Maintaining communications with others on your crew while filming can be a pain. You can’t see where people are, and you can’t be yelling for them when you’re trying to record, either. That’s where headsets come in, offering communication between small and large crews on set.
One company that’s been leading the way with affordable headset systems is Saramonic. They launched their WiTalk system at last year’s IBC, and we reviewed the system here. Now, Saramonic has announced the latest generation of WiTalk9 headsets ($394–$1,349) at IBC 2024.
Saramonic WiTalk9 On-Set Intercom
The WiTalk9 looks like a refined version of the previous WiTalk system we reviewed earlier in the year. It has the same range and offers 2-9 people sets, giving small crews full-duplex communication between them. And it does it without a hub.
The WiTalk9 can combine up to four sets for a maximum total of 30 headsets with up to 400 metres line of sight range. This allows medium and large crews to communicate with each other easily on set. And each comes supplied with a case and 2 batteries. Each battery provides up to 8 hours of life and the unit comes with a charger that’s powered from DC or USB power bank.
While the feature doesn’t appear to be implemented yet, it appears Saramonic is working on something a little special. Remote crews. This allows a crew in one location to communicate with a crew in a different location via the Internet.
This can be very handy if crew members aren’t all able to make it to the same location at the same time and someone needs a consult. Or, perhaps you’re working with remote editors who need to be able to hear the communications coming through to know what footage to expect next.
Saramonic hasn’t said when this feature will be coming, but it is in development and will be implemented in a future firmware update.
Saramonic WiTalk9 SE For Smaller Crews
The Saramoinc WiTalk9 SE is a slightly cut-down version of the WiTalk9 for smaller crews. It comes in sets of 2-5 headsets, and you can join up to two sets together for a total of 9 headsets. The WiTalk9 SE has a longer latency at 140ms than the WiTalk9’s 83ms. But in general conversation that shouldn’t be an issue.
The WiTalk9 SE does offer one big advantage over the WiTalk9, and that’s battery life. Saramonic claims that the WiTalk9 SE offers up to a whopping 24 hours of battery life. It also features the same three-microphone array noise cancelling system.
Price and Availability
The Saramonic WiTalk9 is available to pre-order now in kits from 2-9 single-ear headsets from between $349 and $1,349. Pricing does not yet appear to be available for WiTalk9 SE headsets, but we’ll update this post when we hear more.
