Revamp the bell

from School News - NZ - Term 3, 2022

student engagement

By Rosie Clarke, Editor Has your school considered upgrading its communications system?

When deciding on budgets and key purchases to streamline school operations, it’s important to note that IP paging and PA systems have moved on from the classic brass bell that used to signal break times. In fact, IP paging and PA systems have a range of new functions that boost security, enable creative use of speakers for schoolwide events and competitions, more effi cient communication between classroom teachers and school administrators, emergency messaging, and more. Yet, few school staff seem to know about these innovative features and technologies. School News investigates how IP paging and PA system designs have evolved to meet new needs in today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape…

IP Paging and PA system recommendations for schools: Industry experts sound-off

Tony Edwards, Director of Sound Choice Pro Audio, advised us that: “The new technology currently available with IP paging systems is a real game changer for schools. No longer is the school bell just a bell sound. For example, playing a song in te reo Māori during Māori Language week. “Some of the main features of the new IP Paging systems is the ability for individual classrooms to play their own music through the system speakers.

“A teacher can play the audio from their laptop and if a paging announcement is made, the laptop audio will mute and continue once the announcement ends. This saves the school money as there is no duplication of equipment in the classroom. “It is also possible for school admin or other staff members to listen in on a classroom if a teacher has to leave the room briefl y. “Intercom links back to the school admin desk or main offi ce are becoming popular too, as teachers can call and have two-way conversations. “Unfortunately, schools are unaware of a lot of the features now available, I get a lot of feedback from schools saying that they wished they had known more about the features and costs savings that IP paging systems can off er. The schools get limited budgets, so it makes sense not to have to spend money on diff erent standalone systems that are not integrated with each other.

Illustration supplied by New Era Technology

An ICT Solution For Every School

As New Zealand’s leading ICT specialists for Education, New Era has solutions for all types of schools.

ICT Services & Support VoIP Device Procurement Cyber Security Cloud Services PA & Bell Systems BYOD Programs Digital Signage

Image supplied by Edward Sound System

“One of the biggest advantages of an IP-based system is this scalability; you can add new zones, additional speakers, input panels, intercoms, etc., by simply having a spare data port so that the system is futureproofed for years to come.” Schools’ top considerations when installing or upgrading IP paging and PA systems should be clarity around what you need, according to Edwards Sound representative, Jonathan Neil: “Don’t get sold add-ons that are not useful.

“While there are a lot of add-ons, apps, and automation available, my advice is usually to keep it simple. Keep the paging system for what it is for (housekeeping, emergencies, and the bell) rather than providing access to many users and connecting additional equipment. While you can change the bell sound for any piece of music and allow for some creativity, I suggest keeping the piece short (10 seconds, not three minutes!), and don’t change it too oft en. Keep the bass under control too as the speakers used for paging and bell systems are designed to provide the best clarity in vocal frequencies. For instance, nightclubs use very diff erent speakers for bass! “The equipment interface is robust and user access can be controlled, but if it is confi gured to allow children to run a radio station at lunchtime or other ad-hoc uses there is the possibility of someone accidentally giving that music priority over the lockdown or evacuation functions.

“It can be made harder to do this by controlling logins and who has access to make changes, but it’s a risk – buy them a small DJ set for the quad instead.” He added: “One use that is oft en requested is connection to the fi re alarm in addition to the lockdown and evacuation messages. This is possible but your fi re alarm is a standalone system with very strict rules around maintenance and performance. The paging system can be a secondary warning and play the evacuation messages, but your fi re alarm must stand alone and not rely on the paging system at all.” Voicepro’s Technical Service Manager, Simon Gillett suggested schools fi rst consider “something that is future proof and easy to maintain”. “The school admin team should be able to self admin most of the features they would need by way of a website that can be accessed from any school admin computer.” In terms of functionality: “More schools want to administer complex bell and PA solutions in-house. The beauty of most solutions these days is they have user friendly options for changing bell times, schedules, alert sounds, speaker volumes, and classroom zones. So, there's no need for a specifi c server which is complicated to access, diffi cult to program and can oft en crash with windows updates or IT network changes so if the school going into lockdown updates can be updated from anywhere not from one microphone or PA desk phone stuck in reception.” “Other new features include playing music throughout the school during an opening day, having diff erent bell schedules for each day of the week, integrating into CCTV/ security systems to set off a school wide message warning intruders to leave the property, and full integration into either existing phone systems”. “Each PA speaker unit can have everything it needs built-in, like volume controls, amplifi er, and zone programming so if one classroom needs renovating you can simply unplug the speaker out of the way and plug it back in again or reposition it to another data point when ready.” “This also means adding on additional speakers/classrooms are a breeze, all you need is the additional speakers, no clunky copper wiring back to aging amplifi ers and worrying about voltages, overhead wires, and distances.”

