Wireless coordination software, Mac OS

[JonG]

These days there are so many wireless coordination software apps that I don’t even begin to know where to start. It seems every company that manufactures anything wireless has their own software. I have an old Mac Mini (2012) on my cart with a dated OS that I use as a Pro-Tools (PT10) playback machine, and nothing else. I don’t particularly want to upgrade the OS and make my Pro-Tools no longer work on the machine, but I would like to incorporate some sort of wireless coordination software and not just rely on my receivers. 
 

I am mainly running Wisycom for talent mics, but still use some Lectro digital hybrids. I also have Lectro IFB (R1As), and Comteks (75 & 216). Who knows what else will be added at a later point. So the software should be able to know what to do with those various types of signals. 
 

And as an additional question, how does this software scan and know what the wireless landscape looks like? Up until this point I’ve just used the receivers scanners since I typically don’t run a ton of frequencies, and I’ve used vastly separate frequencies for things like IFB, talent, and hops. But things are changing and I need to be able to move with the times!

[Bouke]

I can't answer your question, but why use PT for playback? Isn't that highly overpowered?
There are a lot of applications out there that can do playback and will run on modern machines. Even with some tricks if needed. (Like sync to timecode etc.)

 

 

 

[Trey LaCroix CAS]

5 minutes ago, Bouke said:

I can't answer your question, but why use PT for playback? Isn't that highly overpowered?
There are a lot of applications out there that can do playback and will run on modern machines. Even with some tricks if needed. (Like sync to timecode etc.)

 

 

 

Pro Tools is still very much the standard for production playback.

[JonG]

19 minutes ago, Bouke said:

I can't answer your question, but why use PT for playback? Isn't that highly overpowered?
There are a lot of applications out there that can do playback and will run on modern machines. Even with some tricks if needed. (Like sync to timecode etc.)

 

 

 

I have multiple copies of PT, I have been PT certified for nearly 20 years, I know it very well, and all my templates are PT files. So my workflow is fast and efficient, and I stand a stronger chance of being able to share sessions with other engineers. Why switch to another platform that may very well no longer exist in the coming years?

[Bouke]

Please do not mistake me for someone who knows what he's talking about. I'm a retired editor and now software developer.
I have no clue why a sound editing / mastering station should be used for playback on a set where your job is location recording.
(Assuming this is not music.)
Please do enlighten me!

 

 

[JonG]

5 minutes ago, Bouke said:

Please do not mistake me for someone who knows what he's talking about. I'm a retired editor and now software developer.
I have no clue why a sound editing / mastering station should be used for playback on a set where your job is location recording.
(Assuming this is not music.)
Please do enlighten me!

 

 

As you know, clients can be completely irrational or unpredictable, so being able to make quick edits or __________ (fill in the blank) is important. I have friends who have only used an old recorder like a 702T for music video playback with TC, and the lack of control freaks me out. I’ve had some pretty crazy on the fly demands that would be impossible if I didn’t have a system that I could deploy at a moments notice. Do most of my playback duties only require playing a song or sequence w/ TC from start to finish? Yes. But not all. 
 

Like when doing normal mixer duties. I can remember a job that was 20+ days cart work, having the next days schedule, and deciding not to bring a bag because it wasn’t, and hadn’t been needed the entire shoot. Come to the end of the day and they decide to do a non scheduled car driving scene with four people talking. The one day I left my bag at home. It would take too long to cannibalise my cart, but I did manage to get a makeshift solution in place that made the final cut. But they weren’t happy that I didn’t have an extra sound package laying around that they didn’t ask for and weren’t going to pay for. Cost me a client. 
 

So back to playback. Why mess around with some third party software that I don’t have years of experience with and don’t already own a copy of that may or may not be able to do just about anything I need it to do at a moments notice?

Also, remember that we are the sound department. Everyone will lose their minds if heaven forbid we need 30 seconds for a last minute request. We’re not literally any other department, where there is always time for them. 

[Bouke]

aah, yes. This makes total sense now. Thanks for the explanation.
I also now remember why I fled from working directly with clients.
 

So my only advice can be to shell out for a more recent copy of PT that will run on the same machine as the other gadgets.

 

 

[Derek H]

Hey Jon, my suggestion would be TX Advance. It’s brand-neutral, pretty sure it has all those models available as presets and is very powerful. When connected to an SDR dongle It can scan and auto assign freqs but will also allow you to fine tune the coordination. 
 

https://www.compasseur.com

 

The downsides:

 

It’s a fairly complex app and has a decent learning curve. 

Only touch screen based UI on Android. 

 

it requires a small investment in an Android  device and an SDR dongle (Airspy mini seems like the current best choice). For the tablet you can use just about anything you might have on hand that’s not super old. Or buy a new budget tablet like a Samsung tab S9+ or something. Total investment could be under $300 I’m sure. 
 

The upsides: 

 

Has very nice wideband scanning and channel monitoring features. You can feed it from a spare output of your existing antenna system or use any other antenna. 
 

You can create your transmitter list and have it auto choose the best frequencies. If compromises need to be made it gives you a granular level of detail about how bad potential intermod is. 
 

you can save and export lists and configurations. 
 

You can access an online database of user uploaded scans and upload your own. I’ve done a few around Chicago. This is helpful if you’re traveling to a new city and want to do some research on the local RF. 
 

The developer is a nice guy and super responsive over email. 

 

[Izen Ears]

Does Wireless Workbench not work on Mac? As far as I know that's the end all freq coordination prog.

[Derek H]

It definitely does

[Philip Perkins]

Re; playback (off topic here...):  the OP is using what he knows.  On-set playback, especially if custom ad hoc edits are asked for, can be really hairy to do.  No one else in production will understand why the complex edit the director just asked for will take some time, and the errors in any incorrect version you make will be clearly audible to everyone on the set while they roll their eyes and complain about "waiting on sound".  Use what you really know, that you can drive under stress and terrible monitoring conditions, that is running on a tested-reliable system.  There are no prizes for highest-tech playback rig.

[igomarsound]

I second the TXadvance app, it's brilliant and @Compasseur , the dev, is a great helpful person.  a great tool to have with you on your cart, your bag, your scouting, your holidays to upload scans....
-edit, I see that you are mentionning macos, it's android based tho. but it's still a great RF tool that is worth mentionning.

[Jason Nicholas]

As an aside on playback; we had a long discussion on The Apple and Biscuit Show Podcast (product placement) recently with Simon Hayes and his on-set playback operator, Josh Winslade about their epic setup for Wicked. Josh went in detail about the why of ProTools for this and how playback in itself is becoming almost a separate credited role in the sound department for productions like these. Have a listen here if interested. (There is also a part two where they go into detail about the networking and wireless setup for the production.)

[ramallo]

On 7/13/2025 at 10:54 AM, JonG said:

 

And as an additional question, how does this software scan and know what the wireless landscape looks like? Up until this point I’ve just used the receivers scanners since I typically don’t run a ton of frequencies, and I’ve used vastly separate frequencies for things like IFB, talent, and hops. But things are changing and I need to be able to move with the times!

Shure Wireless Work Bench, free