Powered. Something for the producer to talk to the folks in the studio? I'm using a Remote Audio Speak Easy, but to be frank, it sounds pretty bad. Doesn't need to be too big or loud. Doesn't need to be half a pair of expensive near fields. Someone must make something purpose built to do this sort of thing.

Thanks.

D.

Genelec 8020 on a mic stand
- easy to move
- quiet
- metal screens to protect the domes
- rugged metal enclosure
- sounds good

The 8010 would probably work fine too.

If you are looking for cheap and cheerful (only talkback, not monitoring) how about something like this?
They seem to go for around $100 on FleaBay and could be used with a regular speaker stand or just in the wedge monitor position.

I use the Behringer B205d hot spot. Built in mic pre, phantom if you want it, mounts on a stand, removable IEC power cord, anyone can adjust it, plenty loud. I've had mine about 3 years now and it seems to be pretty rugged. I carry it in a padded camera bag with it's cord, etc.

I bought mine new, but would have hit up e-bay if I'd had the time.

This Fostex unit is small, powerful and reliable: 6301 Analogue : Personal Monitors

One thing nobody's mentioning is the need for it to remain really silent when it's not being used...say in a church or a quiet hall.

It needs to be placed close enough to the players to hear it, yet it can't hum, hiss or buzz when the talkback mic is switched off, despite having it's volume cranked to a respectable level.

The last thing anyone wants is a hissy talkback amp/speaker contributing to all the other location noises one has to contend with at a recording session.

This could be less of an issue in a studio...maybe ? In this case it's likely you just have a speaker in the live room, with producer/engineer switching it on in the control room

I use a Roland Mobile Cube.

Roland - MOBILE CUBE | Battery-Powered Stereo Amplifier

I run it on batteries, although a power cord can be used. It can be stand mounted. Sound is not great nor terrible. It is acceptable.

Here is one with a slightly different feature set:
Roland - MOBILE BA | Battery-Powered Stereo Amplifier

Roland knows how to milk a product idea.

-Tom

I use a Yamaha MSP 5. Small, a bit on the heavy side, but works great. Have it in a case with the controller/remote for my Studio Technologies monitor controller.

--Ben

The classic of the classics, Fostex 6301B.

Yamaha ms 101

I use one or two Klein and Hummel mm201 or sometimes the fostex 6301 on a stand fairly high up on symphonic sessions.
As someone who has been on the other end of the speaker for countless sessions, I must say that it is immensely frustrating when talkback is done over a single speaker on the floor by the conductor.
It is, in most halls, impossible to understand what is being said for those in the back. This causes needless questions, frustration and in many orchestras chattering will start up in the back as endless "private" conversations are had up front.

Over the years I have tried many things including extra speakers in the back etc, but it turns out a single unobstructed source is often clearer. Apart from clarity, getting it up in the air avoids blasting the outer strings with unconfortably loud talking.

Genelec 8030 on a mic stand. Works great! Compressor and heavy high pass filter on the talkback mics.

I sit in the room with the musos, a single non pokerface look is sufficent or the theatrical throwing down of some prop cans is effective

I havent heard a portable and loud talkback speaker that does hiss or hum when in standbye yet

All monitor speakers will hiss or buzz, unless the talkback has a build in muting circuit that occurs late in the signal path, a good place for the muting would be at the input of the power amp or best if one disconnects the speaker driver from the amplifier altogether, The noise could be audible if the music you record is low level in nature.

My personal solution; I built a small amplifier box that has about 55-60 dB of total gain and 25 watts of power with two XLR female jacks, one for mic and one for speaker output, a volume control, and a momentary push to talk button. I have a snake mic that plugs into the box and I use one of the channels in the big snake mic cable to connect the box to the stage. The speaker itself is a radio shack metal casing speaker that is fitted with a XLR male jack. Speaker metal casing can withstand some abuse happens on the stage. The momentary push switch connects the power amplifier to the speaker so the speaker does not make any noise when not in use as it is disconnected from the amplifier. Being a passive speaker I don’t have to worry about getting power to the stage. Using microphone gender connection means I don’t have to bring any special cable, gender reversal adapters. I always have extra channels in the snake cable I can use to connect it to the speaker. A very simple yet practical solution, really.


Best regards,

Da-Hong

I use an old KRK RP5; cost me around $100 when it was new. I think there's a recent pic in my FB feed where it made it into the shot. My TB mic is an old EV 664 with a switch. I usually drive the powered speaker from a spare mic amp (or through my UFX interface) down a return line on my snake.

