The Alley Theatre, home to the 824-seat Hubbard and 310-seat Neuhaus stages, uses the CellCom system as the main method of communications for the entire backstage crew, from stage manager, to light and soundboard operators, to wardrobe and house managers.
According to Pierre Dupree, the sound supervisor for the Alley Theatre, the CellCom solution is miles ahead of its competition. "The reception and sound are fantastic," he says. "It's much better than other wireless communication products; the sound comes through very clearly. We also appreciate the ease with which we can recharge the beltpacks through the integrated charging stations or plug-in cords. It saves time and money and is great for the environment."
The Alley Theatre's Clear-Com package centres on a CellCom base station with eight active antennas and 10 CellCom beltpacks. The eight antennas ensure coverage over most areas of both theatres, including backstage, in sound and other types of booths, as well as in the spaces between the theatres - a total area involving thousands of square feet of space and multiple floors.
With new FCC regulations requiring most wireless users to shift away from frequencies in the 700 MHz band, the fact that CellCom uses the 1.9 GHz band is another investment in the future for the Alley Theatre. As the 1.9GHz band is far away from where most other wireless systems typically used in live production operate, it makes the system more reliable and less prone to reception issues.
(Jim Evans)
