Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Board Conference Room, Los Angeles
Retrofit Team
AV systems integrator: AVI-SPL, Tampa, Fla.
Materials
As part of an extensive renovation, AVI-SPL configured and installed one T8 Digital IR 8-channel Transmitter, four RAD25 Digital Radiators, 25 T8 Digital IR Receivers, 25 LA-165 Stereo Headphones, 25 LA-164 Ear Speakers and 25 LA-330 Portable Unit Lanyards. The system is used by translators and citizens speaking Korean, Mandarin, Spanish and other languages to keep all present informed in real time as the agency’s administrators and members of the city council discuss and debate mass-transit policies and regulations that will impact the millions of riders on the city’s bus, subway and light-rail systems.
Comprehensive assistive listening system manufacturer: Listen Technologies Corp.
The Retrofit
Until recently, L.A. Metro had relied on outdated AV technology to conduct and record the board hearings at its headquarters. The old analog systems, which were installed in the early 1990s, were long overdue for an upgrade. “The technology was older, and it was becoming a nightmare to administrate,” says Arlen Sanders, project manager in the Information Technology Services department with L.A. Metro.
“What gets discussed in the boardroom at L.A. Metro is critical to the entire community, and Listen Technologies is always my go-to for that kind of application,” states Jon Chang, senior design engineer for AVI-SPL. “I’ve used it for a number of other important projects like this, and they’ve never failed.”
Chang says during the RFP process an RF-based assistive listening system was considered. However, it was decided that an IR system would be better suited to the project; it had the more favorable bandwidth and channel isolation for the six-to-eight channels required. “The previous system had been an IR one, but they had significant problems with issues like line of sight for the infrared signal,” Chang explains.
He notes Listen Technologies’ technicians were onsite, helping determine the best location for the transmitter. “The digital transmitter offers excellent coverage, and the intelligibility and clarity of the speech is exceptional,” Chang adds. “Also, the audio fidelity is phenomenal for speech and prerecorded material, such as music. When the client heard it, they were blown away.”