Paging Station

1. Click the Processing tab to open the Processing Workspace.
2. In the palette area, click the DSP tab.
3. Expand the Paging/Room Combine category of blocks.
4. Click and drag the Paging Station block into your Processing Map.

note: Adding a Paging Station block to the processing map automatically adds a Station to the Paging Manager as a source of page audio, and routes its output audio to every Paging Zone.

5. (Optional) Customize the name of the block and its Input and Output nodes by clicking the current name and then typing a custom name in the text box that appears. Click the X to save the name. You can also rename the Station (that appears in the Paging Manager) by clicking the green Station flag on the processing block:

1. Open the Paging Station block's properties by double-clicking the block or hovering and clicking the properties icon that appears in the upper right of the block's title bar. The properties include the following:
   • A simplified Compressor block (with speech-optimized attack, release, and knee settings) that provides the dynamics processing required to handle different paging station users talking louder or softer, or closer to / further from the microphone.
   • A Parametric EQ block (2-band PEQ) that allows you to reject out-of-band noise and compensate for microphone frequency response.
   • An output Level block, allowing you to set the nominal volume of the page audio.
   • A display of the Paging Station controls (located on the left), that provide the control interface to the paging system.
2. Open the Compressor block's properties by double-clicking the block or hovering and clicking the properties icon that appears in the upper right of the block's title bar.
   • Set the compressor Threshold so that a nominal input signal sits half way between the Threshold and full scale.
   • Set the compression Ratio to allow as much variation in output level as your application can tolerate.
   • Use the Compressor block’s output Gain control to increase the output level until the nominal input level (usually -20 dBFS) produces a nominal output level (also usually -20 dBFS).
   • If you choose not to use the Compressor, bypass the block using the Bypass checkbox in the lower right corner of the property dialog.
3. Open the 2-band PEQ block's properties by double-clicking the block or hovering and clicking the properties icon that appears in the upper right of the block's title bar.
   • Use the Low-cut filter to attenuate low frequency noise below vocal frequencies (HVAC rumble, passing trains, etc).
   • Use the High-cut filter to attenuate high frequency noise above the vocal range (hiss from sibilance, white noise from nearby fountains, etc). The two parametric filter bands can compensate for microphone variance and further help ‘color’ the page input (add a little bass to a voice, etc).

   note: If you are running your compressor output near clipping for the loudest expected input, your PEQ bands Gain values are best set for attenuation (less than 0 dB).

   • If you choose not to use the PEQ Block, bypass the block using the Bypass checkbox in the lower right corner of the property dialog.
4. Open the Level block's properties by double-clicking the block or hovering and clicking the properties icon that appears in the upper right of the block's title bar.
   • Limit the range of the level control. To do so, open the Min and Max controls edit box by clicking the minimum or maximum value located beneath the slider. In the edit box that appears. Set the Min and Max to the values you want.
   • Give end users control over the page level by linking the Gain control with a DR1 or DR3 Level.
5. Working with the Paging Station controls on the left of the properties dialog box. Included is a list of the Paging Scenarios into which this Paging Station can page. The Paging Station block pages into only those Paging Scenarios that have been added to the Station using the Paging Manager. When Scenarios are added to the Station, they appear in this list with adjacent radio buttons. Selecting a Scenario prepares the Station to page into that Scenario. The Busy, Caution, and Ready indicators display the state of the Scenario:
   • If no Zones in the selected Scenario are being paged into through another Scenario, the Ready light illuminates.
   • If one or more Zones in the selected Scenario are currently receiving a page through a Scenario of equal or higher priority, the Busy light illuminates.
   • If one or more Zones in the selected Scenario are receiving a page through a Scenario of lower priority, the Caution indicator illuminates.

   Checking the Talk checkbox initiates a page into the selected Scenario. While paging into an available Scenario, the indicator above the Talk checkbox shows a status of Paging. If the page is attempted into a Busy Scenario (or a Scenario of higher priority overrides the page from this station), then the indicator above the Talk checkbox displays a status of Overridden.

   Control links are required for the end-user to manipulate the Scenario selector and Talk checkbox. Linking a selector and Toggle control from a Logic In port or from an Ethernet control system provides simple control over the Paging Station. The Logic In is adequate for systems that use a single Push-to-Talk microphone and possibly a two position switch to select between two Scenarios (for example, Page Lobby and Page All). If only one Scenario is used (for example, Page All), there is no need to link a control to the Scenario Selector. Linking Scenario selection to an Ethernet control system or to Rane’s Pager1 provides the ultimate in page selection flexibility.

For more details about working with the Paging Station block and the HAL paging system, see Adding and Configuring a Paging Station Block and About Paging.

UI Element	Purpose
Input node	Connection point for wiring input to the Paging Station block
Station flag	Represents the connection into the HAL paging system. Also includes the Station name that appears in the Paging Manager. To rename the Station, click the existing name and then type the new name in the edit box that appears.

 

UI Element	Purpose
Station controls (on left)	Displays the Paging Scenarios into which this Paging Station can page (configured in the Paging Manager). Includes a Selector control for linking to a remote device, giving end users the ability to select a Scenario. Displays the status of the selected Scenario (Busy, Caution, or Ready). Displays the status of the Paging Station (Off, Paging, or Overridden). Includes a Talk Toggle control that can be manually toggled and can also be linked to a remote device (for example, a push-to-talk microphone), giving end users the ability to page.
Compressor block	Provides the dynamics processing required to handle different paging station users talking louder or softer, or closer to / further from the microphone. Open its properties dialog box to configure its settings. For details, see the previous section (How to Use).
2-band PEQ block	Allows you to reject noise and compensate for microphone frequency response. Open its properties dialog box to configure its settings. For details, see the previous section (How to Use).
Level block	Allows you to set the nominal volume of the page audio. Open its properties dialog box to configure its settings. For details, see the previous section (How to Use).