Custom Audio Installations
Distributed Audio In Our Daily Lives
Frank Sinatra gently sings Copacabana in the background as you pick up a jar of strawberry jelly, when suddenly the jar slips from your fingertips and explodes upon the supermarket floor. A voice resonates throughout the building, “We need someone to clean up aisle nine!” Then Mr. Sinatra’s music gently fades back up.
Endless Applications
Restaurants, fitness centers, office buildings, and many other businesses rely on a specific kind of sound system. These systems are referred to as “distributed audio systems”. A building or retail location with a system running audio helps control the environment and create a positive experience for your customers.
Ambiance Through Acoustics
What truly differentiates a distributed audio system from a standard PA system is that transformers are built into the speakers, and special amplifiers are used to power the speakers properly.
The on board electronics inside the speakers distribute the power from the amplifier evenly and safely.
This enables all of the speakers in the building to be chained together in parallel, which in turn enables the hotel staff to announce that “Elvis has left the building.”
Introduction to Distributed Audio Systems
“Surface-Mount” style speakers traditionally offer higher quality sound quality for music and are easier to install. Ceiling-Mount speakers are hidden away inside of ceilings and walls and offer a higher quality choice for visually non-invasive, aesthetically-minded customers. Structural limitations must be taken into consideration when designing a distributed audio system. Varying construction materials such as drop ceilings, concrete walls, and high rafters will affect your speaker options, mounting options, and the sonic characteristics of the space.
Once the proper speakers are chosen, you will need a distributed amplifier. You will either need a multi-channel If you want to have different audio playing in different zones, like the fitness club described earlier, you’re going to need an amplifier with multiple zone controls.
Next you must consider what sound sources will be needed. These sound sources may include microphones, a CD player, an MP3 player, radio, satellite radio, the audio output from a DVD player, cassette players, etc. More often than not, an installation will require mixing more than one of these sound sources. This is why a mixer is required. ComputerStuff4You sells both stand-alone distributed audio mixers, and mixers that are integrated into the distributed amplifier in a single unit.
ComputerStuff4You also sells distributed audio mixers with several audio devices already built into them. There are other systems that can incorporate remote access, iOS device control, Bluetooth capabilities, Google Music Streaming, iCloud support and Amazon Cloud Drive, as music and audio sources.
Alternative Solutions
Other possibilities to consider are options such as remotely positioned volume controls. This way a yoga instructor can turn down the volume, and a Jazzercise instructor can crank it up. There is equipment available that gives you the option of installing a wall-mounted volume control that also features a microphone input and a button to select the proper audio for the room. There are many different components available to customize a system that could give your business a creative edge.
Another option to consider is the use of a “ducker”. In the professional audio world, a ducker is not something you throw breadcrumbs at in the park. A ducker allows your voice to be louder than the background music when you make an announcement, like when you dropped that jar of mayonnaise and the check-out clerk’s voice momentarily overpowered Frank Sinatra. Interfacing your telephone or fire alarm into the distributed audio system are also possibilities.
If you’re planning on installing a system, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the process of matching out amplifiers with speakers. There are more resources about this topic available at the websites of some of the manufacturers that ComputerStuff4You carries, such as Atlas, Bogen, and JBL. The majority of larger scale systems are designed by experienced professionals.
A qualified contractor needs to be familiar with all of the options available, and all the pitfalls to avoid. In both cases, proper system design will serve all of your organization’s needs and let you concentrate on more important matters, like cleaning up aisle nine.
