Now more than ever, intercoms play a critical role in producing church services and multimedia events, especially during busy Easter and Christmas seasons. The good news: As these events have become more complex in their uses of cameras, sound sources, graphics, and even multiple live locations, intercom technology has evolved to keep up with the communication demands.
In fact, today’s church intercoms are the same ones used by theater and television productions, and for good reason. “The comms requirements for a church are pretty similar to anyone else's,” says Joe Commare, marketing manager for Riedel North America. “Better comms means better coordination and safety and, most importantly, better productions.”
Here’s what’s new and different in intercom technology that makes them invaluable to considering churches large and small.
Not your father’s wired intercoms
The original wired intercom systems were analog partyline intercoms, where everyone shared the same single audio channel. Any routing changes that could be made were managed at a patch panel using manually plugged-in cables, or at a control board quipped with mechanical switches.
Today’s digital wired intercoms are light years ahead of their original architecture.
Besides offering highly intelligible, interference-free audio quality (compared to analog), these digital systems use the matrix model of signal management, which allows individual users to connect to each other via switchable point-to-point communications. Matrix intercoms also support the creation and modification of multiple talk groups (many users on a single audio channel) partylines or conferences, as well as point-to-points for private conversations, and integration of users in other locations into the same intercom group(s) for live, multi-site productions.
In addition to providing much more flexibility and expandability than their analog predecessors, with the newest digital matrix intercoms (such as Clear-Com’s Eclipse HX and Riedel’s Artist) users can easily add wireless and IP connectivity by simply plugging in extra client cards. Yet these new systems are backwards compatible, meaning that a church can add a new digital intercom to its facility without ripping the existing analog system out.
The wireless edge
Whether as an add-on to wired intercom matrixes, or as standalone systems with their own bases and antenna transceivers, today’s wireless intercoms are true technological marvels.
In many cases, range can be extended simply by adding more antenna transceivers to the wireless network, eliminating weak reception areas and blind spots. Meanwhile, the number of audio channels supported by today’s wireless systems means that a standalone system may be enough to suit a church’s production needs.
Clear-Com’s wireless intercom system is called FreeSpeak II. Capable of transmitting/receiving in either the 1.9 or 2.4GHz bands, “the FreeSpeak comes with a base station and five wireless beltpacks that can be increased to up to 25 beltpacks with a license upgrade,” says Jay Wallace, Clear-Com’s regional sales manager for the U.S. Pacific Northwest/Midwest and Canada. “The FreeSpeak II base station (the Base-II) supports four individually configurable audio channels that can be sent over both frequencies, and has enough functionality that you can use it as a Director’s Station. And you can connect it to an existing analog wired intercom system, as well.”
Of Riedel, Commare reports, “Riedel's new stand-alone Bolero wireless intercom requires no base station, so setup is as easy as plugging a PC into an antenna and dragging and dropping to create your partylines and point-to-point comms. With support for 10 beltpacks per antenna, there are cases where 10 beltpacks and a single antenna can provide all the comms a facility might need. But if you need to cover more areas, just add an antenna.”
Adding IP: The ultimate in portability
The development of IP communications and the internet has blown the doors open for intercom communications. It is now possible to add new user sites with full functionality anywhere by setting up two-way channels via IP. Producers can even enable smartphones to connect into the matrix using vendor apps, integrating the most remote of crew members into their production talk groups.
… with the newest digital matrix intercoms (such as Clear-Com’s Eclipse HX and Riedel’s Artist) you can easily add wireless and IP connectivity by simply plugging in extra client cards.
Clear-Com’s LQ audio-over-IP interface boxes can be connected to all manner of intercom systems, right down to an analog two-wire system. “These can be purchased in throwdown boxes that be deployed in a small space very easily, or rack-mounted unit that offers more channel capacity,” Wallace says.
Riedel’s Tango platform also adds IP connectivity to intercom systems, and--like Clear-Com’s LQ--is gaining popularity with intercom users. This is because “IP is definitely gaining traction across market segments as people begin to see the enormous benefits that all-IP infrastructures will eventually provide, such as easy scalability and the ability to leverage existing cabling,” says Commare.
More flexible beltpacks, longer-lasting batteries
Beltpacks and batteries have benefited from advances in intercom technology. Whether wired or wireless, modern beltpacks are smaller yet multi-channel capable, easy to reconfigure either right on the unit or remotely from the base station, and typically feature multi-line illuminated LCD displays and even built-in LED flashlights.
Meanwhile, both Clear-Com and Riedel have made serious progress in extending beltpack battery life. Clear-Com’s FreeSpeak II beltpack will run 18 hours in continuous use on a single charge. Riedel’s Bolero beltpack offers similar performance.
What to buy?
Budgets are always an issue for church production departments. This is why any intercom purchases should be realistically tempered to provide whatever comms the church needs right now, with some headroom for future growth.
“A smaller church could be perfectly happy with a simple, wired beltpack system, whereas larger churches might take advantages of all of the features of a fully implemented communications matrix with wireless beltpacks, radio interfaces, and all the bells and whistles,” says Commare. “But growing congregations also need solutions that are easy for volunteer staff to use and will grow as they do without loss of their initial investment.”
The number of audio channels supported by today’s wireless systems means that a standalone system may be enough to suit a church’s production needs.
The ability of a new intercom to interface with an existing system can be a plus--unless the current system is too old and troublesome to keep in service. In such instances, removing it and starting fresh can be a money-saver in the long run.
If possible, budget for some IP connectivity. This will add a degree of future-proofing to the system. An IP connection that allows team members to connect via their smartphones can also save on off-site equipment costs, but is not recommended for long-term main site use. For regular production comms, headsets and beltpacks are a better, more durable choice.
If there’s a moral to this story, it is that modern intercom advances are worthy of serious consideration by churches of all sizes. At the very least, get to know what is being offered by vendors today, so that you can buy the right equipment at the right price when the time comes.