I guess I don't ever need to crank the speaker to the point where it hisses audibly (input normally stays at 0 dB line level). Not sure if the newer model is hissy, but this one is not. It also does not sound as bad as a hotspot-type monitor if you have to give a little mono playback for quick reference.

If you need an easier button to press for talk (if you don't have a mic with a silent switch), a mute button one of the really small Mackies can fit the bill.

We use both the Fostex 6301B and the Mackie SRM-150.
Since we feed both of these through the line level input the noise is not an issue. (You have to place your ear on the speaker to hear if it is on...). These get fed down the Ravenna network nowadays, but one nice thing about the Mackie is that in a pinch, you can use a standard PTT microphone (Like the Shure 522) and feed it into the mic preamp on the speaker.
As always, YMMV.
All the best,
-mark

I've always used this Fostex too - it's great.

-Mike

hi, are you already sending Talkback to the Headphones ??

if yes, can you take a feed directly from this .. ??

6301 or MSP5 if the room is large ...

or Anchor used to make a fairly large powered one on an Ultimate Stand that we used for Stage Announce on TV / Film sets .. this could be Edison powered or Rechargeable Internal Battery ... very nice .. not sure if they make them anymore .. they also made a very small one .. size of MSP5 ..

cheers john

Anchor Audio powered monitor here. Has a xlr input and variable output. Simple and durable. Requires ac power.

The Fostex 6301B is widely used in location video trucks for talkback purposes. They are modded with a panel mount female XLR connector. The Fostex is quiet enough when fed with a transformer-isolated line level signal. Anchor Audio and Yamaha MS 101 speakers also work well. The Samson Q4 is a cheap switched mic that works great for talkback.

FBT Jolly, here. Made to be mounted on a microphone stand. Surprisingly quiet, and the hi/lo eq is a... bonus.

Only for talkback purpose, I saw this one
MONACOR INTERNATIONAL : PAM-10
with a little HP.

I think, for talkback (not playback) that I'll check out the Behri CE500A-BK - a powered speaker designed for mounting (so I could clamp it to a stand) with balanced input. Requires AC power.

Gotta see how loud it is with a silent balance input connected.

Maybe this would be a good application for those little iLoud monitors? They've got threaded attachment points underneath, so you could put them on a stand, they produce enough volume for the purpose. You could get really clever and rig up a totally wireless setup, as they support Bluetooth, and they are powered by 24VDC, which could be provided by a simple LiPo battery pack. Two 3S packs, available at any hobby shop, wired in series, would do it. You could just gaffer tape the battery pack to the stand.

If you need to cover more distance than Bluetooth will allow, you could use a regular ENG wireless mic with some sort of switch for the mic.

Jim, check you fb email. I finally came across your message

Am I missing something here? The headphones? and if the PA is on the PA speakers.

yes. What headphones? Not common in location recording of acoustic music.

I use the Canford Audio mini diecast powered loudspeaker.

Excellent little beastie - and tough as it's a diecast housing - and less than £200.

It also has ¼" stand threads top, bottom & rear, and a balanced XLR input.

.

Several of the self-powered (battery) remote speakers which work via Bluetooth have an unfortunate, undefeatable 'power saving' mode which shuts down the speaker after x minutes of non-use.

Not very handy if, on a location recording session there has been the passage of those x minutes for a longish take, and the producer then wants to cut in and make an announcement and...nothing ! Something to be wary of if you're tempted towards that type of product.

My biggest concern with small consumer-type battery-powered speakers that have "power-saving" features is that they tend to make a thump whenever the feature cuts or restores power, and some of them do that even when they're getting external DC.

Just seeking some specific info about creating a momentary switch. I plan to use either a dynamic or condenser mic for location talkback, by feeding it into a spare mic input in my audio interface. A spare balanced line out from the interface goes down the multicore to feed the balanced line-in (female xlr) of the powered Fostex 6301b (similar to the Canford of John Willett shown a few posts above)

What type of momentary switch (spst...spdt ?) Should the switch go in the cable between mic and interface mic input, or in the line-level output cable from the rear of the interface (to both minimise or eliminate mic switching thump and also Fostex background hiss when the mic is muted) ? I'm guessing a non-phantom (ie dynamic) mic would tend to avoid switching thumps ....

I could use a simple momentary push button switch for mic on/off....or a 3 position toggle switch which gives both push to talk and a latching 'talk on' position...any recommendations ?