Talkback in the Studio
Television relies for its success on the efforts of a coordinated team. Some are on the studio floor and require continual guidance and instruction, e.g. camera operators, others are located within the studio complex. To provide communication within the team an efficient talkback system is essential. This takes several forms: general, private-wire, switched and reverse talkback.
Production talkback
A microphone on the desk in front of the director relays his/her voice to camerapersons (through the camera cable), boom operators and other floor staff who wear headphones either plugged into wall sockets or radio receivers. The floor manager has to be extremely mobile and therefore normally wears an earpiece and microphone connected to a pocket transceiver tuned to the studio’s radio talkback system. Adjoining technical areas (videotape, telecine etc.) are equipped with talkback loudspeakers. Where talkback is to be heard outside the studio complex, e.g. in the control room at an outside broadcast (a remote), a sound-line (control-line) is used to feed a loudspeaker or headsets. Some modern systems can use the vision circuit (whether radio or line) to multiplex or combine additional audio signals onto the vision signal, thus saving lines costs.
Talkback variations
Key-operated microphones enable the technical director, sound mixer and lighting director to talk on production talkback when necessary. A further key enables technical and production control room staff to speak on the studio foldback loudspeaker, should this be necessary. When used, the control room loudspeaker and normal foldback sound are cut to prevent howl-round. The facility is made inoperative in transmission conditions to prevent accidents.
For certain types of production, e.g. news, sport and actuality, the presenter wears an earpiece fed with switched talkback which can be operated by a switch in front of the director. This facility enables the director to pass instructions to the presenter even when the programme is ‘on air’.
Private-wire intercom
In addition to production or general talkback various private-wire systems provide inter-specialist communication. The sound mixer requires independent talkback to his studio assistants and the boom operators need to be able to converse with the sound mixer (boom reverse talkback). Similarly, the lighting director requires an independent talkback system to communicate with floor staff (see page 150). In addition, various specialist control points e.g. the sound mixer and vision control/lighting have microphone/loudspeaker inter-communication panels and talkback to the director.
A simplified illustration of the distribution of production talkback is shown. In addition private-wire switched intercom circuits exist between members of the team.
1. Director.
2. Director’s microphone.
3. Microphone on/off switch.
4. Amplifiers.
5. Talkback transmitter and aerial for radio talkback to floor manager.
6. Talkback distribution to other destinations in the studio complex, e.g. make-up service room and videotape and telecine areas.
7. Talkback distribution to destinations outside the studio complex, e.g. outside broadcasts.
8. Distribution to studio personnel requiring talkback other than those illustrated, e.g. prompter operator and camera mobile crane operators.
9. Cameraman.
10. Caption operator.
11. Boom operator.
12. Floor manager.
13. Floor manager’s receiver and aerial.