How to define where music goes on a PA system

[SpudMuffin]

So, the business I am working at has a speaker system that the receptionist uses to announce incoming calls, etc. It is a 50 year old system and I am replacing the amplifier with one that integrates an mp3 player (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PV9J5BZ). However, the rest of the business (4 main shop areas) does not want to hear the music. We would like the music to play in the showroom and nowhere else and still be overridden with the announcements from the receptionist. All the speaker wires for the business (9 speakers) come in to a junction box above the amplifier in the ceiling.

Thanks for your help

 

[EERecordist]

You might look at https://www.biamp.com/. I don't know if you have big enough system needs. I have known many people there and they are a leader in inside-the-building PA systems. They do a lot of hospitals with complex requirements on where different announcements go. My VP friend there moved after the company was sold, but the products are the same. They are not about music fidelity, more about intelligibility. It all rides on the IT network system.

 

[Wolf11Man]

The cheapest and most rewarding solution is not to touch the PA system and install speakers dedicated to music only.
The old 100V system will sound incredible bad. Make it wireless and you have no down time in the shops.

 

[Cbdb2]

The cheapest and most rewarding solution is not to touch the PA system and install speakers dedicated to music only.
The old 100V system will sound incredible bad. Make it wireless and you have no down time in the shops.

No such thing as wireless speakers. If there powered they need AC and AC is much more expensive to run than speaker wire, especially in commercial spaces where the code often means conduit or armored cable.
You also want the music to cut out during announcements, that set up won't do it.

 

[SpudMuffin]

There is a separate "mic in" on the amp that is active with an input if that helps. Was hoping there would be a way to "inject" music into the line for the showroom..... Maybe a separate amp for the showroom and split the mic into that amp?

 

[Cbdb2]

So, the business I am working at has a speaker system that the receptionist uses to announce incoming calls, etc. It is a 50 year old system and I am replacing the amplifier with one that integrates an mp3 player (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PV9J5BZ). However, the rest of the business (4 main shop areas) does not want to hear the music. We would like the music to play in the showroom and nowhere else and still be overridden with the announcements from the receptionist. All the speaker wires for the business (9 speakers) come in to a junction box above the amplifier in the ceiling.

Thanks for your help

That is a 1 zone amp, only one output which means every speaker has the same signal. You need a 2 zone amp if you want some speakers for music (there own zone) while the rest are only for announcements. You also want an Amp that will mute the music when the mic is being used, don't know if that one does it.

 

[raindance]

There is a separate "mic in" on the amp that is active with an input if that helps. Was hoping there would be a way to "inject" music into the line for the showroom..... Maybe a separate amp for the showroom and split the mic into that amp?

Splitting the mic isn't so easy, but it makes the most sense because a separate amp is required to do what you want. RDL might make a module that will preamp/ split the mic.

 

[Cbdb2]

There is a separate "mic in" on the amp that is active with an input if that helps. Was hoping there would be a way to "inject" music into the line for the showroom..... Maybe a separate amp for the showroom and split the mic into that amp?

If Rockville makes a 2 zone amp like this one it might be your answer, if the talkover button does what I think it does, mutes the music.

 

[antcollinet]

So, the business I am working at has a speaker system that the receptionist uses to announce incoming calls, etc. It is a 50 year old system and I am replacing the amplifier with one that integrates an mp3 player (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PV9J5BZ). However, the rest of the business (4 main shop areas) does not want to hear the music. We would like the music to play in the showroom and nowhere else and still be overridden with the announcements from the receptionist. All the speaker wires for the business (9 speakers) come in to a junction box above the amplifier in the ceiling.

Thanks for your help

You need to first check the system is not a distributed PC with DC volts sent to all the speakers. If so then a standard amp may not work.

Audio Systems - Basic Principles of a PA System - Prospero Integrated

www.prosperointegrated.com

I think the "don't touch the existing PA idea is a good one. Separate music system - with changeover switch for the microphone.

 

[raindance]

I looked and Art Audio makes a mic splitter, so you could re-use the old amp and add one of these. Splitcom Pro is the model.

 

[fieldcar]

It is a 50 year old system and I am replacing the amplifier with one that integrates an mp3 player (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PV9J5BZ). However, the rest of the business (4 main shop areas) does not want to hear the music. We would like the music to play in the showroom and nowhere else and still be overridden with the announcements from the receptionist. All the speaker wires for the business (9 speakers) come in to a junction box above the amplifier in the ceiling.

Since it's a commercial 70V system, everything is usually just a bunch of speakers in parallel, and to send it to different zones means to separate the parallel run between the zone with music and the receptionist. You just need to get a multi zone commercial amp.

A few keywords for what you're looking for are: multi zone commercial matrix mixing amplifier

Here is an option. It allows different routing per zone.

Amazon.com

 

[Prana Ferox]

To get the music to stop for announcements and then come back on, you're looking for a ducking device.

 

[SpudMuffin]

Thanks guys... I am leaving for the 4th weekend so I won't be back on until Monday. Thanks for the input so far. Have a happy 4th!