Distributed Public Address

RealSound and Vision are established experts at designing, supplying and installing 100V line distributed sound systems. Facilities can include:

• Single or multi zone public address announcements
• Background music
• Audio management and control for emergency evacuation

Our primary equipment brands are:

AUDIO MIXERS

The mixers we specify for installed public address range from 4 or 6 input, single zone output units to maybe 8 or more inputs and, theoretically, as many output zones are you need.

Operating a single zone mixer means that all music, audibale alerts or paging announcements are broadcast to all areas at the same time. You can have control over the audio volume in certain areas if this is useful for you but there is no control over selecting which broadcast signal goes where.

In our more sophisticated zone matrix systems, you might have a music media player, various ‘electronic’ school bells and perhaps a number of paging microphones strategically located at various points around the building(s). Via signal routing which takes place back at the equipment rack, various output signals can be selected for broadcast into specific areas. Routing and re-routing can be pre-set and changed at intervals or achieved ‘on the fly’ by having e.g. paging microphones with multiple zone select buttons. With such multi input / output zone systems, you again have the facility to control audio volume in each and every specific area throughout the building(s).

100V LINE AMPLIFIERS  

 

 

Each power amplifier can range from 60W to 500W output. They operate on the 100V line constant voltage principle, rather than the more usual low impedance principle found in smaller audio systems – including domestic hi-fi. Each ceiling or wall mount loudspeaker has an integral transformer with a range of output ‘tappings’. For a ceiling speaker, these might typically be 1W, 2W, 4W and 8W. The idea is that you can daisy chain numerous speakers together – as you would also find in a supermarket, factory, warehouse or big retail store – as long as the total wattage does not exceed the output power of the amplifier. So, you tap each speaker to the maximum output power you want it to draw from the system and output as music or announcements. So if you have, for example, a 120W power amplifier, you can connect up 120 ceiling speakers tapped at 1W each or 60 tapped at 2W or 30 tapped at 4 watts and any other combination of mixed wattages as appropriate to each area. It’s that easy!

Separate power amplifiers are normally specified where you need more power than a mixer amplifier (see below) can provide or where you need additional features only found on independent audio mixers (as per above).

100V LINE MIXER AMPLIFIERS  

 

 

As the name suggests, mixer amplifiers combine the components of an audio mixer and a power amplifier. Whilst being ideal for many distributed public address installations, they often lack the more complex routing options offered by an independent mixer and a number of power amplifiers. For smaller installed PA systems, mixer amplifiers are our first choice as they are far more cost effective.

PAGING MICROPHONES  

 

 

Desk top paging microphones are always an important feature in distributed public address installations. From a single push button all-call microphone (as shown on the left), we can also provide you multi zone microphones to operate via multi zone mixers (as featured above) for anywhere between 4 and 64 channels.

MEDIA PLAYERS 

 

 

 

We are often asked to provide background music throughout a PA system. Most popular choices of media player are multi disc CD changers or SD/USB memory devices as well as DAB/FM radio tuners.

LOUDSPEAKERS

For paging announcements, background music or emergency evacuation, we can offer you a very extensive range of ceiling mount or wall mount loudspeakers for indoor or outdoor installation. Drawing on over 30 years of industry experience, we carefully select the right components so that good voice intelligibility and high quality music output is assured.

 

INSTALLATION SERVICES

With experienced installation engineers right across the UK, we look forward to being of service to you.