Custom “Stage Ready” Wireless Confirmation System for Theatre Productions
Hi everyone, I wanted to share a project I started working on this week.
It came from the need to have a reliable “stage ready” confirmation system without using an intercom.
In previous years we always relied on walkie-talkies, but they’re not very practical since FOH is located in the audience area. That forced us to wear earpieces every year, which can be pretty uncomfortable — especially for me as the lighting designer. Since it’s a musical, I really need to hear the show clearly at all times.
So I designed a pair of custom transceivers (for convenience I call them “transmitters”) together with a receiver unit in the control booth. The booth unit hosts a small web server connected to the iPod shown in the video, which we use to monitor the system and battery levels.
Each transmitter has two RGB LEDs:
red = waiting for confirmation
green = local operator is ready
flashing yellow = the partner unit is ready
When both operators have confirmed, both units show green and we can safely start the cue sequence, then reset the system afterward.
From the booth we can also monitor the status of both transmitters in real time. If a battery gets low, the corresponding status LED flashes red, alternating with the current transmitter status indication.
We already tested it in a 300-seat theater and the signal never dropped once.
Would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, or possible improvements!