IBS Training Day 16 May 2010
Posted 18/05/2010A Beginners’ Guide to Radio Mics, Communications and Current Studio Techniques
One of the declared aims of the Institute of Broadcast Sound is to provide high quality training for its members, and that’s precisely what happened on a damp Sunday in mid-May 2010. This excellent all-day event was held at the superb new Oswald Morris building of the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, located just off the M40 motorway about six miles northwest of the M25. Easy access by both rail and road – and with plenty of parking spaces too! The course, supported in part by the Andy Hewitt Trust, was open to anyone in the industry, with discounted rates for IBS members and students. Around thirty five delegates attended the day – with several taking advantage of a special deal to attend the course and join the IBS at the same time.
Gary Clarke explains broadcast comms from scratch
(click on photos to zoom full size)
The training comprised of five sessions across the day, each hosted by expert practitioners and with the emphasis placed firmly on real-world experience and practical solutions. Gary Clarke (BBC TV Sound Supervisor) started the day off with a comprehensive overview of typical broadcast communication systems and the often baffling terminology associated with it. We learned all about the difference between PTB, SWTB, IFB and conference talkbacks, as well as how two-wire and four-wire systems work, what to expect from a music line and a co-ord line, and how to avoid problems with delays on your mix-minuses! With the groundwork covered, Gary then led us gently through the typical comms requirements, organisational structures and working practices for large scale international events like the World Cup football and the forthcoming Olympics. By the end of the session the entire audience felt considerably more comfortable with the idea of knowing what to do when presented with some bare wires from a multipair cable and a video BNC connector at a ‘Stand Up’ location!
After a brief Q&A with Gary and a short break for refreshments, the day moved swiftly on with delegates being divided into two groups which swapped over after an hour or so to ensure no one missed anything.
Simon Daniels and SpotOn
One half of the group was shown the amazing versatility and capabilities of the SpotOn audio playout system by Simon Daniels of Sigma Broadcast. In the seven years since its launch SpotOn has virtually become the standard audio playout system for TV broadcasters across the UK, employed by the BBC, Sky, and ITN amongst many others, and on numerous high profile programmes such as X-Factor, ITN News, and Strictly Come Dancing. It is also making rapid headway across the rest of the world too, with users including CBS and NBC, and their high profile shows like the Grammys and Golden Globes. The system can be configured for both stereo and 5.1 output formats with as many independent output channels as required, and with support for all common audio file formats, wordlengths and sample rates. No doubt critical to the success of the system, comprehensive send and receive remote control facilities are included via GPI, MIDI and network protocols to allow SpotOn to control, or be controlled by, lighting, video effects and graphics systems, as well as vision mixers and panel show hit-buttons.
Put a mic to a number!
Meanwhile the other half of the group enjoyed Mike Felton (Freelance TV Music Balancer) explaining his approach to capturing the sound of rock bands for TV music programmes like Later with Jools. We learned about the importance of detailed planning and keeping accurate records, as well as discussing the selection of microphones for different applications, complete with a ‘Show and Tell’ table with many of Mike’s preferred microphones.
Andrew Lillywhite
After a first-rate buffet lunch in the NFTS restaurant, the day continued with Andrew Lillywhite (Chief Engineer, Sennheiser UK) taking us through the mysteries of radio mic and IEM systems, explaining how and why diversity systems are employed, why RF spectrum planning is so important, and what happens when it all goes wrong and how to find solutions. He also explained the planned changes to the PMSE spectrum and the implications of what the future holds for radio mic users.
Charlotte John & victim
The final session of the day was presented by Charlotte John (Freelance Sound Assistant) who was introduced as ‘Radio Mic’er to the Stars’ – a very apt description indeed. Charlotte explained in very practical terms – and with several demonstrations using willing audience members – the best ways of fitting and concealing radio mics and their transmitters in a wide variety of situations. She also discussed the use of in-ear monitoring systems and the pros and cons of a couple of different systems. We certainly all went away with huge respect for the work Charlotte and her colleagues perform, often apparently without much cooperation from their ‘customers’, and always under considerable pressure.
The day ended with more refreshments to fortify us for the journey home, as well as guided tours of Pete Freshney’s ‘As the Crow Flies’ mobile truck which regularly services the demands of radio shows like Gardeners’ Question Time and Radio 3’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival coverage. From my perspective, this IBS training day was well organised, well presented, perfectly targeted and represented excellent value for money. I gather the course may be run again if there is sufficient demand, and the IBS plans further bespoke training sessions later in the year. Grateful thanks must be extended to all of the excellent training providers, the IBS committee members for organising the event, to Terry Tew Sound & Light for providing the equipment, and to the NFTS for the facilities and catering – and to the course delegates whose constructive interaction during the sessions made the day so enjoyable and informative.
Hugh Robjohns
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Thank you to all the people who came along to the day and showed so much interest in SpotOn. One suggestion for a feature has already been added to the code.
A big thank you to Gary and the IBS for putting on a very informative and interesting day.
Simon Daniels MIBS
Comment by Simon Daniels — 20/05/2010 @ 09:54
An excellent days training – covering a well selected range of topics in a well planned day.Outstanding value for money – great venue and catering too!! Thanks to all.
Comment by Grant Bridgeman — 22/05/2010 @ 06:17
Fantastic day, rivetting and not only for the begginers, information for all.
Comms presentation a real eye opener, for getting ready for 2012.
More please
Comment by Taron Allison — 15/06/2010 @ 13:11
Great day. Thanks for putting this on. I’m a beginner to broadcast sound so it opened my eyes immensely.
Comment by Scott Little — 18/07/2010 @ 09:16