Based in Nederhorst den Berg, close to the Netherlands broadcasting centre in Hilversum, The Crew BV has a refreshing view on broadcasting. The company’s programming spans live sports events to gameshows, talent shows andnational fundraisers, as well as reporting, biographies cooking shows and concerts. These can be set in studios, theatres, clubs and the outdoors.
Addressing the technical demands of these events are two OB vans and a flexible mobile set dubbed the Flight Pack. The flagship of the fleet is the new OBV2, that can process up to 14 cameras and 16 workplaces.
Communication is key, and for its newest OB van The Crew turned to Clear-Com specialist Frans van Houten at Ampco Flashlight Sales for a range of intercom solutions.
OBV2 now holds a Clear-Com Eclipse HX Digital Matrix system with a 32-port E-IPA card,15 V-Series keypanels, and five V-Series desktop panels with headsets and microphones, as well as 24 Clear-Com 4W Interfaces used for connection to the sound mixer; two-way radios and many other external systems. All of this is augmented with the FreeSpeak II digital wireless system comprising 24 FreeSpeak II 1.9GHz beltpacks and four IP transceivers.
Additionally, there are Agent-IC mobile app connections for users preferring their own devices to tap into the intercom system. Also, the Arcadia Central Station can be used as a standalone system for smaller events with wireless FreeSpeak II beltpacks or added to the OBV via eight Dante ports.
‘With OBV2 our aim was to create a state-of-the-art OB van that can cater for any job in any location for any client,’ says Peter Westbroek, engineer at The Crew. ‘It goes without saying that this also counts for the equipment used. With Clear-Com we found a perfect solution for our communication needs, installed in the workspaces as well as mobile. Together with Frans and his Ampco Flashlight Sales crew we designed, commissioned, and installed a comms system that proves itself daily in our wide variety of jobs and customers’.
With television programming and the preferences of viewers constantly in flux, The Crew has adapted to new programming formats and where audiences want to view the content. This need for utmost flexibility from their communications system provided van Houten with a healthy challenge.
‘It was very gratifying to connect the professionals at The Crew with my Clear-Com experience,’ he says. ‘The team is very adaptable and knowledgeable; their requests were clear and reflected the organisation’s goals and ways of working. Being able to offer a solution based on the intercom market leader Clear-Com’s systems is always a pleasure and has resulted in a modern and future-proof system for The Crew.’
More: www.clearcom.com
