When
you need to communicate with your crew, yet still have your hands free for
grabbing talent, taking notes, and coordinating small military invasions; Of
course this means you will probably be running around the entire ballroom like
a frat party gone terribly wrong, requiring you to be un-tethered… (*breath*)
you need wireless com.
Here is what we offer at
J&S in our Show Services department:
HME DX200
Telex BTR700/800
In this article we will compare
and contrast these two units, and perhaps show a proper environment for each.
HME Overview
The DX200 is pretty much hands
off. Turn it on and go, and here’s why.
This unit operates in the 2.4GHz range, well above the embattled TV
frequencies, (think Bluetooth).
Much like a Bluetooth phone device, on initial set up the belt packs
need to be registered to the base station, this creates a 64-bit encrypted
link between the two, and as long as everything functions normally will
never need to be repeated.
HME Nifty Features
1. The
DX200 allows all of the beltpacks (max of 15 per station, although we only
carry 4) to function independently of one another on a single frequency.
2. Makes
them virtually impervious to outside interference.
3. If
a private conversation is your cup of tea, encryption is your friend. Assuming you are speaking only to
others within the DX200 system your frequency cannot be hacked and your
conversation compromised.
4. Lower
Price Point.
In addition there are two
buttons on the top of the beltpacks one marked ISO and another that
says IC. If you
have this wireless unit interfaced with hardwired com, or in our case RTS, the
user will press the IC button to speak to the whole crew, then if they desire
to communicate only amongst the DX200 users that person would switch to the ISO
button instead. Synthesized
voice prompts help you navigate the beltpack features telling you when the
unit is powered on and station registration number, volume full, leaving the
coverage area, battery is getting low, and of course powering off. The BP200 belt packs are very lightweight
and come with a rugged rubber jacket, which, in the words of one tech
“makes me feel like I could drop kick it across the ballroom, pick it up on the
other side and have it working just fine”. This is probably not the case, and definitely not advisable,
but does go to show that they are very durable.
HME Not-So-Nifty Features
The DX200 is encrypted and they
have yet to come out with an encrypted mic that doesn’t sound bad. The same is true with this com. The user can hear with it in your
typical corporate application, and can be understood as well, but it sounds
like you are speaking over a phone line, and not a great one at
that. Volume is another
concern. In high volume situations
like concerts, or loud parties one quickly runs out of listening volume,
and as much as you beg and plead with that synthesized voice to give you more,
it’s not going to happen. Given
this and the fact that you have to eat the mic and yell to be heard, if
there were better volume control for both the talk and listen features
independently of one another, this would make for a much more functional unit
in any show environment. NULL. Not a typo, this is a very useful
little knob in the back of the unit.
Because of the encryption there of course is a slight processing delay,
or latency if you will. This is
not a problem if the HME users are speaking amongst themselves, but hit that IC
button and you will find a world of disorienting time delays showing up in your
listen ear. This knob is a time
delay adjustment and by turning in one direction or the other you can align the
analog and digital systems that are battling one another. Why is this in the NSNF section? Because there are very few times
this NULL device has been reported to work perfectly, leaving the crew on
wireless with a reasonably usable device, yet slightly bad taste in their mouth.
BTR Overview
The BTR 700/800 has a multitude
of functions and is very flexible.
It functions in the “white spaces” between TV channels. The BTR is a dual
channel system, giving you both a production and specialty channel should
you require it. There are
individual listen and mic volume controls, making it ideal for louder
show situations, and the belt packs have a line-of-sight distance of up to
1,000 feet, giving you a pretty long RF leash.
BTR Nifty Features
1. 2
Channel system.
2. Full-Duplex
Operation (simultaneous talk and listen on both channels)
3. Wireless
Talk Around (WTA) and Stage Announce (SA) features
4. Frequency-Agile
Base Station & Beltpacks
5. ClearScan
function allows the base station to automatically search for the best channels
on which to operate
The WTA channel or Wireless
Talk Around is like the ISO button on the HME. The WTA allows the BTR to communicate between belt packs
only instead of system wide. The
BTR has a SA or Stage Announce button that allows you to tap into
a back stage PA (or main PA in rehearsal situations) to call people up from a
green room or cue someone on the side of the stage. The ability to get into the unit settings and dial in
frequencies as well as volume is a key feature. Couple that with the fact that it has interchangeable
headsets ranging from single ear lightweight to heavy-duty double
muff, makes it ideal for any noise level.
BTR Not-So-Nifty Features
Set up is a little more time
consuming but depending on your needs it may be worth it. Because the audio is not encrypted
there is a much higher chance that you will be infringed upon by other frequencies. Unlike the HME, you are limited to four
belt packs per main station. The BTR belt packs are large, heavy and
quite cumbersome when running around, and if dropped much more
susceptible to damage. They
have a tendency to be noisier then the HME when linking to a hardwired system,
but most of the time a ground lift will clean that up. It has a much
higher price point then the HME, but that should be expected given the many
extra features.
Summary:
The HME is easy to set
up and not very susceptible to interference. However, it is low in volume,
and has latency issues when interfacing with wired com, and the audio
does not sound as good. All in all
not a bad unit, just make sure it is relegated to your lower volume shows.
The BTRs have more functionality
and is capable of being fine-tuned to your show needs. It takes longer to set up,
and is more fragile. We recommend using this unit in higher SPL
environments, and where the client might be picky about the quality of audio on
com.
NOTE: We recently
picked up the HME PRO850, which is comparable in price and flexibility
to the BTR units. We are preparing
to deploy this system to several show sites, and look forward to bringing a
review and comparison after we road test it for several months.
Article By:
Brett Speer
Audio Technician
J&S Audio Visual
Show Services
Started
down the audio path going to work for Crossroads Audio, a Dallas based sound
company in 1995. He spent 9 years with them learning system design,
troubleshooting, engineering, installation, repairs and mixing. While at
Crossroads, Brett moonlighted with most of the area nightclubs, offering
solutions to their audio problems.
In 2006 Brett went to work for Dallas Stage Right gaining experience in
the lighting, video, staging, installation and warehouse management fields. Brett joined the J&S
Audio Visual Show Services audio team in 2010 as the gear coordinator
where he currently puts his broad skill-set to good use.
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