Theater & Concert Orpheus in Apeldoorn, one of the five largest theaters in the Netherlands that offers three halls with a capacity between 242 and 1,286 seats as well as an affiliated restaurant has been equipped with new public address and voice evacuation system utilizing the Bosch Praesensa platform.
The requirement was to upgrade the current solution to meet the necessary regulatory requirements for public buildings and ensure it received the required EN certification. Praesensa is designed as a cost-efficient IP-based system, and with a smart-power concept and integrated redundancy, it is well suited for both centralized and decentralized network topologies.
The main challenge for the theater was the integration of the house PA and background music system with the voice evacuation system. The aim was an approach that would give the theater complete control over all of its Dante-based audio facilities from one interface, with Praesensa’s built-in OMNEO networking architecture helping to make this happen. OMNEO is an IP-based architectural approach to connecting devices to exchange information such as audio content and device control that’s able to integrate with Dante networks.
A key aspect of the roject was ensuring the systems were integrated without infringing on the functions of the evacuation system, which needs to be able to completely take over from the house PA and background music system in the event of an emergency. It also must offer sufficient flexibility on the background music channels when the system is in normal operation.
With OMNEO facilitating Dante audio, users are provided with flexibility on the various audio routings within the venue. A 32-channel Dante matrix sits at the heart of the approach, allowing users to manage the entire house system without affecting the Praesensa public address and voice evacuation system.
“The main deciding factor in this project was the requirement for IP-based linking,” says Henry Bax from Connect AV, the systems integrator. “The evacuation alarm system also had to meet high audio quality standards, because the different zones and loudspeakers are also used for various activities in the venue.”
To add an extra level of complexity to the project, the switchover needed to be done while the venue was operational. Praesensa helps facilitate this, with Connect AV BV able install the new system while also keeping the original one working as a backup.
“Due to the very good cooperation between all involved parties, the migration went very well, without hiccups,” concludes Bax. “The goal of upgrading the evacuation alarm system to the latest regulations have been achieved, so that an inspection certificate could be issued.”
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