter, the higher numbers (above 40) switch the comtek into a high-fidelity twice-the-bandwidth mode. While I haven't put them through a spectrum analyzer yet (ok, so I guess I need to do that now), they sound great to me with some basic playback testing I've tried.

FYI: I'm talking about the M-216 Option 7 transmitter system, which may have better performance on the 216mhz band than the regular 216 transmitters... That is also TBD.

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IFB type solutions are sometimes discussed here, and monitoring solutions are frequently and regularly covered; both the equipment options and workflow, and there is already a wealth of information available by doing some searches. There are also some solutions we folks rarely use or discuss, that sometimes are pressed into service, too.

The answer to the original question quickly hinges on the old "it depends", as some more specific information is needed to help determine what the OP would consider "good".or IFB ...

IFB = Interruptible Fold Back, is a system where the monitoring can be interrupted with something else, like cuing information, many mixers built specifically for Production Sound, as well as intercom systems for TV use (aka PL= Private Line, aka Production Line) include IFB capabilities (say an interruptible monitor for boom, or IFB sends for one or more "talent") Riedel, HME-Clearcom, and Telex-RTS systems come to mind, and these are true IFB solutions: not always portable (base stations), and rarely inexpensive.

My personal favorite these days is the HME-Clear-Com Tempest

Edited by studiomprd
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well here's a more specific question: if I have a mono cam hop using a senn g3, can i simply purchase a few IEM receivers that will listen in on that stream as well? I don't have room for that half rack transmitter.

Yes that's how I roll. Another situation: In my past when being a cameraman and doing the typical one man band show, I had a reporter with a handheld G2 mic, receiver on the camera and a IEM receiver for the director for listening along. All G2/G3 products are compatible with each other if in the same band.

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can someone walk me through their workflow in using the sennheiser IEM receivers? looks interesting.

Recent feature: 1 mono mix output from a 788t (without slate mic btw) to a G2 100 transmitter. G2 100 Receiver on a Alexa for scratch audio, IEM G2 300 receivers for director and script supervisor. sometimes an extra G2 100 receiver with the mint-tin-can amp for second AD. Works flawless for the whole shoot and just one battery load a day for it all.

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O another tip; Get the tour guide receivers instead of the IEM. about 75 euro cheaper a piece and I think the only difference with the IEM's is that it's mono only. Since the rack transmitter is the only way to send out stereo you might never need stereo anyways.

This one: http://www.sennheise...039_main_505542

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IFB type solutions are sometimes discussed here, and monitoring solutions are frequently and regularly covered; both the equipment options and workflow, and there is already a wealth of information available by doing some searches. There are also some solutions we folks rarely use or discuss, that sometimes are pressed into service, too.

The answer to the original question quickly hinges on the old "it depends", as some more specific information is needed to help determine what the OP would consider "good".or IFB ...

IFB = Interruptible Fold Back, is a system where the monitoring can be interrupted with something else, like cuing information, many mixers built specifically for Production Sound, as well as intercom systems for TV use (aka PL= Private Line, aka Production Line) include IFB capabilities (say an interruptible monitor for boom, or IFB sends for one or more "talent") Riedel, HME-Clearcom, and Telex-RTS systems come to mind, and these are true IFB solutions: not always portable (base stations), and rarely inexpensive.

My personal favorite these days is the HME-Clear-Com Tempest

hi Senator

the tempest sounds very interesting to me,which model you using these days ? i saw on their website they mentioned the audio range is Transmission Range: Up to 1,000 feet (305m); 500 ft to 900 ft (150-275m) typical, that's quite far by 100mW output though.... did you ever get that far and still in usable range ? and do they have a invisible kind of in ear bug cuing system ?

best

Cloud

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This one doesn't look like it's available in the States... is there an equivalent for the USA?

It does pop up on the USA sennheiser site: http://www.sennheiserusa.com/audio-guide-equipment-tour-guide-receiver-uhf-505542

It's a new one, following up the 1038. So maybe you've to ask our dealer specifically.

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True. When I think about IFB I think about ClearCom and my days sitting at an ETC Expression or giant Mackie Board up in the booth with 800 seats full of BlueHairs watching Into the Woods or The Crucible :)

Comtek = wireless monitoring in reality. But language evolves into whatever it evolves into.

IFB type solutions are sometimes discussed here, and monitoring solutions are frequently and regularly covered; both the equipment options and workflow, and there is already a wealth of information available by doing some searches. There are also some solutions we folks rarely use or discuss, that sometimes are pressed into service, too.

The answer to the original question quickly hinges on the old "it depends", as some more specific information is needed to help determine what the OP would consider "good".or IFB ...

IFB = Interruptible Fold Back, is a system where the monitoring can be interrupted with something else, like cuing information, many mixers built specifically for Production Sound, as well as intercom systems for TV use (aka PL= Private Line, aka Production Line) include IFB capabilities (say an interruptible monitor for boom, or IFB sends for one or more "talent") Riedel, HME-Clearcom, and Telex-RTS systems come to mind, and these are true IFB solutions: not always portable (base stations), and rarely inexpensive.

My personal favorite these days is the HME-Clear-Com Tempest

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It does pop up on the USA sennheiser site: http://www.sennheise...iver-uhf-505542

It's a new one, following up the 1038. So maybe you've to ask our dealer specifically.

The only place that seems to be offering it (Googling of course) seems to be Full Compass. They show the "list price" as $814.41 with "their" price being $469.95. The strange thing is that the list price on the Sennheiser website is $469.95...

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I've only used the Lectro IFBs and Comteks and prefer the Lectro.. Major plus in build quality and use with existing 400 and SM series transmitters. One downside is you will need a RM scanner (such as a Lectro receiver or similar) to expedite setup in busy blocks.

The selectable frequency is quite nice as you can have two separate transmitters giving A/B feeds. On a recent reality show, the Lectro IFB was used with one feed from my bag, one feed from a B camera boom op, so the producer could hop between units and monitor either (or up to 5 sources) with the push of a button.

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Sennheiser has stopped production on teh 1038s recently. The newer model (G3) tourguide receiver is priced about the same as the IEM 300, so I'd go for the latter. Myself I was lucky enough to get 5 of the last 1038s from a local dealer.
Well no, the 1039s are the newer models and still cheaper. As I stated in previous posts, at least here in Europe.
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" usable range ? ...a invisible kind of in ear bug cuing system ? "

our experience was excellent range in and around a 50k seat football stadium (NFL ProBowl) (Tempest 900).. We were quite pleased.

the headset options are huge, as it has bal/unbal mic inputs (power available), and headphone out.

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