Quieter, Faster, and More Comfortable - Impressions of WiTalk9 by Verus Studio

2024-10-09 09:12

"I think the best punch line for the system will be that most of the crew asked when we will have more intercoms," said Kuba when asked about his team's reaction toward the WiTalk9 intercom headset system.

Kuba Obuch, a filmmaker at the Warsaw-based Verus Studio and Paradox Media, has been creating content for Red Bull, Harley-Davidson, KFC, and many other international brands with his team since 2014. For the last couple of months, they have been using WiTalk9 for the filming of Red Bull Rap & Mat, their daily studio work, and an excursion to Albania.

(Kuba Obuch and his team using WiTalk9 as a navigation tool on their excursion to Albania.)

Automatic Gain Control for Quieter Team Talk During Livestream

For the last 2 years, Verus Studio has been producing the Red Bull Rap & Mat. This show combines the dynamic worlds of freestyle rap and competitive sports. Participants face off in a unique format where rappers showcase their lyrical skills while engaging in various athletic challenges.

"On the set of the Red Bull show, we work with 14 cameras, from which the director and DOP (Director of Photography) have a preview. When we go live, it is very useful that the headset amplifies our voices - so you can speak more quietly and not create noise," said Kuba.

WiTalk9 is engineered with an AGC algorithm, a.k.a. Automatic Gain Control. It increases or lowers microphone gain (volume) automatically depending on the speaker's volume, ensuring a consistent audio level and intelligibility during the team talk. Since the crew doesn't have to manually turn knobs or press buttons to adjust the gain level in the middle of the live stream, they can be focused on the production 100%, delivering a smooth viewing experience for the audience.

(Kuba Obuch with WiTalk9 on a film set.)

Dual Antennas for Cross-Room Communication

"The intercom definitely accelerated the response to situations on the set and made communication with the client during the program smooth, even though the crew was distributed in several rooms. Recently on the set of a large music video, where most of the lights were positioned outside the building. Thanks to the efficient communication, everything went much faster. Also, the information between the operator and the focus puller was more precise. I think the best punch line for this system will be that most of the crew asked when we will have more intercoms," said Kuba.

The fact that the Verus team can communicate across rooms and walls exemplifies WiTalk9's strong signal and stability. The headset system operates on the 1.9 GHz frequency band, which means that team talks are transmitted on a less crowded band, resulting in lower interference from devices such as Bluetooth devices, Wi-Fi routers, and microwaves. And thanks to its better range and stronger penetration, the system is suitable for large venues and complex environments.

(Kuba and his team wearing WiTalk9 in the middle of a shoot.)

Single-Hand Operation for Comfortable Navigation

(Kuba and his team navigating their cars through rugged mountains using WiTalk9.)

3 cars and 6 people. Across "cursed mountains". Away from civilization. No room for mistakes.

Combined, these phrases paint a picture that you can hardly associate an intercom system with. However, the Verus team got creative and used WiTalk9 on their recent trip to Albania.

"Intercoms are a completely different comfort of navigation. Constant communication without the need to press buttons allows you to react quickly when you need to avoid a protruding stone or prevent the cars from falling into an abyss, which are quite a few in the mountains," shared Kuba.

On the trip, Kuba and drivers outfitted themselves with a WiTalk9 headset. With Kuba out there providing instructions and drivers carefully navigating through the rugged terrain, they made their way through the unfriendly mountains safe and sound.

WiTalk9 inherits popular traits of its previous generation and the industry: push to talk, pull up to mute and pull down to talk, volume knob, mute button, and many more. The minimum and single-hand operation makes the system easy and intuitive to use. With WiTalk9, the design team upgraded protein leather to cooling gel as the cushion material, lending the system a better wearing experience and enhanced sweatproof capability.

The Availability of WiTalk9 and WiTalk9 SE

The WiTalk9 Series and WiTalk9 SE Series are now available to worldwide users. Order WiTalk9 here and WiTalk9 SE here.

If you want to have hands-on experience with the systems first to make sure they are the right choice, find your local brick-and-mortar distributor to book a demo here.

About Verus Studio and Paradox Media

Paradox Media

Paradox Media is a Polish media agency that produce commercials, corporate films, animations, video reports, short films, documentations and product films. Their services are provided in Poland and abroad, for individuals and corporates. The company prides themselves on their ability to join projects at any stage thanks to their years of experience since 2014.

Verus Studio, partner of Paradox Media, is a Warsaw-based space with years of experience in commercial production where the emphasis is on the effectiveness and production friendliness. The studio provides filming services for large brands and is generous with good advice and equipment.