Clearcom RS701 Series VS Production Intercom

[mrtrudeau23]

I am looking at slowly replacing our aging clearcom boxes and headsets at a summer stock theatre I M.E. at. We have a mix of various styles of Clearcom boxes and headsets as they were purchased through the years and never really replaced. I had been thinking going with Production Intercom for the new units, since I have found the RS601 series to be somewhat cheaply made and I know what I am getting with PI, until I saw that Clearcom has released the RS701 series.
My questions are:
Has anyone used the RS701 series over multiple shows and how does it compare to the 601?
Would you recommend Production Intercom over the RS701?

 

[kevlar557]

I've used the RS-600 and RS-700 series, and I have to say that the 700 series is much nicer than the 600's. DIP switch setup is the biggest thing for me. Production quality is spot on with the units I've worked with. HOWEVER I do prefer the build of the Production Intercom better. I would go with the cheaper unit, as long as you don't beat the hell out of the beltpacks. If you do, go with the Production Intercom devices like the BP1.

 

[gafftaper]

Nobody builds a higher quality or tougher belt pack than PI. Remember, there's no reason you can't blend the systems. I kind of like the Clear com headsets better. Go which ever base station you prefer. But make sure your belt packs are PI.

 

[mrtrudeau23]

I like the PI packs as well, which was why I was initially choosing them. Guess I will stick with that. Thanks all.

 

[techieman33]

The old 500 series is still my favorite belt pack. The PI packs are ok, I just wish the mic didn't automatically latch on with one button press, but that comes down to personal preference. I hate the button layout of the 600 series. The volume knob is way to easy to bump and leave your ears ringing the next time someone talks, or miss a cue because it's now to low. I find myself constantly checking the volume whenever I have one on now just out of fear of that knob moving. The belt clip leaves a lot of be desired too, it's difficult enough to get it to clip on a pocket, let alone a belt. As for the 701 I haven't used one yet, they look a little better than the 601's but that volume knob scares me.

 

[Footer]

Wait, when did production intercom go back on the market? I thought they were gone?

 

[techieman33]

Wait, when did production intercom go back on the market? I thought they were gone?

The previous owners daughter started the company back up under a different name. Intercom for sound, lighting & production professionals | Pro Intercom LLC

 

[Jbum123]

[QUOTE="techieman33, post: 307516, member: 954"The PI packs are ok, I just wish the mic didn't automatically latch on with one button press.[/QUOTE]

This is by only gripe about the PI units. The mic switches. Fix the latching issue and the noise they can make from the switch and they are spot on.
501's are still my favorite beltpack though. Mine are going on 14 years of being kicked, dropped, stepped on, and who knows what else. Spot ops tear them up but so far, have left me with only one that I haven't fixed. They somehow managed to rip the threaded insert and post out of the cap and then loose them.

 

[slg2k]

In my experience, the new RS701 pack is quite sturdy. Check out

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

It sounds really good too and has an overall comfortable but rugged feel to it. The volume control does not get bumped easily but is easy to access when needed. It is definitely worth keeping in the running.

 

[seanandkate]

The PI packs are ok, I just wish the mic didn't automatically latch on with one button press.

This is by only gripe about the PI units. The mic switches. Fix the latching issue and the noise they can make from the switch and they are spot on.
501's are still my favorite beltpack though. Mine are going on 14 years of being kicked, dropped, stepped on, and who knows what else. Spot ops tear them up but so far, have left me with only one that I haven't fixed. They somehow managed to rip the threaded insert and post out of the cap and then loose them.

If you unscrew the pack, you can actually just pull out the pin for the mic lock. No more noise or latching issues. I did this for my backstage packs to cut down on chatter / heavy breathing etc.

 

[MikeJ]

Wait, when did production intercom go back on the market? I thought they were gone?

Yeah, it's Pro Intercom now, so they still keep "PI" as the abbreviation. I think there was only a month or two gap before they went back into business.