New installation extends wireless roaming range for complex stage operations
X’caret, the ecological tourist attraction situated in Cancun, Mexico, has installed the
Clear-Com® FreeSpeak™ wireless intercom system and an
Eclipse HX-PiCo matrix system with an I-Series user panel to create a reliable and wide-ranging communications solution for coordinating its spectacular live stage show. The entire package includes two FreeSpeak base stations, 27 FreeSpeak beltpacks, 10 FreeSpeak Antennas, two Antenna Splitters, one Eclipse HX-PiCo matrix system, one i1200E I-Series user panel, and 29 CC-300 headsets, all fully integrated.
Clear-Com’s local partner, Grupo Audio Diseño SA De CV, supplied and installed the system.
X’caret is an eco-archaeological park situated on the shores of the Caribbean, offering visitors the chance to experience the natural and cultural richness of Mexico. Since its launch in December 1990, it has become one of the most famous attractions in the Cancun-Riviera Maya area, boasting over 40 attractions including the traditional Fiesta Charra, the Mayan Ball Game, a Butterfly Pavilion, underground rivers, and the X’caret México Espectacular — a celebration of light, color and music with 260 artists presenting the history of Mexico.
The show, which is performed twice daily in high season and once a day for the rest of the year, takes place in a theatrical arena which seats over 6000 people The show involves state-of-the-art lighting, video, mechanics and staging equipment, and requires a team of approximately 32 operators, technicians and the Technical Director to communicate at all times as cues are exchanged staging movements, and to ensure furniture is being safely moved.
“We have used Clear-Com systems since we first began producing the show, because it’s the only system we trust,” says Jose Manuel Rodriguez Vazquez, Technical Area Manager at X’caret. “The FreeSpeak wireless system is the ideal solution for us. Our production area is very large, and our operators move around constantly. In addition, certain locations in the arena are not easily accessible to place equipment and radio frequencies in Mexico can be unreliable, so being able to operate in DECT-based bands gives us peace of mind that we will maintain communications between the production team. FreeSpeak also delivers a comfortable audio experience, which is a very important consideration when wearing headphones for a long time.”
FreeSpeak can operate as a standalone system and also allows a large number of wireless beltpack users to simultaneously roam across an expansive production area without compromising on performance. It delivers superior digital ‘Clear-Com Sound’ for clear intelligibility and ultimate audio comfort, and innovative intercom features that make it a high performance wireless option. The system is ideal for deployment across large-scale, multi-zone production areas typically required in live events production.
The Eclipse HX-PiCo Matrix is ideal for communication needs in small to mid-size production environments such as arenas, OB vans, and sports facilities. It provides high-quality full-duplex communication requiring a moderate number of ports in a compact one-rack unit (1RU) form. The front user menu enables quick and easy changes to input/output levels, routes and configurations. Eclipse HX-PiCo offers 36 full-duplex panel/4-wire ports, including four 4-wire ports, in a 1RU chassis. Each Eclipse HX-PiCo has two power supplies for fail-safe redundancy and eight on-board general purpose inputs and outputs. It supports a variety of user control panels, including the I-Series, V-Series,
“Due to the flexibility of the Eclipse HX-PiCo system, our Technical Director uses the I-Series panel to instantly communicate with individuals or groups within the production team,” adds Rodriguez Vazquez. “It is very easy to connect one panel to another with a single touch, keeping things very simple which is important in such a complex operation.”
“This dynamic show relies on precise instructions to ensure that the artists and the video lighting and staging crew appear in the right place at the right time,” said Joquebed Colin Lugo, Sales Engineer for Latin America at Clear-Com. “FreeSpeak combined with the Eclipse HX-PiCo matrix system provides the reliability and high quality audio that the X’caret team needs across this large arena.”