One of AdVision TV's resident Sound Supervisor, Nick Way supplies custom presenter / contributor earpieces.

Background

"I tutor at Ravensbourne College and work for BBC Training and Development and Bill Curtis Associates as well as offer career advice to schools and colleges. Last year I mixed the coverage of the Queen’s Jubilee for the Canadian national broadcaster CBC, and the Queen Mother’s funeral for CTV . I work on programmes as diverse as CBBC and Audley Harrison Boxing.

Having left school I spent time at Warwick University. After a brief period in short term employment I joined the BBC. I spent sixteen wonderful years mostly at BBC Television Centre and left to go freelance nearly eight years ago. During my time in television I have worked on many programmes such as Blackadder, Eastenders, Top of the Pops and too many others to list here. I have launched 5 News and Simply Money and now act as a consultant as well as tutor."

Earpieces

I supply a left and right pair of earpieces. This is for several reasons:

• Either ear can be used depending on the shot taken and so can be better concealed.
• Ears should be swapped regularly to reduce potential damage from too long exposure, especially during continuous live cable channels.
• If suffering with an ear infection, the other ear can be used.

I visit at a mutually agreed venue and time, either at your studio, or your office. After careful examination of both ears using an otoscope to check if they are clear to proceed, and using a silicone based impression material, I take two moulds of each ear. These impressions, which set in about five minutes, are then sent to a laboratory for making into presenters personal earpieces. The whole process of inspection and impression taking lasts about twenty-five minutes, and delivery from the lab takes about a week.

I keep the impressions for an indefinite time or until they fail-perhaps five years-in case you lose your earpiece, so a replacement can be quickly ordered without taking further impressions. Using the same process I can also supply in-ear monitoring for musicians and performers as well as items for covert and security communications.