Rane HAL1x Design Guide - Page 104

HAL SYSTEM DESIGN GUIDE using presets to control zone configurations. Instead, what you do worry about (although you needn't worry as it is so easy to use!) and what you need to configure is which paging stations can page into which zones. Hard to believe? Read on to learn how this powerful paging system works. What are the components of a HAL paging system and how do they work together? The HAL paging system accomplishes the same task as other paging systems-delivering to the appropriate locations paging input that ducks existing input. The beauty of the HAL paging system, however, is its efficiency and simplicity. The key ingredients in a HAL paging system are: One or more Paging Stations that provide input into the paging system A paging station provides an audio input to your paging system. You have the option of using a RAD pager (for example, a PAGER1) or another type of pager (such as a paging microphone controlled by a switch closure). The RAD pager connects to HAL via a RAD port while the switch closure connects via a Logic In port. Choosing the best type of paging station to use depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If your system has multiple zones and multiple paging stations that could potentially conflict with one another, we recommend the RAD pager. In addition to its paging microphone and a push-totalk button, it includes a display of the available Paging Scenarios (defined below) as well as LED status lights to inform the end user if a specific Scenario is available to page into. For more details, see PAGER1 Device. If your system needs only a simple page into a single Scenario, a page microphone controlled by a switch closure may be all you need. One or more Paging Zones that define discrete areas available for receiving a page A paging zone serves as a destination for paging input. There are three ways to include a paging zone in your HAL audio system: add a Zone Processor block, a Room Combine Processor block, an Emergency Paging Zone block, or a standalone Paging Zone block. When you add a Zone Processor block (or Room Combine Processor) to your system, it automatically includes a Paging Zone block. In essence, the HAL System automatically wires the zone to the paging system. You don't need to wire anything! In addition, the Zone Processor (or each Room Processor) places its Paging Zone block in the correct location-to the right of the Level block that controls the zone input volume. Placing it in this location separates the page volume control from the input volume control so that a page will always be audible regardless of the zone's current volume level. If you plan to use Zone Processor blocks (or Room Processor blocks if configuring a room combine) to define your system's audio zones, your job with regard to configuring paging couldn't be easier. There are a few things in the Paging Zone block that you can configure, although the parameters' default values are typically appropriate: Ducker Depth (default is 12 dB), Ramp Back (default is 3 seconds), and Page Gain (default is 0 dB). You should also customize the name of the paging zone to help you identify it when working within the Paging Manager. If you are not using Zone Processor (or Room Processor) blocks in your system, or if you need to configure a simple paging zone that does not need the other functionality included with a Zone Processor (automatic connection to the Distributed Program Bus, multiple prioritized inputs), you can add a standalone Paging Zone block to your Processing Map. It is identical to the Paging Zone block included in a Zone Processor. One or more Paging Scenarios that represent a combination of one or more zones. In the HAL paging system, you always page into Scenarios. 100