Simulating Speech Intelligibility of Voice Evacuation Systems
Berlin, DE, August 17, 2011 – While development and discussion of NFPA 72 continues on the American continent, in Europe the same is true for EN / IEC 60849.
Both standards cover the requirements for voice alarm systems in public areas. While most imposed conditions can easily be tackled by detailed planning, the demand for minimum speech intelligibility still represents one of the greatest risks in system design.
German-based AFMG, renowned for decades in the field of sound propagation prediction, now provides a solution for that problem: EASE Evac is tailored for easy and quick simulation of large distributed loudspeaker systems and similar applications.
Until now, the common approach for both system designers and system integrators to guarantee an STI (speech intelligibility index) of 0.5 or more was to over-design voice alarm systems. The result was simple: more loudspeakers than necessary, more amplifiers, more batteries or generator power, increased cabling and installation work, higher costs. Additionally, the reduction of speech intelligibility through reverberation and echoes has often been underestimated even by professionals.
AFMG´s new EASE Evac software provides a convenient solution to this double dilemma. Within minutes users can draft an acoustic 3D model of rooms like hallways, foyers, conference rooms or even airport gate areas. A set of practical tools helps to quickly add even extensive systems of ceiling loudspeakers or additional wall-mounted systems. On a modern PC, EASE Evac will take only a few seconds to calculate a precise graphical prediction of the potential system´s performance in the space.
Stefan Feistel, managing director of AFMG, explains “With EASE Evac we are introducing a dedicated software package which provides an elegant and efficient solution to one of the most pressing problems in voice evacuation systems. Speech intelligibility can now be simulated even for complex systems and it only takes a few minutes! Since EASE Evac is using the same high-resolution GLL loudspeaker data files used in all simulation packages by AFMG, a large database of loudspeakers is readily available.
Leading manufacturers such as Honeywell in the US and Bosch in Europe are excited about the new possibilities EASE Evac offers to the life safety business. While our full simulation package EASE is capable of simulating even the most complex rooms and targets professional consultants and engineers, EASE Evac focuses on conventional rooms and simplifies the design approach thus saving time significantly.”
EASE Evac renders mappings of the direct or total SPL delivered by the system in the room. S/N ratio can also be investigated, but still more important is an accurate prediction of STI. In addition to STI, EASE Evac also provides CIS and ALCons mappings according to the user´s desire. All calculations are performed either on the basis of a reverberation time measured and entered by the user or derived from the wall materials and surface areas of the room model. A large, expandable database of materials is provided, of course.
All results can be exported as bitmap graphics, PDF or RTF to be used in all phases of a project. From generating a tender all the way to installing the loudspeakers, the extensive tables delivered by EASE Evac will speed up design work, promote system efficiency and reduce errors.
Free trial licenses and additional information are available at http://evac.afmg.eu.
EASE Evac is distributed directly through web-delivery by AFMG: www.AFMG.eu
EASE – Industry Standard for Acoustical Simulation of Rooms
Since the 1990´s, EASE has been setting the worldwide standard for acoustic simulation both inside rooms and in open areas. Rooms can be defined using a CAD module, absorption coefficients can be assigned to surfaces, and sound sources as well as listener positions can easily be added to the model. Data can then be used to generate an exact simulation of reverberation times, speech intelligibility and other acoustical parameters even before the room itself is built.
This is also very useful especially for predicting the performance of loudspeaker models in a suggested acoustical environment. EASE supports this by providing the most extensive loudspeaker database available on the market. EASE SpeakerLab assists loudspeaker manufacturers in continually providing new data in GLL format. SpeakerLab is frequently implemented by more and more manufacturers, and the GLL format provides possibilities to define loudspeakers and controllers in all their parameters. This is singular to the market; EASE continues to be unrivaled in ease of use, flexibility and precision in simulating electro- and room acoustics.
EASERA and SysTune – A Pair for all Requirements in Audio Measurement
AFMG´s EASERA is the universal software platform for all acoustical, electronic, and audio technical measurements. It fulfills the highest scientific demands. Beyond that, it has features that allow quick and comprehensive gathering of data in the field which can then be analyzed in depth when back in the office. EASERA has all established measurement signals ready in one coherent and easy-to-learn platform thus providing a multitude of options for measuring and evaluation.
Professionals worldwide value SysTune as the preferred software platform when it comes to analyzing and optimizing sound systems in operation. For this, SysTune provides multi-channel measurements in real time, giving sound engineers precise impulse and frequency responses, as well as delay times – even in the middle of the show with an audience present.
About the Ahnert Feistel Media Group (AFMG)
Located in Berlin, Germany, AFMG is a worldwide leader in software development for the pro audio industry. AFMG has created the industry standard programs EASE and EASERA for acoustic simulation and measurement, along with related products: EASE Focus, SysTune, EASE Address and EASE SpeakerLab. AFMG works closely with leading university faculties, manufacturers and design clients to apply the latest developments in acoustical research and computer technology.
For more information, including the latest news and forum posts, visit http://afmg.eu.
