Intercom Headset-XLR to 25 pin SubD Connector

[Jose Carlos]

We are trying to figure out how our director can communicate instructions (one way) to a camera operator in one of our remote locations (about 600 feet away). The converters that we are thinking of using has 25 pin SubD Connector for analog audio (one in the studio, one in the remote location). Does anyone know what kind of headset (with microphone) would work with this. There are a lot of 25 pin SubD Connector to XLR breakout cables that can be connected to an XLR headset, but I'm not sure if this would work.

Thanks

[Gary Nattrass]

Is this a fibre type or SDI interface box at each end with a 25 pin breakout for the analogue audio?

I have used similar boxes on sports and what you need to add is a 4-wire talkback box that breaks out to XLR's at each end for two way coms or if it is one way a mic amp to take the directors mic up to line level then a headphone amp at the other end.

The fibre type or SDI box just has line level inputs and outputs and they put them on a 25 pin sub D connector to save space hence the XLR breakout cables.

You simply need to get whatever you need to feed as talkback up to line level and then take the output at the other end and take that up to headphone levels.

It may well be that you have a production talkback feed already so in that case you need to plug that into one of the 25 pin XLR inputs and then put a headphone amp on the other end.

I personally have prospect 4 wire talkback and IFB boxes similar to these as well as other headphone amps to do this sort of thing.

http://www.prospectelectronics.com/c1b.html

http://presteigne.tv/equipment-hire-...-talk-back-box

[Richard Crowley]

Unfortunately, "The converters that we are thinking of using has 25 pin SubD Connector for analog audio" is not nearly enough information to work with. At the very least the actual make and model of the converters is required. And likely the user manual for that mystery converter boxes.

[Paul R Johnson]

Indeed - and of course, it's pretty unlikely that any off-the-shelf converter with a DSUB 25 pin is actually designed to handle mic and headphone level in that connector - as normally, you'd need a control, with at least volume and mic mute controls - so this is seriously looking dodgy. Can you not just run out some cable and run a proper comm system?

[Jose Carlos]

Thanks so much for your help guys. I'm clueless about audio but I've been asked to provide specific specs/equipment that would work with this: http://media.lynx-technik.de/uploads...ickRef-R02.pdf

We'll have one of these in each location (the studio and the remote location) to send our program out to the location and for intercom. The camera will be about 50' away from this connection so I guess we would also need a 25 pin to XLR cable as well (as Gary mentioned).

As I mentioned, the camera operator does not necessarily need to talk back to the director in the control room, but that would be a plus (if possible). I have no idea what would work with this so I really appreciate your suggestions.

[Paul R Johnson]

That gizmo introduces multiple analogue line level streams into an SDI video feed - while with a preamp at the camera end, you could introduce his mic audio to the video stream, how would you get it out again the other end? It isn't bidirectional, so you'd have to send video back the other way for it to work, if you had a decoder. Wrong product for the wrong job, I'm afraid. It would be cheaper to use an RF comms system - which you could hire in?

[Jose Carlos]

Originally Posted by Paul R Johnson

It isn't bidirectional

That's what I thought, but it's not necessary. Our director just needs to communicate instructions to 1 camera operator, so the camera operator doesn't really need to be able to talk back. We also need to be able to send our program output to that location, which is the reason why we chose this unit.

Originally Posted by Paul R Johnson

RF comms system - which you could hire in?

Did you mean "wire" in? How would you do this and what equipment would you use? The locations are about 600' apart (that's the reason we're using fiber for everything).

Thanks

[Gary Nattrass]

Yup the YelloBrik is the fibre box we used on the premiership soccer in the UK but as others have said an RT system would be far simpler as I think we used two pairs of them when we could not get multi mode fibre or copper up to our positions at Arsenal.

We did tend to use analogue for audio and multi mode fibre most of the time though and the camera chain had the talkback as part of that so was integrated.

[Richard Crowley]

If you want to distribute production intercom via your boxes, you could send a line-level signal from the director's microphone into one of the line-level channels. Then at each camera position, you could use one of those commodity headphone amp products to take the line-level out of the yellow box output and provide a signal suitable for the camera operator headphones.

For example, there are many of these kinds of boxes around US$20 on Ebay...
F/ iPhone PC Portable USB Rechargeable Headphone Amplifier MP3 Digital Music AMP | eBay

And at the director end, you could use something like the Rolls MP13 to take the mic level and create line-level to feed into the yellow box.
Rolls MP13 Mini-Mic Preamp LN | eBay

[Gary Nattrass]

Just to add if you can get some of the Black Magic ATEM camera chain single mode fibre boxes they use channels 15 and 16 of the SDI audio chain for talkback already and are more suited to your application.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/uk/...atemconverters

[Jose Carlos]

You guys are great! Thanks so much for taking the time to help me with this.