The new paging system installed by Avalon Communications into the ExCeL as part of the 90,000sq.m world-class, state-of-the-art event space in London’s Docklands, will run on a major BSS Soundweb network. Corporate communications events at ExCeL are hosted in large, reconfigurable halls, enhanced by a sophisticated IT and communication infrastructure. The venue was intent on having a flexible paging system utilising the recently-installed Avalon distributed Jupiter voice evacuation system. Thus Avalon sales engineer Stephen McCay, in conjunction with LMC Audio’s Tom Davis, designed and commissioned the system to meet the venue’s digital networking requirements, based around ten 9088 Soundweb Mk2s and six 9000 hubs. "Whereas the Avalon equipment provides a fully-monitored voice alarm solution via a dedicated digital highway," said McCay, "we cannot match the flexibility or features of the Soundweb system for the public address element of this project."Two simultaneous spaces, with multiple microphone points, form the exhibition areas on either side of the central boulevard, and each mic point can be programmed to broadcast to any of the other exhibition areas or halls, depending on the configurations. McCay and Davis looked at two possible PC-based networking systems but quickly decided on Soundweb. Avalon, in conjunction with LMC, submitted a proposal, together with a picture of what the end-user interface would look like; the building contractors rubber-stamped the proposal, and Soundweb went online at the end of January.Tom Davis of LMC Audio praised the additional attributes of the new Mk2 version of Soundweb. "The additional processing power results in a faster response time which is very useful for online monitoring."
