Mira Showers: Networked PA System

Location:    Cheltenham, UK
Client:          Kohler Mira
Integrator:  Midland Communications

The Client:

For almost 100 years, Mira Showers has been leading the way in the UK showering market, offering high quality showering solutions to the individual and the contract market; including showers, fittings, enclosures, trays and wall panels.

System Requirements:

Mira Showers manufacturing plant in Cheltenham required a complete overhaul of its public address and emergency messaging system to provide clear and flexible staff communication throughout its expanding site.
Due to the scale of operation and the requirement for an expandable system, a networked audio-over-IP system offered the ideal solution and so IP public address specialists Midland Communications were called in to offer a solution.
The main criteria of the client’s brief was to offer full zone control of the site’s multiple buildings, whilst offering future-proof flexibility to easily increase the scale, output and number of zones on the system at a later date.

The Solution:

System integrators Midland Communications completed a detailed site survey of the Mira factory and concluded that the 2N Net Speaker Audio-over-IP system offered the ideal solution.

Working together with CIE’s system design team, Midland Communications accepted proposal combined the latest IP audio with 100v line amplification and loudspeakers, blending the very latest network signal distribution with reliable and robust conventional audio technologies.

The resulting installed system focuses on the 2N Net Speaker AoIP technology which allows the audio signals to be transmitted throughout the site using existing Cat5 network infrastructure, as well as providing full control of zones, messaging and signal distribution via a software management system.

The system can also be controlled via either of the audio networks two 2N NetMic IP Microphone Consoles. These specialised multi-zone microphones (which are sited in the main building’s reception area and remote security office) allow paging, music and stored messages to be sent to any or all of the existing or future additional zones.

In addition to live paging from the microphone, the 2N NetMic also has a digital audio store facility which allows for a number of pre-recorded messages and tones to be stored and played back via the multi-zone microphone device. This feature is used to great effect in the Mira Showers project as an emergency messaging facility, providing evacuation warnings to all staff with priority override of all other audio signals being broadcast on the system at that time.

The 2N networked audio system also provides integration with the site’s existing telephone system, allowing for paging and messaging to be broadcast throughout the site from any of the telephone handsets.

The integrated  PA system also uses CIE’s InterM range of 100v line professional amplification. The InterM DPA-600S and PAM-480A are the ‘power’ behind the system, integrating with the audio-over-IP technology to drive almost 40 loudspeakers throughout the site.

Product:

 - 2 x 2N 914010E Net Audio Decoder
 - 2 x 2N 914071E NetMic IP Zone Paging Microphone
 - InterM PAM480A 480W Mixer Amplifier
 - InterM DPA600S 600W 100v Power Amplifier

The benefits of a networked audio-over-IP system:

• Flexible:  Seamless integration into existing networks including legacy analog wiring
• Maintenance:  Lower installation, implementation and maintenance costs
• Scalable:  to multiple intercoms and paging stations – locally, multi-site or regionally
• Simplicity:  remote control and simple end-point expansion in intercom systems
• Control:  Software based zone management in paging systems

Let the CIE AV system design team help with your next networked-audio project

CIE AV Solutions is the leading UK supply partner for the 2N NetSpeaker Audio-over-IP solution. Our expert team of audio system designers and specifiers would be happy to assist and advise with any IP audio and public address systems; please call the team on T. 0115 9770075 or email [email protected]