After the University of Alberta’s Timms Centre for the Arts upgraded the Clear-Com system in their primary performance space – a 300 capacity ‘Mainstage’ – with an Arcadia Central Station and FreeSpeak Edge in 2022, the system became such a resounding success they went back for more.
“We love the system so much that we purchased an additional transceiver and four additional wireless packs to expand its reach and functionality into one of our other venues – a 200-capacity reconfigurable black-box theatre within the same facility, ‘The Second Playing Space,’” says Matthew Skopyk, Faculty Service Officer Sound Supervisor for the university’s Department of Drama.
“Having used the system with students that have varying knowledge levels of Clear-Com, or comms and networking in general, it became so streamlined it was a no-brainer to expand. Now the two systems are linked together on Arcadia and can be shared or isolated based on the needs of the spaces at any given time.” The result provides far more flexibility than their previous intercom system, Skopyk notes: “It’s a massive upgrade.”
“Further,” he continues, “in another building, I’m dealing with Clear-Com equipment from the 1970s, and that’s still functioning. This system, with Arcadia, is connected to some packs that are 15, 20 years old. So the gear is rugged enough to survive not only day-to-day use over a 10 to 15 year period but also in an educational setting where accidents sometimes happen.”
In his role at U of A, Skopyk supervises and advises on “all audio-centric activities in the department” and develops and instructs all sound/sound design courses the department offers. In doing so, he brings significant experience as a professional sound designer/composer who’s worked with companies including Catalyst Theatre, Citadel Theatre, and the National Arts Centre.
Skopyk says he's had many 'ah ha' moments when deploying the system. “But the biggest was the ability for our students to dive into the CCM software immediately. The GUI is straightforward and precise. It’s well thought-out, so students become independent in its operation quickly. “It’s a great GUI. When you’re defining roles, they’re flexible on the fly. So we can have a system file ready for rentals based on roles they’d like to have on a main, secondary, or isolated channel.”
Consequently, he continues: “Students become self-sufficient in a short time. In an educational institution, where technology is changing a lot, as instructors, we have to verse ourselves very quickly on new technology. Honestly, it’s refreshing to see a product students can quickly grasp.”
Given that the needs of every production differ in terms of the crew's makeup and the various members involved, the ability to set up unique, isolated channels, as opposed to sharing them, substantially enhances workflow and productivity during technical rehearsal periods – which in turn, allows for more fluent and efficient communication with less chatter. “We can use any device on the network, log in and make that change in real-time. It’s instantaneous. It’s fast, flexible, and reactive.”
For faculty using the system in advisory/supervisory roles, the ability to observe and quickly “drop in to encourage or course-correct students” is also helpful. “It provides isolated channels and allows for non-public communication between instructor and student discretely when necessary. Without Arcadia, that's an option we wouldn’t have had.”
Of all the benefits offered by the new Clear-Com system and Arcadia specifically, Skopyk’s favourite feature of the system is the Dante integration. “In an educational institution, we’re sometimes trying to be in three places at once, so the ability to integrate with Zoom allows for massive flexibility in monitoring and reacting quickly to technical requirements. If I’m in another space, I can Zoom in and talk someone through something and see what’s happening on stage.” While there may be another means of achieving that, “It’s so slick to be able to pair Arcadia, over Dante, with Dante Virtual Soundcard or Dante Via.”
Most importantly, however, there’s the overall clarity of FreeSpeak EDGE and the range of the wireless system – particularly given the multitude of 2.4 and 5gHz networks nearby and the thick concrete separating various spaces within the facility. “When our network was installed a decade ago, we populated our building with more than 500 Cat6 endpoints – dry lines and fiber-linked switches. The ease of use of the transceivers (namely Power Over Ethernet) allows us to quickly relocate them based on the needs of a production with nothing more than a quick Cat6 re-patch in our patch bay. And the sound quality is outstanding,” Skopyk adds bluntly.
As is the service and support from GerrAudio Distribution, he concludes. “I enjoy dealing with Gerr’s Western Canadian Rep., Shawn Hines, and the whole GerrAudio team. They always provide super-fast responses to any questions and queries. When I need new professional-grade theatre equipment, they’re the first company I look at.”