Peavey Commercial Audio® announces the application of MediaMatrix® broadcast system technology at Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. MediaMatrix’s state-of-the-art solutions will provide this growing transportation hub several advantages, including high reliability, powerful processing, multiple broadcast types, comprehensive control features, and excellent broadcast sound quality, all on a secure network. MediaMatrix solutions at Qingdao Jiaodong were installed through an ongoing relationship with Sichuan Newway Electronics Co., Ltd., a professional system design and integration consulting company of advanced audio visual technologies.
Open for the past year, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport is the city’s first 4F-class airport, making it large enough to accommodate some of the world’s largest commercial aircraft. In a second phase, targeted for completion by 2045, the airport will accommodate two additional runways, and the terminal will expand from 450,000 to 700,000 square meters, meeting an annual passenger throughput of up to 60 million passengers.
Qingdao Jiaodong is among the top 25 airports in China, which see a passenger throughput of nearly 1 billion passengers annually. Seven of these airports use MediaMatrix solutions, broadcasting to 300 million passengers, or 30% of passenger throughput.
The main function of Qingdao Jiaodong’s broadcast system is to quickly and accurately disseminate passenger flight notifications, including emergency messages. Aware of the difficulties passengers have with hearing gate announcements and notifications, Qingdao Jiaodong sought a broadcast system with ample processing capacity, including semi-automatic broadcasting and TTS (text-to-speech). Powerful control and management functions were also needed to accommodate multiple languages, audio sources, and audience segments. Additionally, the audio parameters needed to meet the requirements of an on-site construction environment, and the audio matrix needed to be expandable for a growing facility.
MediaMatrix enterprise paging solutions rely on a combination of both hardware and software components based around the Nion Series of DSP (digital signal processing) and the award winning ControlMatrixTM and nWareTM software suites with Dante™ / AES-67 network audio streaming protocols and standards, allowing all IP devices to send and receive audio over the local network. Realtime network streaming audio replaces point-to-point connections and analog matrix switches, providing hundreds of high-quality audio channels, and can be controlled and monitored from existing network equipment. The installation and management of the equipment is greatly simplified through specialized plug-and-play technology, saving installation steps and long-term maintenance costs.
The power of this network audio and control streaming technology in Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport is exemplified through the installation of CKd™ Series intelligent networkable high-power amplifiers from Crest Audio, a Peavey Commercial Audio brand. Among numerous advantages, CKd Series of power amplifiers utilize remote control and audio transmission through the NexSys® Nx Dante-8 interface module. Importantly, the system devices can detect and remotely adjust levels according to the sound environment and the Nion DSP processors and nWare software suite based algorithms including real-time health status and load monitoring.
MediaMatrix, an American brand, provides a complete range of audio signal and control solutions with customizable hardware and software modules and interfaces to meet practically any distributed audio public address system. This includes comprehensive emergency broadcast mass notification and system monitoring features customized to local requirements with optional adherence utilizing the MediaMatrix nCIE PilotTM“VACIE” voice alarm control and indicating equipment to comply with EN54-16.
Overall, MediaMatrix delivers on Qingdao Jiaodong’s requirements for a flexible, secure broadcast system that includes comprehensive monitoring of equipment, as well as network and power amplifier backups. The combination of solutions provide for a “smart airport,” with centralized hardware, virtualization, data interconnection, unified management, monitoring, and scheduling, key technologies of wireless communication, intelligent sensor networks, data storage and management, and information security.
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