In article ,
Andy Hall wrote:
The idea is to ring any standard phone that may be used 'in shot' in a
TV studio. To have to change the plugs on those would be a no-no.


OK...... I meant the whole lead though. Usually the RJ-11 is
underneath the phone so wouldn't be seen, and then the RJ-45 would be in
the desk. Or am I missing something?

Phones on a one off production may be hired in. Or bought specially. It
would be a pain to have to modify them - and costly. Or try and find
adaptors. And just this happened years ago at the BBC as of course phones
didn't always plug in, and different TV companies used different plugs for
'audio' .

To clarify, there is room on the panel for a standard small size flush
BT outlet. I just want something that looks better. ;-)


OK..... Would you want 75Vrms near low level audio stuff, or is it
balanced and immune enough?

I'd better explain.

It is a small portable unit that is normally battery operated. To ring one
phone on location, say, you'd just plonk it close to the phone, plug that
in, and operate the ring via the cabled remote control.

It can ring two phones independently. And these two phones are linked so
the actors may talk to one another in the normal way. Now because of
'spill' from the studio mics in this situation, the phones would normally
be well apart. So there are duplicate XLR connections on the ringer that
allow extension stage boxes (XLR to BT) to be used - or indeed you could
use normal BT extensions. Or the unit could be situated in a control room,
mains operated, and the phones in the studio fed via normal audio tie
lines.

In the days of live TV drama, these things were common, and could often
handle up to say 6 phone circuits. But were ancient electro mechanical
technology which needed mains. Being small light and battery operated
makes this one very suitable for occasional use in today's type of
production.

I made a batch some years ago to order, and one is hired out by a third
party. One company that occasionally hires that one approached me to buy
one. Since it's a one off, I was taking the opportunity to update it in
some minor ways.

They fell out of use because pretty well all dramas have a dub where the
phone ring may be added afterwards. But with some soaps, etc, it makes
more sense to do this for real.

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*Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how it remains so popular?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.