New Era Technology’s Solutions Architect Michael Askew said that “lots of schools are thinking about a bell replacement” but urges schools to consider the many other exciting functionalities that IP Paging and PA systems bring. “They are able perform the function of a classic school bell but are modernised so you can adjust what sound the bell will be. Some schools decide to use music for the bell and the students get to decide what the music will be. At Alfriston College, for example, whichever whanau is winning in whanau points gets to decide the song for the next term and students must be in class before the song fi nishes. However, he told us that “scalability” is his top consideration for schools: “You want to be able to add, move or remove, a new speaker easily. It's a good idea to take advantage of the PoE switching that is being off ered as a part of the Te Mana Tuhono (Network Hardware Replacement) program off ered by N4L (Network 4 Learning). Lots of speaker systems can be powered via your data network which saves a lot of money. “Another consideration is that this system can be maintained by your IT provider. Traditionally, it has been up to the property team to look aft er the system, but with the trend moving more towards a network-based solution, it makes sense for IT to be able to support and maintain this.” Additionally, “I fi nd a lot of schools are moving towards VOIP phone solutions in response to the copper network being phased out within New Zealand. This opens a lot of opportunity to implement an IP paging system and I’m also seeing trends towards more specialty labs for media as the requirements for these subjects is a fair bit higher than your average BYOD user.” For an IP based system, JPRO representatives Eli Murray and Nicholas van Dyk recommended that schools prioritise network infrastructure: “This is vitally important to the success of the AV system. It must be on its own standalone network with the number of switches (hops) kept to a minimum, as this is oft en the weakest link.

“For PA systems, even audio coverage, speech clarity and acoustics that avoid unnecessary sound refl ections is important as well as user-friendliness.”

Moreover: “Due to the open architecture platform of some control systems, sett ings can be customised via iPad for paging systems if necessary. Staff enjoy the simplicity of switching between a touch panel and mixing console with the touch of a butt on. As the sound fi les are digital, schools can easily change the sound for an event, so if a school were to have a ‘retro week’ using the classic bell sound, they could easily do that.” “Batt ery powered portable sound systems are also becoming more popular. These systems have built-in audio mixers and sound processing that help eliminate feedback, are remote controllable via an app and provide a true ‘all-in-one’ sound system experience. “Some portable batt ery powered all-in-one column array speakers can carry sound farther and clearer than conventional point source or horn speakers, without the sound having to be too loud or annoying in the front. These produce good quality sound and can be used in many sett ings such as indoor and outdoor assemblies, sports days, and within drama departments. “We also recommend schools look out for options to demo an audio solution before purchasing. This allows you to know how a system will perform before it is installed.”

Image supplied by JPRO

Staff enjoy the simplicity of switching between a touch panel and mixing console with the touch of a button

Bells, Intercoms, Paging, Alerts, Local Inputs, Full site wide Integration

Talk to us regarding all of your IP Paging system requirements www.scpaudio.co.nz Ph 0224163578

IP PA SYSTEM

Most cost-effective, Less delay.

Not all loudspeakers are made equal

Have you experienced talking through a portable PA system and those around you couldn’t hear clearly, or a loudspeaker that only reached halfway down the hall or school fi eld before becoming muffl ed?

Not all loudspeakers are made equal. JBL Professional have designed purpose-built speakers in-house for over 75 years and have loudspeaker solutions for education so that every pupil can hear and stay engaged. “Good quality speakers mean bett er coverage at a lower volume, oft en with less speakers due to their effi ciency in professional audio design,” says AV designer Nicholas van Dyk from authorised JBL distributor JPRO. “This in turn has a positive impact on teachers and pupils as they are not mentally fatigued or lose focus due to poor sound and acoustics.” When an existing school sound system is no longer suitable or a new facility requires a complete AV solution, JPRO can help. As a leading NZ distributor with nationwide support, JPRO designs world-class technology sound systems for schools and has been doing so for more than 30 years, providing a wide range of Layer 3 audio, video and control (AVC) solutions. “Each school has their own requirement and we tailor solutions specifi c to their needs. We can off er a demonstration of our solution based on our design as a ‘try before you buy’ approach, which is benefi cial for decision makers to know how a system will perform before it is installed.”

JBL innovations in amplifi er, loudspeaker and batt ery technologies have led to the rise of compact, portable batt ery powered PA systems that set up fast, are easy to operate and pack a sonic punch.

“When considering PA systems to purchase, it is important to remember that not all loudspeakers are equal. Take into consideration product warranty and serviceability, frequency response, audio SPL and local product support. Buying any professional sound system should be considered a long-term investment, providing many enjoyable years of use.”