Biamp

Networked public address and voice evacuation solution brings centralized control, clarity and flexibility to legacy stations

BEAVERTON, Oregon — Biamp Systems, a leading provider of innovative, networked media systems, announced that the company's Vocia® networked public address and voice evacuation solution has been deployed in the City of Calgary's upgraded C-Train light rail system. Flexible and easy to use, Vocia delivers capabilities likes zoned paging for both prerecorded and live messaging via a decentralized system architecture, which is easily expanded to support the city's growing public transportation needs.

To serve the needs of its rapidly growing population, Calgary city leaders approved the addition of a new line to the city's light rail system, as well as much-needed technological upgrades to older stations using outdated public address systems. For the upgrades, the city required a paging and voice evacuation solution that provided significant improvements in audio quality, fidelity, and clarity; iron-clad reliability; and the ability to manage the entire system from a single central location. To meet these robust requirements, integrator Unified Systems Group turned to Biamp's Vocia product line.

"Vocia was the perfect solution for meeting the numerous demands of this complex installation," said Leon Tippett, audio visual integration manager, Unified Systems Group. "Six C-Train stations were upgraded initially, and the flexibility and scalability of Vocia will make it simple to expand the system to the other 39 stations. To increase efficiency, train managers can now perform system diagnostics, changes, and adjustments from the convenience of a central office instead of traveling to each individual station. Additionally, Vocia's ambient noise compensation allows for clear messaging in any of the line's train stops. Calgary Transit is very impressed with their new system and its capabilities."

Each of the six upgraded C-Train stations were equipped with one Vocia VI-6 six-channel audio input device for analog and digital paging inputs, two VA-8600 amplifiers, two ANC-1 ambient noise compensation devices to control audio output levels automatically, 16 AM-600 amplifier module cards, and 16 ELD-1 end-of-line devices for remote line monitoring. The system's modular hardware is paired with easy-to-use software, the centerpiece of which is a powerful dashboard that allows quick and easy access to diagnostics, system health information, status, usage, audio levels, and more. The software allows train managers to monitor, log, and control components remotely from a central location, and install or replace new units quickly and easily. The system meets EN 54-16 product certification and EN 60849/AS 60849 system verification.

"With its flexibility, easy-to-use software, and legendary Biamp sound quality and reliability, Vocia is ideal for large-scale public address and life safety systems," said Steve Kawasaki, sales development director for Western North America at Biamp. "We're pleased to help improve the commuting experience for hundreds of thousands of passengers who rely on the C-Train each day, and look forward to supporting future expansion as Calgary's transit needs continue to evolve."