I was out on a local gig a few weeks ago and things were going south fast. You know the kind of gig — about 1,000 bands with little to zero changeover time and production managers showing up with stage plots and input lists that have no resemblance at all to the one you were sent when the show was advanced a month ago.
It was the kind of gig where communication among all of the folks involved with production was crucial. The only problem is that the crew that loaded the truck neglected to include intercoms. Instead, one of the stage guys got to serve as a constant runner relaying messages between FOH, monitor world and the stage — fighting the crowd and the heat all day. It could have been avoided with equipment we often don’t even think about.
It's another one of those pieces of gear that is totally not sexy and easy to forget about until it stops working or someone leaves it at the shop. Communication between the mix position, monitor world and the stage is crucial, and making it happen seamlessly is why we have intercoms.
At recent trade shows, we see some pretty high-tech intercoms that can do everything except actually mix the show for you. But no matter if you are using one of these cutting-edge devices or a more traditional wireless intercom, or even something as simple as a wired party-line system, the bottom line is that this non-sexy item can save your butt.
Don’t leave home — or in this case, the shop — without it.
The following manufacturers are featured in this month's Buyers Guide:
Altair-Equipos Europeos Electronicos SAL
Clear-Com
Eartec Company
HME
Production Intercom
Riedel Communications Inc.
RTS Intercom Systems
Telex
To view the Buyers Guide, click here.
